US Army Thailand 1971-1975

[Shy Guava]

I hate to say it but there were allegations that the US base at Udon Thani
was used for special rendition after 911 by the CIA and before that
it was some kind of secret broadcasting station transmitting to Cambodia and Vietnam
like Radio Free Europe in Munich transmitted to iron curtain countries.

The place mentioned most often in connection with this is the big VOA station at Ban Dung, east of Udon and now clearly visible on GoogleEarth.

[Borey the Bald]

Here are a few final pictures of the base:


This is a view of Ramasun Station looking roughly toward Udon.


This is the operations building in which I was locked up 12 hours a day - until I escaped to flight duty.


Here is the highly sensitive and directional receiving antenna, military name FLR9,


And a final look down Highway 2, with Non Sung on the left, the base on the right. My wife and I both looked at this photo and were amazed. It was not as we remembered. Thirty five years have taken a toll on the brain cells.

I need to thank Sam at Hanie.com for letting me use some of his photos of Ramasun. He does have a few more there for those interested.

[IceSpike]

Flew around for a week just wasting time and acting as target practice dummies. Eventually they figured out that the antenna had been hooked up backward, 180 degrees out of phase.

The Antenna manufacturer's (NOW) put arrows indicating ""Forward"".>>>>>>
Somewhat Murphy Proof.

[Bob63]

Borey, great thread, particularly the pics. Thanks !

[ShilohJim]

Thanks for the memories Borey, I was stationed at Udorn RTAFB 1965-66. I was an Aircraft Electrician on the RF-101's there. I had just finished 7 months TDY to Guam with the B-52's from Carswell AFB at Ft. Worth TX. We flew the first of the Arclight missions from Anderson AB. Our tankers were at Okinawa, where we were lucky enough to get sent during two typhoon evacs in 1064. Escape from TX was recommended to prevent being killed by a jealous husband!

The year at Udorn was probably my best year with the USAF. Of course when I arrived (Sept. '65) the base was under and expansion and we were quartered in the old Thai barracks with no hot water. A non-typical experience for Airmen. The town of Udon Thani was still pretty small, several bars and tailor shops with plenty of jewelry stores too. Befriended a local guy about my own age and it improved my free time in town because his family owned one of the jewelry shops. I used to escort them to the base, weekly, to exchange the grocery sacks of American money back to Baht at the NCO club. Papasan would get shitfaced at the bar while either the guy or his sister and I were in the counting room.
Alas, all my pictures have disappeared over the ensuing years and multiple moves but finding the Teakdoor Forum has been great. Hard to imagine the explosion of the population in Thailand from then till now..... especially around Udon. Sleepy little burg to decent sized town now with a lot to offer both visitors and expats. And the Bangkok scene is almost unbelievable, loved both places for different reasons.

Again, thanks for the memories,

Shiloh Jim

[Amina]

[quote=khmen;1915682]^Nice to see you posting again Amina, I thought you'd stopped and thought it was a shame as posters such as yourself, with an interesting perspective on Thailand, are a welcome addition to the board.

Khmen: Thanks for the kind words. No such luck as for me not posting any longer. My husband and I had to travel to Reno, NV, then to Omaha, NE, and finally to Manchester, NH. For that reason I was out of circulation for a while. We met mostly with former USAF friends and aquaintances, and finally topped everything off by visiting with family in New England.
Cheers - Amina Christoph
P.S. The way things are right now, we are postponing our planned visit to Thailand until early next year or so.

[sabang]

From a different perspective, I meant an old Isaan chap living in the next village from here who had worked for the USAF at the Ubon base. He'd met Aussie's there too, and had fond memories. Apparently you were lucky to get a job working with the military- they were highly sought after. Sadly, he passed away last year.

[seattlesbest]

after serving in the navy in 1966 .which included duty in vietnam i joined the merchant marine and began hauling 500 pound bombs and napalm to satthip for udapao .alt of b52s there at the time.whent back to visit there in 2006,now a thai navy base.the hotel called the white swan was still operating after all the years.my first taste of thai women began there.she did not want to stay at hotel .went to her hut which was all it was,very poor,felt so bad for her situation ,knowing she would have a very hard life.any of you in that area back in the 60s?

