As the Seventh US Army moved rapidly north from Toulon and Marseilles, the battalion reconstructed airfields that had been skillfully destroyed by withdrawing German forces. United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) ordered American technicians to assist the Royal Thai Air Force in processing and analyzing the film. Thai air police controlled access to the bases; U.S. air police who helped them did carry weapons. Thailand was a constitutional monarchy and traditionally maintained a pro-western stance in foreign affairs. [14][15][16] The 11,500-foot (3,505m) runway was opened on 6 July 1966 and the first aircraft to land was a Royal Thai Air Force HH-16 helicopter, then a USAF C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft. U-Tapao based B-52s flew in support of US Marines in the Battle of Khe Sanh in early-1968. This made deception easier, as even crew members aboard the bombers did not have to know what country they were bombing. The Kingdom of Thailand, under the administration of military dictator Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, took an active role in the Vietnam War. Then in November 1961, four RF-101C reconnaissance aircraft of the 45th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron stationed at Misawa AB, Japan and their photo lab arrived at Don Muang. Despite the departure of the American military, Thailand never fell under communist control like its neighbors to the east did. The total number of Thais serving with the Victory Flight, as their Vietnam transport operation was designated, had grown from to 45. Immediately after the news broke of the use of Thai bases to support the Mayaguez rescue, the Thai Government lodged a formal protest with the US and riots broke out outside the US Embassy in Bangkok. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Sattahip district - Wikipedia The report "Snakes in the Eagles Nest" gives a partial account of combat operations in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Udorn Royal Thai Air Base was hit by a guerrilla attack in July 1968. These are the major bases the USAF operated from in Thailand: In addition Marine Aircraft Group 15 operated from Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong from June 1972 to September 1973. The flying portion of the exercise promotes closer relations and enables air force units in the region to sharpen air combat skills and practice interoperability with U.S. forces. View of A Not So Silent Partner: Thailand's Role in Covert - UNB Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 19471977. Thailand in the Vietnam War - Wikipedia The Thai government prohibited photographing of American personnel and military aircraft, with the exception of official archive photography taken for documentation and official release. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. The Royal Thai Navy (Abrv: RTN, . The 9th Logistical Command (B) was inactivated on 12 June 1970 at Camp Samae San, Sattahip. The Southeast Asian kingdom, bordered on the east by embattled Cambodia and Laos, was home to major U.S. Air Force bases used to launch attack, escort, bombing and reconnaissance missions throughout the war zone. At the height of the war, almost 50,000 American military personnel were stationed in Thailand, mainly airmen. Vietnam was the longest war for Marines. [7], From 12 to 20 May, USAID and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) coordinated the delivery of nearly US$1.2million of relief commodities to Yangon on 36 DOD C-130 flights, with supplies sufficient to provide assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries. [17]:256, In early-October 1968, a KC-135A tanker (55-3138)[19] lost power in the outside right engine (#4) on takeoff at U-Tapao and crashed, killing all four crew members.[20][21]. Thailand. The decision was related to the deterioration of security in Laos and Cambodia and the growth of internal insurgency in Thailand, as well as the U.S. Thai involvement did not become official until the total involvement of the United States in support of South Vietnam in 1963. The intensification of the war in Vietnam led to a rapid buildup in official U.S. spending in Thailand (see Tables 1 and 2). The RTAF command structure consists of headquarters and five groups, which are: command group, combat group, support group, education and training group, and special services group. The United States ended its involvement in Southeast Asia by treaty and disengagement rather than by military victory. [9] Units involved were the 36th Airlift Squadron (36 AS) of the 374th Airlift Wing (374 AW) from Yokota Air Base, Japan, flying C-130H Hercules; and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152) from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, flying the Lockheed Martin