<p>A U.S. Navy McDonnell F-4B-8-MC <i>Phantom II</i> (BuNo 148433) from Fighter Squadron VF-96 <i>Fighting Falcons</i> in flight over Laos. VF-96 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) aboard the aircraft carrier USS <i>Enterprise</i> (CVAN-65) for a deployment to Vietnam from 26 October 1965 to 21 June 1966.<br></p>
On 14 December 1964, operations in Laos named "Operation Barrel Roll" commenced, continuing with intermittent breaks until 29 March 1973. The U.S. Navy Task Force 77 joined USAF 2nd Air Division (later 7th Air Force) in covert air interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The operation became increasingly involved in providing close air support missions for Royal Lao Armed Forces, CIA-backed tribal mercenaries, and Thai "volunteers" in a covert ground war in northern and northeastern Laos.
Capt. Robert H. Glaves, U.S. Navy
circa 1966 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1966-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/AdvQuery.php">U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation</a> photo No. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=27134&amp;QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FAdvQuery.php">1996.253.7273.018</a>