23 February 2008

Journey Tour Updated

The Journey of Saving Hunter tour for Google Earth was been updated with content from travels in February that include aerial photography of Fowler Field to the trip from Washington, D.C.

16 February 2008

It Was Worth the Trip to D.C.

The weather was unbearably cold and miserable the two and half days that were utilized for research. A trip to the Library of Congress was indeed a treat, taking in the breathtaking architecture but yielded little in research results. Suspecting that not much information would be found here on the basis that Lt. Hunter was not officially operating in Laos, therefore it was highly unlikely that Stars and Stripes would report anything regarding missions or of his rescue in that regards.

A trip to the Vietnam Veteran National Memorial was concluded under rainy conditions that did not allow copying all of Douglas County’s sons until the last day in D.C. on a rather nice day. All eleven names, with the exception of one, was copied in graphite due to not having enough sheets of paper provided by the Ranger on duty a few days prior and the name being the second from the top one on one of the taller slabs of the Wall.

The unexpected wintry conditions did not allow me to visit the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, where there was some footage of Takhli RTAFB in April of 1966 when Lt. Hunter was stationed there. Efforts are being looked into in order to obtain a copy of the short film.

A stop to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center allowed me to view a F-105D that was in the paint scheme of the 388th TFW based at Korat RTAFB. In comparison to the F-105D at Hunter Memorial Park, there were many more official markings on the fuselage, the paint was in a dull matte sheen, the tail cone was silver (not black), and had the bomb rack.

Also at the museum I acquired another book on the Republic Aviation F-105 and will soon add it to the book list with the another book that came in over the weekend: Classified Secret by Jan Churchill - much about FACs operating in Laos, including much information on MSgt Charlie Jones and Lt Hunter’s body being recovered.

Pictures from the Washington, D.C. trip can be found on Flickr under the Saving Hunter Collection.

10 February 2008

On the Journey of Saving Hunter - Part 3

Tomorrow I continue on the Journey of Saving Hunter by making my way to Washington, D.C. to locate more information on Lt. Hunter and MSgt. Charlie Jones, the man who recovered Hunter’s body in a mountain village in northern Laos. This trip will be very prominent in the regards of visiting the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, seeing the name of Lt. Hunter etched next to his brothers in arms. This will be my second time to the Wall, but the first time with true purpose.

As part of project Saving Hunter, each of Douglas County’s 11 Vietnam War casualties will have their etchings traditionally copied with graphite and be preserved for future use, hopefully to be included in a fitting memorial within the anticipated new community center at Hunter Memorial Park, explaining the history of the park and Lt. Hunter.

Also on the agenda is to visit the National Archives at College Park and the Library of Congress to seek research material, photographs and motion pictures of Air Force operations during the Vietnam War in 1965/66. Due to the sensitivity and classified nature of some of the material around C.I.A. operations and the rescue of Lt. Hunter’s body via the Air Commandos, very little is expected to be found.

The journey thus far has been an eye-opening experience that not many civilians can find in everyday life. I am grateful for this opportunity and when the project is complete, I wish that everyone can follow the Journey of Saving Hunter as I have.

21 January 2008

On the Journey of Saving Hunter - Part 2

Today I continue on the Journey of Saving Hunter by making my way to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, to visit the Air Force Historical Research Agency in order to locate Lt. Hunter’s and Charlie Jones’ past from military records on microfilm. Cathy Cox, an archivist at the Agency, has been helping me with locating records before the holiday break and now I have a chance to review some of the items that have turned up.

The Agency has already provided me with service records pertaining to the F-105D that Lt. Hunter was flying when he was shot down over Laos, which has helped fill in the gaps from the Air Force’s Combat Loss Report of the aircraft, 59-1746. The history of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing should shed some light on May 25, 1966 - the day Lt. Hunter was shot down - since some information from the microfilm is on the Combat Loss Report.

Whether there is a recorded history of Lt. Hunter’s body being recovered and transported to Udorn by Master Sergeant Charlie Jones and his CIA pilot is still unknown. However I will pursue in finding information regarding forward air controllers that operated with the Special Forces through Operation Farm Gate.

I plan to post updates on the progress of the research while in Alabama. There’s more to this story than most know, its time people found out why Lt. Hunter is recognized for the person he was and what he meant to the Douglasville community.