Stinger Photo 26
Thai Baht Bus
Thai Baht Bus - A major mode of
transportation between NKP Air Base and the town of Nakohn Phanom.
(Photo courtesy of Andy Bright)
Side Note: SSgt Bill Petrie (IO) and MSgt Tony Caruso (G) were on the
verge of busting curfew one night while trying to get back to base. When the
Thai bus drivers refused to take a last bus to the base, Petrie hijacked a bus
and drove it to the main gate.
With the Thai bus driver screaming (because Petrie shut the door with the bus
driver on the outside and he was hanging on for dear life as they motored down
the road, Petrie eventually let him in), Petrie, wearing the bus drivers hat,
drove away with the bus while Caruso was collecting money (with the bus drivers
money changer) from drunks and stragglers the picked up along the way. Much
confusion reigned when they hit the Main gate at NKP.
As Thai and American security police rounded up people as they fell from the
bus, and tried to determine who broke the rear window, Petrie and Caruso made
good their escape by telling SP's in a nearby jeep they had to get back to the
hootch because they had an emergency gunship mission to fly.
The daring duo were driven to their hootch while everyone else was arrested.
Later reports had Caruso and Petrie drinking lots of coffee that night.