This color slide, faded with age, documents the defensive perimeter of a U.S. Air Force base in South Vietnam in 1965, home to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing during the early escalation of American airpower in the Vietnam War. A wooden watchtower and rows of barbed wire mark the base boundary, reflecting the constant vigilance required to protect airfields from infiltration and attack. Snapshots like this, taken informally by servicemen, offer an intimate, on-the-ground view of daily life and security routines at American air bases during the conflict. Project: 218282