Ron and Sue Wall - Our Family Photos, Thailand

The theme song of every GI in South East Asia during the Vietnam War

May 1966 - Market and Powell streets, San Francisco, a day's R&R before my flight to the Philippines

Korat RTAFB main gate - Korat was home to the 388th TAC Fighter Wing equiped with F-105 "Thud" fighter-bombers during my tour, June 1966-1967

Image downloaded from Google

Our unit was Det. 7, 6922 Security Squadron

Welcome to an all-expense-paid vacation in Thailand - our "hooches" Korat RTAFB near Nakhong Ratchishima, Thailand

Me with my "Go-To-Hell" - not exactly regulation but generally tolerated.

July 1966 - my hootch, Korat

An F-105 Thunderchief "Thud" landing at Korat. These were the primary fighter-bomber aircraft stationed at Korat and Takhli Air Force bases and the principle bomber used in Operation Rolling Thunder bombing missions over North Vietnam.

Image downloaded from Google

At my first opportunity to go off base I hired a Samlar and driver to see some of the sights around Korat. The driver was much friendlier than appears by his expression.

One of many beautiful temples scattered about the country side around Korat and Nakhon Ratchishima

These small ornate temples are everywhere in Thailand

These young boys are serving their one year religious obligation under the tutelage of Buddhist monks

Downtown Nakhon Ratchishima

An Indian Sihk merchant in Buddhist Thailand selling tapestries to American Christians - internationalism.

Reunion of "River Rats", F-105 pilots who finished their 100 bombing missions on bridges around Haiphong and Hanoi; these were the first two of several in the parade on base

Thai betel nut addict - the betel nut is a mild narcotic common in South East Asia; one of my first impressions of Thailand was seeing a Thai lady fetch a giant water bug from a muddy puddle and pop it into her betel nut stained mouth.

The Thai giant water bug found in puddles and rice paddies, caught, fried and light salted for a quick snack, or in my experience, consumed raw straight from a mud puddle

Nakhon Ratchishima featured food vendors like this and their exotic snacks of deep-fried rice bugs, fried frogs and other delicacies.

Insect food vendor in Bangkok, much the same as those in Nakhon Ratchishima

These pictures are of modern Thai mystery food vendors in Bangkok; except for the plastic water bottle, not much different from Nikhon Ratchishima in 1966-67

The jungle around Korat

A map showing all of our Air Force bases in Thailand in 1966-67; from Korat I spent several days TDY at all of them except for Don Muang and Ubon, but set foot on all of them during my tour plus several days in Bangkok

F-105 on the ramp at Korat

A2C Roger Hawk, Peace Corps orphanage in Nakhon Ratchishima; our unit built this "Hooch" so the kids had a covered building to eat meals, December 1966

Christmas, 1966 at the orphanage; toys were collected from the people of Van Buren, Arkansas by my wife and mother and flown to Thailand paid for by a local organization.

Christmas 1966 at the orphanage; the children slept behind the bamboo curtain (notice the baby bed to the right of the nurses) - the American Peace Corps nurse leaning on the steps, our detachment commander Lt. John Dowdy and A1C Ed Hart extreme right.

The box of Christmas toys collected by my wife and my mother from the people of Van Buren, Arkansas

We were always welcomed with open arms

Orphanage, December 1966

December 20, 1966 Bob Hope Christmas show at Korat with Anita Bryant, Joey Heatherton, Phillis Diller, Les Brown Band and others

Ronald N. Wall

Modified: 25 January 2023