The 388th TFW initially consisted of two F-105 Thunderchief squadrons, the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron and the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Lived in a hootch built directly on the perimeter wire. They remained until 10 October 1972 when they returned to Korea. Board (AFPMB) that Agent Orange was not used in Thailand. The statement is in direct opposition to Defense Department documents that explicitly state herbicides were sprayed in Thailand in the early 1970s to protect bases from counterinsurgency attacks. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base - Wikipedia, Bob Freitag's "The Vietnam War Years of Korat Royal Thai Air Base" Website, USAF units in Thailand during the Vietnam (American) War - A History Lesson, Top Attractions in Korat City Centre: Tourist Guide to The Gateway to Isaan, Ubon RTAFB - U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War & Today. Thank you for your service My husband served in USAF at Udorn. For over 50 years, Camp Friendship has offered both Traditional and Equestrian Camp experiences for kids aged 7-16. [3] The army retained a portion of the aircraft parking ramp for logistical support of Camp Friendship. But veterans with one of the 14 diseases listed as Agent Orange-related conditions who were exposed outside Vietnam face the burden of proving exposure. VA says the following military personnel are now included in the list of those possibly exposed to the toxins: Vietnam-era Veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to herbicides and may qualify for VA benefits. Cantonment area at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Nakhon Phanom - A Security Police Sentry Dog Handlers Perspective, Map of Our platoon from the 720th MP Bn in U.S. Army Camp Friendship, Korat Royal Thai Air Force base, ThailandAugust 1969 Lawn PlantingU.S. USASCCCCA On 10 May 1969, the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron was transferred organizationally to the 347th TFW at Yokota AB, Japan, but it remained attached to the 388th TFW at Korat. Welcome to Camp Friendship! Includes silent and narrated film footage. My Regional Office is Phoenix, AZ and I am deeply saddened and worried by the events taking place at this time and concerned about the outcome of my claim. 4 Photo Credits: MSG Otto Uebel, the Guestbook Below toAdd Your Name, DCA On 29 September 1972, the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Myrtle Beach AFB South Carolina, deployed 72 A-7D Corsair II of the 353rd,[23] 354th,[24] 355th[25] and the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadrons to Korat for a 179-day TDY. My base, Camp Friendship was sprayed with DDT and AO. The facility was initially set up as a forward operating base for equipment storage of the 25th Infantry Division, which would have deployed to Thailand in the event of invasion. And while the new list contains six locations in Thailand, it adds a new clarification to those locations descriptions: No herbicide was sprayed in Thailand.. 720th MP Battalion Congressional pressure in Washington grew against these bombings, and on 30 June 1973, the United States Congress passed Public law PL 93-50 and 93-52, which cut off all funds for combat in Cambodia and all of Indochina effective 15 August 1973. VA then interpreted the report in its Public Health website on a web page calledThailand Military Bases and Agent Orange Exposure. In late 1975, there were only three combat squadrons at Korat, consisting of 24 F-4Ds of the 34th TFS, 24 A-7Ds of the 3rd TFS, and six AC-130H "Spectre" aircraft of the 16th Special Operations Squadron. The new DoD list contains nearly 150 testing and storage locations, with updates that include specific dates of release or containment, as well as 26 additions, including places like Aberdeen. The Japanese Army established facilities on the land later used to build Korat Air Base, and a small support airfield was established there for logistics support of the facility and for the Japanese occupation forces in the area. It was called theProject CHECO Report. [4]:139, On 1415 May 1975, aircraft assigned to Korat provided air cover in what is considered the last battle of the Vietnam war, the recovery of the SS Mayaguez after it was hijacked by the Khmer Rouge. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) Its aircraft and personnel were absorbed by the 44th TFS. As of now, health wise I suffer arthritis, a stent in my heart, none of which is on the illness of AO. [2] Under the agreement, United States forces using Thai air bases were commanded by Thai officers. For their performance in the construction of this road (now Route 303), the 809th Engineer Battalion (Construction) and the 561st Engineer Company (Construction) were awarded Meritorious Unit Commendations. area near the Weapons Storage and Maintenance Area at Ubon RTAFB, Map of the The Paris Peace Accords were signed on 27 January 1973 by the governments of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States with the intent to establish peace in Vietnam. At Korat, two A-7D pilots from the 354th TFW returned from flying the last USAF combat mission over Cambodia. Now as saying that My husband has Parkinsons, 9 years from being stationed in Thailand and them spraying A.O. DoD and VA confounded the document by not running it through word recognition software, so it is not quickly searchable by veterans or the internet. Participating American aircraft have included the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15C/D Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, F/A-18A/C Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-16C/D Fighting Falcons, E-3B/C Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft, KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, C-130H Hercules airlift aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters. The origins of Korat Air Base dates back to the Japanese Occupation of Thailand during World War II. Also an Army Vet from Korat Thailand 68-69 who has been denied compensation by our VA. Air strikes by the USAF peaked just before the deadline, as the Khmer National Armed Forces engaged a force of about 10,000 Khmer Rouge encircling Phnom Penh. The American withdrawal had quickly revealed to the Thai Government the inadequacy of its air force in the event of a conventional war in Southeast Asia. Korat RTAFB, Brett Watterson sent me this map of Korat RTAFB which he highlighted the full perimeter, Official Department of the Air Force Map ITINERARY. Dew to extreme back-log of DRO appeals completion dates can not be given out. Thirty-eight F-5E and F-5F Tiger II fighter-bombers formed the nucleus of the RTAF's defense and tactical firepower. I have yet to hear from the VA on the status of my claim. