[10], In 2015, a Politico article reported that the United States Government rented space at U Tapao from a private contractor for use as a "major logistics hub for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars." In 2012, a proposal for the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to use U-Tapao to support weather research was rejected by the Thai government. The adjacent parking ramps and grassy areas were being filled to capacity with South Vietnamese helicopters and aircraft. Udorn Royal Thai Air Base was hit by a guerrilla attack in July 1968. This page was last edited on 27 March 2023, at 08:58. The reasons given were that the situation in South Vietnam had improved as a result of the Vietnamization program and other aid as evidenced by U.S. cutbacks, and that difficult domestic economic and security problems existed in Thailand. The training camps were in Thailand. 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. Singapore forces fly Northrop F-5s and F-16 Fighting Falcons. To counter the Pathet Lao, the CIA developed an anti-communist paramilitary force in Laos and trained Thai army and police units in guerrilla warfare. The U.S. Air Forces 606th Air Commando Squadron trained Thai forces in counterinsurgency operations. 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. 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. It was believed these forces were going to take action in Laos. Within months of the announcement, 5,000 men had volunteered. The United States ended its involvement in Southeast Asia by treaty and disengagement rather than by military victory. By early-April the South Vietnamese made their last stand at Xun Lc on their final defensive line before Saigon. But Thailand's multifaceted support for U.S. combat operations in IndochinaVietnam, Cambodia and Laos was a far more important contribution. In spite of the agreement, fighting continued in Laos, with North Vietnamese troops hidden in Pathet Lao-held areas. Thailand. Little occurred until the following November when the Thai government announced it was planning to withdraw its forces from South Vietnam by 1972. 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)). The handful of RVNAF planes that had been performing last-ditch air strikes completed their missions and flew to U-Tapao. 3 pilots and 5 flight engineers flew RVNAF C-47s with the 415th Squadron; 9 pilots, 7 flight engineers and 3 load masters were flying C-123Ks with the USAF 19th Tactical Airlift Squadron both located at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. 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. (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). The APO for U-Tapao was APO San Francisco, 96330. At Don Muang Air Base near Bangkok, the USAF had stationed KC-135 tanker aircraft to refuel combat aircraft over the skies of Indochina. The wing was charged with the responsibility of supporting refueling requirements of USAF fighter aircraft in Southeast Asia, plus conducting bombing missions on a daily basis. He stated that "When the people feel very strongly about a situation, the government must do something to ease the situation." Sattahip . According to US government statistics, between 1950 and 1987 the US provided Thailand with more than US$2 billion in military assistance. Under Thailand's "gentleman's agreement" with the U.S., the bases were considered Royal Thai Air Force bases and were commanded by Thai officers. In response, Thailand deployed 30,000 troops, wresting an uneasy control of the area, which lasted throughout the war. While supposedly maintaining an air of neutrality, it was deeply concerned about the fighting in neighboring Indochina. 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. In 1967, guerrillas killed 138 people, including 78 government officials. Vietnam and Laos were at war for independence against the French, while in Cambodia, an uprising against the Royals was imminent. "[3]:489, The subject of a Thai troop withdrawal came up again in March 1970. 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. 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. &. Their primary mission was to fight North Vietnamese guerrilla forces taking refuge in Laos. CD-ROM. Serving as an unsinkable aircraft carrier, Thailand hosted as many as 48,000 U.S. troops for operations in neighboring Laos and Vietnam.1 In exchange, Thailand received U.S. military assistance on a mas-sive scale. Vietnamese discussions held later. The "Military Assistance Group in South Vietnam" was renamed U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) on 6 February. Schlight, John (1988), The Years of the Offensive, 19651968, Office Of Air Force History, United States Air Force. More than 1,100 people participate, including approximately 500 U.S. service members and 600 service members from Thailand and Singapore. 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. [3]:49, The withdrawal plans were based on a rotational phase-out. A CH-53 #68-10933 crashed,[33] killing 18 SPs and the five-man flight crew. Under Operation "Tight Reign," LORAN stations were established at Con Son Island and Tan My, in Vietnam, and at Lampang, Sattahip and Udorn in Thailand. The Coast Guard sent the officer to. Tight Reign continued until April 29, 1975, a day before the fall of South Vietnam, when the station at Con Son Island discontinued operations. Over the centuries, Thai governments had managed to avoid foreign domination with a policy of accommodation with the predominant power in Asia at the time. [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. The North Vietnamese claimed that almost 1,400 civilians were killed. Sattahip Thailand 1966-1967. : r/VietnamWar hope34 Do you know these guys? 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. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. 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. [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). Some 80 percent of the American airstrikes launched against North Vietnam and its guerrilla camps in the region came from those air bases. 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. 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. The sixth base is located at Takhli, in central plain about 120 miles north of . [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. CD-ROM. 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. 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. