Looking Back

Fifty years ago today, December 24, 1967

Vietnam

President Johnson conferred with Pope Paul VI Saturday night on his role as a possible mediator in the Vietnam war and said the United States would agree to any peace proposal “that will substitute the word and the vote for the grenade and the knife.”

Puckett Honored

A Columbus Army officer, Lt. Col. Ralph Puckett, Saturday was awarded the Silver Star by President Lyndon Johnson while the chief executive was on a brief visit to Vietnam. Lt. Col. Puckett reportedly received the medal, the nation’s third highest military honor, for his part in combat action September 26. He was wounded in the engagement.

“Racy” Novels

Steamy novels with titles like “Pageant of Lust” and “Confessions of a French Countess” turned up among the playing cards and writing paper in some Marines’ Christmas packages. The Red Cross Saturday said it was all a mystery. “It is not the intent of the program to put this type of literature in the little vari-colored bags,” said Jim Lindsey of the Red Cross.

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Looking Back."