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force in northeast Thailand, approximately 200 km northeast of Bangkok and about 4 km south of the centre of the city of Nakhon Ratchasima in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province , the largest province in Thailand. Go to https://www.militaryvideo.com/ to purchase the. Also, they must have been used in application at test sites, in labs or greenhouses, while being transported on vehicles or ships or stored. This second edition was published by USARPAC (United States Army Pacific) on November 1, 1969. HHC USARSUPTHAI G-3 Section Engineer Detachment (Utilities) *change (Aug. 28, 2011)538th Engineer Battalion, However, the Army Veteran must have been a member of a military police (MP) unit or was assigned an MP military occupational specialty whose dutyplaced him/her at or near the base perimeter. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), benefits related to Agent Orange exposure, Call TTY if you Please view the image below showing positively that barrels of Agent Orange were stored at Korat RTAFB. there, 64-65, do you have a attorney? along the perimeter of U-Tapao RTAFB, Map 10 - the Recreation and Beach Ft Hood had made the 4 day flight (with one Sorry to hear of your battle with skin cancer. Lao. I have just recently become aware of the exposure to agent orange during my tour of duty there 73-74 and have also filed a claim for compensation. TMO The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals, used to create the defoliants, Esper said in a release. to support an infantry battle group, eg, the 25th Infantry Division USARSUPTHAI In addition to the F-5E and F-5F fighter-bombers, OV-10C counter-insurgency aircraft, transports, and helicopters were added to the RTAF inventory. The F-4 and A-7 aircraft practiced bombing and intercept missions in western Thailand. 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 15 May 1966 (F-105F), On 15 March 1974, the EB-66s of the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron were sent to. In early 1966, standard F-105Ds with no special electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment accompanied F-100 Wild Weasel I aircraft equipped with basic ECM equipment. The wing's efforts merited the Presidential Unit Citation in March 1968. As mentioned I lived on it for a year. Do you have USARSUPTHAI, CAMP FRIENDSHIP, KORAT, THAILAND Reunion information you'd like to share Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. The 347th became an F-4E wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. [19] On 11 August 1967 388th TFW F-105s participated in the first attack on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi which successfully destroyed one span of the bridge. Meltal Shipping Containers near the perimeter at Ubon RTAFB, Annotated Photo of the Defoiliated [19]:1123. Need help withe my claim appeal, getting very frustrated with the VA process. A large exercise was held on the first Monday of every month, involving all USAF units in Thailand. The USAF would be able to airlift the division into Korat where they could pick up their equipment and move into battle. Bangkok Post. tlxLastPublishedDate.toLocaleString() : now.toLocaleString(); document.write("Last updated on " + edited); Geographical Location: Camp Friendship is located approximately 125 miles North-East of Bangkok in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima and adjoined With the political changes in the US during 1974, and the resignation of President Nixon, the air power of the United States at its Thailand bases did not respond to the collapse of the Lon Nol government to the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during April 1975 nor to the takeover of Laos by the Pathet Lao. Please Phillip, Google the bn, you might get lucky and find that they have a web site and might be able to help you. [2], The host unit was the 44th Engineer Group (Construction), part of the 9th Logistics Command. R. at 996. Long Lines Battalion We turned over the camp to the Thai Army officially on 1 July 1969 . The following 4 links contain photos taken by Bob Freitag and others that were the first photos on the original web site. By 1967, Korat RTAFB was home to as many as 34 operating units and about 6,500 USAF airmen. Maintenance of the facilities at other bases abandoned by the United States (Ubon, Udorn) proved too costly and exceeded Thai needs and were turned over to the Department of Civil Aviation for civil use. water buffalo scattering. [4]:70, In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident on 31 July 1964, the 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan deployed 8 F-105D Thunderchiefs of the 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron to Korat on 9 August and commenced operations the following day. A-7 and F-4s from Korat flew strike missions sometimes less than 16km (10mi) from Phnom Penh that morning before the cutoff. File in PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, about 2.6 meg in size. [29], Camp Friendship was the home of Headquarters, United States Army Support, Thailand (USARSUPTHAI), part of the Army Military Assistance Command Thailand (MACTHAI). Attention A T users. by Sappers at U-Tapao RTAFB, Return to the Batcat Veterans Benefit homepage. already "tagged" it. 17, 601st Photo Flight (MAC), (HQ - 600th Photo Squadron), 1974th Communications Squadron and Group (Tenant AFCS), 1998th Communications Squadron (Tenant AFCS), American Forces Thailand Network (Tenant AFRTS), 7th MAINT Battalion, Direct Support 196571, 9th Logistical Command HHD Logistics Support 196370, 40th MP Battalion, Military Police Support 196770, 41st ORD Company, Direct Ammunition Support 3/1966-9/1966, 44th Engineer Group, HHC/HHD Construction 196270, 57th MAINT Company, Direct Support 196371, 133rd MED Group, HHD Medical Support 196870, 219th MP Company, Physical Security 196671, 428th MED Battalion, HHD Medical Support 196668, 528th Engineer Detachment (Utilities) *change (28 August 2011), 538th Engineer Battalion, Construction 196570, 593rd EN Company, Construction 6/1963-8/1963, 597th MAINT Company, Direct Support 196669, 697th EN Company, Pipeline Construction Support 196569, 738th Engineer Support Company, Supply Point *196365*, This page was last edited on 20 December 2022, at 22:20. 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