Cambodia's Forbidden Skies: An Officer's Dilemma

The Shadows of a Fading War

By late 1973, the American presence in Southeast Asia was officially "winding down," but for the men of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, the war was as active as ever. While ground troops were withdrawing, the sky remained a battlefield of intelligence and evasion. In the following account, General Dick Carr (Class of 1959) describes a mission where the line between a direct order and a pilot’s intuition became blurred—resulting in one of the most significant tactical discoveries of the Cambodian campaign.

Cambodia's Forbidden Skies

A Medal or a Court-Martial?

Written by Ret. Major General Richard (Dick) E. Carr, United States Air Force Academy Class of 1959

I was the Operations Officer (Ops Officer) of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in late 1973 into 1974. Things in Southeast Asia (SEA) were winding down significantly, except for reconnaissance (recce). We were flying more combat missions every day than we had crews available.

Cambodia, however, had been put off-limits by the U.S. Congress after the 1970 invasion and subsequent bombing by the U.S. to halt the North Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia. At this time, Prince Sihanouk was overthrown, and a Western-leaning government led by Lon Nol was installed.

The Emergency Scramble

I was in the office in the late afternoon when an emergency photo mission was ordered by 7th Air Force for an incident deep in the South Vietnam delta. I was the only pilot available, and I grabbed a 2nd Lieutenant who had just arrived on base for the mission. After a quick brief, we went to the aircraft, and the lieutenant hit his head on the canopy, suffering a nasty gash. I got him off to the hospital and commandeered a Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) from an RF-4 that had just landed. We headed south and briefed in the air.

The Discovery on Route 13

The mission went well, and we got all the intelligence that had been requested. Climbing out was normal until we got over Cambodia. I noticed a lot of dust on Route 13 along the Mekong River. As we descended to have a look, dozens of Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) guns, mostly 37mm, opened fire. We got photos of what I learned later was about 200 trucks headed south. The flak got really intense, but we made it through just fine, landed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base (RTAB), and reported the finding.

The Vanishing Trucks

Early the next morning, I was called to the flight line urgently. General Vogt was standing next to his T-39, with the pictures spread out on the wing. He asked me about the finding, then took off for Phnom Penh to brief President Lon Nol.

For the next two days, neither the Cambodian Air Force (AF) nor the U.S. Air Force (USAF) could find the trucks. I was forbidden to go back. On the third day, Headquarters (HHQ) relented and said I could go back and try my luck. Surprisingly, there was no AAA, but also no signs of movement.

I finally tried the west side of the Mekong and took many photos of any heavily treed areas. I didn’t see it, but a sharp-eyed photo interpreter spotted the corner of a truck sticking out from under a tree in a Michelin Rubber Plantation. It must have been quite a feat to ferry that many trucks across the Mekong River so fast. We did not see any signs of a ferry.

The Aftermath

I briefed General Vogt again, and he went to brief Lon Nol. The Cambodian red-tailed T-28s bombed the plantation, and there was so much explosive material that the whole plantation was reduced to toothpicks.

Eyes of the Fleet and the Red-Tail Strike: General Carr’s RF-4C (foreground) provided the critical intelligence that allowed the Cambodian "Red-Tailed" T-28s (background) to locate and destroy the massive hidden munitions cache within the Michelin Rubber Plantation.

I had one more visit from the General, who thanked me for saving the friendly government of Lon Nol. He then said I should get a medal or be court-martialed for disobeying a direct order to stay away from Cambodia. He then laughed and said he wouldn’t do either and we would just call it even. That was fine by me.

The Lon Nol government then lasted until March-April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese took over and installed Pol Pot as president. Of course, he proceeded to kill almost every educated Cambodian citizen in the "Killing Fields" and virtually destroy the country.

Mission Context
Target: Michelin Rubber Plantation, Cambodia.
Threat: 37mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA).
Aircraft: RF-4C Phantom II.
Key Figure: General John W. Vogt Jr., Commander, 7th Air Force.

The 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
Active in SEA: Based out of Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, the 14th TRS was a critical component of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.

The Mission: Their primary role was to conduct high-speed, low-altitude photo-reconnaissance missions using the RF-4C Phantom II.

Legacy: During the Vietnam War and the subsequent operations in Cambodia and Laos, the "Sneak and Peek" crews provided the bulk of the visual intelligence used to monitor the Ho Chi Minh trail and North Vietnamese troop movements.

Unit Decoration: The squadron was highly decorated, earning multiple Presidential Unit Citations for its bravery and effectiveness in Southeast Asia.

About the Author

Major General Richard "Dick" Carr is a distinguished member of the USAFA Class of 1959. A command pilot with over 7,500 flying hours, General Carr’s career was defined by a rare blend of academic brilliance and combat leadership.

After earning a Master’s degree from Stanford, he returned to the Academy in 1968 as an Associate Professor of Mathematics and coach of the soaring team. However, the pull of operational duty led him back to the cockpit. During the height of the conflict in Southeast Asia, he flew more than 200 combat missions in the RF-4C, serving as the Operations Officer for the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Udorn.

His leadership extended far beyond the cockpit, later commanding the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing—where he oversaw the historic transition from RF-4s to F-16s—and serving as the Director for Foreign Intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

A recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, General Carr retired in 1994, leaving a legacy of precision, bravery, and "Sneak and Peek" excellence.

View General Carr’s Full Legacy Bio & Career Achievements Here