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They never existed …
PCEC member Mike Cavanaugh
was a Raven Forward Air Controller in Laos in 1969. “They never existed, at
an air base that never was, and fought a war that never happened.”
They never existed at an air base that never was and
fought a war that never happened. These were the “Ravens” that participated
in the secret war in Laos. Their story was told at the March 9 meeting of
the Pattaya City Expats Club by club member Mike Cavanaugh. He mentioned
that, “Our mission was so top secret that we flew without uniforms or
identification of any kind.”
Mike was a Raven Forward Air Controller in Laos in 1969 and is now a retired
U.S. Air Force colonel, having left the air force in 1987. His decorations
include the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star, 28
Air Medals, and the Vietnam Combat Ribbon.
Chairman Pat Koester presents
Mike with a Certificate of Appreciation for one of the most interesting
talks PCEC has had in its long history.
He explained that the Ravens were a group of fighter
pilots known as Forward Air Controllers (FACs) who flew small,
propeller-driven airplanes during the Vietnam War in an effort to disrupt
the North Vietnamese supply lines along a portion of the Ho Chi Minh trail
that ran through Laos. The fighting in Laos involved the North Vietnamese
Army and U.S., Lao, Thai, and South Vietnamese forces directly and
indirectly. The reason the mission of the Ravens was so secret was that the
U.S. had agreed at the 1962 Geneva Conference to keep Laos neutral.
At the time he was accepted, he knew he was volunteering for something; but
did not know what. He turned in his AF Uniform and ID information, was sent
to a base in Laos where they wore civilian clothing and when flying, black
jump suits with no identifying insignia. He even lost his name, being
identified as Raven 48 throughout his time there.
Mike and his family gathered
with Chairman Pat for a group picture following the talk.
When Mike was flying his missions in 1969, near Long
Thien in Laos, there were only eight ravens there at the time. In all, there
were about 150 Ravens. One-third were killed in battle; another third have
since died. Of the 50 or so Ravens still alive, Mike is the only one living
in Southeast Asia. About 35 Ravens attend a reunion that is held each year.
No Raven was ever captured.
Mike said that he was the first one to fly the T-28 aircraft, which the
Ravens used on their missions. The pilots flew very close to the ground.
Mike said that he considered anyone who flew above him to be an astronaut,
and anyone who flew below him to be suicidal. Further, on a typical day, he
would get up before dawn, eat, fly a combat mission at dawn for three hours
in his armed T-28, come back for lunch, fly out again for four hours as a
FAC in the O-1 Bird Dog, come back for a one-hour break, and then fly again
for three more hours - a total of 10 hours of flying in a day. Mike said
that he flew more combat hours in one week than he had done in a month when
he was on tour in Viet Nam. (Mike volunteered for four tours of duty in
Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.)
The Ravens’ mission was so hush-hush that even the U.S. Air Force did not
know of their existence. During one testy conversation Mike had with someone
from the Air Force, the person said, “I am going to talk to your commander”
- to which Mike replied, “Good! Let me know who he is!”
Mike said that the Ravens had to cook for themselves. But they got tired of
this, so when visiting Udon Royal Thai AFB, they “kidnapped” a cook of
Mexican extraction and brought him back to do the cooking which improved
morale and pleased the cook, who enjoyed the lack of military officiousness.
Mike recounted that one morning the cook didn’t feel like making breakfast
for him at the early hour he wanted it prior to his morning mission. So Mike
took him along in the cockpit of his plane when he went on that morning’s
mission bringing back a much shaken individual. The next morning, the cook
woke him with the question “how do you want your eggs?”
The mission of the Ravens was to support indigenous forces in Laos in their
fight against invading forces from North Vietnam. In that context, Mike met
and worked closely with General Vang Pao, the leader of the Hmong forces in
Laos that fought alongside the Royal Lao government against the communist
Pathet Lao in what historians call the Laotian “civil war.” Lasting from
1953 to 1975, it is also known as the “secret war.”
The story of the Ravens was told in a book by Christopher Robbins, “The
Ravens: The Men Who Flew in America’s Secret War in Laos.” The author has
since died, as have five of the eight Ravens profiled in the book. Mike is
one of the remaining three. Mike mentioned that the book is now out of
print.
Mike said he was an unorthodox officer who liked to do things his own way.
He violated all the rules. “There were rules we were supposed to follow, but
no one checked, so in practice there were no rules. It was heaven!”
Wikipedia notes that: “The screening system tended to select experienced
Forward Air Controllers who were the most aggressive available pilots for
directing close air support, as well the least amenable to being restricted
by regulation.” For more of their history, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_Forward_Air_Controllers. Visit the
Raven’s organization website where they officially call themselves the Edgar
Allan Poe Literary Society, Inc. at: http://www. ravens.org. Visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=OEqqB_4vH8E for a video of a T-28 in action
over Laos.
After Mike answered many questions, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg
brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to
conduct the always informative Open Forum where questions are asked and
answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information about the Pattaya City Expats Club’s activities, visit
www.pcecclub.org. (Photos by Urasin Khantaraphan)
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PILC living the Vida Loca at Havana Bar
Stephanie Moorehouse leads PILC
members in an energetic demonstration of Zumba.