KC-130R and the newer KC-130J. [1] President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his successor, John F. Kennedy, would not allow Laos to fall to communists, and their administrations realized that Thailands active cooperation was vital in that effort. The USAF implemented Palace Lightning, the plan to withdraw its aircraft and personnel from Thailand. From Sattahip (south of Bangkok) to Korat and Takhli to the north, the roads were primarily 2 lanes with hard surfaces. The missions flown over Laos are today referred to as the Secret War. Flying ungainly looking, green and brown HH43 and CH-3 helicopters, or "Jolly Green Giants," and protected by propeller-driven A-1 Sandy ground attack planes, R. &. Meanwhile, Royal Thai air force planes and Royal Laotian planes based in Thailand were flying bombing missions over territory held by the Pathet Lao in both Laos and Thailand. Did you know that more than 40,000 Thai military personnel served in Vietnam? For the first time, Thai forces began covert operations into Laos under the direction of the CIA. Eventually, these countries would fall under communism in 1975. On 23 March 1973 the USAF airlift control center at Tan Son Nhut Air Base moved to U-Tapao becoming the Pacific Transportation Management Agency, Thailand, responsible for all C-130 operations in Southeast Asia. No reference was made to the "mercenary" and "subsidy" charges of the previous few days. Having the aircraft based in South Vietnam made them vulnerable to attack. Schiffer Military Aviation History. [citation needed] Attacks on US bases and personnel were suppressed and any personnel wounded during military action in Thailand did not receive recognition of or awards for their wounds. The 809 th Engineer Battalion (Construction) landed in Southern France on 15 August 1944. The 307th was under the command and control of Eighth Air Force, based at Andersen AFB, Guam. Thailand's Cold War role is usually seen through the prism of its support for the U.S. wars in Indochina. The "Military Assistance Group in South Vietnam" was renamed U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) on 6 February. In the late 1950s and the early 1960s, U.S. leaders in Washington, committed to a containment policy to stop the spread of Soviet-style communism, were deeply concerned about communist expansion in Southeast Asia. Particularly disconcerting, Thailand was home to 50,000 ethnic Vietnamese, many of them sympathetic to North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and his communist ideology. A total of 2,548 B-52 sorties were flown in support of the defense of Khe Sanh, dropping a total of 54,129 tonnes (59,542 tons) of bombs. The battalion reached Germany in time to participate in the Rhineland campaign. "Why Thailand Takes Pride in the Vietnam War", "Guerrilla Attack Reported on a U.S. Base in Thailand, 2nd in 24 Hours", "Many Thais saddened by U.S. military withdrawals", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thailand_in_the_Vietnam_War&oldid=1122364262, Military history of Thailand during the Vietnam War, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 November 2022, at 05:42. U-Tapao (Thai: ) is a compound of cradle or drydock and trade winds, and derives from the site having once been a shipyard for construction of ruea-tapao (), a type of argosy resembling a Qing Dynasty junk. An American expat, who served with the USAF in Udon Thani during the Vietnam War, is writing a book about the city's history during that conflict. Indeed, Thailand emerged as one of the regions strongest and most stable economies. In spite of the agreement, fighting continued in Laos, with North Vietnamese troops hidden in Pathet Lao-held areas. (Everett Collection Historical/Alamy). The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 19611975. In 1951, the CIA sent case officer Bill Lair to Thailand, James Parker, a CIA case officer in Laos 1971-73, said in a 2016 interview with the Bangkok Post. The soldiers delighted in. Ambassador to Thailand Kenneth Young Jr. and U.S. Army Col. William McKean, commander of the 27th Infantry Regiment near Korat, Thailand, in June 1962. Thai operatives, trained by the CIA and U.S. Special Forces, entered Laos and engaged Pathet Lao units, driving them back and securing the northern part of the country against further encroachments. From 1966 to 1970, 4258th wing tankers flew over 50,000 sorties from U-Tapao. On April 20, 1961 a detachment of six F100 Super Sabres from the 510TFS/405TFW based at Clark AB, Philippines deployed to Don Muang Airport as part of Operation Bell Tone. bombers were not allowed to strike North Vietnam directly. On 14 October 1973 following the 1973 Thai popular uprising, former Supreme Court Judge Sanya Dharmasakti, then chancellor and dean of the faculty of law at Thammasat