RandallC...You've Been Found!

The Internet, invented by the famous chadman, Al Gore, has this amazing power to answer virtually all questions. Also, to "Google" something is now considered a verb in all respectable circles. This is a well earned distinction I would say.

A couple of weeks ago, I thought again of an old friend I worked with in Udorn Thailand many years ago. We were part of a group of Photo Interpreters working in Air Force Intelligence. Our specialty was interpreting reconnaissance photography. That and drinking Singha...Thai beer.

We had special light tables for loading and reviewing

L-R; Yours Truly, Oscar Tisby Jr., Tom Beamon,
Randall Craft. Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base.
Thailand, 1972.  Oscar is all decked out in honorary
Thai flowers because he is headed home.

cans of film. The cans were fresh from F-4 Phantom missions. Cameras on the planes were positioned to give us a three dimensional "stereo" view of the terrain below. This helped us spot North Vietnamese targets such as anti-aircraft artillery, surface to air missiles sites and supply trucks.

Randall C was one of the best, if not the best of us. Whenever I would spot something on film and wasn't sure quite what it was I would consult him. Sometimes we would argue the finer points; "'That is a probable occupied 57 millimeter site!" "No, that is a possible occupied 57 millimeter site!"

Whatever we would agree on would be pencilled into photo interpretation reports and sent to key punch operators who would get the reports in the system. From there, they would be sent to military agencies in Southeast Asia who were responsible for tracking enemy movements and setting up targets for bombing missions.  

Oscar Tisby was one of our crew.  Oscar was the fastest keypunch operator (typist) I have ever seen. He was also one of the happiest people on the planet. When Oscar got our reports, he would key them in like lightening, using huge fingers that dwarfed the keyboard.

Tom B, Randall C, Tom C, Jeff ?
Our own little bar right behind our Photo Recce shop
Udor RTAFB, 1972 

We also had our own little homemade bar, complete with ping-pong table out in back of our main building and we would often retire there after working a grave shift.

Left to right in the bar: Tom Beamon, RandallC, TomC and Jeff(?)

RandallC and I had a few outside adventures while at Udorn as well. Once, we got off grave shift and hit the on base Thai restaurant for a quick breakfast with a Singha on the side.  For some reason we then decided to rent a motorcycle - even though I would say neither of us were experienced riders. I had been on one before and knew how to shift the gears so I was self-elected to handle the controls with Randall C on the back.  

We had a fairly uneventful trip speeding up and down the highway as I recall, except at one point we decided to stop somewhere and have a beer.  We spotted this Thai bar alongside the highway and headed for it.  As we pulled up in front, I noticed the front door was open and really had no sill to speak of (it could have had a dirt floor but I don't exactly recall). With that, I just rode the bike right inside the bar, put the kickstand down and RandallC and I proceeded to have a beer. Luckily, the Thai management were pretty amused by the event. RandallC had an infectious smile (cheese eating grin might be a more apt description) and that is most likely what saved us.

I was privileged to work with those great guys and a couple of weeks ago I Googled Randall  C.  I found him and now we are back in touch after more than 35 years.  Wow!!!

P.S. I am sad to say I also Googled Oscar shortly after posting this blog entry. I found him in his home state of Indiana...among the obituaries. Oscar passed away just a few weeks ago, on the 6th of March. Oscar Tisby Jr. spent one four year hitch in the Air Force and then rejoined his family in Indiana. He retired from Bethlehem Steel and was 60 years old when he passed. Oscar was a great gentleman and I hope to see him again one day...I will sip a glass of fine wine tonight in his honor. Rest In Peace Sir.  (I couldn't find Tom Beamon - where are you Tom?!)