Although technically Thailand-owned bases for the Royal Thai naval and air forces, the installations served as headquarters for U.S. Air Force units that used them for operations throughout Indochina. Chapter 7 - Communication-Electronics, 1962-1970 Small numbers of aircraft were drawn from each SAC B-52D unit to support the effort in Thailand. Known squadrons which deployed B-52 and KC-135 aircraft and crews to U-Tapao were: These units deployed usually on 90 days tours. 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. This is a reading from the book "Sattahip" by Rong Wongsawan, translated by Siamrad Maher, and arranged by Tony Waters. They had lost China to. The total number of Thais serving with the Victory Flight, as their Vietnam transport operation was designated, had grown from to 45. Hi Everyone, This is the story of what 2nd platoon and later all of the 697th had to endure at wonderful sunny Samae San. These facts led to charges and countercharges regarding the expenditures of funds supporting the Thai division. [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. The circumstances surrounding the creation of these bases and the American deployment is a long and complex tale. In addition, one of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's advisers indicated the need for deterring guerrilla action in northeast Thailand was more pressing than affairs in Vietnam, and Thailand should take precedence. The First National Economic Development Plan (1961-1966) was successfully implemented. With the fall of both Cambodia and South Vietnam in the spring of 1975,[35] the political climate between Washington and the government of PM Sanya soured. By this time, the US was no longer in the forefront of the ground war, with South Vietnamese units taking the lead. In 2014, the district had a population of 157,000 in an area of 348,122 km 2 . Top. Even so, Thailand still feared the regions spreading communist movementthe Viet Cong in Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the Pathet Lao in Laoswhich proselytized an ideology that imperiled Thailands monarchial form of government, culture and dominant religion. Xun Lc fell on 20 April and South Vietnamese President Nguyn Vn Thiu resigned the following day, fleeing the country four days later. The instability on the long eastern border also affected Thailands economy. Sattahip Thailand 1966-1967. : r/VietnamWar hope34 Do you know these guys? 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. The Kingdom of Thailand, under the administration of military dictator Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, took an active role in the Vietnam War. Sattahip district - 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. Sattahip Tourism Sattahip Hotels Sattahip Bed and Breakfast. The misinterpreted incident took place in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Thailand was one of the places where GIs on leave went for a much-welcome break from the fighting. Little occurred until the following November when the Thai government announced it was planning to withdraw its forces from South Vietnam by 1972. Thailand's Cold War role is usually seen through the prism of its support for the U.S. wars in Indochina. Those bombers were not allowed to strike North Vietnam directly. If Laos fell, the door was wide open for communism to infiltrate Thailand. Early that year a combined U.S. task force was deployed to Thailand on a military exercise which included a Marine Battalion Landing Team (BLT), the 1st Battle Group. Specially trained Thai operators volunteered to join the Royal Laotian Army and complemented the facade with Laotian uniforms and ID cards. The Royal Thai Air Force found it too costly to operate any but Khorat and Takhli. At this time 51 B-52s were based at U-Tapao. In 1953, the Viet Minh, the communist-dominated organization fighting at the time for Vietnams independence from France, invaded French-controlled northern and eastern Laos, where the communist Pathet Lao insurgency was emerging, a direct threat to Thailand. Origins of U.S. military presence in Thailand, https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about-tonkin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Air_Force_in_Thailand&oldid=1145102414, Closed facilities of the United States Air Force in Thailand, Cold War military history of the United States, United States military presence in other countries, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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 rather large Vietnamese population also was still a great concern. The Thais understood that the only answer to this problem was to join forces with the United States. The denials were seen as necessary considering that the US had signed agreements specifying the neutrality of Laos. Although the existence of the so-called "Secret War" was sometimes reported in the U.S., details were largely unavailable due to official government denials that the war even existed. Vietnam War | Facts, Summary, Years, Timeline, Casualties - Britannica While the request did have merit and the forces were removed over time, Thailands actions were more an act of political showmanship than anything else. America's 'Secret War' and the bombing of Southeast Asia It was one of the first USAF aircraft shot down over Indochina, and marked the beginning of combat action by the USAF from bases in Thailand. This system, approved by the Department of Defense in February 1966, comprised six links, capable of sixty voice channels each, connected to the major communications sites at DA Nang, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh Bay, and Vung Tau in Vietnam, and Sattahip, south of Bangkok in Thailand. By 1972 there were 54 B-52 aircraft stationed in Thailand.