My brother David died without telling me about his work with the CIA. During the Vietnam War he was a U.S. Air Force communications specialist, and in 1969 he was posted to Udorn Air Force Base in northern Thailand.
After his return to Los Angeles following his Udorn tour, David refused to disclose more than small details about his time away. Aircraft flew in and out of Udorn so frequently that David secured off-base housing. I also learned that my brother had suffered injuries so severe that he was hospitalized at Clark AFB in the Philippines. David claimed the unspecified wounds were the result of a bar fight.
For months, I pressed him for details. Finally, he told me that during his time at Udorn he was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. I imagine violation of the agreement meant some type of punishment.
“All I can say is that I was really stressed,” said my brother, “because men’s lives depended on how well I did my job.”
My research since his death and with the help of a CIA friend has helped me uncover David’s mysterious past. Air America, a notorious CIA front company, was based at Udorn. It was deeply involved in what for a time was Washington’s secret war in Laos. According to my friend, who also served at Udorn while he was a member of the Air Force, there is no doubt that my brother was active in Laos.
David was mentally unstable for the rest of his life. I attribute it to whatever he saw or did in Laos. It took me two years, but I was able to get a summary of David’s service record. He received high praise for his work and was awarded a Vietnam Service Medal and a Bronze Star.
Ricardo Chavira Chicano 