HOME MOVIES: SARAVANE LAOS

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1969

Format: 16mm

Description: These extraordinary Super 8mm home movies from the Vietnam War, come from a member of the "Ravens". The Raven Forward Air Controllers, also known simply as The Ravens, were fighter pilots used for forward air control in a covert operation in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States in Laos during America's Vietnam War. The Ravens provided direction for most of the air strikes against communist Pathet Lao targets and People's Army of Vietnam's infiltrators in support of the Laotian Hmong guerrilla army. SCENE #1: (00:00:00) Army Day celebration. Laotian troops parading past King Savang Vatthana (in white). General Phasouk is to his left. SCENE #2: (00:37:10) Raven 58 boarding Red Cross boat at the Dooley Foundation in Southern Laos. (01:21:00) Dooley Foundation. Shown are the "Dooley Dollies"—volunteers for the foundation who come from Australia and the U.S. (01:45:15) River transportation on the Mekong River. SCENE #3: (02:02:00) Entrance to a Buddhist Temple in Southern Laos. SCENE #4: (02:51:10) Army compound, Southern Laos. SCENE #5: (03:23:10) Aerial view of Pakse, Laos, during 1969 flooding. (04:10:05) Street level view of Pakse, Laos, during 1969 flooding. SCENE #6: (05:06:09) Maids at Ravens home taking shower during rainy season. SCENE # 7: (05:45:05) Hole from 140mm rocket resulting from rocket attack on Pakse airfield at 0145 hours on 9 Jan 1970. (06:23:00) Soldiers making sandbags on 10 Jan 1970 to protect Ravens home after rocket attack. SCENE #8: (07:08:15) Laotian women, one carrying child, on way to market. SCENE #9: (07:55:05) Army compound at Saravane, Laos, on day after Saravane was overrun by the N. Vietnamese Army. Dead Laotian soldiers can be seen on ground. Extensive bombing can also be seen from airstrikes on the N. Vietnamese Army by Laotian and U.S. bombers. SCENE #10: (08:26:05) T-28’s arriving for landing at Pakse, Laos.

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