More Memory Joggers From Ben Shuppert
-=-=-*'*-=-=-
These shots show much of Takhli as seen from the air. It was compact in size, but with a very big mission. Its small size made for much closer relations between everyone, officers and airmen alike. That was for the better, because most of us were in each others' faces 12 and often more hours a day - and at the height of the war effort - 7 days a week.|
|
|
|
A little more water, this time in front of Bldg 600 (also known as 100 depending on the time frame. This was used as the HQ for the wing and housed many other things over time, including the clinic, mail room, bank, and enlisted dining facility. |
Aerial shot of the south end of the runway, looking southwest. The KC-135 tanker parking ramp can be seen as well as the runway and the plains of central Thailand beyond. Ben took this from the rescue helicopter. |
 |
 |
|
This was taken from the communications site on the top of Takhli Hill. Here the entire base can be seen as the white streak across the center. The light areas in front of that are flooded rice paddys. And surrounding the base, the central Thai plains stretch to the horizon and the town of Chianat. |
Takhli's runway ran directly north and south. Here is an F-105 before camo paint taking off towards the south. Takhli's runway was nice and flat, the one at Korat Royal Thai Airbase had a mild dip in the center. KC-135 tanker parking area visible as above. |
 |
 |
|
Ben also captured some of the local sights from the helicopter. Here is a view of a temple compound. From the left is a school, the "sala" or meeting hall, and the temple itself. |
Much of the first construction period of the base fell during Ben's tour. Here we can see the simplicity of the hootch style buildings. This is most likely one of the squadron headquarters buildings under construction. The tails of F-105s parked on the ramp and blast shields can be seen directly behind the building. |
