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) Armadillo caught at AERA house.
SCENE #2: (01:09:11) Crew chief and Ravens at river near Pakse. Washing clothes and children taking a bath in the river. Fenced-off area is for gardens.
SCENE #3: (02:37:00) Moon Bear cub caught in village near Pakse.
SCENE #4: (03:48:10) Crew chief driving jeep and bringing his Lao friends. He stayed in Laos after 1975 and married the Laotian. He’s headed to the firing range. … ( 04:43:00) Firing range used by the Ravens and crew. The children pick up the casings after being fired to sell. … (05:29:00) Raven 58 firing CAR-15 (a sawed-off M-16). … (06:49:10) Returning back across the river to go home after the firing range.
SCENE #5: (08:02:05) A Raven feeding monkeys.
SCENE #6: (09:06:10) Lao pilot getting ready for T-28 mission at Pakse, Laos. Ordnance is HE rockets (High-Explosive). Sometimes a Raven FAC (Forward Air Controller) would also carry HE rockets instead of WP marking rockets (White Phosphorous), but would have to expend them before returning. Ravens did not land with hot HE rocket ordnance. … (11:01:10) O-1 with 2 WP and 2 HE rockets on each wing.
SCENE # 7: (11:24:10) Laotian military party attended by the Ravens. Other Americans are from USAID. … (14:02:10) Laotian military parade in street at Pakse.
SCENE #8: (14:48:10) O-1 flying over. … (15:07:05) Back to the party! Lao Col. Kuong at the microphone. Two T-28 pilots to his left and right, one in uniform, the other on the drum.
SCENE #9: (16:13:00) Laotian families being given rice by Lao Army.
SCENE #10: (17:49:10) Military compound on Bolavens Plateau in preparation for visit by Ambassador Godley … (18:17:15) Lao villagers and Lao Army lining up to greet Ambassador Godley (1970). … (18:51:10) Dignitaries and families arriving in Pakse. The Army col. is the Army Attaché. The “civilian” to his left is the AOC (Air Operations Center) commander, an Army major. Others are from USAID and their families.
SCENE #11: (19:55:10) Market in Viet-Nam selling American products obtained on the Black Market. Often items would be found first in the Vietnamese markets before they were available to the American soldiers.
SCENE #12: (21:05:05) Bridge south of Tuy Hoa connecting the town of Tuy Hoa to the American Tuy Hoa Airbase.
SCENE #13: (21:12:10) Movie intro for General Phasouk. A feature-length film has been prepared and is on a separate reel.
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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
