Ubon RTAFB - U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War & Today
Ubon Spectre AC-130A/E Gunships 1967-72

All photos on this page were provided by Charles F. Spicka, AC-130A Pilot, Ubon 1968-69, Dan Keeton, Ubon 1967-68, 8th FMS (Field Maintenance Squadron) and Gene Ponce, Engine & Prop Tech, Ubon 1971-72, 16th SOS (Special Operations Squadron) & 8th FMS (Field Maintenance Squadron).

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Photo by Dan Keeton Ubon 1967-68
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A Spectre AC-130A Gunship. Note the location of the mini guns in earlier models

Submitted by Col. Charles F. Spicka, USAF (ret.) who flew 110 combat missions over Laos, Nov. '68-'69.

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AC-130A #54-1629 is painted with a Black underside and a camouflaged upper surface. This was the first paint scheme use on the AC-130 Spectre Gunships.
This aircraft was the first AC-130A Gunship combat loss following a 37 mm hit on 24 May '69.
The hit came over the trails in Laos and all but four of the crewmembers bailed out. The aircraft lost all hydraulic pressure due to the AAA. One crewmember was lost in flight (S/Sgt Jack W. Troglen, Illuminator Operator) and another (S/Sgt Cecil Taylor, Flight Engineer) on landing when the right wing struck the F-4 barrier house, ripped off and the aircraft caught fire. The 16th SOS lost 5 more AC-130s before the Vietnam War ended.

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Photo by Dan Keeton Ubon 1967-68
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Another view of an C-130A gunship

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