Vegetation Control and other uses. of Herbicides and Toxic Chemicals at. Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base to Information Compiled by:

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1 Vegetation Control and oer uses of Herbicides and Toxic Chemicals at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base 1967 to 1972 Information Compiled by: Larry Westin Vee Street Tehachapi, California U.S.A Telephone (661) May 23, 2011 Updated April 22, 2013 Updated my contact info February 24, 2014

2 Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base May 23, Updated February 24, 2014 Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (Korat RTAFB) perimeter location in relation to work, living, physical exercise and recreational areas in e 1967 to 1972 time period. Solid red lines on Maps 1 & 2 show e U.S. Army defined herbicide spray drift areas. Map from e Department of e Air Force, Master Plan, Base Plan, Korat Air Base, Master Planning Directive 65-11, dated 1 Jan Primary unit at Korat RTAFB was e 388 Tactical Fighter Wing (388 TFW). Those assigned to e 553 Reconnaissance Wing received oers to report to e 388 Combat Support Group. Upon arrival at Korat RTAFB e individual was en assigned to e 553 Reconnaissance Wing. 2 Per e official 388 TFW histories, it is e 388 TFW, as e primary unit, who received, and acted upon directives from e USAF to perform vegetation control. Vegetation control was necessary to prevent insurgents from infiltrating and possibly killing USAF personnel, and/or from damaging USAF assets. 3 Attacks did occur at Ubon, Udorn and U-Tapao Air Bases in Thailand in is period. See e Project CHECO Soueast Asia Report Base Defense in Thailand, dated 18 February 1973, now declassified. The reat was real. 4 The 553 Reconnaissance Wing performed its mission 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, from October 1967 to December After e 553 Reconnaissance wing inactivated, ose assigned to e 553 Reconnaissance Wing were reassigned to e 388 TFW, while continuing work in e same physical areas as ey did while e 553 Reconnaissance Wing was active. 5 Headquarters, Department of e Army, U.S. Army manual FM 3-3, titled Tactical Employment of Herbicides, dated December 1971, page 5-5, paragraph d, lower right corner of e page, indicates herbicide spray used on e ground can drift for 500 meters from e intended spray area. 6 The Veterans Administration homepage, URL States e herbicides were used at USAF Air Base facilities in Thailand, including Korat RTAFB. 7 The operations area used by e 553 Reconnaissance Wing was e nor east section of Korat RTAFB. Approximately 40% of e ramp lies wiin e 500 meter spray drift area from e perimeter. When e USAF first arrived at Korat RTAFB e middle section of e base was used for e fighter apron. Later when e Connie s were sent to Korat, an additional operational apron was built in e part of e remaining open space of Korat RTAFB near e nor east perimeter of e base. See Map 1.

Map from e Department of e Air Force, Master Plan, Base Plan, Korat Air Base, Master Planning Directive 65-11, dated 1 Jan 73. 1 Primary unit at Korat RTAFB was e 388 Tactical Fighter Wing (388 TFW).

3 8 553 Recon Wing personnel were in at apron area at all times of e day, 365 days a year. Maintenance personnel, 553 Electronic Maintenance Squadron - EMS, (later Avionics Maintenance - AMS), Field Maintenance Squadron - FMS and Organizational Maintenance Squadron - OMS, worked ese areas 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. See Map 1 and Photo Image 7. 9 Flight crews spent 3 to 4 hours on e apron prior to each mission. It was too hot inside e airplane (camouflage paint soaks up e heat), so air crews always stood or sat on e ramp. Missions take off times occurred around e clock. Air crews arrived at e airplane e 3 to 4 hours before take off time in case an airborne aircraft aborted. See Map 1 and Photo Image Oer units also used e 553 Reconnaissance Wing apron and work areas; specifically e College Eye Task Force EC-121D and EC-121T Warning Stars, e 193 Tactical Warfare Squadron Pennsylvania Air National Gua EC-121S Super Constellation. Some services used by e 553 Reconnaissance Wing were provided by e 388 TFW. Oer tenant units sometimes used e 553 Reconnaissance Wing apron and work areas. The aircraft, e ground and air crews, may have worked on any part of e 553 Reconnaissance Wing apron. 11 Living quarters were very close to e perimeter, some as near as 11 meters, or 35 feet. See Map 2. NOTE ese hootch type living quarters were not barracks. The hootches did NOT have glass windows, were NOT air conditioned, wi e window openings covered only wi screens. Screens will not stop spray from entering e hootch. See photo pages, image The area used for physical training was very close to e perimeter, about 35 meters, or 90 feet from e perimeter. See Map The softball field used for recreation by all assigned to Korat RTAFB was about 125 feet from e perimeter. Map Those who went into e town of Korat (Nakorn Ratchasima), or oer Thai cities, traveled by perimeter road bo going to town and returning to base. See Map From time to time ground and air crew members of e 553 Reconnaissance Wing were verbally assigned e responsibility to gua e perimeter area. Written oers were not created for is assignment. See photo pages, image Photos indicate some type of toxic chemical(s) were in use near e 553 EMS squadron shops. Note e ditch and drums of photo 2. That ditch was always full of brownish black liquid which really smelled bad. No vegetation existed near ese drums. See photo page, image 2, lower right corner. Oer drums of unknown substance were stored near e 553 Reconnaissance Wing Apron. See photo pages, images 3 & 4. If e drums in eier area contained toxic chemicals, en e entire 553 Reconnaissance Wing area was subject to toxic chemicals.

