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Peace Corp in Laos---1968????


Mt.crewchief
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I was in bed about half asleep and an old conversation I had with a guy quite a few years ago popped into my head and I knew I knew I had to get up and post this because I knew I wouldn't remember it in the morning!!!

I met a guy in my gunshop in the 80's and he and I were talking about Viet Nam stuff and I was telling him about my Blind Bat experiences. He told me that during the time I was there (1968) , he was in the Peace Corps and was in Laos. I asked him what he did there and what it was like living with airplanes going over all night long etc. Also, I know that we never saw lights on the ground from homes/villages etc. If we spotted lights, we called in airstrikes so I guess I assumed nobody sat outside around their fires at night or whatever.!! Anyway he said he was a photographer by trade in those days and that was what he did in the Peace Corps. Of course I called a bull shit on that and accused him of being in or associated with the CIA. I told him about our E&E (escape and evasion) briefings before every flight and there were always updated photographs of the areas we were to be flying that night. They were usually very nice clear pics taken from ground level. Of course these were pics taken by people that weren't there according to the news etc. I also remember flaring for forts that were under attack and listening to English speaking people on the ground directing us etc. We flared until daylight one time and when we landed at Ubon, we ran out of fuel while turning off the runway!!

So, after all of my jabbering, my question is, do you think I am correct assuming there was a little more to his story he wasn't telling me??? I saw him off and on for a few more years until I closed my shop and I always tried to get him to talk more about his Peace Corps stint, but he wouldn't talk about it!! Of course that made me even more suspicious!!!

Have any of you guys ever heard anything like that? Now, I want you to know I am not making any of this stuff up and I am thinking of trying to locate this guy again ( I think he still lives in Montana) and see if he will talk!!!

I want to thank you guys for listening to my lengthy post, but by God when you get to be older (like some of you old farts), CRS may kick in at any moment and a piece of history will be forgotten!!!

Thanks for your time,

Ken

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