Escape from Cambodia: Legendary Air America Pilot Neil Hansen

In April 1975, Phnom Penh Cambodia fell to the communist Khmer Rouge in a continuation of the Second Indochina War. The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh evacuated Americans and others on 12 April. But some Americans, to include CIA operatives, did not get the word of the evacuation. Legendary Air America pilot Neil Hansen, lacking U.S. Embassy connections, was upcountry in Cambodia, and was unaware of the evacuation. In this video, Neil recounts his experience learning of the evacuation after it occurred and plotting his escape piloting the last civilian flight out of Cambodia and into Thailand as the Khmer Rouge was capturing Phnom Penh. Neil began his aviation career as a pilot for the celebrated Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, and then during the Vietnam War spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia flying for Air America, the CIA proprietary airline. Lee Gossett recalls that Neil was the chief Air America pilot when Gossett reported to Saigon in 1966. Shot down over Laos, Neil flew wartime missions in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and finally Cambodia. Neil escaped Cambodia the day this capital city Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. Coincidentally, my friend Les Strouse - former air America and CASI pilot who was one of four pilots to fly the Hmong evacuation from Long Tieng, Laos in 1975 - also piloted one of the last U.S. embassy flights out of Phenom Penh and I will relate some stories from Les during those last, dark days before Cambodia underwent a horror of biblical proportions. This video also contains additional information on the U.S. evacuation on 12 April 1975, to include roles played by veteran Air America pilot Fred Walker and Dr. Charles Weldon.
Key to pics:
4:46: Air America crew in cockpit: l to r Lily Yamamota, CPT Hugh Marsh, Michiko Sugizaki, 12 Sept 1967, SAT 727 N5055
5:10: Fred Walker and other CAT pilots at Dien Bien Phu - l to r Fred Walker, Al Pope, John Anastakes, Doug Price, Pappy Hayes, Red Button, 1954, Dien Bien Phu
11:05: Air America airport counter l to r Thongberm Ruangcharoen (utility man), Surat Somboom (Traffic Agent III), Pim Duangsmosorn (Utility man)
15:16: The Reconnaissance group that scouted out an escape route over 50 miles of mountainous jungle included Advisors Chip Beck (kneeling) and Chuck Bernard (standing with camera) and Tep’s Intel team members. In the center is Governor General King Saumon who later fled the province without notifying the escapees of his intentions. (Photo by Chhun Tep)
‪@CarterOnConflict‬

[@guitrich]

For those of us who were there around that time, this video made me cry.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Sad story indeed, particularly for those of you who lived it. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. God bless.

[@immortaltyger1569]

Dr. Carter - thanks for helping to preserve this little known history, we viewers are in your debt.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you sir for watching and commenting - your support keeps me going. I appreciate you watching my videos.

[@tommcclelland119]

Heck of a great story Paul. Heck of a pilot.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Tom, thank you - I had to pull the video and take out 40 seconds of alleged copyright, and reissue. The rules are so complex it’s not worth adjudicating. I hope you are well!

[@tommcclelland119]

@@CarterOnConflict thanks Paul.

[@leebagdon6922]

Absolutely sobering story Thank you Paul, for putting it all together It would be interesting to know how many of the westerners flying and working in the area at the time, have, or would want to return to Cambodia and Laos and Vietnam Maybe because of their activities, it would not be safe to return Again, thank you

[@CarterOnConflict]

Lee, I always appreciate hearing from you and your channel support. That is quite an interesting question. Now that you mention it…I know (as you do) lots of westerners in those three countries, but no westerners who were in sensitive jobs before. Intriguing!

[@stevewhitton8671]

Hello Dr. Carter..... I thank you so much for this important documentary. I was at Ubon when our F-4's secretly went to Cambodia. I certainly was not aware of the mission, however, I suspected something when they would return within 45 minutes. Did you ever run across a name of Lt. Col Robert Arnau? He was involved with the evacuation of Long Thein. Thanks again for this historical recall

[@CarterOnConflict]

Hi Steve, Paul here, and coincidentally the name Lt. Col. Arnau does ring a bell, but I can’t place it. Can you give me a bit more detail on his role, where he was stationed? You were stationed at Ubon - very interesting, so much went on there but folk tend to write more about NKP and Udorn. I wish I had more Ubon stories, so much occurred there. Thank you for watching and commenting Steve.

[@stevewhitton8671]

@@CarterOnConflict Lt. Col Robert Arnau lived in Riverside, Ca. Back in the early 200's when I was researching the 6-Feb-67 loss out of NKP, Mr. Arnau helped me make connections. He sent me pictures that he took while he was evacuating people from Long Thein. Those pictures were incredible. I lost them from another laptop that is long gone. I forgot to save them in my research folder. Mr. Arnau passed away in 2015 which by coincidence was the last time that I had emailed him

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@stevewhitton8671 I ached when I read this, as I have lost pics the same way. Ugh. Were you researching the evac for a particular purpose, an aircraft and pilot loss in Feb 1967? Sorry to hear that..it has happened to me. Lesson learned.

[@stevewhitton8671]

@@CarterOnConflict Hi Dr. Carter. I'd like to send you my work that I did on the 6-Feb-67 loss.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@stevewhitton8671 I’d love to see it Steve. Email me at [e-mail] thank you

[@GeorgeMcMillanIII]

Hansen's story at the end was riveting. It reminded me of when we evacuated Kabul in August of 2021 when we left the Afghan National Army Guards at the Embassy. They couldn't return to their homes because the Sunni Pashtun Taliban had already moved into the outskirts of the city in the days prior. I just know the LNs that I worked with for years and left behind were going to get slaughtered right after we all left.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@GeorgeMcMillanIII wow George - poignant story there. What a tragedy, Thank you for sharing with us.

[@GeorgeMcMillanIII]

@@CarterOnConflict And I posted the website of the old airfield map again. Most of the airfields in SE Asia would have been dirt runways. https: //blogs.loc.gov/maps/files/2019/08/SE-Asia-Mapblog.jpg