Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
facility used for riverine patrols along the Mekong River. It is located approximately 365 miles (584 kilometers) northeast of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, 9 miles west of Nakhon Phanom city in Nakhon Phanom Province
Nakhon Phanom Province
Nakhon Phanom is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Mukdahan, Sakon Nakhon and Bueng Kan. To the north-east it borders Khammouan of Laos.-Geography:...
in the Northeastern Region
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
of Thailand, and 75 miles from Hanoi Vietnam. The Mekong River makes up NKP's border against Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. The airfield at NKP is jointly used as a civilian airport.
History
Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base was established in the 1950s as a RTAF base.Political considerations with regards to Communist forces engaging in a civil war inside Laos and fears of the civil war spreading into Thailand led the Thai government to allow the United States to covertly use five Thai bases beginning in 1961 for the air defense of Thailand and to fly reconnaissance flights over Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
Under Thailand's "gentleman's agreement" with the United States, Royal Thai Air Force Bases
Royal Thai Air Force Bases
Within the period of 1954-1975 , the Thai Government allowed the Joint United States Military Assistance Group to fund and manage the modernization of Royal Thai Air Force airbases...
used by the USAF were considered Royal Thai Air Force bases and were commanded by Thai officers. Thai air police controlled access to the bases, along with USAF Security Police, who assisted them in base defense using sentry dogs, observation towers, and machine gun bunkers. All United States Air Force personnel were fully armed after 1965.
The USAF forces at Nakhon Phanom were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
The APO for NKP was APO San Francisco, 96310
History of the USAF at NKP
During the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base (NKP) was a front-line facility of the Royal Thai Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
used by the United States in its efforts to defend South Vietnam against insurgency by North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and the Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
Communist guerillas in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
from 1961 to 1975.
Beginning in the late 1950s, North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
began to move troops into areas of eastern Laos in support of the Pathet Lao, and also as a defensive measure to protect their long transit route for men and supplies to support the insurgency in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. In September 1959, North Vietnam formed Group 959 in Laos with the aim of building the Pathet Lao into a stronger force in its guerilla war aimed at overthrowing the Royal Lao Government
Royal Lao Government
The Royal Lao Government was the ruling authority in the Kingdom of Laos from 1947 until the communist seizure of power in December 1975 and the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic...
. Group 959 openly supplied, trained and supported the Pathet Lao militarily.
With Thailand sharing a long common border with Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
along the Mekong River, the Thai government was increasingly concerned about the spread of a communist insurgency into Thailand, which already faced a growing insurgency of its own in that part of the country. It was therefore receptive to the idea of allowing U.S. military personnel to use Thai territory for operations in support of the Lao Government, and later in support of the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
The first American military personnel to arrive at NKP in 1962 were the U.S. Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion Three (Seabees) who undertook the task of constructing runways and raising the first buildings at the new base as part of a United States commitment under SEATO. Detachment 3 (Provisional) of the Pacific Air Rescue Center with three HH-43B helicopters became the first USAF unit assigned to the base in June 1964. Followed by the [507th Tactical Control Squadron] who began arriving in August 1964, with the bulk of its personnel arriving in 1964. The 5th Tactical Control Group exercised command jurisdiction over the 507th until May 1965 when the 6235th Air Base Squadron was formed. Overall control of the USAF units was then turned over to the 35th Tactical Group (now the 631st Combat Support Group) at Don Muang Airport, Thailand. On 8 April 1966 the 6235th Air Base Squadron was discontinued and the 634th Combat Support Group along with its subordinate squadrons was activated. With U.S. irregular warfare operations already being conducted from the base, on 2 February 1966, the Thai government approved the establishment of a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air Commando unit in Thailand, using the existing USAF facilities at NKP to give the appearance that the United States was not introducing another unit into Thailand. USAF forces at NKP were under the overall command of the United States Pacific Air Forces
United States Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces is a Major Command of the United States Air Force. PACAF is also the air component of the United States Pacific Command . PACAF is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base Hawaii. It is one of two USAF Major Commands assigned outside of the Continental United States, the other...
(PACAF).
NKP initially housed USAF search and rescue forces and maintained a communications capability in support of U.S. Air Force objectives in Southeast Asia. NKP was the location of TACAN station "Channel 89" and was referenced by that identifier in voice communications during air missions. The 634th Combat Support Group was deactivated and the 56th Air Commando Wing was formed on 8 April 1967. The [606th Air Commando Squadron] formed the operational backbone of the new wing, and the 56th Combat Support Group took over the major support functions. Nearly one year later the 56th ACW designation was changed to 56th Special Operations Wing, 1 August 1968.
