U.S. Army Veteranswho were stationed on some small Army installations in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975. But the list, published Jan. 27 by the Department of Veterans Affairs, omits more than 40 locations previously noted as exposure sites by DoD in 2018 deletions that could undermine other veterans pending claims. 103 Squadron flies eight F-16A and four F-16B acquired under the code name "Peace Naresuan I", five F-16A (of six delivered) under the code name "Peace Naresuan XI", and three F-16A and four F-16Bs acquired from the Republic of Singapore Air Force and delivered in late 2004. The new Phantom squadron, the first E-models in Thailand, retained the designation 469th TFS. 281st MP Company291st Transportation Company TC U.S. Army Veteranswho provided perimeter security on RTAF bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975. On 17 April, the USAF flew its last mission over Laos, attacking a handful of targets requested by the Laotian government. The only missions flown were aircraft of the 388th TFW providing air cover and escort during Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Americans from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Operation Frequent Wind the evacuation of Americans and at-risk Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam. [5]:196, In September 1970, the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, which flew EB-66s, transferred to Korat from Takhli. -1963 46th Special Forces (SF) The final day marked the conclusion of an intense 160-day campaign, during which the USAF expended 240,000 tons of bombs. The squadron had a minimum of two aircraft airborne 24 hours a day directing and coordinating the effective employment of tactical air resources throughout Southeast Asia. His name was John Madden. My claim is awaiting its Washington DC appeal hearing. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. 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 41 Squadron RNZAF New Zealand Bristol Freighters. This office was in the same boat, over a year ago, and has locked down all of Florida! The mission of the 501 st Field Depot was assigned to Camp Friendship in Korat to assume the supply mission for Thailand, Laos, Cambodia . Yet. VA then interpreted the report in its Public Health website on a web page calledThailand Military Bases and Agent Orange Exposure. USARSUPTHAI CE DivisionUSASTRATCOM SIG Battalion In September 1992, the veteran was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, type II. Any help on this?? The F-5Es were accompanied by training teams of American civilian and military technicians, who worked with members of the RTAF. My Father also served at Bang Pla from 68 to 70. Later that month, the 16th Special Operations Squadron equipped with AC-130 Spectre gunships was moved to Korat from Ubon RTAFB.[26]. Consequently, the EF-4C was seen only as an interim Wild Weasel aircraft, pending the introduction of a more suitable type. Samae San Camp, Thai Marine Corps Base US Army base built late 1960's in support of Thailand to keep it free of Communist. During the 1980s and early-1990s, the airfield was jointly operated as a civil airport for Nakhon Ratchasima. 6,650 views. "kiwi bird" stenciled on it. Since we were obligated to perform police call, played sports, walked in all areas of the compounds, we were subject to herbicides that we suspect were Agent Orange. I was stationed at Udorn AB 432ND supply, handled 55 gallon drums containing who knows what. Nakhon Phanom and U-Tapao were placed under the control of the Royal Thai Navy. [2], The United States Army Corps of Engineers were deployed and established a headquarters at the RTAF airfield that later became Korat RTAFB. Our message to VA would be that they should grant benefits if a veteran has any evidence demonstrating that the spraying may have occurred, and that would be if there is an old list where DoD confirmed that there was storage or spraying, Gallucci said. [2], The USAF mission at Korat RTAFB began in April 1962, when one officer and 14 airmen were temporarily assigned to the existing base as the joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG). Last year I was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. Attorney. 590th Supply & Service (DS)590th QM Company It was apparently released last year, though Im not sure when it was officially declassified. I was told the backlog is so severe that they are currently only now hearing cases filed back in 2013. Lived in a hootch built directly on the perimeter wire. 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. During the Vietnam War, from 1962 to 1975, Korat RTAFB was a front-line facility of the United States Air Force (USAF) in Thailand. The EC-121Ds provided airborne radar coverage and surveillance in support of aircraft flying combat operations. Go to https://www.militaryvideo.com/ to purchase the entire video, or to see movie trailers of over 700 other military videos.This 70-minute DVD Includes excellent aerial views of the base, and show: base construction, President Johnson's visit in 1967, flight line activities, and Army areas on the base. 2023 Dates & Rates; The Geneva Accords of 1962 ended the immediate threat, but both Camp Friendship and Korat RTAFB were developed as part of the buildup of forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The wing's efforts merited the Presidential Unit Citation in March 1968. Developed larynx cancer and have been treated with radiation and chemo. including the Herbicide/Agent Orange Drift Zone, Map of the Munitions It remained at Korat, supporting Operation Linebacker, Operation Linebacker II and other USAF operations, until 1 June 1974, when it returned to McClellan AFB, California. Are you looking for someone who is or was in THAILAND, CAMP FRIENDSHIP? VA OIG Cries Foul, Agency Duped by a Gun-Toting, Felon, Sex Offender, Only VA Impressed With VA Restructuring Plan. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: Every aircraft, Day 7 - Phi Phi Boat Trip. GSP-304 African American-Thai Child, Born: 1969 (2512) GSP-329 Search for Son, Born: 1970 (2513) GSP-476 Search for Daughter African American-Thai, Born: 1965 (2508) *Note: Camp Friendship . Camp Friendship. It returned in November 1971, now known as Disco, after North Vietnamese MiGs threatened B-52s and other aircraft operating in southern Laos. I will keep at it though. With these re-organizations, the 44th TFS possessed both D and F model Thunderchiefs. [3][7], On 14 August 2 HH-43Bs were deployed to Korat to provide base search and rescue. In mid-1968 it was decided to make the 388th an F-4 wing, and also to equip the 388th with the new F-4E and the F-105s would be transferred to Takhli and all of the F-105s in the fighter-bomber mission would be consolidated there. The 354th TFW Forward Echelon at Korat also became a composite wing. The detachment returned to its main unit at Korat and the 44th TFS was returned to Korat in September 1970 from the 355th TFW to the 388th TFW when the decision was made to consolidate the units of the Wild Weasel mission. [4] They would remain at Korat until June 1965 when they were moved to Udorn RTAFB and then to Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam and replaced at Korat by HC-54s. 