Two Deadliest Places - Laos Secret War (Trailer)

During the Secret War in Laos, two locations were known as the deadliest - Tchepone/Xepon and Ban Ban (Muang Kham valley). This video explains why, and features U.S. Air Force pilot (ret.) John Fuller, Raven 28, and U.S. Air Force pilot (ret.) Jon Goldenbaum, an A-1 Skyraider pilot flying out of Nakhon Phanom Thailand. They document the locations’ dangers. This video features scenes from inside Laos and clips from SEAL Team One, Hmong Dancers, Air America and Civil Air Transport (CAT) airlines, Bernard Fall, North Vietnamese communist soldiers (Viet Minh), the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Laos Adventure Tours Chris Corbett, and others.
CAT pilots at 2:37. Caption reads: The first CAT planes, three C-47’s, were ferried from Manila to Shanghai on January 26, 1947. The pilots, still in military uniform, were Stu Dew, Weldon Bigony, Var Green, Paul Holden, Lew Burridge, and Bill Hobbs (not in photograph), who are shown giving their documents to Colonel Dick Wise. (CAT Bulletin Vol 9-10, October, 1956)
Air Drop at 3:40 was during the Second Indochina War
A1 pilots at 7:53 (left to right) Roger Youngblood, Jon Goldenbaum, Clif Groves, and John Roulston.
The best option for exploring Laos is through Chris Corbett at Laos Adventure Tours. I make the recommendation because that is who I use, he is the best. He knows Laos like no other Westerner alive. He can take you on moto cy tours, car tours, or you can rent either from him. His website is: www.laoadvtour...
You can also learn more on the Secret War in Laos from Dr. Carter's video "What was the Secret War in Laos?" • What was the Secret Wa... .
John Horan, gracious financial benefactor and supporter to memorializing Lao War veterans, sponsor of the The Lao-Hmong Memorial in Colorado, says: "I've seen and read a lot on the U.S. Secret War and your video is the most complete and concise review of all." The United States Air Force Museum at Dayton Ohio says this video is the most accurate and complete account of the Laos Secret War.
Another set of pilots, the clandestine U.S. Air Force Ravens, flew in Laos with one of the highest casualty rates of the entire Indochina War. You can see videos on them Ravens I: Mission and Men • The Ravens Part I: Mis... and Ravens II: Their Stories • Ravens Part II: Their ... . You can also learn more on the Secret War in Laos from Dr. Carter's video "What was the Secret War in Laos?" • What was the Secret Wa... .
‪@CarterOnConflict‬

[@crispusattucks4007]

Fantastic video. Looking forward to the next installment in this series. The "war litter" is a tragic reminder that the legacies of war endure with UXO long after the fighting has stopped.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thank you Crispus! Keep the Revolution alive.

[@chuelee9783]

Dr Paul T Carter and Mr. John Fuller. My father was with one of you guys as a "back seater" on the "Bird Dog" planes. He worked with the Ravens and I am unable to find anyone that worked with him during the '69 to '71 time frame. Unfortunately, his plane was hit and was killed. His American pilot was able to fly back to the air base Long Cheng where he died on the airfield. I would love to meet that pilot if he is still alive or someone that new that pilot and my father. I would love to interview him or another that worked during that time. It's a closure I and my family needed. Thank you.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Dear Chuelee, email me at [e-mail]. I am good friends with several of the Ravens, and I will put this out to them. Maybe we can get some closure. Thank you for your note.

[@WilliamSWhorton]

I am a Vietnam veteran and a student of our Indochina war. As veteran and student I have the greatest respect for Paul. He is a marvelous historian because he is addicted to searching for facts and reality. Thank you Paul and SEMPER FI from an old MARINE!

[@CarterOnConflict]

A great Marine too - thank you so much sir for the great work you are STILL doing for mankind with your Japanese translations and other important work. See you soon Bill.

[@zeke1667]

Excellent video! My father was a medic at the 85th Evac. in Phu Bai '70-'71 & worked on many U.S. Airmen shot down over Laos during Lam Son 719.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Zeke, thank you sir! I always enjoy hearing from vets or those close to them, sharing experiences. I appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@asiane]

Wow! You've aged well ... to have gone through all these. Thank you for all the videos.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@asiane well thank you, ha ha, I appreciate that. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@simonfrancisluttrell5818]

Right at the start of your introduction, the caption highlights the Thai Studies course at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. I studied that course around 2008 and now live in north Laos :)

[@CarterOnConflict]

Simon, you live in Luang Prabang? Please email me at [e-mail] I live in Chiang Mai after having lived in Bkk for 8 or so years. What a small world!

[@GeorgeMcMillanIII]

I rode back and forth from Savankhet to Donsavan and back to check out the Xepon area after I saw your video on Westmoreland's "El Paso Plan" which was based on holding the Xepon chokepoint between the mountains. I wish I could have crossed into Vietnam because Khe Sanh is just on the other side of the border. I worked with a retired Marine in Kabul that was in the famous battle of Khe Sanh as a 19 year old. He ended up going back and forth in Iraq and Afghanistan as a PMC tactical instructor. He is a great guy.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@GeorgeMcMillanIII that is beautiful country George, around the Xepon area. How nice you got to ride it. Not as much fun as Kabul! (Just kidding :-)

[@longshotny]

Respect to sacrifice all our brave men (& women) of millatary, press, and support of 🇺🇸 armed forces! Thank you! & Dr. another fabulous documentary!🔥

[@CarterOnConflict]

I always appreciate your comments, and am thrilled to see you watched and commented on this one. Such comments from informed people such as yourself is why I do this. Thank you.

