Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hoa, VNAF, 1954-75
Training: (Certificates)
- Enlisted voluntarily July 6, 1954, South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF)
- Embarked on the S/S Pasteur to l'ecole Rochefort (France)
- Selected for pilot training with U.S. Air Force, 1957-59, Lackland Air Forced Base (language & pre-flight), Spence Air Base, Moultrie, Georgia (T-34, T-28, B-25, L-19); forward air controller school; received pilot's wings, Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock, Texas, 1959
- Checked out in T-28B and A-1H, in country
- Air Commando/Special Operations Training with U.S. Air Force, C-123, Hurlburt Field, Florida, 1966 (first two VNAF aircrews trained on the C-123), 1966
- C-130A Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot and Tactical Courses, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, 1972
Units:
- 1st Transport Squadron, C-47, 1959-62, Tan Son Nhut, Warrant Officer
- 2nd Fighter Squadron (later 516th), T-28, 1962-63, Nha Trang, Second Lieutenant (among first 20 transport pilots transferred to newly formed squadron)
- 1st Fighter Squadron (later 514th), helped stand up the 518th, A-1H, 1963-65, Bien Hoa, First Lieutenant (after the T-28s were retired, transferred to Skyraiders). U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for the 514th (Citation)
* Shot down by Vietcong anti-aircraft fire on April 27, 1964, Lt. Hoa suffered head and leg injuries. He made a crash landing on a wild field near Quang Ngai and was immediately picked up by a helicopter. He was providing close air support for the largest heliborne operation (until that time) on a VC stronghold known as Do Xa. Grounded for several months and frustrated with his desk job, he sought a way to get back into the cockpit.
- Selected for 83rd Special Operations Group (SOG.) Left unit after a short period.
- Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Loan (later known worldwide as the infamous Saigon Police Chief who executed a Vietcong during the 1968 Tet Offensive) allowed Lt. Hoa to transfer back to the C-47.
- 33rd Tactical Wing, C-47, 1965-66, Tan Son Nhut
- Air Commando Course, USA, 1966
- Rejoined 83rd SOG for several months before it was disbanded in 1967.
- 33rd Tactical Wing, C-47, helped stand up 817th Attack Squadron, AC-47 (Fire Dragon or Hoa Long), 1967-70, Tan Son Nhut, Captain
- 53rd Tactical Wing, C-123K, trained new pilots, helped stand up 421st and 423rd Transport Squadrons, 1970-72, Tan Son Nhut, Major
- 425th Transport Squadron, C-123K, helped stand up new squadron, 1972 (Executive Officer, Commanding Officer), Tan Son Nhut. Took command of squadron after the CO was shot down while resupplying ARVN troops defending An Loc during the Easter Offensive.
- 53rd Tactical Wing, 437th Transport Squadron (Executive Officer), C-130A, 1973-75, Tan Son Nhut, Lieutenant Colonel (among first group of pilots trained to be VNAF instructors.
Personal Combat Awards through 1968: (Order of Wearing*)
- National Order of Vietnam (Bao Quoc Huan Chuong), Fifth Class, 1968. Certificate
- Air Force Distinguished Order (Khong Luc Huan Chuong), 1966
- 2 Gallantry Crosses (Anh Dung Boi Tinh), 1963, 1965
- 4 Air Gallantry Crosses (Phi Dung Boi Tinh), 1964, 1965 (x2), 1967
* As referenced in The Decorations and Medals of the Republic of Vietnam and Her Allies, 1950-1975, by John Sylvester, Jr., and Col Frank Foster, USA (Ret.), MOA Press, 1995
