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) O-1 flying over target area … marking target … (00:57:00) O-1’s flying formation … Area appears to be in Southern Laos. (02:25:00) Unknown town
SCENE #2: (02:42:00) O-1, Raven 58 getting out of O-1, @ PS-38 on Bolavens Plateau.
SCENE #3: (03:10:10) BLANK
SCENE #4: (03:39:05) Kim Chi walking beside Guard Tower
SCENE #5: (03:56:10) BLANK
SCENE #6: (04:30:00) Navy Ships, apparently along Viet-Nam coast line. Much is faded out.
SCENE # 7: (04:54:05) Ho Chi Minh Trail shown interdiction points that have been heavily bombed.
SCENE #8: (05:01:10) Flying over target area … (05:22:00) Target marked with WP (Willie Pete, White Phosphorous)
SCENE #9: (05:37:10) Difficult to see, but … herd of elephants in Viet-Nam
SCENE #10: (06:13:00) BLANK … However … if the film can be lightened, an O-1 marking a target may be seen
SCENE #11: (07:27:15) Marking target for airstrike in Laos on Bolavens Plateau … (08:09:10) 500# bomb blast … (08:33:15) CBU (light-flashes) dropped by T-28’s … (09:08:05) 500# bomb blast
SCENE #12: (09:25:10) O-1 landing at unknown airfield
SCENE #13: (09:35:00) Unknown Army Outpost, probably in Viet-Nam
SCENE #14: (10:06:10) Bombing target at foot of Eastern edge of Bolavens Plateau
SCENE #15: (12:19:00) Crew chief securing WP rockets on O-1, and O-1 being parked at Tuy Hoa airfield
SCENE #16: (12:56:10) Helicopters and various aircraft landing at airfield in Laos
SCENE #17: (14:00:10) Villages and rice paddies in Laos
SCENE #18: (14:21:15) Unknown areas in Viet-Nam
SCENE #19: (13:55:00) O-1 landing at Tuy Hoa Air Base, showing a variety of aircraft on airfield
SCENE #20: (15:59:15) Riding down street in Tuy Hoa, Viet-Nam, shown shops and pedestrians, cars and motorcycles, etc.
SCENE #21: (17:05:00) Viet-Nam, near Bien Hoa, Saigon, showing Vietnamese homes protected by barbed wire, and then going onto Army compound, and then driving back to town
SCENE #22: (17:58:05) Kim Chi at Tuy Hoa airfield
SCENE #23: (18:33:05) Target burning in Viet-Nam
SCENE #24: (19:07:00) Herb 31 (Raven 58) in Viet-Nam, unknown location
SCENE #25: (19:44:10) Shops along road in Viet-Nam … showing many Buddhist artifacts for sale … (20:29:10) Stopping at Ben Jewelry
SCENE #26: (21:18:00) BLANK
SCENE #27: (22:12:05) Army Helicopters, unknown location
SCENE #28: (22:28:00) Activity in Tuy Hoa, including a wrecked truck, monks walking along street, gold shop, cows eating in field, water buffalo in water, Phu Yen Province American Army Advisory Team Headquarters, etc.
SCENE #29: (24:53:05) Aerial view of town
SCENE #30: (25:19:00) Preparing bunker at military compound in Viet-Nam
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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
