In case you didn't know the Ynks built Highway 2 to get fuel up to Udon from Sattahip for the aircraft. The operation of Thai troops in South Vietnam is considered more advantageous than withdrawing them. United States Air Force in Thailand - Wikipedia [22], Four provisional squadrons were organized under the 307th:[22], In addition, two four-digit bomb squadrons (4180th, 4181st) were assigned, but were not operational. Martin, Patrick (1994). 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. Luuk Khreung: The Vietnam War's Forgotten Legacy in Thailand At Don Muang Air Base near Bangkok, the USAF had stationed KC-135 tanker aircraft to refuel combat aircraft over the skies of Indochina. Despite the valuable assistance the Thai government had provided to the U.S., by August 1970 President Richard Nixon didnt consider Thailand as important as his predecessors did. This Thailand-related article is a stub. From Sattahip (south of Bangkok) to Korat and Takhli to the north, the roads were primarily 2 lanes with hard surfaces. Flights. . This is why so little information about the USAF in Thailand was made public during the Vietnam War. With the fall of both Cambodia and South Vietnam in April 1975, the political climate between Washington and the government of PM Sanya had soured. At the war's end, Thailand kept all military equipment and infrastructure left by the Americans, aiding in the country's modernization.[2]. Laos was to become politically neutral and not enter into any military alliance. Also, in South Vietnam, the numbers of Communist insurgents continued to increase. Like South Vietnam, Thailand was becoming increasingly dependent upon U.S. support. Under Operation Arc Light, wing bombers flew over 35,000 strikes over South Vietnam from 1967 to 1970. Immediately upon arrival, two of these planes were loaded with a full load (800 rnds) of 20mm ammunition and 4 x GAR-8s (AIM-9Bs) and placed on 5 minute alert. [17], In March 1967, the Thai Government approved the stationing of B-52s at U-Tapao;[18] on 10 April 1967, three B-52 bombers landed at U-Tapao following a bombing mission over Vietnam. Name [ edit] The U.S. Coast Guard's Role in the Vietnam War - The Maritime Executive [26]:27980 On the night of 26 December a B-52 was hit by a SAM wounding its tail gunner and knocking out four engines, the aircraft limped back to U-Tapao where it crash-landed killing four crewmen with the tail gunner and co-pilot surviving the crash. The sixth base is located at Takhli, in central plain about 120 miles north of . 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. These bases were situated strategically around Thailand, and one was to be U'Tapao Air-force Base at Sattahip, just 30 minutes drive from Pattaya. America's 'Secret War' and the bombing of Southeast Asia 519th Trans Bn - History - The 519th Transportation Association, Thailand Cambodian bombing raids were initially kept secret, and both SAC and Defense Department records were falsified to report that the targets were in South Vietnam. 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. This feature originally appeared in the April 2020 issue ofVietnammagazine. The Thais proposed that half of the Black Panther Division be withdrawn in July 1971, and the remaining half in February 1972; this plan was in line with their earlier proposals. Despite the departure of the American military, Thailand never fell under communist control like its neighbors to the east did. This page was last edited on 27 March 2023, at 08:58. Intelligence estimates indicated 7,000 to 9,000 North Vietnamese Army troops were in Laos. See all photos. The Seventh Air Force (PACAF) wanted additional B-52s missions flown in the war zone. His countrys common borders with Laos and Cambodia, each threatened by communist insurgencies, put the kingdom in a dangerous position that endangered its own survival. This article about the Vietnam War is a stub. The Kingdom of Thailand, under the administration of military dictator Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, took an active role in the Vietnam War. Thailand is an important element in The Pentagon's strategy of "forward positioning". On 30 April the South Vietnamese government surrendered. [27], In late-1972 the Nixon Administration ordered an all-out air offensive against North Vietnam. The circumstances surrounding the creation of these bases and the American deployment is a long and complex tale. On 22 July 1966 a 21-man RTAF contingent qualified on the C-123 became operational and were attached to the United States Air Force (USAF) 315th Air Commando Wing, while 5 men remained with the RVNAF where they were assigned to fly C-47 aircraft. However, the specific flight coordinates (longitude and latitude) of the points of bomb release were noted in the navigator's logs at the end of each mission, and a simple check of the map could tell the crews which country they were bombing. Military information officers were instructed that no mention was to be made of operations from Thai facilities, no names of bases were to be mentioned and no mention of operational activities were to be released. Jorge Otero-Barreto became one of the most decorated soldiers of the Vietnam War. In September 1966 2 radio relay KC-135A Combat Lightning aircraft and their personnel were ordered to deploy to U-Tapao to support air operations over North Vietnam.