U.S. Naval Security Group Detachment was established at Ramasun Station, Thailand in January, 1971. The Vietnam War was the reason the Ramasun Station existed. Once the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, the Ramasun Station site was no longer required and in May 1976 Ramasun Station closed. At the request of the Government of Thailand all U.S. units departed.Ramasun Station’s history began in 1966 when a 50 man Detachment from the U.S. Army’s 5th Radio Research Unit (5th RRU) in Bangkok Thailand established a temporary outpost at Ramasun. Camp Ramasun was located approximately 290 miles northeast of Bangkok, about 12 miles south of Udorn and at the fringes of the small Thai village of Ban Nong Soong. Udorn was the site of the Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB). The U.S. Army maintained a Satellite Communications Station at the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airbase (the home of the B-52’s, KC-135’s, and U-2’s during the Vietnam War). Pattaya Beach, a very simple fishing village with 3 hotels was located near U-Tapao where military personnel from all over southeast Asia took R&R.
An AN/FLR-9 Circularly Disposed Antenna Array (CDAA), also known as Wullenweber, system was installed by the U.S. Army in 1970, which supported the High Frequency Directing Finding mission. The AN/FLR-9 installation was constructed about 20 kilometers south of Udorn Thani on the eastern side of the highway to Khon Kaen. The AN/FLR-9 was decommissioned in 1975 and dismantled in 1976. Ramasun Station was also a listening post to monitor Chinese military movements as well as a military satellite terminal for communications between the United States and other sites in Southeast Asia countries.
When construction began at Ramasun, bulldozers discovered and removed large nests of cobra in the process. The initial site, little more than a tent city, was given the callsign “Cobra-7”.
Over 1200 U.S. personnel were stationed at Ramasun Station and employed more than 1400 Thais.
U.S. Army units located at Camp Ramasun included: the 5th Radio Research Unit (5th RRU), the 5th Radio Research Unit, Detachment “D” (5th RRU Det Delta) (1965), the 7th Radio Research Field Station (7th RRFS), the 7th Radio Research Field Station “B” Company (7th RR
FS Co B), the 207th Signal Company (207th SigCo), the 509th Army Security Agency (509th USASA), the 999th Signal Battalion (997th SigBatt) (1961-62).
U.S. Air force units located at Camp Ramasun include: the 6922nd Security Wing, Detachment 4 (6922nd SW Det 4), the 6922nd Security Squadron (6922nd SS), and the 6924th Security Squadron (6924th SS). The 6924th Security Squadron (USAFSS), which had been stationed at Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, during the war in Southeast Asia and was deactivated on May 15, 1976.
The 17th Space Surveillance Squadron radar station at Kho Kha was located a few miles south of Lampang in northern Thailand. Their primary mission was tracking People’s Republic of China missile launches and southerly launches from the Soviet Union during the 1970’s.
Over 50 million dollars was devoted to constructing Ramasun Station, one of the finest installations anywhere in the world. It was completely self-sufficient and included its own power plant and water supply. Virtually all facilities on the post were air-conditioned and of permanent construction. Streets and sidewalks were paved and fully lit at night.
Lawns were landscaped, well attended, and enhanced by a variety of plants and shrubbery.
Source: navycthistory.com
16 May 2016 at 18:57
Great article!
LikeLike
5 January 2017 at 23:32
Sounds like some sweet duty!
LikeLike
25 January 2017 at 21:27
Looking to contact personnel who served with this unit or .m.h.Burton who wrote about it. Any suggestions?
LikeLike
21 June 2017 at 08:58
Check out the group “Old Spooks and Spies.”
LikeLike
27 March 2017 at 16:18
Base commanded by USASA Army Colonel, but housed twice as many Air Force personnel as Army. Unusual to have so many Navy and Coast Guard [small Marine contingent too] people so far from navigable water. They completed the new USO and PX two years before closing. House girls for $10 a month did all your laundry with starch, shoe/boot shining, and barracks cleaning. Five bucks to the house boys for the gardening and policing. Most maintained separate quarters off base in raised teak bungalows and a girlfriend [tealock]. Base parties included live bands and topless gogo girls. Located near the base of a teakwood forest, elephants were still used for logging and water buffaloes for plowing. Also smack dab in the middle of Asia’s Golden Triangle. Typically a one year unaccompanied tour, but most singles extended. Not all fun and games, as civil war raged in Laos 40 minutes away, the killing fields of Cambodia were running red within 200 miles, Hanoi was about 300 miles, and potential qualification for Agent Orange VA benefits.
