These extraordinary Super 8mm home movies from the Vietnam War, come from a member of the "Ravens". The Raven Forward Air Controllers, also known simply as The Ravens, were fighter pilots used for forward air control in a covert operation in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States in Laos during America's Vietnam War. The Ravens provided direction for most of the air strikes against communist Pathet Lao targets and People's Army of Vietnam's infiltrators in support of the Laotian Hmong guerrilla army. The aircraft seen in the film is the Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog liaison and observation aircraft, as well as Pilatus Porters. Scenes in the film include: Scene #1: Flying O-1 over Pakse along the Mekong River. Another O-1 is taking off from the Pakse airport. The ramp where the Lao T-28’s are kept and the AOC (Air Operations Center) can be seen as we fly past the ramp. Scene #2: Flying over rice fields and identifying enemy target for marking. WP (Willie Pete; White Phosphorus) was fired, marking the target with white smoke. Pulling off target to direct airstrike, 500# bombs are seen exploding as they run up to marked target. Lao T-28 is seen coming in on target followed by bomb blasts. Then T-28 is followed in as bombs drop short of target. Then T-28 is directed to another target short of the smoke and hits the target. Target is probably an enemy troop encampment. This target is east of the Bolavens Plateau north of Attapeu. Some of the structures can be seen in a clearing and in the trees in the target area. Additional smoke and bomb are placed on target. T-28 is seen making a run on the target and the CBU (Cluster Bomb Units) can be seen exploding. Another T-28 run on target and more CBU’s. Additional T-28’s make runs on targets as they fire rockets on target. (NOTE: The larger explosions are 500# bombs, while the smaller multiple explosions are CUB, and the single, small explosions (difficult to see) are rockets.) Scene #3: SGU (Special Guerilla Unit) Troops at PS-38 on the eastern edge of the Bolavens Plateau preparing for an operation to retake PS-26, a fire base on the edge of the Plateau. Helicopters flying troops into combat location. Helicopters landing to drop off troops. Continental Air Service Porter Aircraft flying in supplies. Combat area is near the Cambodia border in southern Laos. Sihanouk Trail in southern Laos, the area of combat operations. Bombing target in support of operation. Throwing leaflets out of a Porter Aircraft to encourage enemy soldiers to defect to the Laotians. Scene #4: PS-38. Soldiers preparing for battle. O-1 seen on runway. Non-descript area east of Bolavens Plateau. Air America helicopter with CIA country team members. 200- to 300-foot waterfall on Bolavens Plateau. Scene #5: Raven-58 (Me, Ken Thompson) walking around unknown Laotian aircraft. Bullet hole in wing of T-28. Bullet holes were frequently repaired with tape. Scene #6: New village being built on Bolavens Plateau. People who lived in these villages may not travel more than 5 miles from their village in their life time. Unknown aircraft flying over Laos. Scene #7: Military compound at Saravane (Salavan), Laos. Unknown construction site. Scene #8: Parade on Army Day. Laotian pilots in parade. American troops stationed at Pakse. They are military, Air Force, but undercover, so in civilian clothes. The crew chief in the white shirt with camera stayed in Laos after the war and married a Laotian. Party includes a Bassi, a Buddhist ceremony. Final scenes of rice paddies and aircraft are unknown. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference." This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

• published: 29 May 2015
• views: 2760