Operations over Laos

Before I could start my assignment in Saigon (working with various reporters) I had to first 'volunteer' to fly for one month out of Ubon Thailand over the Ho Chi Minh trail, which ran down from North Vietnam around the demilitarized zone through Laos. I flew back seat in an OV-10 Bronco which was used as a Forward Air Control plane. The FAC spotted the Viet Cong target (usually a truck park or antiaircraft battery) and put in a rocket to mark the target for the much faster jet support which came from other bases and off of carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin. I used a special camera to take reconnaisance photos (of which I have saved two and they are shown here).

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