Skip to main content

Duane Keele Collection

 Collection
Identifier: CA059-85

Scope and Content

This collections contains correspondence, memoranda, forms, manuals, booklets, newsletters, log books, ephemera, scrapbooks, clippings, articles, charts, audio mini-cassette tapes, moving images, and photographs that were collected and/or created by Duane Keele during his career with Air America. The Duane Keele Collection is housed in two manuscript boxes of various sizes totaling 0.6 linear ft.

The collection arrived in fair condition and was initially processed with only a container list as description. Due to a change of the content management system, further description proved to be necessary.

Box 1, Folder 1 contains correspondence, memoranda, and forms exchanged between Air America, Inc. as employer and Duane Keele as employee.

Folder 2 contains a Personnel Manual for American Employees to support new employees in their new environment.

Folder 3 contains a booklet Air America, Inc. Udorn, Thailand, American Personnel to support new employees in their new environement.

Folder 4 contains correspondence, drafts, articles, and ephemera in relation to the establishment of the Far East Pilots Association (FEPA).

Folder 5 contains the official publication of the Far East Piltos Association (FEPA).

Folder 6 contains Keele's pilot's log books.

Folder 7 contains information about cultural life in Southeast Asia.

Folder 8 contains ephemera from Laos and Thailand.

Folder 9 contains a safe conduct pass for downed American pilots in a combat zone in English and a Southeast Asian language.

Folder 10 contains various propaganda leaflets in a Southeast Asian language.

Folder 11 and 12 contain operational manuals for the Sikorsky UH 34D helicopter.

Folder 12 contains a Joint Operations Graphic (Air) map for Laos.

Folder 13 contains clippings and articles about Air America in Southeast Asia.

Box 2, Folder 1 and 2 contain DVDs vol 1-12 of Reunion scrapbooks, whose original are at The Vietnam Archives of Texas Tech University.

Folder 3 contains an article about foreign affairs in Southeast Asia.

Folder 4 contains images from a group of people being greeted by Air America personnel, landscapes, aerial views, buildings, and a wounded person on a stretcher.

Folder 5 contains four audio mini-cassette tapes containing interviews with Link Luckett and Clif Hendryx (tape no. 1); Wright and Straback (tape no. 2); Jeffries and Joseph F. Kerch, (tape no. 3); and June and David Crowell (tape no. 4); the Super 8 moving film depicts landscaps of Laos, aerial views of Pakse, and Mekong River, street scences of Udorn, family, and buildings (item no. 5); and one travel kit from JAL Airlines.

Folder 7 and 8 contain scrapbooks with clippings about Air America and Southesast Asia.

Dates

  • 1968 - 1973
  • Majority of material found within 1968 - 1971

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection are open for research.

Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish material from this collection in any form, current or future, must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Biographical Sketch

Milton Duane Keele was a Captain for rotor wing aircraft for Air America in Udorn, Thailand from May 29, 1968 through December 31, 1973, when he separated from the company.

He flew extensively in Laos and was also active in the Far East Pilots Association (FEPA).

Sources

Source
"Jerry Fink Collection," Air America Roster, Folder 1, Box 32, History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Extent

1.3 Linear Feet (One manuscript box, one half-size manuscript box, and three film cans (7.5x1.0.)

Abstract

Milton Duane Keele was a Captain for rotor wing aircraft for Air America in Udorn, Thailand from May 29, 1968 through December 31, 1973, when he separated from the company.

Series Description

The archivist kept the original organization intact without any further arrangement.

Provenance Statement

The Duane Keele Collection was donated to the History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas, by Duane Keele in multiple accessions from 1985 through 2005.

Existence and Location of Originals

Originals of the scrapbooks vol. 1-12, Box 2, Folder 1-2, are at The Vietnam Archives of Texas Tech University.

Existence and Location of Copies

Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online: https://utdallas.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01UT_DALLAS:UTDALMA&inst=01UT_DALLAS&collectionId=81305330310001421

Additional Sources

Additional information can be found in the History of Aviation Archives in the following collections:

Civil Air Transport/Air America Archives

Duane Keele Collection (1295) Finding Aid, Duane Keele Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=12950000000

Books/Magazines

Books and magazines were pulled and cataloged to be included into the HAC monograph and magazine collection.

Image ID

It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission from copyright holders of materials to which this institution does not own copyright.

Images in this collection are identified by a unique number that provides information about the format, record group, collection, series, box, folder, and image numbers. