Scope and Contents

Copy of a painting that President George Herbert Walker Bush personalized to Boyd Mesecher titled 'An Air Combat First' by Keith Woodcock depicts an Air America Bell 205 vs. a North Vietnam Air Force An-2 Colt on 12 January 1968 at Lima Site 85, Phou Pha Thi, Laos.

Biographical / Historical

Boyd D. Mesecher was born on January 24, 1933 in Webster City, Iowa. He volunteered in 1952 for the United States Navy, Aviation Branch. Mesecher did a total of four year service with the navy until 1956. He was discharged at the rank of E4 Aviation. Mesecher served in Southeast Asia from 1962 to 1980 with many organizations including Air America, CAT, CIA, and Air Asia. During the Vietnam War, he held the position of Air America Manager of Technical Services of all South Vietnam stationed in Saigon. For his service in Vietnam, he received the Letter of Commemoration from the CIA to Air America Employees, June 2001. After his involvement in the evacuation of Saigon on April 29, 1975 he was reemployed by Air Asia in Tainan, Taiwan for five more years.