Hello everyone,
In the summer of 1974, I was temporarily stationed at England AFB in Louisiana. While I was there, I had the chance to meet a small group of South Vietnamese pilots finishing up their A-37 Dragonfly training. I befriended one of them just a few weeks before they completed the program and flew back to Vietnam. I was at the airport when they left Louisiana.
I specifically am looking for one of the pilots who went by the name Liem Nguyen. I realize his first name may have been an American nickname or a slight variation of a Vietnamese name like Lâm. His family lived in Saigon.
After returning to Vietnam, he was stationed at Da Nang Air Base with the 1st Air Division, likely flying with the 61st Tactical Wing (516th, 528th, or 550th Fighter Squadrons). He specifically mentioned flying night sorties over the Da Nang area.
Because this group was among the very last to train in the U.S. before the war ended, they have been on my mind over the years—especially given how intense the air war around Da Nang became in early 1975.
I would love to know if anyone has rosters from that summer, remembers Liem or his classmates, or knows what became of him after the Fall of Da Nang.
Thank you for any history, unit details, or leads you can share.
Best regards,
Susan Kendall
In the summer of 1974, I was temporarily stationed at England AFB in Louisiana. While I was there, I had the chance to meet a small group of South Vietnamese pilots finishing up their A-37 Dragonfly training. I befriended one of them just a few weeks before they completed the program and flew back to Vietnam. I was at the airport when they left Louisiana.
I specifically am looking for one of the pilots who went by the name Liem Nguyen. I realize his first name may have been an American nickname or a slight variation of a Vietnamese name like Lâm. His family lived in Saigon.
After returning to Vietnam, he was stationed at Da Nang Air Base with the 1st Air Division, likely flying with the 61st Tactical Wing (516th, 528th, or 550th Fighter Squadrons). He specifically mentioned flying night sorties over the Da Nang area.
Because this group was among the very last to train in the U.S. before the war ended, they have been on my mind over the years—especially given how intense the air war around Da Nang became in early 1975.
I would love to know if anyone has rosters from that summer, remembers Liem or his classmates, or knows what became of him after the Fall of Da Nang.
Thank you for any history, unit details, or leads you can share.
Best regards,
Susan Kendall