I was stationed at Korat 9/67-9/68. I guess I, like many of us, did not ralize the impact Korat would have on my life at the time. Sometimes I find it hard to believe what we were doing there..right or wrong. As it turns out the years in SEA, bad as they were at times, were important to not only us but to the world. The world still talks about the Viet Nam years and it seems all military and political bench marks go back to our era. The sounds of the Thuds in AB taking off was my alarm clock in those days and 18 hrs. later my day ended. My day was spent hustling 20MM, 2.75 rockets, and 750 bombs for the poor dudes running back and forth over Hanoi, chasing targets of questionable merit and putting themselves in harms way. I admire every last one of them. Can't say I miss much of it, but the camaraderie and experiences have served to form my later life. Left the AF in '70, worked in a steel mill as an engineer for nearly 40yrs. thereafter. Now I'm retired and when I see the pics of all of us running around as skinny kids with no shirts and a beer bottle are truly heart warming.

Hello! - My name is Carol Durkee and I am the daughter of Col. Gary G. Durkee (retired USAF and deceased October 1, 1993). My father was a member of the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron and flew 100 missions over North Vietnam. I came across this website and I was so surprised when I found I saw him in the 1968 group photo.... I remember I was so small when Dad was overseas but remember all of the "thud" pictures and plaques in our home den area. After he died in 1993, one of his close friends Lamont "Monty" H. Pharmer whom he flew with in Vietnam was at his funeral and gave me a copy of a diary/journal (about 30 pages) that he had kept while he and my dad flew in the war. The journal contained those who flew 100 and 200 missions, POW's, MiG Killers, etc. I recognized some names from this website. Dad passed away on October 1, 1993 of cancer. He was retired (after 30 years military service) but was teaching ROTC at the time he became ill. I was wondering if anyone out there knew my dad and if anyone had any photos that he is in from when he was serving with the 34th TFS......would love to see them...!!!.thanks for listening. Carol

Jack - Just viewed your web site for the first time. You have done a great job putting the web site together. I don't know if Ken Mays has contacted you. He organized a 34th mini-reunion at the Rat reunion and we had eight of us attend. You can contact him at kmaysthuddriver@earthlin.net. He is planning to try to have a 34th reunion at Wright-Patterson in about September 2005. More detail will be forthcoming from him.
I appreciate your making good use of my Korat pictures. I hope others will contribute. I have some "framing" photos of some of airborne pictures and will send you some.