LikeLike
20 September 2017 at 02:49
anyone remember Col Joseph D Howard?
LikeLike
12 August 2022 at 14:08
Yes I was under his command in 1976. Colonel Howard was I believe a fair minded Post Commander. Wonderful memories when we were young.x
LikeLike
26 October 2017 at 15:31
Janet check many 7th RRFS pages on Facebook.
LikeLike
27 October 2017 at 03:01
John Osborne
The part about being more AF personnel than Army is bogus.
LikeLike
28 November 2017 at 00:35
Yep, John you are correct. I didn’t see a bunch of Air Force personnel there either. And yes Janet, I have a commendation certificate signed by Colonel Howard. Had a suit and coat made across from the base at Slims tailor shop. Still remember riding the samlars. Also taking the lao lao trucks to downtown Udorn.
LikeLike
18 February 2018 at 03:10
Are any personnel receiving any disability benefits attributable to AO? Just found out this might be connected to some of my issues (won’t discuss or expect details).
LikeLike
26 February 2018 at 00:36
I read on it lst night you gotta be an MP exposed to the perimeter
LikeLike
14 April 2018 at 20:17
We nugs. Boh
G’s pulled guard on perimeter routinely till promoted to e four. Bout four months in. Mpmgets ao comp new pulled the guard. Makes army sense
LikeLike
14 April 2018 at 20:22
Sorry for typos. Nugs especially o5h bogs
pulled perimeter guard until promoted to spec 4 bout four to five months but. Mp gets agent orange presumption. But we pulled the guard. They did not have enough troops to pull all guard specially ops area. I pulled guard on ground with rats. N tower with bugs. Mp drove us out. N went back to cq while we pulled guard. Try getting that thru to va
LikeLike
14 April 2018 at 20:26
We all went to fences n bunkers on alert n training. Rolling around erc. He’ll em club only 75yards from perimeter. They won’t acknowledge cause of liability to the local Thai people so they just lie n tell em only mpscwere exposed. Sheet. Class six was on perimeter lol
LikeLike
25 June 2018 at 20:49
Enjoyed all the reading and pictures. Was stationed there1973-1974 Pfc Jimmy Boland Pensacola Florida
LikeLike
28 July 2018 at 01:04
Hi. I see that you don’t update your page too often. I know that writing posts is boring and
time consuming. But did you know that there is a tool
that allows you to create new articles using existing content (from article directories or other blogs from your
niche)? And it does it very well. The new posts are high quality and pass
the copyscape test. You should try miftolo’s tools
LikeLike
28 October 2018 at 23:03
Interesting reading. Anybody else besides me USAF?
LikeLike
13 December 2018 at 20:40
i was there in 1972 loved every minute of it
LikeLike
26 March 2019 at 12:05
I was there in 72-73. I am filing for benefits for herbicide exposure. The regs say on or near the perimeter and that the buffer is 500 meters. So inside 500 meters should be exposure . That means almost the whole compound was near the perimeter. I’ve been filing since 2009.
LikeLike
18 May 2019 at 08:04
Perhaps you should file for LBFM exposure.
LikeLike
18 May 2019 at 08:15
Sorry, did not know how this site works. Will say it again, since I don’t like being “anonymous.”:
Perhaps you should file for LBFM exposure.
LikeLike
2 August 2022 at 21:53
I was in the 6924th in 1972-73. Does anyone remember the chopper that flew “Cover” around the base at night? After finding out that I brought back some unwanted souvenirs from my tour, no, not he clap. I have Neuropathy, Diabetes and CLL Leukemia from Agent Orange exposure. Don’t believe the bull about Thai employees spraying AO along the fence. It had to be that chopper, an HH-43. Funny that an Unarmed Fire Fighting chopper would be flying “Cover”. The Thais sure didn’t spray enough AO to create a 100+ yard dead zone around the base. I’ve been trying to get disability from the VA for more than 6 years. Seems my 10 1/2years of USAF service. Can’t be found!! No, I take that back. They did find Eight pages. The only proof i have of even being in Thailand is the list of my Vietnam ribbons on my 214. Ain’t that a bitch? If anyone has any info, my email is: bob10482000@gmail.com. Thanks. Bob Kepler.
