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

Welcome to an all-expense-paid vacation in Thailand

Korat RTAFB, 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

A larger Buddhist temple near the base

Inside the temple above on the right. These young boys are serving their one year religious obligation under the tutelage of Buddhist monks

Street artist and his eclectic collection for sale downtown Nakhon Ratchishima

Downtown Nakhon Ratchishima

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

Back on base - a reunion of "River Rats", F-105 pilots who finished their 100 bombing missions on bridges around Haiphong and Hanoi, North Vietnam. Several back for a second tour.

Now for something different - the Thai giant water bug. We GI's knew them as rice bigs because their main habitat were rice paddys.

This image and the two to the right were downloaded from Google

Thai betel nut adict - the betel nut is common through-out South East Asia and some western Pacific island. One of my first impressions of Thailand was walking out of the door of my hootch heading for the latrine to relieve a troubling intestinal discomfort and witnessing one of our Thai house maids dip her hand into a muddy pudlle, come up with a giant water bug and pop it into her betel nut stained mouth.

One of the sights in Nakhon Ratchishima were the food street vendors, a popular enterprise thoughout the country, and their mystery snacks including deep-fried water bugs. I'm sure they were delicious if I could have gotten over my American distaste for eating inssects. Also on the cart in this photo are fried frogs - not just the legs, the entire frog. Burp.

The jungle around Korat

A map showing our Air Force bases in Thailand. From Korat I served temporary duty (TDY) at every one of them except for Don Muang

F-105 on the ramp at Korat

Ronald N. Wall

Modified: 19 May 2018