"Last Flag To Fly Over Tan Son Nhut Air Base
   By:  Johnnie Jernigan

   As you may remember from the Dayton TSNA Reunion in 2007, we had a very special guest,
   the last flag to fly over TSN.  Colonel David “Digger” Odell, the last base commander of Tan
   Son Nhut, retrieved it when TSN closed on March 29, 1973 and brought back to the states.

   After his passing (RIP) his sister, Mary Ruth Odell Barton wanted the flag to be preserved in a
   place of honor and arrangements were made to present it to the National Museum of the
   United States Air Force.

   Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles D. Metcalf, a Tan Son Nhut Vietnam Vet and director of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, accepted the flag at a ceremony attended by many, including TSNA members and guests.

   A large contingency of local active duty personnel also attended to pay tribute to the flag and what it stands for.

   Wayne Salisbury, the TSNA President at that time, requested that we be allowed to “borrow” the flag so we could honor it at our banquet that Saturday evening.    Gen. Metcalf gave his OK and arrangements were made to safeguard it until its return Monday AM.    It was presented to the banquet attendees and put in a place of honor.    Many pictures were taken including the one above.

   That was then and this is now.  Since I live in Beavercreek OH, I have the privilege of visiting the Museum any time I have out-of-town company.

   Each time I have visited since the flag was given to the museum in 2007, I make it a point to look for it in the area where a display of flags that flew for the last time over a base are displayed.

   The name of this display is:  “Coming Home:  The US exits Southeast Asia.”  Each time there were five flags in the display.  Flags from:

   1.  U Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
   2.  Ko Kha Air Station
   3.  Ubon Royal Thai Air Base
   4.  Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
   5.  Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base

   All located in Thailand occupied this display case.

   I had company last weekend and we visited the Museum again.

  As I approached the area that has the display I was surprised to see six flags in the case.    I was hoping against hope that the Tan Son Nhut flag had been preserved and put on display.

  As I approached the display and saw that number 6 was in fact the Tan Son Nhut flag, chills ran down my spine.

  It brought back memories on my time at TSN, the Dayton TSNA Reunion, and the flag at the place of honor at the banquet.

    I have included the following pictures.

   
   This is the plaque in the bottom of the flag case.