[Smug Farang Bore]

You quite likely know or used to know one of our members, he was also based there around that time, there is a thread about it on here somewhere, hopefully someone with a better memory will post a link to it.

Can't find it but he used to tell stories of his times up country and said he was going to write a book calling it fifteen ways to wok ya dog.
Very funny stuff about being stationed in the boon docks too..

Had B/W photos too...

[Borey the Bald]

I screwed up.

[Amina]

"If I remember correctly, I took this photo as we overflew the Air America base at Xieng Khouang, Laos."

Please correct me because I may be wrong but I always believed that the Air America base was at Vang Vien, half way between Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Vang Vien has a large disused runway which the backpackers need to cross to get from the bus station to the guest house and restaurant area.

Anyway this forum just gets better and better. Please keep these wonderful threads coming.

" The buildings are still there, but don't know what it is used for now."

I hate to say it but there were allegations that the US base at Udon Thani
was used for special rendition after 911 by the CIA and before that
it was some kind of secret broadcasting station transmitting to Cambodia and Vietnam
like Radio Free Europe in Munich transmitted to iron curtain countries.

jobsworth: My husband and I visited Vang Vien Laos 3 years ago, when my brother-in-law was assigned to the US Embassy in Vientiane. We made a trip to Vang Vien, which used to be an Air America airstrip - better known a "Lima Site 6." Incidentally, the former air ops building is now used as a medical dispensary for the local population. The former gravel runway is primarily used as bus transient and parking areas. In addition, LS-6 was also used by the famous Hmong General Vang Pau, who had his headquarters nearby, and who received most of his weapons/supplies through the Air America facilty at LS-6.
Amina Christoph

[Invader26]

When I was in the RAAF I flew with a US Army unit from Don Muang all over Thailand and into Laos and Cambodia a couple of times. I cannot remember the name of the unit however I sure can remember a few of the pilots and the alcoholic haze of the Chao Phraya "O" Club...

[IceSpike]

When I was in the RAAF I flew with a US Army unit

Awesome!

[Oska]

Excellent thread. Thanks for sharing.

[Borey the Bald]

I was just reading Mr. Slap's review of the VFW Cafeteria in Korat, which quickly devolved into a discussion of retarded old vets who have to advertise their service or relive the “good old days” in the local bar over a beer. I realized how this entire thread reeks of that type of senility. As I never hang around the VFW or Legion hall and never speak of my service to anyone in person, I had to ask myself why I would use the anonymity of TD to do so. I came to the conclusion that I am becoming a doddering old fool. But hopefully I still have a grasp on reality, unlike some who are apparently living in fantasy.

[Borey the Bald]

Postscript:


I recently found a few more pictures that really belonged in this thread, so will include them here.


Early in the thread I wrote as one of my reasons for joining the Army was that “Oriental women turned me on”. This is clearly due to a genetic defect in my family. My grandfather married an American Indian and my father spent his youth chasing Philippine women. It would have been easier for Wile E. Coyote to stop chasing the Road Runner than for me to stop chasing oriental women.




My father in the Philippines in 1945. (I hope Davis Knowlton's wife doesn't recognize her grandmother.)


Showing just how unreliable the brain can be after almost 40 years, above I stated “at that time, there were several bases in use all over Laos. The only one I actually landed at was at Savannakhet, directly across from Mukdahan, Thailand.” Then I found the picture I took when we landed:




The airfield at Pakse, Laos.


Just to prove I didn't spend all my time on my ass in an airplane:




Looking West at the Mekong from the Laotian hills, just North of the Cambodian border.




And finally, what I was fighting for:




Cruising off the coast of Pattaya, 1974.

[Amina]

... I had to ask myself why I would use the anonymity of TD to do so. I came to the conclusion that I am becoming a doddering old fool. But hopefully I still have a grasp on reality, unlike some who are apparently living in fantasy.

