Random thought for the day

[Gwolf]

Spent a year in Thailand in 1966-67, in the US Coast Guard, building and operating a Loran C navigation station. The cook's Thai helper was just "Sam". Great guy and our morale booster.

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Thailand is a great place. Nice weather and friendly people. We had several detachment units in Thailand. One at Utapao Air Base was right on the Gulf of Thailand. Had beaches on the base. We re-supplied all the Thai Air Bases which had any US Airforce operations. Also picked up fresh vegetables and fruit for the smaller firebases in Vietnam during the war. After we were pulled out of Saigon in 1972 the unit operating there moved to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base up near the Mekong River on the Laotian border.

 

[Snoking1127]

Thailand is a great place. Nice weather and friendly people. We had several detachment units in Thailand. One at Utapao Air Base was right on the Gulf of Thailand. Had beaches on the base. We re-supplied all the Thai Air Bases which had any US Airforce operations. Also picked up fresh vegetables and fruit for the smaller firebases in Vietnam during the war. After we were pulled out of Saigon in 1972 the unit operating there moved to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base up near the Mekong River on the Laotian border.

The USCG Loran C station was 4 off the end of the Utapao AB and 4 miles to the side. The B52s rattle our buildings every morning once they got operational. Picture is from top of 625' loran tower look over at UP, taken in September 1966. Sattahip area was just getting started with the build up when I arrived 2nd July 66.

 

[Gwolf]

The USCG Loran C station was 4 off the end of the Utapao AB and 4 miles to the side. The B52s rattle our buildings every morning. Picture is from top of 625' loran tower look over at UP.
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Yeah, I know all about how it sounds when 40 or 50 Buffs take off in formation. On our side the base it was known as the aluminum overcast.

 

[Snoking1127]

The USCG Loran C station was 4 off the end of the Utapao AB and 4 miles to the side. The B52s rattle our buildings every morning once they got operational. Picture is from top of 625' loran tower look over at UP, taken in September 1966. Sattahip area was just getting started with the build up when I arrived 2nd July 66.
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Pictures of crew. Electronic tech and chief ET, XO and CO in top picture. I was on loran watch at the time and my lid was back in the barracks. Guy on my right and I are the only to remain alive in the top photo.

 

[Cobranut]

Thanks for your service, guys.

 

[canamjhb]

Spent a year in Thailand in 1966-67, in the US Coast Guard, building and operating a Loran C navigation station. The cook's Thai helper was just "Sam". Great guy and our morale booster.

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I hadn't thought about Loran navigation for years. I had Loran on a couple of my boats way back in the late 70s or early 80s. Also had it on a commercial fishing boat that I skippered, I believe, in 1975. Remembering it wasn't near as user friendly as todays GPS.

 

[Snoking1127]

I hadn't thought about Loran navigation for years. I had Loran on a couple of my boats way back in the late 70s or early 80s. Also had it on a commercial fishing boat that I skippered, I believe, in 1975. Remembering it wasn't near as user friendly as todays GPS.

Loran bombs were not as accurate as the missiles flown through windows via GPS in the Middle East. However it's repeatably in taking recon photos along the Ho chi Minh trail was really good for the day.