[5]. The U.S. Coast Guard's Role in the Vietnam War - The Maritime Executive 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. This marked the beginning of large scale United States military operations in Southeast Asia. The fifth increment would not be replaced after its return to Thailand in August 1971. 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. &. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used to defoliate the thick jungle in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Indeed, attempts by North Vietnamese communists to organize the Vietnamese in Thailand were dealt with strongly by the Thai government. 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. Command of the American units, however, remained with U.S. wing commanders and their Seventh Air Force/Thirteenth Air Force headquarters. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. [3]:49, The withdrawal plans were based on a rotational phase-out. Called the "American War" in Vietnam (or, in full, the "War Against the Americans to Save the Nation"), the war was also part of a larger regional . [28]:24862 Meanwhile, the abandoned Mayaguez was recovered by a boarding party from the USSHarold E. After the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975, relations between Washington and Bangkok turned sour. [3]:49, In December 1969 the effects of the withdrawal of the Philippine Civic Action Group, Vietnam, and antiwar sentiment in the US were felt in Thailand as elsewhere. In 1973 there were 12 U.S. military bases in the country, with 550 war planes and thousands of troops stationed on Thai soil in order to help the U.S. war effort in Indo-China. No reference was made to the "mercenary" and "subsidy" charges of the previous few days. 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. The fighting in Laos was of great concern to the Thai government. Evacuation by civil and military fixed-wing aircraft from Tan Son Nhat International Airport had been taking place since early-March and continued until 28 April when PAVN artillery fire rendered the runways unusable. The American government negotiated a deal with Thailand which allowed them to build strategic air force and troop bases. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia. Thailand in the Vietnam War - Wikipedia Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. All of those groups were a constant threat to the stability of Thailands government, either through terrorist-style attacks or direct confrontation along the border. Vietnam War, (1954-75), a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. [23], In May 1970 USAF tactical airlift C-130s that had been based at Don Muang Air Base moved their operations to U-Tapao and the 6th Aerial Port Squadron followed in July. The following categories are found in United States Government Accountability Office catalog summaries: locomotives, aeronautical ground services, Bangkok-Saraburi Highway, southern roads, development loans, technical support, civil police, village radios, agricultural development, rural health, potable water, malaria eradication, rural electrification, Chiang Mai Medical School. Thai soldiers recall the Vietnam War as a yearlong opportunity to observe the American-style consumerism that would influence Thailand in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. The former RVNAF C-130s that had arrived in Thailand were flown out to Singapore, while 27 RVNAF A-37s, 25 F-5s, and 50 UH-1s at U-Tapao were loaded by helicopter and barge onto USSMidway for transport to the US. 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. U-Tapao then served as a staging point for U.S. Marines[34] to deploy aboard the remaining CH-53s of the 21st SOS and HH-53s of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron and assault Koh Tang Island some 195 nautical miles from U-Tapao, where the Mayaguez crew was believed to be held. In case you didn't know the Ynks built Highway 2 to get fuel up to Udon from Sattahip for the aircraft. Its origins lie in the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Agreement, nationalism and the Cold War. Their primary mission was to fight North Vietnamese guerrilla forces taking refuge in Laos. That changed after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964, when North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked an American destroyer, and President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered retaliatory airstrikes on North Vietnam. The bomber's pilot managed to get the burning aircraft back to Thailand before the crew bailed out, leaving the aircraft to crash. 5 (May, 1973) pp. Thailand. Return to Article Details A Not So Silent Partner: Thailand's Role in Covert Operations, Counter-Insurgency, and the Wars in Indochina A Not So Silent Partner: Thailand's Role in Covert Operations, Counter-Insurgency, and the Wars in Indochina 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. Circumstances in the region, however, were leading to drastic changes in the US position. 