Anne Winfield
Aye Caramba! Over 100 ladies from the Pattaya International Ladies Club
crowded into the Holiday Inn’s Havana Bar in early March for the club’s monthly
lunch. The bar, overlooking the beach, put on a wonderful buffet with a Cuban
flavor, and vendors sold jewelry and other items to those present.
President Helle Rantsen welcomed members and guests to the luncheon, and made
some general club announcements about upcoming events of interest, such as a
Charity Concert at Tiffany’s in April, and a Family Fun Bowling Night.
In keeping with the Latin theme, Stephanie Moorehouse, from Steps and Rhythm
Dance Studio, led a group of PILC ladies in a typical Zumba routine, and urged
other members to get up and join in the fun. (For those of you who don’t know,
Zumba is a dance fitness program that incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa,
merengue, mambo and martial arts.) Everyone had a great time dancing and working
up an appetite for lunch.
As usual at PILC events, a raffle was held with some great prizes and over
12,000 baht was raised to help fund the Club’s charitable endeavors.
PILC members enjoying lunch at the
Havana Bar.
The next PILC lunch will be held at the Siam Bay Shore, and
it will have an Easter theme - Helle is bringing back chocolate Easter eggs from
Denmark, and has urged everyone to wear an Easter bonnet to the lunch!
If you would like more information about PILC, please email [email protected]
or go to www.pilc-pattaya.com.
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Lions’ show raises
350,000 baht for charity
Yong Puang Nong, comedians famous
for their live stage shows, have the audience rolling in the isles with
laughter.
Jetsada Homklin
The Lions Club of Pattaya Pratamnak raised 350,000 baht for its various charity
programs with a charity show at the Coliseum Pattaya.
Former MP Poramet Ngampichet and Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome joined Lions
President Nawin Khakhay for the March 7 “Ying Lee & Yong Puang Nong” show at the
cabaret theater.
Ying Lee is a popular country song singer that is very hot right now with a
famous dance song ‘Kho Jai Ther Lak Ber Thor’ (“Your heart for my telephone
number”). Yong Puang Nong are three comedians famous for their funny, live stage
shows.
Ying Lee performs her famous hit,
‘Kho Jai Ther Lak Ber Thor’ (“Your heart for my telephone number”).
Proceeds, after expenses, were donated to the Lions programs
that include annual encyclopedia donations to schools, eye exams for the poor,
educational scholarships, drinking-water for schools, prosthetic legs, flood
relief and more.
Additionally, Lions Pratamnak secretary Somsak Naksin added that anyone needing
an artificial limb or wheelchair, or any disabled person in need of a
scholarship can contact the club by calling 038-428 634, or 081-941 0276.
Ying Lee and her dancers perform
their toe-tapping music for charity.
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Centara Phratamnak brings Venice to Pattaya
Dominique Ronge (left), General Manager of Centara
Grand Phratamnak Resort Pattaya, and Carl Duggan (right), Executive Assistant
Manager - Food and Beverage Centara Grand Pratamnak Resort Pattaya, along with 2
members of their staff dress up for the theme of the “Carnevale Di Venezia”.
Paul Strachan
The canals and gondolas echoed across the grounds of the Centara Grand
Phratamnak as the Pattaya hotel celebrated Carnevale di Venizia.
The Venice-themed evening proved successful. Staff were adorned in Italian-style
dresses and classic Venetian face masks while the Oceana restaurant offered
roses on tables and face masks for each guest.
The elegant atmosphere was enhanced by classical favorites playing in the
background, supplemented by a live performance from Italian tenor Yves Baron le
Tenor, who performed classic and popular songs to kept the evening flowing.
But it was the dishes presented by Venetian Executive Chef Lucca Pulese that
capped the evening. Pulese got a chance to show off some home cooking, offering
up classic and specialty Italian including Venetian chicken soup with pigeon &
cheese, Venetian-style marinated sardines, oysters, Mediterranean black mussels,
Manila clams, Alaskan king crab, razor clams, baked Cod, and pork stew with
apples, potatoes polenta and meat sauce. Appetizers and desserts included salads
to deep fried seafood, foie gras, an assortment of cheeses, and a Thai petit
fours chocolate fountain.
The cost for the dinner was 1,500 baht, which included a glass of Prosecco,
followed by free-flowing red and white wines.
The Centara Grand Phratamnak will be hosting more events. For more information,
see the hotel’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/CentaraGrand.Phratamnak.
(L to R) Irena and Alex from Russian Real Estate
Magazine and Anna from the Tulip Group enjoy the evening fun.
(L to R) Charly Geser and Peter Windgasse enjoy
their wine at a great spot next to the aquarium inside the Oceana Lounge.
Paul Strachan and the lovely ladies getting ready
for their evening meal.
Yves Le Baron, performs for the Carnevale Di Venezia
night at the Centara Grand Phratamnak Resort Pattaya.
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