|
The McDonnell RF-101 "Voodoo" was originally
conceived as a long-range interceptor/bomber escort for SAC (yes, a fighter
in the Strategic Air Command!). The "C"-model performed yeoman's
service in the Vietnam war as a high-speed reconnaissance platform. Its
first assignment in SEA was to overfly Laos, staging out of Bangkok's Don
Muang International Airport. A handful of ships of the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron were sent to Thailand in November 1961, to form the Able Mable
Reconnaissance Task Force. This photo was taken in 1962, from Misawa AB,
Japan. These three photographs are courtesy Leland Olson, who was the crew
chief of this plane. |
|
Hangar and ramp space used by the Able Mable Reconnaissance
Task Force. Leland says they were given a section of the airport far away
from the main area. |
|
A reverse-angle shot. Notice how close the ramp is
to the edge of the field. Space was at a premium at Bangkok's airport. |
|
28 Aug 72. Steve Ritchie (left)
and Charles DeBellevue congratulate each other at Udorn as Ritchie becomes
the Air Force's first 'ace' of the Vietnam war. This was DeBellevue's 4th
kill; he would go on to become the USAF's leading 'ace' (as a Weapons Systems
Officer) of the war, with 6 MiG kills. |
|
Steve Ritchie mans a can of
red paint as he stencils the fifth star on the splitter plate of his F-4. |
|
The F-4D at the top of the picture, FA 788, is LORAN
equipped (the towel rack on the back bone) and FG 815 is equipped with
the laser designator called "ZOTZ." The scope assy was mounted
on the left canopy. The pilot would make the aiming limits on his canopy
with a grease pencil as called out by the WSO. LORAN was the long range
alternative to Combat Skyspot which relied upon short range ground stations
in Laos. These photos are from about '71-'73. |
|
A Sikorsky HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant" of the
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron is escorted by two Douglas
A-1H "Skyraiders" during a search-and-rescue mission in South
Vietnam in June 1970. (U.S. Air Force photo) |
|
Larry Westin was stationed at Korat in 1968-1969.
He flew 73 missions as a sensor operator on EC-121R aircraft. Their call
sign was Bat Cat, and they participated in Igloo White. (Photo copyright
Larry Westin) |
|
Tom Zangla took this picture back around June 1969
while living in the MACV Team 21 compound assigned to the 525th Military
Intelligence Group near Pleiku, Vietnam. (Yeah, I know it's not 'Thailand'
but the picture was too good to pass up!) You could tell when Spooky would
show up by the hum of their guns and this time Tom grabbed his camera and
took one in time exposure. Tom says that from what he heard, they only
found some dead water buffalo the next morning (but the enemy dragged their
dead away if they got the chance). |
|
This great photo of a pair of F-4Ds was taken by John
Amos Parker, a Phantom aircrewman. It was taken as the 49th TFW was returning
from its deployment to Takhli, in the spring/summer of 1972. Copyright
John A. Parker. (These were the planes your humble webmaster fixed in his
younger days.) |
|
This famous photo was taken on June 29, 1966, above
Hanoi's main POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricants) facility. It was struck
by F-105s on a Rolling Thunder mission. One Thud, flown by Murphy Neal
Jones, was shot down; Neal was taken prisoner and spent the next 7 years
as a POW. |
|
Al Bosse photographed these "Firefly" T-28s
over northeast Thailand in 1966 while at Udorn. They belonged to the Laotian
Air Force, were flown by Thai mercenary, Lao AF, Air America, and USAF
pilots. They were serviced by Americans.
|