.... once renewal time comes up next year as it seems we're down to about 5 members checking in lately. Anyway, during this hurricane, I spent some time just digging back through the old posts on this site. Man-o-man, there have been some interesting conversations here over the years. If you ever have time to kill, it can be extremely interesting to dig through some of the posts from years ago. I just wish we'd have been able to transfer over the posts from the original site, but they're gone forever.
Which brings me to one old post I dug up. (copy & paste here)
C.D., I know your dad was in Vientiane from '73 to '74, I was at Ramasun Station, or as it's cover was known, the 7th RRFS (7th Radio Research Field Station), a Mil. Intel. post just South of Udorn, from '72-'75. I spent a lot of time running between there (Non Sung) and Udon Thani (Udorn). I dug up this old post from 2017 and you were going to get with your dad, but I never remember hearing back from you. I apologize if your dad isn't still with us, but I'm curious. (This was posted after you'd informed me of the year you were there and would take the Air America flights to Udorn)
CD, we may have very well crossed paths back in those days. I was based just outside (10 klicks) of Udorn from '72-'75, including a few months just outside of U-Tapao during the Saigon evacuation and the Mayaguez Incident. Whenever I was at Udorn AFB, I'd usually be hanging around the Air America compound. I believe you'd fly in on AA if I remember correctly. I also made a few (illegal, long story ) trips to the Embassy in Vientiane. I hate to ask this, because I should know, is your dad still around? If so, could you ask him if he ever knew Emory Swank? He was the Deputy Chief of Mission in Laos, but that was long before your dad was there. He was the Ambassador to Cambodia, '70-'73 and went by "Coby" to close friends. He was a "rebel" and a no-bullshit kind'a guy. He eventually pissed off the State Department by telling them stuff they did not want to hear. They retaliated by assigning him to some menial desk job someplace in Bumfuck. I have a letter from him, basically thanking me for most likely saving his life (along with a large group of other dignitaries). Our entire unit received a Unit Citation because of it.
I was also awarded a Cambodian Medal and still have the letter Coby sent me. I was given the ribbon, personally, but was to receive the medal at a formal presentation. It never happened and when I inquired about it, my Commander told me, "Son, we were never in Cambodia!" (wink. wink) My military records do NOT show the medal as ever being awarded. Do you recall whether or not you ever asked your dad if he knew Coby? (Note: Coby passed away in 2020, about 6-7 months before I lost my own dad) Also, I had a buddy, one CRAZY MF'ing Green Beret/Mil. Intel dude (Joe Torry) who used to make the occasional run up to Vientiane to pick up "paperwork" ... which very well may have been stashed under the false floor of your dad's "shipping container" in your carport. I have no idea, but we used to pick up paperwork somewhere in Vientiane and also had a few clandestine missions sneaking across the border to replace the batteries in our little repeater stations scattered around the jungle. I assume your dad would have known the names of any spooks who showed up to visit his "Rod & Gun Club Store".
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