HONOLULU (KHON2) — Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is in a Los Angeles hospital Friday night after undergoing emergency surgery Thursday to correct a blocked intestine.
Joe Moore heard from his 73-year-old pal Friday afternoon.
He said he’s resting comfortably and expects he’ll be back to work in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, the show’s longtime letter turner, Vanna White started filling in for him as host Friday, taping episodes that will begin airing on Dec. 9.
Pat and Vanna have worked together on the wheel since 1982.
Pat Sajak and Joe first met in 1968 when they were in the army in Vietnam working at the American Forces Vietnam Network in Saigon, after they had previously served in combat units.
Pat was the successor to Adrian Cronauer, the morning DJ, who was depicted in the movie Good Morning Vietnam starring Robin Williams.
Joe was doing radio and tv news and sports for AFVN.
Besides working together, Pat and Joe were also roomates in a hotel the army had leased from the Vietnamese.
After they got out of the service, Pat and Joe stayed in touch. Their families vacationed together.
Pat and Joe started doing plays here in Hawaii.
Since their first one in 1991 Prophecy and Honor at Diamond Head Theatre, they’ve done five more at Hawaii Theatre, one on the mainland in Connecticut, and they’re scheduled to do Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys at Hawaii Theatre in June.
Joe says he’s never had a closer friend, and he’d just like to ask for your thoughts and prayers for Pat’s speedy recovery.
Pat is hospitalized in Los Angeles after undergoing emergency surgery on Thursday to correct a blocked intestine.
Pat is expected to make a full recovery.
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