Chronology of information from “Tactical Airlift”, FOIA Case 07-0477: AFHRA document, and “Routes To and From Southeast Asia Go Through Vietnam”
Page 408: The chapter “Auxiliary Roles” identifies 1962 as the beginning of the use of four C-123s at Don Muang to fly round robin to Takhli, Korat, Chiang Mai, Ubon, Udorn, and NKP. This coincides with “The Bangkok Shuttle” article found on the Airlift USA veteran’s website.
Page 409: The chapter “Auxiliary Roles” identifies that by September 1965 the C-123 detachment had grown to six aircraft, but were then replaced in early 1966 by C-130s which were stationed at same bases as the C-123s had been stationed previously. This page actually mentions the Bangkok shuttle at the bottom of the page.
Page 383: The chapter “Auxiliary Roles” identifies 1966 as the year the Military Airlift Command began transporting cargo and passengers. It says that by 1968, MAC military and contract transports were carrying 150,000 passengers and 45,000 tons of cargo monthly to SEA. It also says that MAC transports to Vietnam at first landed only at Tan Son Nhut, making it necessary to transship to other bases in Vietnam using the Common Service Airlift System. As new airfields opened it became possible to land at Da Nang and Cam Ranh Bay, and later at Pleiku, Bien Hoa, and Phu Cat.
Continuing in the chapter it also says the following:
-That in 1966 interisland use of MAC transports in the Western Pacific did not cause an overlap in services. (Interisland in this case included the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, Japan, Guam and Hawaii) -That in 1966 contract transports took over airlifts from Vietnam for R&R. -That in 1968 the Deputy Secretary of Defense ordered the use of C-130s over water discontinued. -That in 1970 – 1971, the C-5A at first could only land at Cam Ranh Bay, but later could load at Tan Son Nhut and other bases.
So, when examined, there is correlation between the routes in “The Route to and from SEA…” and the AFHRA documents. Specifically, Chart II-2, Chart V-16, Chart V-17, and Map II-8 coincide with the routes and mileage charts in my document, especially “The Northern Route”, “The Jet Stream Route”, “The Southern Jet Stream Route”, and the “Commercial Route”. These same charts and tables also show the routes described in the Tactical Airlift History. Also, the termination of routes does relate to some other pages in the Air Force History document, and coincides with the closure of Air Force bases in Vietnam and Thailand.
Page 495: The chapter “Campaigns of 1969-1971, Cambodia and the Panhandle” describes the fact that there were one hundred C-130 flights every six months between Bangkok and Saigon.
Page 410: The chapter “Auxiliary Roles” identifies that in 1970, the C-130s moved to U-Tapao. In late 1971, the daily round robin to all Thai bases was flown from Tan Son Nhut. In late April 1973, the U-Tapao C-130 contingent took over mission responsibilities for Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam flights of C-130s. This coincides with the AFHRA information on Chart V-17 (C-141).
Page 564 -565: The chapter “The Eastern Offensive -The Countrywide Response” describes the use of C-130s from Clark for tasked missions within Thailand from U-Tapao and intro of C-141s with in and out to Tan Son Nhut and then to out of country bases in April 1972. Please pay special attention to the charts from AFHRA, particularly Charts V-16 and V-17 (C-141).
Page 605: The chapter “Return to Cold War in Southeast Asia” details the continuation of C-130 flights after the cease fire and briefly having more C-130s stationed at NKP to move troops out of Viet Nam into Thailand in the early summer of 1972.
Page 606: The chapter “Return to Cold War in Southeast Asia” continues to detail the 1972 move of the 374th TFW Detachment from Tan Son Nhut to NKP and the reintroduction of C-141s from Clark in and out of Vietnam, flying into Tan Son Nhut, and then flying to Da Nang, Nha Trang and back to Ton Son Nhut before returning to Clark. This again is reflected in the AFHRA Charts, Maps, and Tables.
This information is for use with the following documents in support of a claim that a Veteran transited Vietnam enroute to Thailand:
“Supplemental Statement of Claim of Kurt Priessman, dated March 22, 2007”; “Tactical Airlift” by Ray L. Bowers, dated 1983 with comments; “The Route To and From Southeast Asia Goes through Vietnam” dated July 24, 2007; “AFHRA Response to Mrs. Susan Belanger‘s Request 26104 dated October 7, 2003”; “Lt Col Ewing’s Letter dated November 11, 2003”; “Major Copner’s Letter dated November 12, 2003”; “The Bangkok Shuttle” from the Airlift USA website.