My Time with Vic

A fan shares her story of a childhood encounter with Vic Morrow

Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998
To: the Combat! mailing list
Subject: My Time With Vic

Hello, Squad:

Do you have time to take a little journey with me? Say yes, 'cause I promise it'll be fun.

Our story begins back in the Summer of '66. Things looked good to a twelve year old: three months off from school, the Beach Boys were alive and well on the radio and my fav TV show aired on Tuesdays at 7:30. Waiting for the next Combat! ep seemed like a lifetime. Many a time was spent with girlfriends talking about the latest actor we were madly in love with. Everyone thought I was nuts 'cause my only love at the time was a blond guy on Combat!. I truly lived and breathed Sergeant Saunders.

It was VERY challenging trying to find any articles or pictures of him in the many movie magazines. I would spend hours at the bus station going through each publication, page by page, looking for anything about HIM. It became increasing challenging because the same man worked the bus counter; he got to know my face and would say cruel things like "Back again. Gonna buy anything today? The library's closed today." I tried to explain to him that I would be more than happy to plop out my $1.50 for any (and all) movie magazines that had anything about Combat! I got so tired of his comments that I began to track his schedule, and I would make sure I visited the magazines at a time when he wasn't there. Why did I keep going back to the bus station? You have to realize, I lived in a very small town and this was the place with the best variety of stuff.

Well, my frustration was "combated" (sorry) by the fact that there was not much printed. Finally, I gave up on other efforts and decided to take matters into my own hands. It was this summer that I began sending fan mail to HIM. Over the course of the next few months, I sent probably four letters requesting an autographed photo. No reply. I knew I couldn't go back to the bus station, so I had to come up with Plan B. Oh, to be twelve years old and carefree and naive. My reasoning now dictated that I call him. It seemed reasonable to me. And so it began.

When I returned to school in September, my attempted calls started. I don't remember how I got the phone number, but somehow, I managed to get the number to the Combat! offices. So, what I did was place a person-to-person call to HIM — that way ,if I was not able to talk to him, I would get my money back for another try. This went on for months and months. And remember, this was back in the ole days before calling cards when you dialed up the operator, told her what you wanted and you deposited coins in the phone. Sometimes the phone would eat my money. When that happened, I dialed the operator, told her what happened and had a refund check issued. It became rather "interesting" trying to explain to my very strict mother why I was getting refund checks from Ma Bell! Well, anyway, the worst part was — I couldn't call until my refund came!

Well, finally, after many months and many refund checks, I felt extremely determined on February 14, 1967 to be successful. After begging and pleading with the secretary, I was given a number of where they were shooting for the day. I could not believe my ears when I finally heard his voice on the other end. My God, there I was standing in my favorite pay phone booth talking to Vic Morrow. I got my two minutes with him. He was incredibly nice — I just couldn't believe he took the time.

So, today, as I celebrate his life, I always think about this brief moment in time. Those two minutes have been some of the most special minutes of my life. This is an experience I have never forgotten.

Donna Callison (aka Esther/Bob),
filled with fond memories,
out.