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 USAF would eventually use 8 airbases in Thailand: Don Muang, Korat, Nakhon Phanom, Nam Phong, Takhli, Ubon, Udorn and U-Tapao. Under Operation Arc Light, wing bombers flew over 35,000 strikes over South Vietnam from 1967 to 1970. Prior to 1965, the base at U-Tapao was a small RTN airfield. Air America, a U.S. government-owned airline secretly supporting CIA missions, flew from those bases into Laos and Vietnam, delivering supplies to covert groups working with anti-communist forces. port, which was built at Sattahip in southeast Thailand. 27th Infantry* [25th Infantry Division] and supporting elements under a detachment of the 9 th Logistical Command. 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. Additionally, there was the construction of 315km (196mi) of all-weather roads in the north and northeast, requiring 138 bridges and culverts, costing US$11 million (US$174,000 for maintenance equipment; requiring the training of 199 personnel (36 mechanics, 6 supply specialists, 97 equipment operators, 60 drivers)). Finally, from Nakhon Phanom came every pilot's best friend: the air-rescue-and-recovery team. Flying out of Takhli, F-105s armed with radar-guided Shrike missiles had the job of knocking out SAM sites. 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. The "Military Assistance Group in South Vietnam" was renamed U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) on 6 February. By the end of the war, more than 40,000 Thai military personnel had served in Vietnam, suffering losses of 351 killed and 1,358 wounded. [3]:2734 About 40,000 Thai military would serve in South Vietnam, with 351 killed in action and 1,358 wounded. The DOD efforts were under the direction of Joint Task Force Caring Response.[8]. Today, US military units train with other Asian militaries in Thailand. Throughout the 1950s, Laos had been embroiled in civil war, and by the early 1960s, the conflict was threatening to spread to Thailand. 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]. In the meantime, American technicians and engineers worked on improvements at Thai air bases. In spite of the agreement, fighting continued in Laos, with North Vietnamese troops hidden in Pathet Lao-held areas. Sattahip. They had lost China to Mao Zedongs communists in 1949 and just narrowly defeated the North Korean/Chinese attempt to conquer democratic South Korea in 1950-53. 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. the Vietnam War, Thailand was one of the places where GIs on leave went for a much-welcome break from the fighting. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Northeast Thailand housed a community of Vietnamese mixed with Chinese. Laos was to become politically neutral and not enter into any military alliance. With Thailand facing threats on all fronts, the U.S. increased the military and economic aid being sent. [26] The B-52s conducted a limited number of strikes against North Vietnam as part of the spring 1972 invasion, though most of their sorties were on Arc Light missions elsewhere. Steadily progressing and adding to the mission, U-Tapao welcomed its first complement of KC-135 tankers in August 1966. According to US government statistics, between 1950 and 1987 the US provided Thailand with more than US$2 billion in military assistance. It would remain at that strength until its withdrawal in April 1972, after which only a token force would remain. 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. As many as 45,000 US military personnel were stationed in Thailand. Much of Americas Cold War leadership adhered to the domino theoryif even one Southeast Asian country fell, the rest would inevitably drop like tumbling dominoes. How Thailand Played A Key Role in the Vietnam War - HistoryNet [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 March 1964 American planes flying out of Thai bases started bombing Viet Cong camps and supply routes in Laos. Vietnam and Laos were at war for independence against the French, while in Cambodia, an uprising against the Royals was imminent. [28]:23942, At dawn on 15 May the assault on Koh Tang began. In May 1975, the Royal Thai Government asked the United States to remove all of its combat forces (27,000 troops, 300 aircraft) by 1976. Two milestones occurred early in 1962. Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). The sixth base is located at Takhli, in central plain about 120 miles north of . Royal Thai Navy - Wikipedia A U-Tapao based US Navy P-3 Orion was one of the first aircraft sent to locate the Mayaguez. (1984). Direct military assistance totalled another US$800 million for the same period, continuing at the rate of US$2555 million per year. The Seventh Air Force (PACAF) wanted additional B-52s missions flown in the war zone. Tensions ramped up when the Pathet Lao attacked in spring 1962 and took control of the Nam Tha river valley in northwestern Thailand. R. pilots had even gone into Hanoi's outskirts to rescue downed fliers. The government feared that should Laos fall to the communists, the "Domino Theory" would place the entire region, including Thailand, in jeopardy. During the 1960s Thailand experienced one of the most rapid growth rates among developing countries: more than 10% per year in GNP, and about 8% per year in real output. 