There were a number of special operational squadrons attached to the wing over time, including the 1st, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 602nd, 606th and 609th, and a number of other operational squadrons and detachments, including the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron and the 554th Reconnaissance Squadron. The major operational associate units stationed at NKP were the 1987th Communications Squadron (AFCS), Det 5, 621st Tactical Control Squadron, elements of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
and Task Force Alpha (PACAF). Along with USAF Air Commando and Special Operations forces, MACV-SOG
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group was a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War....
units operated out of NKP, along with Air America, Echo 31 and other clandestine organizations which used NKP as an operating base for their activities in Laos, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
.
The APO for NKP was APO San Francisco, 96310
56th Special Operations Wing
The lineage of the 56th Special Operations Wing56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
goes back to the 56th Fighter Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
which was created in 1947. Redesignated the 56th Air Commando Wing, and activated on 16 March 1967, the Wing was redesignated the 56th Special Operations Wing on 1 August 1968. The USAF facility at NKP was the only one in Southeast Asia which operated entirely under the control of an Air Commando/Special Operations Wing. The official mission of the 56th was to assist United States unconventional forces and foreign government military forces friendly to the United States in various parts of Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
.
There were no tactical fighters or bombers at NKP, only older propeller driven aircraft and specialized aircraft, some dating back to the World War II era. Some of the aircraft operating out of NKP bore civilian markings or were unmarked. In addition, the 56h SOW also worked closely with the U.S. embassies in Laos and Thailand to provide training for special air warfare units.
Squadrons of the 56th SOW
Special Operations Squadrons
- 1st Air Commando Squadron1st Special Operations SquadronThe 1st Special Operations Squadron is part of the 353d Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability...
(redesignated 1st Special Operations Squadron1st Special Operations SquadronThe 1st Special Operations Squadron is part of the 353d Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates MC-130 Combat Talon II aircraft providing special operations capability...
August 1, 1968), 20 December 1967 - 15 December 1972, call sign "Hobo":(A-1E/G/H/J, Tail Code: TC) - 18th Special Operations Squadron 25 August 1971 - 31 December 1972, call sign "Stinger":(AC–119, Tail Code: EH)
- 21st Helicopter Squadron21st Special Operations SquadronThe 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
(redesignated 21st Special Operations Squadron21st Special Operations SquadronThe 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
) August 1, 1968), 27 November 1967 - 30 June 1975, call signs "Dusty" & "Knife":(CH-3C, CH-3E,CH-53E, CH-53) - 22d Air Commando Squadron (redesignated 22d Special Operations Squadron22d Special Operations SquadronThe 22nd Special Operations Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force that operated in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War for two years from 25 Oct 1968, until 30 September 1970...
August 1, 1968), 27 November 1967 - 30 June 1975, call sign "Zorro":(A-1E/G/H/J, Tail Code: TS) - 602d Air Commando Squadron (redesignated 602d Special Operations Squadron602d Special Operations SquadronThe 602d Special Operations Squadron was a United States Air Force squadron that operated in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.-History:...
August 1, 1968), 8 April 1967 - 31 December 1970, call sign "Sandy":(A-1E/H/J, Tail Code: TT) - 606th Air Commando Squadron (redesignated 606th Special Operations Squadron August 1, 1968), 8 April 1967 - 15 June 1971, call sign: "Candlesticks" (C-123 Flareships) and "Loudmouth/Litterbugs" (U-10's);(U-10D, C-123B, T-28D, Tail Code: TO)
- 609th Air Commando Squadron609th Special Operations SquadronThe 609th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The squadron was constituted on 1 October 1942, and was originally designated the 349th Night Fighter Squadron. Its last assignment was with the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand. ...
(redesignated 609th Special Operations Squadron609th Special Operations SquadronThe 609th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The squadron was constituted on 1 October 1942, and was originally designated the 349th Night Fighter Squadron. Its last assignment was with the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand. ...
August 1, 1968), 15 September 1967 - 1 December 1969, call sign "Nimrod":(A-26A/K, T-28D, UC/C-123K, Tail Code: TA)
Forward Air Control Squadron
- 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron 15 March 1972 - 30 June 1975, call sign "Nail": (0-1 Bird Dog, O-2 Skymaster, OV-10 Bronco)
Other USAF Squadrons
- 460th Reconnaissance Squadron 15 December 1970 - 30 September 1972 (EC-47N/P)
- 554th Reconnaissance Squadron 15 December 1970 - 30 September 1972 (QU-22BBeechcraft BonanzaThe Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
) - 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron361st Tactical Electronic Warfare SquadronThe 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing, stationed at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 June 1974...