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. Skip to content. This second edition was published by USARPAC (United States Army Pacific) on November 1, 1969. It also does not include any places where the U.S. Department of Agriculture, academia, chemical companies or others tested or stored the chemicals if service members werent involved, nor areas where trained DoD personnel engaged in vegetation management and control in accordance with the DoD Pest Management Program. The VA omitted pages from its version and did a poor job of scanning it. Benjamin Krause is a lawyer, investigative reporter and award-winning veterans advocate. A letter from the director, 03/13/2017. In 1985 the United States Congress authorized the sale of the F-16 fighter to Thailand. It may sound full of hokey pokey, but it's the truth. In April 2001, the veteran developed renal in sufficiency. By the late 1980s, Korat, Takhli, and Don Muang RTAFB outside Bangkok, which was shared with civil aviation, were the primary operational holdings of the RTAF. They included a hospital, some barracks and some warehouses for equipment that was flown in using the existing runway. The mission of the USAF at Korat was to conduct operations in support of US commitments in Southeast Asia: North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Note the runway for Korat Air Base at the top of the photo, however much of the support base is not yet constructed. Note the color of the barrels - Orange. Korat Royal Thai Air Base. the Guestbook Below toAdd Your Name, DCA If the vehicles could be stopped, then a major quantity of enemy supplies would be halted. I have provided letters to this affect to several former buddies who have been approved for exposure to Agent Orange. Army Aviation 270th Transportation Detachment, USARSUPTHAI, 9th Logistical CommandPhoto by Spec.5 Wayne Eusanio. This really boils my blood. 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 The 347th became an F-4E wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Cantonment area at Ubon RTAFB, Udorn Thailand area including The U.S. Army had enough quarters and stockpiled equipment DCSSPOHHC 9th Logistics HHC USARSUPTHAI He received his Bachelors from Northwestern University and Law Degree from the University of Minnesota, both using VA Veteran Readiness and Employment. Thanks for everyone's support, hope this change will be an enhancement to the site. For Parents; For Campers; For Staff; COVID-19; Blog; Login; Find Your Way. Day 6 - Transfer to Phi Phi Island! The army was engaged in the construction of Camp Friendship. The 554th RS transferred to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB to operate QU-22 Baby Bats, while the 553rd RS remained at Korat with 11 Batcats until December 1971, when it returned to Otis AFB, Massachusetts. In March 1972 the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron moved to Korat from Cam Ranh Air Base. All rights reserved. Join Your Unit Today Join VetFriends To: Reunite with Unit Buddies Browse Military Units Post Unit Messages R. at 1510, 1642. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) & Camp Friendship Maps Official Department of the Air Force Map Korat RTAFB, dated 1 January 1973. [16]:210. VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam, Wilkie said in a statement. Known deployed squadrons to Korat attached to the 6234th TFW were: On 3 April 1965 the 67th TFS launched the first unsuccessful US airstrike against the Thanh Ha Bridge. John Adams. by Sappers at U-Tapao RTAFB, Return to the Batcat Veterans Benefit homepage. we were never informed what kind of herbicides were being used other than it was to rid the area of excess growth and weeds. Anyhow, these early times of modern Thailand can still be found today, especially on the Isaan and even in BKK too where I lived. From DoD: CHECO Report. It was a modified version of the F-4C, designed in parallel with the F-105G Wild Weasel program. [2] Under the agreement, United States forces using Thai air bases were commanded by Thai officers. Don Muang RTAFB - Bangkok International Airport (Vietnam era), Official Department of the Air Force Map Camp Friendship, Nakhon Ratchasima, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand Photo by Spec.5 Wayne Eusanio Enlisted Men and Helicopter Mechanics of U.S. Army Aviation 270th Transportation Detachment in Barracks at Camp Friendship, May 1970, Vietnam War Era Nakhon Ratchasima, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand Photo by Spec.5 Wayne Eusanio If not get one. The 7th ACCS played an important role in the conduct of air operations. Det. 35th Finance Sec Disb40th MP Battalion, He is author of the guideVoc Rehab Survival Guide for Veterans and chief editor of DisabledVeterans.org. 270th Transportation Det270th Ord Detachment [16]:209[22]. Korat Air Base Thailand and Camp Friendship 1965-1970 militaryvideocom 40.5K subscribers 43K views 15 years ago Like This Movie Trailer? Copyright 2002-2020 us-seasia. It's why Camp Friendship was founded and what we are all about. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. 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. 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. In general, the F-100 would identify the SAM site and the F-105Ds would fly the strike. The airfield has a single 9,800 + foot runway with a single, full-length parallel taxiway. [29], Camp Friendship was the home of Headquarters, United States Army Support, Thailand (USARSUPTHAI), part of the Army Military Assistance Command Thailand (MACTHAI). It was assigned APO San Francisco 96233. . Including transit time to and from station, an average flight was typically about 10 hours, and the force ranged between five and seven aircraft at any one time. USARSUPTHAI After the end of the war, the facilities were taken over by the Thai government as a military base. The squadron was redesignated the 17th Wild Weasel Squadron on 1 December 1971. For example, they were unable to carry the standard ARM. [30], As soon as the Bangkok bypass road paving was completed, Company B moved to Sattahip to begin construction of Camp Vayama, a 1,000-man troop cantonment area which would eventually become part of a vast port and logistical complex. Hearing cases filed back in 2013 affect to several former buddies who have been with... 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