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. In 1969 the Thai military deployed more than 12,000 ground troops, including the Queens Cobras regiment and the Black Panther Division of the Royal Army Volunteer Force. Laos would not recognize any military alliance or coalition, such as. Northeast Thailand housed a community of Vietnamese mixed with Chinese. These small detachments received logistical support from their home bases outside of Southeast Asia. Schiffer Military Aviation History. Like the U.S., Thailand was concerned with events in Laos, which had been its buffer against intervention from both China and Vietnam. The vast nature of this enterprise enriched Thailand at every level of society, enabling a jump in indigenous heavy construction, communications, transportation, and defense. U-Tapao had an existing runway suitable for the bombers and the cost for upgrades to the base was minimal. And the Thai air force was deployed to support the ground forces. A few weeks later, HQ USAF authorized the release of these photographs to the governments of Laos and Thailand. The US, seeking a Southeast Asian B-52 base, reached an agreement with the Thai government to build and operate the base in conjunction with the Royal Thai Navy. U-Tapao is the main flying base for the RTN. 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. Thailands situation worsened in 1961 as North Vietnam, with assistance from the Soviet Union and China, provided support to communist operations in South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and parts of Thailand. Command of the American units, however, remained with U.S. wing commanders and their Seventh Air Force/Thirteenth Air Force headquarters. 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". 30,544 Marines were killed or wounded during the war. U-Tapao based B-52s flew in support of US Marines in the Battle of Khe Sanh in early-1968. [28]:124. B-52 lifts off the field. Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Three Thai special forces units joined with the U.S. 1st Special Forces Group, and by early May 1966 the joint forces began conducting 30-day missions into remote, undisclosed locations not just inside Laos, but throughout Indochina. It was the first American aircraft in Southeast Asia to be fired upon. Schlight, John (1996), A War Too Long: The History of the USAF in Southeast Asia, 19611975, Office Of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Futrell, Robert F. with the assistance of Blumenson, Martin (1991), The United States Air Force In Southeast Asia: The Advisory Years to 1965, Office Of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Van Staaveren, Jacob (2002), Gradual Failure: The Air War over North Vietnam, 19651966, Office Of Air Force History, United States Air Force, This page was last edited on 17 March 2023, at 08:15. Thai forces were very effective in their missions, and thus Thailand became the target of ever-increasing guerrilla attacks. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia. The CIA estimated that some 3,200 known communist guerrillas, mostly ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese, were operating in Thailand by the mid-1960s. [1] 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. 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. In the meantime, American technicians and engineers worked on improvements at Thai air bases. On 21 December Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman told newsmen that he had considered the withdrawal of Thai troops "because the United States recently issued another announcement regarding further withdrawals." More. Ambassador, the Thai Prime Minister indicated that in light of continued U.S. and allied reductions, there was considerable pressure from the Thai parliament to withdraw. He also stated that the subject had been discussed with South Vietnamese Foreign Minister Tran Chan Thanh, and had been under consideration for some time. 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). combat operations in IndochinaVietnam, Cambodia and Laos, https://www.historynet.com/thailand-vietnam-war/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, Billy Waugh, Famed Special Forces Warrior and CIA Legend, Dies At 93, The Puerto Rican Rambo Who Went on 200 Combat Missions in Vietnam. An optimal solution was to base the B-52s in South Vietnam or Thailand, however base security in South Vietnam was problematic. There was no CDT operational activity involved in this manoeuvre. Ravenstein, Charles A. [citation needed] In addition, U-Tapao may be where Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah was interrogated, according to some retired American intelligence officials. The base was administratively handed over to the RTN on 10 August 1966. Like South Vietnam, Thailand was becoming increasingly dependent upon U.S. support. Its origins lie in the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Agreement, nationalism and the Cold War. In 1968 I was taken on a school trip to visit U Tapao airbase near Sattahip and Pattaya. The United States Embassy in Vientiane was burned to the ground and fighting raged in and around the city. Photo Credits: 6 Tom Petty, 697th. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. All the crew were recovered safely. [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. Despite the departure of the American military, Thailand never fell under communist control like its neighbors to the east did. The RF-101s were sent to assist Royal Thai AF RT-33 aircraft in performing aerial recon flights over Laos. Hi Everyone, This is the story of what 2nd platoon and later all of the 697th had to endure at wonderful sunny Samae San. This made deception easier, as even crew members aboard the bombers did not have to know what country they were bombing. ; Thai: , RTGS: kong thap ruea thai) is the naval warfare force of Thailand.Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880-1923) who is known as the father of the Royal Navy. The composition of the remaining residual force would be taken up in Thai-South Sattahip Tourism Sattahip Hotels Sattahip Bed and Breakfast. It is true that several countries are withdrawing troops from South Vietnam but our case is different. Sattahip. The Thai government prohibited photographing of American personnel and military aircraft, with the exception of official archive photography taken for documentation and official release. [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. At this time 51 B-52s were based at U-Tapao. Two milestones occurred early in 1962. Cope Tiger involves air forces from the United States, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as U.S. Marines deployed from Japan. This Thailand-related article is a stub. 1st platoon faced the same thing the year before. Queen Sirikit of Thailand talks with U.S. The C-130s were withdrawn in late-1971 but returned in April 1972. [1] 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. 