Borey the Bald:
From your articulation and posting of your pictures, one can tell immediately that you are NOT a "doddering old fool." My husband and I truly enjoyed seeing all your posted photographs so far, and hearing some of your unique US Army "war stories" etc. But I must say, I for one was pretty unaware of all the American military involvement in Laos and Cambodia at that time, until my husband finally somewhat opened up to me, speaking about his times in SEA more than 45+ years ago. However, what really perplexes me now the most, is the anonymity concerns of our TD members, and why that really is? Should we all be using ficticious names, locations, and avitars?
Cheers, and thanks again for sharing all those interesting photos from your past. Please keep them coming.
Amina Christoph

[Borey the Bald]

Amina,


My above answer, to a certain extent, was flippant. My real concern is exercise. I walk 25-30 miles a week to keep in shape physically. I try to write a few pages of hopefully coherent thoughts per week to keep in shape mentally.


The main thing I like about anonymity is that if I post something really stupid, it won't follow me around as if I forgot to zip my fly. I'm really not too concerned with identity theft or the like. But maybe I should be.


Thanks for your kind words.


Borey

[pickel]

However, what really perplexes me now the most, is the anonymity concerns of our TD members, and why that really is? Should we all be using ficticious names, locations, and avitars?

If you venture into sub forums like issues and the lounge, you'll understand the need for anonymity, due to certain vindictive, bitter posters. If you stick to a thread like this, you'll be fine.

I've enjoyed this thread and would like to see more. Cheers to the contributors.

[KhongGiacMy]

I am wondering just who you are. I was one of the 6 98Gs who brought the two Left Jab birds to Ramasun in February of 1973. Your comments show that you were not one of those from the 138th at Da Nang. They were Davis, Dorough, Quarve, Pluff, Shelley and Byrant. Tho only names I remember from the Viet bay are Bahe and Tucker. Tucker was too new and Bahe joined the aviation section later. I don't know who replaced me when I left in December.

[KhongGiacMy]

Now, I think I know who you are. You were a SP6. It that not correct? Can you remember the name of the CM lingie who inserted the cassette into the PNH 4 backwards, jamming it, during one of the missions up north? And since you were there longer than I, I'm sure you have some good stories about Colonel J.J. McFadden. I almost forgot that there was a Vietnamese SSG named Hyslop who was my room mate in the barracks. I had heard that you later became a Czech interrogator. Is that true?
KGM

[Borey the Bald]

I'm surprised someone has a good enough memory of those times to "out" me based on what I posted above. I really intended to remain "in the closet". If you came up with all those names from memory, I am truly impressed. After all the time I spent with those guys, my best memory is seeing Dorrough driving his yellow convertible sports car (Honda I think) around Udon with his gf at his side.

I was unable to find any photos of the crews. Don't know where they went to. Do you have anything you could post to add to the story?

Borey

(I enjoy your nick)

[KhongGiacMy]

I've recently contacted Quarve and Pluff, as well as, Ed Haer, a VS/FR at the station during that time.
Whatever happened to Dorrough? I heard he married his girlfriend and they went stateside, but she left to return to Thailand and he followed.
Tucker became a Czech and retired as a SGM at Fort Stewart.
Pluff lives in Minn and Quarve is still with Aurora in San Antonio.
I may have some pictures but most relate to Da Nang and the 138th.
You may recognize the F4 wash point behind me in the avatar photo.

I find that I have a better memory for the names of those with whom I attended language school than with those with whom I served. An exception is the group with whom I worked at FSA, but then again, we kept bumping into each other for ten years. I can not remember very many from the two CEWI battalions I was in.

Do you remember the Adjutant, LT Yount? I later served with MAJ Yount at FSA and with LTC Yount at the 501st CEWI Bn.

[Borey the Bald]

Since there is apparently a (very) little interest, here is my only photo of a fellow crew member during a mission in late 1973 or 1974:

[Bangyai]

Might be of interest to those reading this thread.









Lot of other stuff on Youtube