Just One Command, Spread All Over Southeast Asia, Chronicled the Air Force’s War
This 1968 US Air Force Film Report is a mix of gun camera, strike camera, and handheld photography shot by the 600th Photo Squadron. The 600th was responsible for most of the Air Force combat footage shot during the war in Vietnam between 1966 and the end of the war. Detachment 5 of the 1352nd Photographic Group, based at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam, became the 600th Photo Squadron on 8 February 1966. The 600th was given responsibility for all USAF photographic services in Southeast Asia, except tactical reconnaissance photography, which was still handled primarily by Air Force Martin RB-57 Canberras, Douglas RB-66 Destroyers, McDonnell RF-101 Voodoos, and McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom IIs. This outstanding film was uploaded to YouTube by US National Archives.
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Making Movies in Entirely New Ways
Over time the 600th Photo Squadron’s operations expanded to include combat documentation, automatic gun-camera and high-speed pod and blister photography of ordnance deliveries, still photography, and photographic support of the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). In order to accomplish their mission they pioneered the use of several handheld camera mounts and supports, camera pods, blister camera mounts, and other methods of mounting cameras for shooting combat photography. The 600th Photo Squadron lost 11 combat cameramen killed-in-action between 1966 and 1976. Four were killed in 1968 at the height of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam.
A Widespread Command
As of 1968, the 600th Photo Squadron consisted of nine detachments located at US Air Force bases in South Vietnam: Detachment 4 based at Cam Ranh Air Base (AB), Detachment 5 based at Phan Rang AB, Detachment 6 based at Bien Hoa AB, Detachment 7 based at Da Nang AB, Detachment 8 based at Tuy Hoa AB, Detachment 13 based at Nha Trang AB, Detachment 14 based at Pleiku AB, Detachment 15 based at Binh Thuy AB, and Detachment 16 based at Phu Cat AB.
Working With the Brass
The 600th Photo Squadron was also responsible for supporting Operating Location 1 (OL-1), which was referred to as the MACV Team and assigned to HQ Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) in Saigon. The MACV Team consisted of journalists and cameramen who covered the US Air Force, US Army, US Navy, US Marine Corps, the Royal Thai Air Force, and Allied combat units from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines. The 400th Aero Squadron handled film processing for the 600th on a 24 hour turnaround.
Thailand Times
To compliment the 600th Photo Squadron, the 601st Photo Flight was created and headquartered at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAB). The 601st Photo Flight consisted of six detachments located at Royal Thai Air Force Bases or Royal Thai Navy Airfields at which US Air Force tactical squadrons were based: Detachment 1 based at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) (redesignated Detachment 17 in 1971), Detachment 2 based at Takhli RTAFB, Detachment 3 based at Ubon RTAFB, Detachment 9 based at Udorn RTAFB, Detachment 10 based at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Base (RTNB), Detachment 11 based at Don Muang RTAFB, and Detachment 12 based at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB.