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]. At this time a helicopter evacuation, code-named Operation Frequent Wind was implemented. Under Operation Arc Light, wing bombers flew over 35,000 strikes over South Vietnam from 1967 to 1970. The SAC units left in December 1975. Sattahip Tourism: Tripadvisor has 21,479 reviews of Sattahip Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Sattahip resource. Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) C-47s, C-119s and C-130s filled to capacity with men, women and children, began flying into U-Tapao on 28 April as command and control collapsed, with a total of 123 aircraft arriving at U-Tapao. VC-47A 084 of Air America crashed on landing on a flight from Tan Son Nhut.[30]. [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. [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]. Benner served more than 10 years in the U.S. Army. He teaches history, political science and sociology on the university level. Add a Place. Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Luuk Khreung: The Vietnam War's Forgotten Legacy in Thailand In 1954, the war was waging in the Indochina Region. The United States Air Force (USAF) deployed combat aircraft to Thailand from 1960 to 1975 during the Vietnam War. In 1954, after a defeated France ended its rule of Indochina, the Thai government pushed for pro-Western Laos to act as a buffer between Thailand and the newly created communist North Vietnam. Rental Cars. Small numbers of aircraft were drawn from each SAC B-52D unit to support the effort in Thailand. Sattahip Thailand 1966-1967. 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. [28] On 13 April, the Eagle Pull evacuees were flown to U-Tapao on HMH-462 helicopters. ", "Thai airfield is dedicated, built by U.S.", "USAF tanker crashes on way to war planes", "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 48322 22-NOV-1972 Boeing B-52D-65-BO Stratofortress", "Thai leaders protest arrival of U.S. marines", "U.S. to begin pullout of troops from Thailand", "Many Thais saddened by U.S. military withdrawals", USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers1908 to present, Utapao Royal Thai Airbase mid-summer 1971, 635 Supply Chain Operations Wing fact sheet successor to 635 Combat Support Group, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U-Tapao_Royal_Thai_Navy_Airfield&oldid=1146846936, Strategic Wing (Provisional), 310th (1972), Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Wing (Provisional), 340th (1972), 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (19721976), Air Division (Provisional), 310th (1972). [3]:2734 About 40,000 Thai military would serve in South Vietnam, with 351 killed in action and 1,358 wounded. On 22 November 1972, a B-52D was damaged by an SA-2 SAM in a raid on Vinh, an important rail center in the southern part of North Vietnam. 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. On 2 August 1964, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred. the Vietnam War, Thailand was one of the places where GIs on leave went for a much-welcome break from the fighting. At the height of the war, almost 50,000 American military personnel were stationed in Thailand, mainly airmen. This is a reading from the book "Sattahip" by Rong Wongsawan, translated by Siamrad Maher, and arranged by Tony Waters. Despite Thailand's neutrality on the war in Iraq, the Thai government allowed U-Tapao RTNAF to be used by American warplanes flying into combat in Iraq, as it had earlier done during the war in Afghanistan. On 19 January 1961, PACAF had identified 25 airfields, 49 communications routes, and 19 urban targets. [24]:6156 The C-130s flew supply missions into Cambodia until May 1974 when these operations were taken over by BirdAir which operated under contract to the US Government. The DOD efforts were under the direction of Joint Task Force Caring Response.[8]. 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. 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 . US grant economic assistance totalled about US$500 million through the end of 1970. 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. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. pullback. 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. It would remain at that strength until its withdrawal in April 1972, after which only a token force would remain. 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. Intelligence estimates indicated 7,000 to 9,000 North Vietnamese Army troops were in Laos. 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. Specially trained Thai operators volunteered to join the Royal Laotian Army and complemented the facade with Laotian uniforms and ID cards. With Thailand facing threats on all fronts, the U.S. increased the military and economic aid being sent. U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) southeast of Bangkok in the Ban Chang District of Rayong Province near Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand. 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. Much of that information remains unavailable, being considered sensitive to the Thai government. The Royal Thai Air Force found it too costly to operate any but Khorat and Takhli. 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. Sattahip Tomorrow's Thailand (1970) Nuclear Vault 245K subscribers Subscribe 212 21K views 9 years ago Construction Efforts Of U. S. Navy Civil Engineers And Construction Contractors In Building. Vietnam was the longest war for Marines. The People's Army of Vietnam Special Forces infiltrated into Thailand several times to attack these airbases, with a 1972 raid on U-Tapao seeing three Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers being damaged with several sappers and a Thai sentry killed. At the height of the war, some 50,000 American military personnel (mostly Air Force) were stationed throughout Thailand. 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. Four of the intruders were killed, among them a North Vietnamese Army officer. 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.