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This thread is in honor of my father, SSgt. Michael D. Lynch Sr. He served for just under 8 years (two enlistments), and would have gone career... but when I came along he decided his family was more important and opted to not re-up.
My father served in the USAF from 2/64 to 11/71.
2/64 - enlists/basic training Lackland AFB, TX
3/64 - assigned to 3350th Sch Sq - Chanute AFB, IL
9/64 - assigned to 42nd Bomber Wing - Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Tech.
10/65 - still assigned to 42nd Bomber Wing - Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Specialist
2/68 - Re-enlists. Still Stationed at Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Specialist
7/68 - assigned to 3364 Instructor Sq - Chanute AFB, IL
4/70 - transferred to Lowry AFB, CO for Munitions Maintenance Spec. Supervisor training in preparation for deployment to Thailand.
10/70 - transferred back to Chanute AFB, IL
11/70 - assigned to 408th MMS (Munitions Maintenance Squadron) as a Controller - Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
6/71 - Takes job as Line Delivery Crew Chief - 408th MMS - Ubon RTAFB, Thailand
11/71 - Honorable Discharge Travis AFB, CA
At the time of his discharge in 1971 he was a SSgt. He was very proud of his time in the USAF - especially his time at Ubon. Of all of his experiences in the AF it was the time he spoke of most often and most willingly. He was proud to have served and supported US and allied troops in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
I can remember pouring over photos and listening to stories as a kid. Sadly, he died in October 1999. When I re-discovered the near 200 photos he'd taken while in Thailand and the 30+ letters he'd written to my mother (he wrote many more, but only 30+ survived the years) my head was spinning with questions... questions that would never get answers. So I've been piecing together the answers through research of the war in Vietnam, talking to family members about my father's time in the Air Force, and looking to other vets who served at the same time.
My father was a good man - no perfect - but good. We were very close and I'm very proud to be his son, and very proud of his service. He was my role model and my guardian. I only hope to be to kind of father he was to me.
I won't post all of the photos that he took, just the ones I find to be to most interesting. And oddly enough - my father didn't have a camera until just before being sent to Thailand, so I have very few photos of his time in the Air Force prior to November 1970. ...which is odd considering he turned out to be such a shutter bug!
December, 1970
My father's first home at Ubon: Hooch 442
My father's bunk (on the bottom). In his second home: "The Cube." Which was a large cement building located next to Chow Hall #2)
Taken on, or around Christmas day 1970. Those are photos of my mother and I on the wall.
January 1971
Village outside base perimeter.
My dad smoking
Buddhist monks on base - outside the barracks.
Motor Pool Service Station - Note Snoopy on the roof.
My father at the base perimter
My father standing in front of Wing HQ. Ubon was home of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing.
The world's smallest Howard Johnson's!
I have no idea if this was on-base or not.
Downtown Ubon
Thai worker carrying 200lb cement pipe.
Market - Downtown Ubon.
Market - Downtown Ubon. ...Those eels were alive.
Ubon Rooftops from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
The long building with the brown roof is a school. Beyond the school and tree line is the air base - the white buildings. This is looking north from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
Temple Wat Sri Ubon Rattananaram - from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
My father and a Buddhist monk inside Temple Wat Sri Ubon Rattananaram. ...I didn't know that Buddhist monks smoked.
...More photos and info to come.
EDIT: I suppose I should explain the title of this thread. The 408th MMS at Ubon were called the Cobras.
My father served in the USAF from 2/64 to 11/71.
2/64 - enlists/basic training Lackland AFB, TX
3/64 - assigned to 3350th Sch Sq - Chanute AFB, IL
9/64 - assigned to 42nd Bomber Wing - Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Tech.
10/65 - still assigned to 42nd Bomber Wing - Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Specialist
2/68 - Re-enlists. Still Stationed at Loring AFB, ME - Flight Simulator Specialist
7/68 - assigned to 3364 Instructor Sq - Chanute AFB, IL
4/70 - transferred to Lowry AFB, CO for Munitions Maintenance Spec. Supervisor training in preparation for deployment to Thailand.
10/70 - transferred back to Chanute AFB, IL
11/70 - assigned to 408th MMS (Munitions Maintenance Squadron) as a Controller - Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
6/71 - Takes job as Line Delivery Crew Chief - 408th MMS - Ubon RTAFB, Thailand
11/71 - Honorable Discharge Travis AFB, CA
At the time of his discharge in 1971 he was a SSgt. He was very proud of his time in the USAF - especially his time at Ubon. Of all of his experiences in the AF it was the time he spoke of most often and most willingly. He was proud to have served and supported US and allied troops in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
I can remember pouring over photos and listening to stories as a kid. Sadly, he died in October 1999. When I re-discovered the near 200 photos he'd taken while in Thailand and the 30+ letters he'd written to my mother (he wrote many more, but only 30+ survived the years) my head was spinning with questions... questions that would never get answers. So I've been piecing together the answers through research of the war in Vietnam, talking to family members about my father's time in the Air Force, and looking to other vets who served at the same time.
My father was a good man - no perfect - but good. We were very close and I'm very proud to be his son, and very proud of his service. He was my role model and my guardian. I only hope to be to kind of father he was to me.
I won't post all of the photos that he took, just the ones I find to be to most interesting. And oddly enough - my father didn't have a camera until just before being sent to Thailand, so I have very few photos of his time in the Air Force prior to November 1970. ...which is odd considering he turned out to be such a shutter bug!
December, 1970
My father's first home at Ubon: Hooch 442
My father's bunk (on the bottom). In his second home: "The Cube." Which was a large cement building located next to Chow Hall #2)
Taken on, or around Christmas day 1970. Those are photos of my mother and I on the wall.
January 1971
Village outside base perimeter.
My dad smoking
Buddhist monks on base - outside the barracks.
Motor Pool Service Station - Note Snoopy on the roof.
My father at the base perimter
My father standing in front of Wing HQ. Ubon was home of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing.
The world's smallest Howard Johnson's!
I have no idea if this was on-base or not.Downtown Ubon
Thai worker carrying 200lb cement pipe.
Market - Downtown Ubon.
Market - Downtown Ubon. ...Those eels were alive.
Ubon Rooftops from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
The long building with the brown roof is a school. Beyond the school and tree line is the air base - the white buildings. This is looking north from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
Temple Wat Sri Ubon Rattananaram - from the top of the Ubon Hotel.
My father and a Buddhist monk inside Temple Wat Sri Ubon Rattananaram. ...I didn't know that Buddhist monks smoked.
...More photos and info to come.
EDIT: I suppose I should explain the title of this thread. The 408th MMS at Ubon were called the Cobras.
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