The Ravens: The True Story of a Secret War (38 page)

“Weird” Harold Mesaris, a self-portrait.
(Pic: Mesaris collection)

Lor Lu, the Raven orphan, carrying a Meo musket and wearing a combat fatigue hat.
(Pic: Mesaris collection)

Craig Morrison in Pleiku, Vietnam, before volunteering for the Steve Canyon Program.
(Pic: Morrison collection)

Scar, the “Number One” Backseater, for whom war satisfied some dark sense of fun.
(Pic: Morrison collection)

Gen. Vang Pao with a group of Meo on the Plain of Jars. Burr Smith, a CIA case officer, strides beside him in dark glasses, while Mike Byers is to his right carrying detcord.
(Pic: Byers collection)

The perils of making a mistake at Long Tieng - a T-28 is arrested by the vertical speed brake.
(Pic: EAPLS Archives)

Chuck Engle, who was awarded the Air Force Cross, checks the fuel level on an O-1.
(Pic: EAPLS Archives)

Chad Swedberg and Frank Birk in front of an O-1.
(Pic: Swedberg collection)

Bob Foster at Long Tieng in the haze of the opium “burn” season.
(Pic: Private collection of Bob Foster)

Ambassador Godley (in his Joseph Mobutu shirt from his days in the Congo), Frank Kricker with his newly awarded Silver Star, and an informal Robert Seamans, secretary of the Air Force.
(Pic: Private collection of Frank Kricker)

Ambassador William Sullivan

Grant Uhls wearing holster and .45 beside a T-28.
(Pic: Swedberg collection)

Chad Swedberg and Princess Hamburger - the photo is inscribed by Swedberg, “Town fool and friend”.
(Pic: Swedberg collection)