European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse What no hypnotists Vietnam an my is always very very Happy to protect a lady in the Jungle. A by Peter Arnett a staff writer i get More trouble from amorous club managers than i do from Cheviet Cong said the blonde dancer one of the hundreds of entertainers criss crossing the Jungles of Vietnam these Days. The pop singers guitarists sem strip pers and fire eaters Haven t been scared away by the ambush attack which killed two teen age members of the Brandi Perry act from los Angeles. We be Hung have act will travel anywhere signs Back on our baggage said one agent. Any i club that wants us can have us providing the Price is reasonably there Are about 500 such clubs in american military bases scattered across South Vietnam from the Mekong Delta to the demilitarized zone. The farther away from Saigon the better the Price which runs As High As $425an hour for a top pop group. Some performers say the worst Parton playing Vietnam is the hours of wait ing at Dusty airports for military planes the crude conditions at Many clubs and the thousand foot sponge of Vietnam Ese government bureaucracy they bog Down in when they try to extend their stay in the country or get exit visas. But the risk of Viet Cong attack Isreal particularly at night on lonely roads Between bases when there is temptation for an entertainment group to squeeze in just one More performance before a nearby club closes. The Brandi Perry and the Bubble machine troupe was ambushed after dark on the Saigon Yung Tau Road notorious spot for attacks fld Kidnap ing. . Military sources also report filipino Singer was killed in a Viet Cong ambush three weeks ago near qui Nhon a coastal resort. The safety of visiting entertainers i their own responsibility. But because of the recent fatalities . Military authorities called the 50 registered Book ing agents in Saigon together for a Brief ing on Basic safety procedures. The army s special services division ordered that All entertainment groups obtain Road and Security information from the local Provost marshal before using a were also advised that armed entertainers Brand Perry i and Jack Bone survived tragedy of musical group ambush in Vietnam by july 27, 1968 Dpi the stars and stripes escorts will be provided when the leave clubs after dark. But one agent commented ". Mili tary authorities Are More concerned about the morality of a show than a special committee auditions each act and there must be no pro Fanity no vulgarity and no hypnotists said it. Col. Samuel k. Apuna jr., the special services chief for Vietnam. Also no strippers though partial strips Are permitted if they Are an integral part of the show Apuna As enthusiasm mounts in clubs at some of the More Remote bases Good lookers Are offered up to $500 extra to take it accept running the risk of losing their military credentials if Apuna s office finds out. Without those credentials they can t perform in Mili tary clubs or use military transport. J. He . Army also exercises some control Over dealings Between agent an performer. One american agent who has been giving bad checks All Over Saigon and to t paying his performers has been told he will lose his License if he do snot pay his debts. The army has nothing to do with the percentage the agent gets. This varies from 25 to 50 per cent but the agent argue that they Are receiving Only their fair share. We pay the air fare to and from Saigon one said. We pay for the accommodations. We have to Book Ever act separately. We provide a Road Man Ager. And we have to carry the can when something like the tet offensive closes every club in the country for members of some of the 80 entertain ment groups currently touring South Vietnam said in recent interviews that they were satisfied with the arrange ments. After my three months Here i la have$4,000 in the Bank and maybe a Chance to make it in vegas said one dark haired american dancer. About half the entertainment groupware classified As american but some of these have Only one american member such As a Lead Singer backed up by a filipino or korean combo. Entertainers from 17 different coun tries Are registered a fourth of them from the Philippines another Quarter from South Korea. A Hundred american performers Are registered but that Many Are never in the country at one time. Page 11
