POP/ROCK - July 3, 1987

In what at first appeared to be the Ingratitude of the Week award-winner, a plaque presented to Kris Kristofferson by Vietnam veterans after a benefit concert in Albany, N.Y., was found in the garbage after the performance. But the singer insisted (through a spokeswoman) that the plaque--thanking the “singer, songwriter, actor, for lending his unselfish support in the funding for the Albany County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Monument”--ended up in the garbage accidentally, probably knocked there by cleaning crews. Added the spokeswoman: “It was just a silly accident.” But the incident left a bad taste in the mouth of Coliseum Theater owner Philip Cohen nonetheless: “He’s saying, ‘I support the Vietnam Veterans’ to the public because it’s the ‘in’ thing to do, and then we go out the back door and find this.”