24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. See Map 1 and Photo Image 7. 9 Flight crews spent 3 to 4 hours on e apron prior to each mission.

6 Photo Pages - Images of Korat RTAFB Photo Image 1 at left shows an unknown TSgt. Instructor on e left side of e photo giving Airmen Ed Hodemaker (center working e M60 machine gun) weapons instruction, while airman on right Ken Weeks observes. Airmen from e 553 Reconnaissance Wing were given minimal training wi automatic weapons, en verbally oered on a 10 day assignment as an augmentee perimeter gua at Korat RTAFB. No written oers were provided, e oers were verbal only. Photo Image 1 - Weapons Training Hootch type living quarters as shown on Photo Image 2 to e right, were located near e perimeter. The hootches did not have glass in e windows, e windows were covered only by screens. Baing facilities were not inside e hootch, raer a central outside area between groups of Photo Image 2 - Open air hootches wi central latrine hootches had a single lavatory/baing area.

Airmen from e 553 Reconnaissance Wing were given minimal training wi automatic weapons, en verbally oered on a 10 day assignment as an augmentee perimeter gua at Korat RTAFB.

7 Photo Image 3 at e right shows e area near e Electronic Maintenance Squadron work shops. Note e barrels on e right side of e image, en look carefully at e ground under e barrels. No vegetation grew near ose drums (barrels), wi e ditch containing brownish black liquid which really smelled bad. Photo Image 3 - Toxic Chemical drums (barrels) near EMS Shops Photo Image 4 at left shows stock piles of drums (barrels) immediatel y behind e 553 Reconnaiss ance Wing EC-121 operational apron. Photo Image 4 - Barrel Storage next to e 553 operational apron

No vegetation grew near ose drums (barrels), wi e ditch containing brownish black liquid which really smelled bad.

8 Photo Image 5 at left is Korat RTAFB late 1967 showing e proximity of living quarters hootches on e left, to e base perimeter fence on e right. Hootches were open in at ere was no glass in e windows, only a screen. Photo Image 5 - Proximity of hootch on left to perimeter fence on right Photo Image 6 at right is anoer view of e Korat RTAFB perimeter fence on e left of e image, wi e living quarters open hootches on e right of e image. Sand bag revetments between e perimeter and e hootches built to provide protection in case of enemy attack. Photo Image 6 - Perimeter fence left, Hootches on right

Photo Image 5 - Proximity of hootch on left to perimeter fence on right Photo Image 6 at right is anoer view of e Korat RTAFB perimeter fence on e

9 Photo Image 7 - EC-121R showing perimeter road in back Photo Image 7 above shows a Lockheed EC-121R on e ramp wi e perimeter road behind. On e left side of e center vertical stabilizer on e horizontal stabilizer is an airmen from e 553 Avionics Maintenance Squadron. On e right side of e center vertical stabilizer is Clyde Jelinek an airmen flight crew member. Maintenance technicians from e AMS, EMS, FMS and OMS squadrons worked on e EC-121R aircraft parked on e apron ramp as shown here, often for an entire work day (8 to 10 hours each day). Most of e time service occurred from e apron ramp, below, or in e airplane. Regaless if e work occurred below, in or on top of e airplane, e technicians worked very near e perimeter for long hours each day. It is difficult to visualize e proximity of e aircraft to e perimeter from a ground based apron ramp photographic view. This photographic view from e top of one of e airplanes clearly shows e proximity of e airplane to e perimeter. Air crews were required to stand by e airplane on e apron ramp a minimum of 3 to 4 hours for each mission flown, plus anoer hour after returning from a mission to secure e airplane and classified equipment and weapons.

On e right side of e center vertical stabilizer is Clyde Jelinek an airmen flight crew member.

Veteran Exposure to Herbicides and Toxic Chemicals used at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base during the Vietnam era 1967 to 1972

Veteran Exposure to Herbicides and Toxic Chemicals used at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base during the Vietnam era 1967 to 1972 Information Compiled by: Larry Westin 21721 Verde Street Tehachapi, California