"The Ravens - Pilots of the Secret War of Laos" - by C. Robbins

[Acedy]

I just finished reading this book a few days ago and I have to say that it was hard to put it down, so I wanted to recommend it to anyone who is interested in Vietnam era air combat history and/or special/covert operations literature, especially if you also like to read about the historical and political background. It's about clandestine US forward air controllers, callsign "Raven", who were a part of the "secret war" in Laos that took place simultaneously to the conflict in Vietnam. The Kingdom of Laos was declared independent in the 50s after the 1st Indochina War, however North Vietnamese forces and their communist Laotian allies (Pathet Lao) were trying to gain control over Laos, partly as an effort of communist expansion politics, partly as a means of establishing and securing the Ho Chi Minh supply trail to South Vietnam. Since Laos was formally neutral, the US, following their policy of Containment, decided that instead of facing the North Vietnamese/Pathet Lao directly with US ground troops, a paramilitary operation under the lead of the "civilian" CIA and US embassy should support the fighting of local Royal Laotian (RL) troops, indigenous Laotian people, mainly Hmong, and their Thai allies, by delivering weapons, training and funds. Additionally the USAF and CIA airlines like Air America were to provide air support and supply. This is where the Ravens came into play, who were USAF FACs that, after the first half of their tour in Vietnam, could volunteer for a secret program called "Steve Canyon" (named after a comic charachter). Those who did were first transfered to Thailand, where they were formally stripped off their Air Force identities and moved then, as "civilians", to bases into Laos. From here they would fly FAC missions, mainly in Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dogs, to guide air strikes by USAF and also Hmong, RL and Thai pilots (who were equipped mainly with T-28 trainers that had been turned into counter-insurgency aircraft) onto targets in Laos.

 

What I like about the book is that it is a real kaleidoscope of the conflict, it does not only tell about the actual missions, but also depicts the various personalities like the Ravens themselves, Hmong/RL pilots and observers like Lee Lue, CIA and US embassy staff, US paramilitaries, RL/Hmong leaders like General Vang Pao who was in charge of the conflict in northern Laos (Robbins, who is a journalist, interviewed alot of these people for the book), and it extensively covers the historical background of the conflict and the political actions and struggles. All of that is interrupted occasionally by an hilarious story.

 

Unfortunately the book seems to be out of print and copies can be quite expensive from what I have seen (I was lucky that I could order a cheap used copy from a bookseller in London), but if you live in North America you may be able to buy it directly from the Ravens' website:

 

http://www.ravens.org/store/store.htm

 

More info about the conflict in Laos:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laotian_Civil_War

Edited July 22, 2009 by Acedy

[HitchHikingFlatlander]

Thanks for the heads up will check this out!

[Acedy]

Just found this article on Air & Space about the Ravens, it gives a good overview.

 

http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/ravens.html

 

There is also a documentation on YouTube, just search for "Ravens" and "Hmong", which features some of the Ravens mentioned in the article and, of course, the book, and blends their history in Vietnam with their revisit to Laos a few years ago, and at the end also has a few scenes from a reunion.

Edited June 29, 2009 by Acedy