1 September 1972 - 30 June 1974 (EC-47)
United States Navy
- VO-67VO-67Observation Squadron 67 was a secret United States Navy military intelligence aircraft squadron based in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Created in February 1967, the unit was deactivated in July 1968...
(Observation Squadron Sixty-SevenVO-67Observation Squadron 67 was a secret United States Navy military intelligence aircraft squadron based in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Created in February 1967, the unit was deactivated in July 1968...
), from February 1967 to July 1968, operating LockheedLockheed CorporationThe Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
OP-2EP-2 NeptuneThe Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion...
aircraft (highly modified Lockheed P-2 Neptunes), in support of the Igloo White mission implanting sensors at low levels. Tail code MR (Mud River). Unit received the Presidential Unit Citation.
Tenant Units
- 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
operating HH-3E helicopters. - 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron38th Rescue SquadronThe 38th Rescue Squadron is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operates various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-Mission:...
operating H-43 and HH-53E helicopters. - 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
operating HC-130Ps. - 1987th Communications Squadron (AFCS)
- 621st Tactical Control Squadron
- Task Force Alpha (PACAF).
- 10th Weather Squadron (MAC)
Decorations bestowed on the 56th SOW were:
- Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation (US)The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
(Southeast Asia): 1 November 1968-1 May 1969; 1 October 1969-30 April 1970; 1 April 1972-22 February 1973. - Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: 1 December 1970-30 November 1971: 1 December 1971-29 February 1972; 23 February 1973-28 February 1974.
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 8 April 1967-28 January 1973.
Operation Igloo White
Operation Igloo White was a covert United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
electronic warfare operation conducted from late January 1968 until February 1973, during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. This state-of-the-art operation utilized electronic sensors, computers, and communications relay aircraft in an attempt to automate intelligence collection. The system would then assist in the direction of strike aircraft to their targets.
Operation Barrel Roll
Operation Barrel Roll was a covert U.S. Air Force 2nd Air Division2nd Air Division
The 2d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-Third Air Force, being stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida...
(later the Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
) and U.S. Navy Task Force 77
Task Force 77
Task Force 77 has been the aircraft carrier battle/strike force of the Seventh Fleet in the United States Navy since the Seventh Fleet was formed....
, interdiction
Air interdiction
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
and close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
campaign conducted in the Kingdom of Laos
Kingdom of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Pathet Lao overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a...
between 14 December 1964 and 29 March 1973 concurrent with the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The initial purpose of the operation was to serve as a signal to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to cease its support for the insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
then taking place in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The operation became increasingly involved in providing close air support to Royal Lao Armed Forces
Military of Laos
The Lao People's Army is the name of the armed forces of Laos, who are charged with protecting the country. Until 1975, the Royal Laos Army were the armed forces of the Laos, along with the Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force and the Lao People's Navy....
, CIA-backed tribal mercenaries, and Thai Army elements in a covert ground war in northern and northeastern Laos.
Under Operation Barrel Roll, the 56th SOW sent pilots and maintenance teams once a month to Laos to work as Raven Forward Air Controllers (FACS). Their mission was to support friendly forces in northern Laos - known as the Barrel Roll area. The Ravens wore civilian clothing and were not addressed by military rank.
Operation Ivory Coast
Son Tay
Sơn Tây is an urban district and city in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Son Tay province before merging with Ha Dong province in 1965...
POW rescue mission in November 1970. Its objective was the rescue of approximately 90 American Prisoners of War from the prison camp. While the attempted rescue itself was a failure (the prisoners had been moved some months before, and none were found at the targeted POW compound in North Vietnam), the successful demonstration of capability in Operations Ivory Coast and Kingpin was in part responsible for the creation of a joint United States Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
in 1987.
Beginning of the End
By 1971 North Vietnamese forces were fighting conventional battles in Laos as mobile, regular battalions rather than insurgent guerrilla units. The US pulled out of Laos in 1973 as part of an overall peace and disengagement plan. North Vietnam ignored the agreement and retained its army in Laos. The national government was forced to accept the Pathet Lao into the government.In 1975, North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces began attacking government strongholds. A deal was eventually brokered that gave power to the Pathet Lao to save the government from total destruction. Pathet Lao troops marched into Vientiane on 1 May and simply took over the government.
Palace Lightning - USAF Withdrawal
With the collapse in Laos and the fall of both CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in the spring of 1975, the political climate between Washington and Bangkok began to sour, and the Thai Government demanded that the U.S. remove the bulk of its forces out of Thailand by the end of the year. Under operation Palace Lightning, the USAF began to withdraw its aircraft and personnel from Thailand. On 30 June 1975 the 56th Special Operations Wing was deactivated in place and the 656th Special Operations Wing was activated as a placeholder unit at NKP until the USAF could complete its withdrawal. The Search and Rescue units were among the last to leave the country. The 3rd Air Rescue and Recovery Group lowered its flag on 31 January 1976 and NKP was turned over to the Thai government.
