1

I can't say I do know much about the early years there, more just about the war period. I've seen the Call Sign Rustic book around, I should pick up a copy. This site is good for information about the airforce, and has plenty of good, if low quality, pictures:

http://www.khmerairforce.com/

This one is good too, but unfortunately uses a bright green on black scheme so you need to copy and paste it into word to read it or you'll go blind:

http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=5&id=31&Itemid=47

2

Hmm, here are some interesting additions.

http://www.khmerairforce.com

These old timers had a reunion in Long Beach California two years ago. See

http://kafv.wordpress.com/events/program-reunion-2010/

but more currently... This is long but maybe you can use it. From their page on

http://www.khmerairforce.com/AAK-KAF/P-ABOUT-US.html

QUOTE

Col Norodom Baley, Class 1954, assigned to the US in 1973, has compiled photos and veterans stories.

UNQUOTE

Does the name Norodom ring a bell? :-) From the page on

http://www.royalark.net/Cambodia/camboa10.htm

QUOTE

(1) Colonel H.E. Prince (Anak Angga Raja Varman) Naradhama Valiya Norodom Baley Antonie. b. at Phnom Penh, 27th August 1931 (s/o a junior wife), educ. Lycée Sisowath, Faculty of Law, and Royal Flying Sch, Phnom Penh, and École Militaire de l’Air, Salon de Provence, France. Cmsnd as Sub-Lieut Navigator Royal Khmer Aviation Corps (AVRK) 1955, Lt-Col Khmer Air Force (KAF) 1971, Military Liaison Officer with USAF Training Cmnd in the USA 1973-1975. Settled in Houston, Texas. m. Anastasia Norodom (b. 1937), a US national.

UNQUOTE

but then move down a few lines to this entry about his younger brother Vatvani

QUOTE

(3) Lieutenant-General H.E. Prince (Anak Angga Raja Varman) Naradhama Vadhvani Norodom Vatvani. b. 1935 (s/o a junior wife), educ. Royal Flying Sch, Phnom Penh, French Air Force Advanced Traning Sch, Marakesh, Morocco. Cmsnd as Sub-Lieut Royal Khmer Aviation Corps (AVRK) 1955, Cdt Royal Flying Sch and Royal Air Force Acad 1958-1970, Lt-Col Khmer Air Force (KAF) 1971, prom Col 1971, Cdt Battambang Air Force Base (BA 201) 1971-1973, Military Liaison Officer Udorn Air Force Base in Thailand 1973-1975, settled in the USA 1975, returned to Cambodia and prom Maj-Gen RCAF 1993, C-in-C RCAF 1993-1998, prom Lt-Gen 1996. Settled in California. Presdt Cambodian Veterans Org (Air Force Branch). Mbr Experimental Aircraft Assoc (EAA), Aéroclub Khmer, etc. m. (first) 1964, … m. (second) in California, USA, 1969, Anak Munang Sosony Norodom (b. 2nd January 1950), daughter of …de Monteiro, sometime judge. He had issue, one son by his first and one son and four daughters by his second wife:

UNQUOTE

Norodom Vatvani returned to Cambodia and was promotoed RCAF Major General in 1993? He then became C-in-C RCAF 1993-1998? There is a story, but most currently, did you see the news about his daughter Soma Norodom? Last May, the Phnom Penh Post had this news about her.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012053056464/Lifestyle/princess-soma-norodom-to-pen-new-post-column.html

She just started doing a weekly column for the Post. She has a picture with her father on her blog page on

http://somanorodom.wordpress.com/about/

Col Norodom Baley of http://www.khmerairforce.com would be her uncle, no? Cheers,

3

Soma "the coma" Norodom, she's a total airhead. The de Monteiros are an interesting Portuguese family with a long history in Cambodia

4

The de Monteiros are an interesting Portuguese family with a long history in Cambodia

These two news items may be of interest.

http://www.unhcr.org/4e6490e79.html

http://www.walkingelephant.net/kenthao-de-monteiro-remembered.html

BTW, do you remember the story about Sean Flynn? Note his appearance towards the end of this INA clip from Svay Rieng in April of 1970.

http://www.ina.fr/video/CAF96061434/le-cambodge.fr.html

Would that be the last footage of him? A few more dated INA links are on

https://sites.google.com/site/sfogm9/home/cambodian-history-on-youtube

5

Cheers but my internet is slow as hell nowadays, it was good for a year or so...

6

So how come she knows so much about Cambodia?

It's sourced from BUAV and AFP articles that were written about wildlife trade in the region, not Cambodia. This means that it is misleading and the information and figures contained in her article don't actually refer to Cambodia at all.

http://www.buav.org/our-campaigns/primate-campaign/buav-primate-trade-investigations/chainofsuffering/animal-welfare-issues
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjvcBXK3BqTVjfV7tRm70051d0YA?docId=CNG.0118287405f303cd696d228734f858e3.2c1

7

#1 hankor, I don't care what you say. Soma Norodom is HOT! :-)

8

Have you been living in the wilderness of Alaska or something?

9

Yeah. For her updates, see her blog on

http://somanorodom.wordpress.com