University, was appointed prime minister by royal decree, replacing the succession of staunchly pro-American and anti-Communist military dictatorships that had ruled Thailand previously. The North Vietnamese offensive was crushed, but the strikes on North Vietnam continued, only winding down in October, ahead of the 1972 United States presidential election, which resulted in Richard Nixon being re-elected and the attacks quickly ramped up again in November. In a 1967 interview on ABC Scope, a weekly TV news program, Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman explained that Thailands reasons for supporting the war effort had both security and economic underpinnings. America's 'Secret War' and the bombing of Southeast Asia U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield - Wikipedia [7], Over the course of the war, the United States poured $1.1 billion in economic and military aid into Thailand, while USAID poured in another $590 million, both aiding Thailand's economy and indirectly paying for the cost of Thailand's participation and then some. In addition to combating Pathet Lao infiltrations, the Thais had to contend with the Viet Cong, Muslim separatists, Chinese terrorists and even Indonesian communists. Skip to main content. The United States gave both economic and military aid to Thailand, and in return Thailand provided both air and ground bases for the Americans. On 23 March 1961 Pathet Lao anti-aircraft artillery opened fire on an American C-47 as it flew over the eastern portion of the Plaines des Jarres, shooting the plane down. In early 1966, Thailand openly pledged to send combat troops to Vietnam (in addition to the Thai soldiers already placed into Laos for covert operations). It would remain at that strength until its withdrawal in April 1972, after which only a token force would remain. A CH-53 #68-10933 crashed,[33] killing 18 SPs and the five-man flight crew. Also in March 1962, a small detachment of F-102 "Delta Daggers" from the 509th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, based at Clark AB, Philippines were sent to Don Muang under "Operation Bell Tone". (https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about-tonkin) USAF forces were dispatched to Thailand. The other being a joint communication from Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Koman on 6 March in which the United States "firm intention to aid Thailand, its ally and historic friend in resisting communist aggression and subversion". Udorn also hosted three squadrons of F-4C/D & E Phantoms which flew escort, sweep, and Air Combat Patrol missions to protect other U.S. strike aircraft. Their mission was to bolster the defense capabilities of the Royal Thai Air Force. Indeed, attempts by North Vietnamese communists to organize the Vietnamese in Thailand were dealt with strongly by the Thai government. Usarsupthai Association U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) approximately 140 kilometres (87mi) southeast of Bangkok in the Ban Chang District of Rayong Province near Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand. In the meantime, American technicians and engineers worked on improvements at Thai air bases. Military? Western governments recognized different leaders, with military aid being provided to the communist Pathet Lao forces by the Soviet Union. Why Thailand Takes Pride in the Vietnam War - New York Times A U-Tapao based US Navy P-3 Orion was one of the first aircraft sent to locate the Mayaguez. The agreement, reached on 2 March 1967, allowed 15 B-52s and their support personnel to be based at U-Tapao, with the provision that missions flown from Thailand would not over fly Laos or Cambodia on their way to targets in Vietnam. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. U-Tapao was the primary Southeast Asian airfield for US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers, called "Bee-hasip-sawng" (B-52) by the local Thais. The plane, which was carrying the air attach, was struck by .50 caliber rounds but was able to land safely. The next morning, 75 SPs from the 56th boarded helicopters of 21st Special Operations Squadron to proceed to U-Tapao for staging. McFarland & Company. 441457 United States Military Spending and the Economy of Thailand, George J. Viksnins, This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 08:39. While supposedly maintaining an air of neutrality, it was deeply concerned about the fighting in neighboring Indochina. USARSUPTHAI ASSOCIATION - 809th EN BN - History B-52 aircraft from the 7th and 320th Bomb Wings were sent to bomb suspected Viet Cong enclaves in South Vietnam, the operation being supported by KC-135As stationed at Kadena AB on Okinawa. How Thailand Played A Key Role in the Vietnam War - HistoryNet
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