These extraordinary Super 8mm home movies from the Vietnam War, come from a member of the “Ravens”. The Raven Forward Air Controllers, also known simply as The Ravens, were fighter pilots used for forward air control in a covert operation in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States in Laos during America’s Vietnam War. The Ravens provided direction for most of the air strikes against communist Pathet Lao targets and People’s Army of Vietnam’s infiltrators in support of the Laotian Hmong guerrilla army.
SCENE #1: (00:00:00) Lao Air Lines taking off from Saravane, Laos.
SCENE #2: (00:23:00) Buddhist temple showing engravings. (00:32:08) In particular, the long engraving shows the erawan (3-headed elephant) in the center. (02:18:00) Also shows gold-engravings on ceiling.
SCENE #3: (04:05:10) Cobra Gunships on runway at Tuy Hoa, Viet-Nam.
SCENE #4: (04:21:10) Vietnamese market with Kim Chi shopping (purple dress).
SCENE #5: ( 04:50:00) Kim Chi with her daughter Mai in Viet-Nam. (Kim Chi was brought to the U.S. by Raven 58 and they were married in Reno, NV, on July 11, 1971. Kim Chi died on April 2, 2012.)
SCENE #6: ??? … (05:10:10) Looking out of helicopter from gunners perch, overlooking Tuy Hoa Valley. … (05:26:10) Meals being prepared for Thanksgiving Dinner for the troops in Tuy Hoa on the front line.
SCENE #7: (05:35:15) Kim Chi with flowers in village. She is wearing the traditional Vietnamese dress.
SCENE #8: (06:00:05) Ho Chi Minh Trail area in Eastern Laos.
SCENE #9: (06:21:15) Kim Chi and Mai walking along street in Tuy Hoa, Viet-Nam.
SCENE #10: (06:21:10) Terraced farming in mountains in Laos.
SCENE #11: (06:37:10) Cobra Gun Ships in Tuy Hoa, Viet-Nam. … (06:46:00) Phu Yen Provin ce Governor’s compound in Tuy Hoa. … (06:50:05) “Raven-58” (Herb 31 in Viet-Nam) throwing hand grenade. … (07:04:10) Kim Chi’s friend and Mai in Tuy Hoa at a botanical garden … (07:09:10) Kim Chi (in blue) and friend in Tuy Hoa.
SCENE #12: (07:22:00) Huy helicopter flying into Tuy Hoa to support the RF/PF (Regional Forces/Popular Forces) for a mission into the jungles outside Tuy Hoa. (07:29:05) RF/PF Forces waiting to go on patrol.
SCENE #13: (08:03:00) Kim Chi and Mai swimming in ocean. … (08:20:10) Kim Chi and Mai visiting her village in Phu Yen Province. The jeep was the “CINCFAC PHU YEN” jeep driven by Herb 31 (Raven 58) to take Kim Chi to see her friends. The territory was semi-enemy. But we were assured that the VC (Viet-Cong) were not in the area. Several times when Kim Chi (Huynh-thi-Mien) visited her village, she had to escape to keep from being captured by the VC. Her sister was captured at one time and tortured for several weeks before escaping.
SCENE #14: (08:35:05) Flying over rice fields near Attapeu, Laos, showing bomb craters. … (08:57:05) Children along canal near Tuy Hoa. They are waiting to share in the Thanksgiving meal being prepared for the American troops. … (09:06:05) Huy flying into Tuy Hoa airstrip to pick up RF/PF forces to take them into the jungle. … (09:23:05) RF/PF soldiers on trail.
SCENE #15: (09:45:00) Kim Chi in Saigon. … (10:08:00) Huy landing at Tuy Hoa. … (10:32:00) Vietnamese Morning Market. Kim Chi, in purple, shopping.
SCENE #16: (10:49:00) Rice paddies at the foot of the Bolavens Plateau where Raven 58’s planed crashed (it can barely be seen at the lower-left). … (11:01:10) Close-up of Raven 58’s O-1 (Bird Dog) airplane that crashed near Attapeu, Laos (1970). … (11:27:10) Airstrike dropping 500# bombs near Attapeu. The white smoke seen initially is from the WP (Willie Peet—White Phosphorous) rocket that is used to mark a target for the fighter jets dropping the bombs.
SCENE #17: (11:58:05) Kim Chi and Mai in Tuy Hoa. … (12:18:00) RF/PF soldiers preparing to go on patrol through the jungle. … (12:44:00) Rice paddies and structures west of Tuy Hoa in the mountains. Bomb craters can be seen from various airstrikes. … (13:11:10) Kim Chi. / Kim Chi and friend. / Kim Chi, friend and Mai along beach at Tuy Hoa. / Kim Chi and Mai walking in Tuy Hoa.
SCENE #18: (14:03:15) Rice paddies in Viet-Nam showing bombing “holes”.
SCENE #19: (14:50:10) Vietnamese workers repairing road near the AIRA compound in Tuy Hoa. They repair the road with one tray of rocks at a time. … (15:10:15) Children in Tuy Hoa. … (15:17:10) Unexploded ordnance captured from VC. The 2 on the right are home-made hand grenades. The short round ordnance is a land mine.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
