Andrian Cronauer Talks About "Good Morning, Vietnam"

Adrian Cronauer

Robin Williams made the words, “Good morning Vietnam” famous in the movie by the same name, but the originator of the phrase lives in Botetourt County, Virginia.

75-year-old  Adrian Cronauer talked with WSLS-TV Lynchburg-Roanoke shortly after the news broke about Robin Williams' death.

Back in 1965 and 1966, Cronauer was the morning deejay for AFVN (American Forces Vietnam Network) in Saigon.  He thought the troops needed a lift and modeled his radio show after a successful morning radio host in Pittsburgh named Rege Cordic.

When the TV show MASH became popular, Cronauer thought there might be a way to make a funny movie or TV series about his life in Vietnam – even though people told him Vietnam could “not be funny.”

He kept at his concept until Williams and/or William's people bought the rights.  “They changed everything, but they made my movie.” Williams played Cronauer in the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam".

“He was always on.  You never saw the real Robin Williams,” he said.

The two did not meet person-to-person until the movie's premier.  The director wanted Williams' character to be purely from his own imagination.  “If he had met me he would have started to impersonate me, and they didn't want that,” said Cronauer.  “Besides—Williams was way funnier, and a lot of what he said in the movie – I could have never said.”

WSLS 10 NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg Va