LikeLike
23 April 2019 at 09:26
Recently had a look through the old Ramasun base, as I stay in Udon. Very interesting history though not a lot left due to the decades of neglect & thievery. Restricted movement means only the immediate area of the old elephant cage. The Mil want to turn a lot of the base into a tourist attraction, complete with water park, shooting range etc. Uh huh.
LikeLike
18 May 2019 at 07:50
Phu Bai, vietnam 1972. Ramasun Station, Thiland 1973.
“Phu Bai is all right.”
LikeLike
17 August 2019 at 18:09
I too was at Phu Bai in 1972 and Ramasun in 1973. My memory isn’t what it used to be so I don’t recall you. I was in the Navy, Ctr3 there.
LikeLike
5 June 2019 at 18:36
Hi fellow boppers. Spent time there 1975 until sent out to the Philippines TIDY until they sent me to San Antonio TX. Stayed at Clark to Kelly FAB. Seemed like being in the ASA. I spent more time with the Airforce. Stayed in. Clark for about 9 months. Loved Ramasun until my wife Judy who was also ASA and was stationed there with me got pregnant was sent home, it wasn’t much fun. While she was there though we had a great bungalow outside the Fort. I had some very cool friends who spent alto of off time together. I loved work in the Box. And lived outside not far from the elephant cage. I too would like to know about agent O. Any info would help.
LikeLike
5 June 2019 at 21:31
Spent Oct 74 to Oct 75 at Ramasun as an 05H. I remember them riding around on base spraying for mosquitos. First duty station was Vint Hill Farms until transfer to Kelly AFB working alongside Air Force morse code operators. Suffering from very high blood pressure and tried the Agent Orange route with the VA but was denied.
LikeLike
24 June 2019 at 15:01
Got there in September of ’67, shortly after they opened the new air-conditioned barracks. Worked at OPS as an 05k and requested midnight shifts that nobody wanted so that I could work for Special Services at the pool during the day for extra money. Was on midnight shift when the Tet Offensive blew up. It was an interesting tour. Then went to Kagnew.
LikeLike
17 August 2019 at 14:57
Easy to check out, easy to read…heck I had formed to leave a
commment!
LikeLike
27 February 2020 at 03:05
This is a test to see if I can post. If so, I’ll definitely follow up.
LikeLike
27 February 2020 at 03:13
I was the OIC of the NavDet from ’75 until its closure in ’76. Worked with 22 outstanding men during that time. Hosted COMNAVSECGRU (Adm. March) shortly after I arrived. Will never forget the Navy B’Day (Oct. 11th) celebration, where we all wore different traditional navy uniforms for a day. CTRCS Glen Kruen was the greatest. Happy to hear he later made Master Chief in Hawaii.
LikeLike
15 October 2020 at 16:35
Oct.73 to Dec. 75 at the 7th Rock n Roll Freak Show. MARS Station operator. Oh how I wanted to stay, it was like Oz. I have movie schedules, coloring book, Welcome to Ramasun book, snoopy patches, red Ramasun hat.
LikeLike
24 October 2020 at 23:55
To Donald Holcomb, thank you. You were there for me when I was stationed at Udorn and my son was in the hospital. Over!
LikeLike
21 November 2020 at 02:24
I was “invited” to visit Ramasun from Misawa Japan in 1972 to help some new ASA guys open a Russian language station and facilitate their reporting. Arrived at Udorn apparently right after some insurgent bodies had been removed from the runway. Ramasun was supposed to be hit one night but nothing occurred. Only spent a couple of weeks there. Town life was wild. One of my highlights of my 2-yr Army tour in Misawa Japan.
LikeLike
8 March 2024 at 05:45
I was there ’75/’76 with 6924th Scty Sqdn -Viet Linguist. Came from NKP 6908th. Knew a couple of the MP’s from NKP who went down in the Knife 13 during the Mayaguez Incident.
LikeLike