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. By its end, 13,091 had been killed in action, 51,392 had been wounded. They often dressed like and lived with the ethnic Lao and Hmong populations. As a result, the "Military Assistance Command, Thailand (MACT)" was set up on 15 May 1962 at Don Muang. The USAF implemented Palace Lightning, the plan to withdraw its aircraft and personnel from Thailand. [1] It is true that several countries are withdrawing troops from South Vietnam but our case is different. About this ebook This book is a story of U. S. Army Engineers in Thailand (1962 - 1971) - At the request of the Royal Thai Government in 1962 the United States Army sent a Construction Engineer Battalion to build a road to divert traffic around the capitol city of Bangkok. Dana Benner holds a bachelors degree in U.S. history and Native American culture and a master of education degree in heritage studies. The sixth increment would deploy as planned in January 1971 and withdraw one year later to complete the redeployment. [28]:263. Did you know that more than 40,000 Thai military personnel served in Vietnam? Cope Tiger involves air forces from the United States, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as U.S. Marines deployed from Japan. Because the lease was technically with a private contractor, this allowed "U.S. and Thai officials to insist there's no U.S. 'base' and no inter-governmental basing agreement."[11]. The Khmer Rouge pinned the Marines in their landing zones, where they relied on air and naval gunfire for their survival, they were eventually evacuated as darkness fell. [24], On 10 January 1972, three communist sappers attempted to destroy B-52s in a sapper attack using grenades and satchel charges. Thai Navy and Air Force units would withdraw sometime before January 1972. [3]:26, In October 1967 the Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment (Queen's Cobras) was sent to Camp Bearcat at Bien Hoa, to fight alongside the Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and South Vietnamese. CD-ROM. Near the end of August a USAF RF-101 reconnaissance aircraft was fired on by radar-guided Anti-aircraft warfare (AAA) batteries while flying above the cloud cover. Thailand and the American war in Vietnam | Uglytruth-Thailand [2], On 29 September 1964 a 16-man Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) contingent arrived in Vietnam to assist in flying and maintaining some of the cargo aircraft operated by the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). 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. 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. 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. The next day, B-52 sorties were flown from U-Tapao. PDF Strategic Culture and Thailand's Response to Vietnam's Occupation of An estimated 8,000 U.S. and third-country nationals needed to be evacuated from Saigon and the shrinking government-controlled region of South Vietnam, along with thousands of "at-risk" Vietnamese who had worked for the United States during the war. An estimated 21,000 Thais were operating in Laos by 1973. The report "Snakes in the Eagles Nest" gives a partial account of combat operations in Thailand during the Vietnam War. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. During 19541975 (the Vietnam War or Second Indochina War), the Thai Government allowed the Joint United States Military Advisory Group - Thailand (JUSMAG-THAI) to fund and manage the modernization of Royal Thai Air Force bases. In a meeting with the U.S. On 30 April the South Vietnamese government surrendered. From 1966 to 1970, 4258th wing tankers flew over 50,000 sorties from U-Tapao. The three LST's Landing Ship, Tank (LSTs) of the Sea Horse unit would be withdrawn in April 1972 and Victory Flight would be pulled out by increments during the period April-December 1971. The USAF bases were closed and the last USAF personnel left Thailand in June 1976. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. [3][4] The 11,000-foot (3,400m) runway became operational on 6 July 1966 and U-Tapao received its first complement of United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC) KC-135 tankers in August 1966. By September, the base was supporting 15 tankers. Development Indicators Taiwan vs Thailand: GNP 234/141, Per Capita Electric Power 680/58, Literacy Rate 72/70, Inhabitants per physician 1500/7300, Roads per 1000 square miles 590/40, Population Density 1010/170, Thai Gross National Product (GNP) in constant 1965 millions of dollars: 1961/2925, 1962/3082, 1963/3386, 1964/3590, 1965/3907, 1966/4339, 1967/4551. However, the US was still providing air power, and President Richard Nixon ordered a large increase on US airpower in response to the invasion. The 4258th Strategic Wing (SAC) was activated in June 1966 at U-Tapao under the 3rd Air Division, Andersen AFB, Guam. Some 80 percent of the American airstrikes launched against North Vietnam and its guerrilla camps in the region came from those air bases. The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 19611975. But North Vietnam continued moving heavy weapons into Laos to support the communist rebel Pathet Lao. The expansion of U-Tapao RTN airfield began in October 1965. If we plan to withdraw, we would have to consult with GVN since we sent troops there in response to an appeal from them. United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) ordered American technicians to assist the Royal Thai Air Force in processing and analyzing the film. Continuing north past Korat from Khon Kaen to Udorn, Sakorn Nakhon, Nakhorn Phanom and even west to Ubon was a mixture of hard surface and dirt roads.
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