Laos
Special Operations Mission from Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand
to Mu Gia Pass, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Laos.
Fall 1970
— Air Force Magazine On Line
| Click on image for larger photo | |
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Tactical Units Operations
Center, Nakhon Phanom
(NKP, also "Naked Phanny"), Thailand |
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Captured 37mm at TUOC, a donation from Laotian Army Gen. Vang Pao; a reminder of the most lethal anti-aircraft weapon in SEA. (57mm anti-aircraft and SAM missile radars drove aircraft into lower altitude 37mm range) |
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My gear at TUOC; AR-15 and Smith & Wesson 38 revolver. |
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Special Ops and SAR CH-3 Jolly
Green
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Two variants of the A-1
Skyraider on the line;
will join up on mission. |
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Lift off of (two of three) Jolly
Greens on an "insert" mission
near Mu Gia Pass, on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Loas. |
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Leader (Capt. Wil Waldo) crossing the Mekong. Flew mission with cocked nose wheel—one of the two birds that should not have been permitted to fly with a red tag like that. Had to anyway. |
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Capt. Wil Waldo (Cocked nose wheel) and Capt. Dave Schull (gear wired down: feared it would not operate if retracted). 2 red tag Jollys: best 3 of 13 Jollys on the line that day had to fly. A-1 Skyraider escort in distance. |
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Capt. Schull's CH-3 with wired-down landing gear. |
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Schull's Jolly over Laotian karst on return trip. |
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Vertical karst on outbound for "Naked Phanny" (NKP) Nakhon Phanom |
Capt. Mike