Major USAF Units at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base
- 56th Special Operations Wing
- 56th Combat Support Group
- 1st Special Operations Squadron
- 18th Special Operations Squadron
- 21st Special Operations Squadron21st Special Operations SquadronThe 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
- 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron
- 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:On 8 January 1966, the 37th ARRS was activated at Danang Air Base operating 5 HU-16s on loan from the 31st ARRS and the 33rd ARRS and with a Detachment at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force...
(Detachment) - 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron38th Rescue SquadronThe 38th Rescue Squadron is part of the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operates various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft conducting search and rescue missions.-Mission:...
(Detachment) - 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was a helicopter rescue squadron of the USAF active during the Vietnam War.-History:...
(Detachment) - 361st TEWS
- 456th Munitions Maintenance Squadron
- 554th Reconnaissance Squadron
- 1987th Communications Squadron
- 6994th Security Squadron
- 6908th Security Squadron
- Task Force Alpha
- 6 Aerial Port Squadron (MAC) (Detachment)
- 621st Tactical Control Squadron (Detachment)
- Red Horse Squadron, Civil Engineering squadron
Major USAF Aircraft Assigned to NKP
- Douglas A-1E/G/H/J SkyraiderA-1 SkyraiderThe Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
- Douglas A-26A InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
- Fairchild AC-119KC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
- Douglas C-47/EC-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
- SikorskySikorsky AircraftThe Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
CH-3E Sea King - Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green GiantCH-53 Sea StallionThe CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
- Fairchild AC-123K ProviderC-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
- North American T-28 TrojanT-28 TrojanThe North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
- CessnaCessnaThe Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
O-1 Bird Dog - CessnaCessnaThe Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
O-2 SkymasterO-2 SkymasterThe O-2 Skymaster is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster utilized as an observation and forward air control aircraft... - North AmericanNorth AmericanNorth American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
OV-10 BroncoOV-10 BroncoThe North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control aircraft...
Additional "civilian" aircraft operated from NKP were the Cessna 185
Cessna 185
-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...
, Cessna Skymaster
Cessna Skymaster
The Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal...
, Pilatus PC-6
Pilatus PC-6
|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Taylor, John W. R. Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
, Helio Courier
Helio Courier
The Helio Courier is a light C/STOL utility aircraft designed in 1949.Around 500 of these aircraft were manufactured in Pittsburg, Kansas from 1954 until 1974 by the Helio Aircraft Company. During the early 1980s, new owners made an attempt to build new aircraft with direct-drive Lycoming engines,...
, de Havilland DHC-4
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...
and Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 21 November 1972, Douglas EC-47Q 43-49771 of the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
crashed killing two of the 10 people on board. The aircraft was operated by the 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron361st Tactical Electronic Warfare SquadronThe 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing, stationed at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 June 1974...
, United States Air Force. It had flown a tactical mission under the callsign "Baron 56", and had taken off at about 10:44 local timeUTC+7UTC+07:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +07:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .Also known as Indochina Time , it is used in:-As standard time :*Australia...
(03:44 UTCCoordinated Universal TimeCoordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
). At 17:00, the aircraft was returning from the mission when it bounced on landing and started to depart the left side of the runway. The pilot over-corrected, causing the aircraft to depart to the right of the runway. Although a go-around was initiated, the aircraft impacted trees damaging the port propellor. The co-pilot considered that the starboard engine was failing and that engine's propellor was feathered. The aircraft then crashed into another bank of trees 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) beyond the end of the runway. The wrecked aircraft was consumed in the post-crash fire.
The Mayaguez Incident
On May 13, 1975 General Burns and his Seventh Air Force staff developed a contingency plan to retake the Mayaguez using an assault force composed of men of the 656th Air Force Security Squadron, Nakhon Phanom. 75 volunteers from the 656th would be dropped onto the containers on the decks of the Mayaguez on the morning of 14 May. In preparation for this assault 5 HH-53s and 7 CH-53s were ordered to proceed to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield for staging[30]. At approximately 21:30, one of the 21st SOS CH-53s (68-10933, call sign Knife 13) crashed, killing 18 security police and the five man crew.
Other sources
- 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. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
- Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786400846.
- Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Robbins, Christopher (1985) Air America. Avon, ISBN 0380899094
- Robbins, Christopher (1987) The Ravens: Pilots of the Secret War in Laos. Crown, ISBN 0517566125
- Warner, Roger (1998) Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America's Clandestine War in Laos. Steerforth, ISBN 1883642361