[12]. [3]:49, The withdrawal plans were based on a rotational phase-out. Many American military specialists were assigned to JUSMAG-THAI in Bangkok. As of 26 June 2008, United States assistance directed by the USAID DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) stationed in Thailand, had totaled US$41,169,769. [28]:263. These facts led to charges and countercharges regarding the expenditures of funds supporting the Thai division. At its peak in 1969 more airmen were serving in Thailand than were serving in South Vietnam. Military? At this time 51 B-52s were based at U-Tapao. These small detachments received logistical support from their home bases outside of Southeast Asia. [24]:6237 In addition Khmer Air Force C-123s also began flying supply missions from U-Tapao into bases in Cambodia. Location of U-tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Air Refueling Squadron (Provisional), 901, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, International Commission of Control and Supervision, 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, "U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield Historical Brief", "EXCLUSIVE: Sources Tell ABC News Top Al Qaeda Figures Held in Secret CIA Prisons", , "Joint Task Force Caring Response brings help to Burmese citizens", "Where in the World Is the U.S. The bombing raids, codenamed Operation Linebacker II, began on 18 December 1972 involving heavy attacks by almost every strike aircraft the US had in theater, with the B-52 playing a prominent role. Vietnam was the longest war for Marines. 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. In 1967, guerrillas killed 138 people, including 78 government officials. The USAF forces at U-Tapao were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), with the Strategic Air Command (SAC) units being a tenant unit. It has a structure that includes the naval fleet, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Air and Coastal . On 23 July 1962 fourteen nations signed the Geneva Accords of 1962 which contained the following provisions: The treaty was signed the Soviet Union, South Vietnam, China, North Vietnam and the United States, among others. However, by 1959 U.S. Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, had covertly entered Laos and begun training Meo tribesman to fight the Pathet Lao. The Thais understood that the only answer to this problem was to join forces with the United States. It was decided that, as the base at U-Tapao was being established as a KC-135 tanker base, to move them all out of Don Muang and to also base B-52s at U-Tapao where they could fly without refuelling over both North and South Vietnam. USARSUPTHAI ASSOCIATION - Thailand Order of Battle The vast nature of this enterprise enriched Thailand at every level of society, enabling a jump in indigenous heavy construction, communications, transportation, and defense. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson recommended that Thailand be given US$50 million in military aid. [22], Detachment 12 of the 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron operating 2 HH-43s provided search and rescue at the base. [2][4][5], Thai morale was generally high, with Thai troops taking pride in their roles as "defenders of Thailand from communism" and as Buddhists. [28]:23942, At dawn on 15 May the assault on Koh Tang began. Despite Thailand's neutrality on the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Thai government allowed U-Tapao to be used by American warplanes flying into combat in Iraq, as it had earlier done during the war in Afghanistan. However, the US was still providing air power, and President Richard Nixon ordered a large increase on US airpower in response to the invasion. Hi Everyone, This is the story of what 2nd platoon and later all of the 697th had to endure at wonderful sunny Samae San. Eventually, these countries would fall under communism in 1975. The Korean War saw the Corps expand from 75,000 regulars to a force of 261,000 Marines, mostly reservists. ""Sattahip" by Rong Wongsawan A Story of the American Military and In Thailand, Agent Orange was used to clear the jungle around bases, as a means to enhance security. The report "Snakes in the Eagles Nest" gives a partial account of combat operations in Thailand during the Vietnam War. "[3]:489, The subject of a Thai troop withdrawal came up again in March 1970. The DOD efforts were under the direction of Joint Task Force Caring Response.[8]. The battalion reached Germany in time to participate in the Rhineland campaign. American news agencies, such as United Press International and Associated Press, were prohibited from filing stories about American military activities. A few weeks later, HQ USAF authorized the release of these photographs to the governments of Laos and Thailand. The CIA also began training Hmong tribesmen from the mountains of Laos and Vietnam to fight the communists under an authorization that Eisenhower signed in December 1960. The hasty attempt to effect recovery of the vessel and her crew using only USAF resources was abandoned. Within months of the announcement, 5,000 men had volunteered. 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. A token Thai force of a non-combatant nature was under consideration. Even though 48,000 U.S. troops were eventually removed from Thailand, covert operations continued, albeit to a lesser extent, until 1975. U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield - Wikipedia USARSUPTHAI On 25 April 1966 the United States Army Support Command, Thailand was activated on Okinawa and elements began deploying to Thailand on 17 October with the rear detachment closing on Camp Friendship on 15 November 1966. At this time a helicopter evacuation, code-named Operation Frequent Wind was implemented. On the ground, Thai and Laotian special forces units, ferried by Air America from Thailand to Laos, attacked Pathet Lao positions. In addition, U-Tapao may be where Al Qaeda operatives have been interrogated, according to some retired American intelligence officials. The composition of the remaining residual force would be taken up in Thai-South Top. In an unsigned agreement these airbases were to be operated by the United States Air Force for the specific purpose of attacking North Vietnam with some 500 airplanes. (During the deployment of the F-111s three crashed soon after arriving at Takhli and the F-111 fleet was grounded to investigate the problem). 5 (May, 1973) pp. A CH-53 #68-10933 crashed,[33] killing 18 SPs and the five-man flight crew. . The APO for U-Tapao was APO San Francisco, 96330. 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.