History of Commando Club, Phou Pha Thi

Incorrectly called "Lima Site 85". LS 85 was a CIA landing site (LS) at the foot of Phou Pha Thi, a mountqin in northern Loas.

On 11 March 1968, at 0245 Local, a force of the Peoples Army of Viet Nam (PAVN) Dac Cong commandos (special forces) attacked the Commando Club site atop Phou Pha Thi in far northeast Laos.

Commando Club was a covert mission of the United States Air Force based at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. The radar site they manned was 190 NM northeast and accessed on a two week rotating basis. These men were sheepdipped into civilian status as employees of Lockheed while working, and assigned to a special Air Force unit while at Udorn. They magically became civilians once airborne enroute to the mountain for duty in a combat zone without benefit of Geneva Convention Cards, military ID or weapons.

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