Vietnam War USAF F-4 Photos 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron Udorn Thailand 1968

Description

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Estate sale find, original vintage 8" X 10" photos (70) of airmen who were assigned to the 555th "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadron Udorn.  Based on some of the back stamps, these appear to date from 1968-69, some pencil annotations along with stapled descriptions on some of the photos.  A great archive of U.S. Air Force history.
Numerous images of the base, personnel, and facilities including: Change of Command, NCO and Officers Club, living quarters, ladies wearing morale shirts with "Yankee Air Pirate" patches, latrine, BX, base theater, Col Charles R. Dougherty, and LtCol George G. Hupp, etc.
On 8 January 1964, the 555th re-emerged at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida as the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron (555 TFS), operating the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II.
The 8 TFW later became known as the "Wolfpack" and the 555th led the first strike against MiG airfields in North Vietnam. The 555 TFS launched night bombing attacks against North Vietnam on 29 September 1967. While at Ubon, the 555th downed additional Migs, including four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s on 2 January 1967.
The unit thus became the only "Quad Ace" fighter squadron to that point, with 20 MiGs to its credit.   In 1968, the Triple Nickel participated in the campaign against the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Linebacker campaigns against the North Vietnam heartland in 1972. During Linebacker I and Linebacker II, the 555th returned to its air superiority role and brought its MiG tally to 39 confirmed victories with ten MiG-17s, three MiG-19s, and twenty-six MiG-21s, producing the first and second USAF aces, and earning the motto, "World's Largest Distributor of MiG Parts".
From 1966 to 1973, the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron earned three more Presidential Unit Citations, five Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" device, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, and the 1973 Hughes achievement award.
Photo measurements: approximately 8" X 10", shipping weight: approximately 4.2 pounds.
PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS -  POSSIBLE DUPLICATES OR SIMILAR POSES - The photos are in overall Good Minus used condition with signs of wear, age toning, creases, some curling, soiling, stains, some writing, ink stamps, stapled descriptions, no odors, please see images.
(C1A20-009)