CAMBODIA
Opening up Recon of Western Cambodia. A typical look at
Special Operations Missions from U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand,
to Sihanoukville, Angkor Wat, and Battambang, Cambodia.
June-July 1970
— Air Force Magazine On Line
Click on image for larger photo
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Capt. Monkey Hotel mounted for opening Western Cambodia aerial reconnaissance. |
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Recon Operations Center, U-Tapao, Thailand, with 3 of NKP's OV-10 FAC aircraft. |
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OV-10 shadow on the ocean on low
altitude, high-speed
approach to the port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. (slide decomposing) |
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Port of Sihanoukville docks. I had briefed Lt. Gen Stewart, SAC DCI, and the CINCSAC, on this facility with SR-71 photography at 85,000 feet. Now I was seeing it at a couple hundred. |
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Buzzing the hotel at Sihanoukeville above the port. On the first pass, we looked level into the windows from 100 yards at full speed! (slide decomposing) |
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Not the Serengeti in Africa: the plains of Central Cambodia. |
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Angkor Wat from a safe distance. We drew small arms fire but no response permitted: rules of engagement with an 8th Wonder of the World. |
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"High Altitude" recon around the Tonle Sap near Angkor Wat. Pilot, Capt. Bill Justice, operating out of Pleiku days later, was shot down by ground fire on July 3rd at Sre Mat on the Tonle Srepok River, eastern Cambodia. |
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Chasing Water Buffalo by OV-10 in Cambodia with Capt. Bill Justice. (slide decomposing) |
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4th of July, 1970 over Western Cambodia. A Cambodian Army radioman wished our country "Happy Birthday to America" as we passed over his remote outpost. (slide decomposing) |
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Battambang: Cambodia's second largest city. We went in to take a peek at who controlled it. |
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More fast-and-low-level: Battambang airfield. Occupied defenses did not fire on us. All calm. |
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Jungle river near the Thai border. Wild and beautiful country near mission's end. |
Capt. Mike
07/27/14