My experience of bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and support for Restoration Laos
I flew F-4 Phantoms from an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam during two combat tours in 1967 - 1969. This aircraft was designed as a fighter but could also carry up to six Mark 52 500-pound bombs, and was often assigned bombing missions.
Operation Commando Hunt began on 15 November 1968 and continued until 29 March 1972. This was a covert aerial interdiction campaign by the U.S. Seventh Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77. The objective was to prevent the transit of personnel and supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam for the Viet Cong along the logistical corridor known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
I flew a few of these missions into Laos, where we dropped 500-lb bombs to crater the Ho Chi Minh Trail and create landslides to disrupt transport of war supplies to South Vietnam. We would launch from the carrier and fly west, going feet dry north of Hue (south of the DMZ), and then fly across the very northern part of South Vietnam. As I recall, we would then turn north after entering Laos. Our targets on the Ho Chi Minh Trail were mainly in rough terrain. I do not recall seeing any villages or farm fields.
During the war and after, I have been concerned about casualties to the civilian population of Laos due to unexploded bombs. I learned of the work of Restoration Laos when Michael Ambler visited St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Island, Washington. While it is clear that this is a long-term effort, the stories of villages being able to farm again after unexploded bombs were located and destroyed is inspiring. I am proud to support this work.
Ric C.
U.S. Navy Pilot, 1965-1970
Building Bombs in Vietnam
I was in the US Air Force from 1967-1971. In 1967 and 1968 I was stationed at Tuy Hoa air base in Vietnam as a munitions specialist. The base was located on the South China Sea in Phu Yen province. My role was building munitions that were deployed on F100 Sabre jets.The arsenal contained 500 and 750 lb bombs, Napalm and 2.75” rockets.
During the 1968 period some bombings from our base were coded as "Tiger flights." The only tigers we knew were in Laos. So, we deduced that our pilots were flying missions into Laos and that could only be the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The volume of our bomb construction increased considerably during these sorties.
I believe strongly that many of the bombs we dropped in Laos did not explode due to faulty fusing that we knew were not reliable. I support the work of Restoration Laos in clearing unexploded ordnance that the people of Laos still must deal with every day.
Thomas Rist
U.S. Air Force, Vietnam, 1967-68