When we say “we don’t know what we’d do under the same circumstances”, we make cowardice the default position.
Why We Are Here
In the late summer of 1964, I was a single young airman stationed at Misawa AB, Japan and having the time of my life. Then on August 2nd some North Vietnamese PT boats allegedly made an attack on the American destroyer USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam and changed my life. The US Air Force immediately shipped forces from Misawa and other bases around the Far East to Thailand and South Viet Nam to provide attacking forces against North Vietnam. I was supposed to be one of those sent to Thailand...but I was on a 3 day pass somewhere and could not be located. I was sent TDY (temporary duty) to Korat RTAFB Thailand in February 1965 to help relieve the initial group of folks sent there. Korat Thailand
After my TDY I returned to Misawa and finished out my tour. I returned home to a new assignment at McEntire ANGB in South Carolina. I was still having fun but I could not get Thailand out of my mind. I learned that a friend had already returned to Thailand after a very short stay in the US. I immediately volunteered to go! Within a few months I was on my way. In April 1967 I was sent to Takhli RTAFB. My arrival at Takhli was followed very shortly by Robert Vaughn (Bangkok Bob) and the seige of Takhli village began. Friends
My friend Bob now has a website that is dedicated to the men who flew north during the war and to the folks who provided all the support. Please visit his site and have a look. Bangkok Bob's
Not all was fun and games. We worked hard at Takhli and for one long period of 4 months we were so short handed we worked 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. We still had time to fit in a little fun, and even managed one trip to Bangkok for a tour of the floating market. I would post pictures of that trip but some fool exposed my film in the photo lab... We also made the occasional trip over to Chainat on the river for some relaxation. Easy Life on the Chao Phrava
Our job was to provide weather support to the guys flying up north. These guys flew the KC-135 Stratotanker, the EB-66 Destroyer, and the F-105 Thunderchief. The F-105 was the biggest single engine fighter ever built and one of the fastest, and best fighter/bombers ever to enter service. She was a rugged and dependable lady, but she was never designed to be abused the way she was in this war.
