Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak

(Pat Sajak in South Vietnam in the 1960s and more recently.)

Patrick Leonard Sajak (né Sajdak) was born on October 26, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

His Father died when he was still a young Boy.

His Mother, Joyce, later remarried Walter Backal.

He graduated from Farragut High School in 1964.

He then went to Columbia College Chicago.

While at Columbia College Chicago, his Broadcasting Instructor Al Parker told him that a local Radio Station (WEDC) was looking for Newsman.

Sajak applied for the job and was hired to work from Midnight to 6:00 am.

His Polish-Origin Last Name was originally spelled Sajdak, but he later changed it to Sajak to better reflect its Americanized Pronunciation.

In 1968 he joined the US Army and was sent to South Vietnam from October 1968 until December 1969.

He was an Army Specialist 5^th Class and was trained as a Clerk Typist and was a Finance Clerk when he was first sent to South Vietnam.

After four attempts he was transferred to Saigon to be a Disc Jockey for American Forces Vietnam Network.

Every Weekday Morning at 6 am he would shout “Good Morning Vietnam!” to the more than 500,000 Troops that listened to American Forces Vietnam Network.

Sajak did not come up with that slogan.

Adrian Cronauer did when he was in a Disc Jockey in South Vietnam in 1965, but other Morning Disc Jockeys later used it.

Sajak botched President Richard Nixon's 1969 Christmas Broadcast to the Troops; he accidentally cut the feed off prematurely.

Upon realizing the error, Sajak decided it would be best not to resume the feed.

Sajak was also flown to different US Bases across South Vietnam to introduce different USO Shows including Bob Hope’s.

Sajak’s main goal while in South Vietnam was to lift the morale of the American Men and Women inside the Country.

After leaving South Vietnam and the US Army he continued to be a Disc Jockey across the United States.

While working in Radio in Nashville in the 1970s Sajak was asked to do Voiceovers and be a Weatherman on Television.

In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles to be an On-Air Weather Man at another Television Station.

From 1979 to 1986, Sajak was married to Sherrill Sajak.

In 1981 Sajak took over hosting of “The Wheel of Fortune” from Chuck Woolery.

In 1989, Sajak married Lesly Brown-Sajak.

They have two Children: Patrick and Maggie.

Also, in 1989 he had a short0lived Show called “The Pat Sajak Show.”

Sajak hosted “Wheel of Fortune” for 44 years until leaving the show in 2025.

In 2019 Sajak became the Longest-Running Host of any Game Show and was honored by honored by the Guinness World Records.

Pat Sajak is 79 years old (he will be 80 this October.)