The Ravens: The True Story of a Secret War (37 page)

The ramp at Long Tieng with T-28 Meo fighters in the foreground and “titty” karst in the background.
(Pic: Mesaris collection)

The O-1 Bird Dog, the Ravens’ war chariot - “The most formidable weapon known to man.”
(Pic: Swedberg collection)

Mike Byers with Backseater in front of an O-1.
(Pic: Private collection of Michael Byers)

‘Weird’ Harold Mesaris gives Floyd, one of a pair of Himalayan black bears, a beer - his favourite tipple.
(Pic: Mesaris collection)

The “CAS” guys - the CIA men who ran the secret war - standing here on the Plain of Jars, dressed as if for a round of golf.
(Pic: Morrison collection)

Tony Poe, the legendary CIA paramilitary operative, photographed as a young Marine. Poe helped get the Dalai Lama out of Tibet and fought in numerous clandestine operations. He was known to have paid a bonus for enemy ears and was rumored to keep the heads of particular enemies pickled in formaldehyde.

The CIA operations shack at Long Tieng, command center of the secret war in MR II.
(Pic: Archives of the Edgar Allen Poe Literary Society)

Long Tieng, the most secret spot on earth. “Spook Heaven” as the CIA base for Military Region II was known, was the base for Gen. Vang Pao and his Meo guerillas.
(Pic: Kouba collection)

The Mexican Banditos. The Ravens and their support troops posed for this photograph after a visiting Air Force general described them as “a ragged bunch of Mexican bandits”.
(Pic: Mesaris collection)

Two Meo “tots” on the ramp at Long Tieng help load white phosphorous “Willy Pete” marking rockets.
(Pic: Private collection of Harold Mesaris)

The enemy, so young they looked like girls. One had written on the band inside his helmet, “Born in Vietnam - Die in Laos”.
(Pic: Craig Morrison)