[@GeorgeMcMillanIII]

Good video, I want to stay in the Phonsavan area for a few weeks on my next motorcycle trip. Your videos are great for my route planning.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@GeorgeMcMillanIII good George! Phonsavan is a great place to base and ride in the different directions from there. Keep us posted!

[@carverbob54]

Excellent teaser with great recent footage; well done. Waiting expectantly for the next instalments.

[@CarterOnConflict]

I always appreciate your comments and viewing Bob. Thank you.

[@johnappleby405]

Thank you for another informative video Dr. Carter. I think I saw you and the group of Vietnam veterans at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum when I visited Bangkok between 6 and 10 November. I look forward to your next piece!

[@CarterOnConflict]

John, what a small world, and what an honor for me that we ran into each other and now we meet again. I live in Chiang Mai and visit the states once per year (if you are American :-) so hopefully our paths will cross. Feel free to write me at [e-mail]. Thank you so much for watching and writing.

[@leebagdon6922]

Thank you for the excellent video Lots of research involved in production of the video I'm looking forward to Ravens II

[@CarterOnConflict]

Dear Lee, always good to hear from you. Thanks for your comment - and of course watching.

[@jamessouk1682]

Good to see your video in Laos

[@CarterOnConflict]

James, thank you very much. I appreciate you watching and posting.

[@Phomloj1991]

Xiengkhouang plain of jar. The battle field shift back and forth switching hand mutiple from Pathet Laos troop, back up by north vietnam troop against the Royal Laos Army and Hmong SGU forces

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@Phomloj1991 thank you again for watching and posting.

[@jurgschupbach3059]

Don Duvall disagrees with your last words

[@CarterOnConflict]

Well thank you for watching, and posting.

[@Mede773]

Colonel James William Lair of the United States, the founder of the Thai Paratroopers at that time. 💞🙏

[@rosesprog1722]

Hey, I was just reading about that horrible secret bombing war yesterday, sometimes it's hard to believe what the people at the top (LBJ, Nixon, Kissinger...) are willing to do for political gain or whatever their reasons may be. As you know, more bombs were dropped on that little country than were dropped on Germany and Japan combined during WW2, that's insane! And when the Americans left and told the Hmong they would come back but never did, and the Hmong waited, waited... I think I cried a little when I heard about that for the first time. Clearly, superpowers, all of them, act as if laws and human decency were mandatory for everyone, but not for them, like the first thing France did after liberation from the Nazi occupier is to go right back to occupy French Indochina... go figure, nations and their liars... I MEAN leaders, ahem, don't think like us, that's for sure. And Cambodia... oh dear. Okay, enough, I'll go watch your video tonight, thanks.

[@CarterOnConflict]

You have said it well. The leaders - our leaders - really made the wrong decisions and for the wrong reasons. Nothing but a tragedy. Fortunately many guys on the ground go back and assist the Hmong today (I'm part of an organization that does that), but we just destroyed that country back at that time. And of course, many sins upon the North Vietnamese. The US actually left Laos in 1962 after the Geneva Agreement, but the Vietnamese kept 7-9,000 combat troops there. They were determined upon Laos hegemony. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@maxcorder2211]

@@CarterOnConflictAnd are still making those same decisions. Iraq, Afghanistan, the incredible withdrawal from Afghanistan. Never-ending funding for Ukraine with no plan other than to fight to the last Ukrainian. Makes you wonder what they will blunder into next.

[@donaldplagge9675]

Our RC-47s did not fly straight and level near Tchepone in 68 and 69!, we knew we were over some bad territory. I do not believe we were shot at when I was on the flights, we were looking out the windows and worried.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Man, I can’t imagine how harrowing those flights were. Whew. What duty - if I may ask - did you perform on those birds? I’m showing my ignorance, but these are recon birds, yes? Where were you stationed? Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@donaldplagge9675]

@@CarterOnConflict My main duty was a ground mechanic (a crew chief), but there was a shortage of flight mechanics summer and fall of '69, so orders were typed up by someone above me, and a few of us became flight mechanics as additional duty. Myself and the other "instant" flight mechanics were not on either of the two nightly radio missions, just daytime transport and ferry missions, moving planes around. Late summer of '69, our group was tasked to ferry 9 C-47 from Saigon to Bangkok. One crew flew one of our planes, with the other 3 crews in the back. The Vietnamese were given C-123s to replace the 9 C-47s going to the Thai military. As it turned out, the 9th aircraft could not be found in Vietnam, so the Thais received 8, badly used C-47s. The Thais would not permit Vietnamese aircraft to land in Thailand, so we flew from Saigon to Don Muang with just a tail number showing, all other markings were painted over. Those flights were South over the Delta and around Cambodia, too dangerous to cut across Cambodia with aircraft with no markings.

[@GeorgeMcMillanIII]

And next time I visit Chris Corbet, my Z900 is a good way to ride the main roads but not the trails.

[@CarterOnConflict]

@@GeorgeMcMillanIII Chris will be looking forward to seeing you George.

[@maxcorder2211]

“Deadly” Tchepone.

[@CarterOnConflict]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Me thinks you may have been there for real.

[@pollydor07]

Ho Chi Minh Trail from Hanoi thru Laos and connected to Sihanouk trail inside Eastern border agreed by liar con man VC KING SIHANOUK signed agreements with VC leaders in Peking 1965 during Chu En Lai era .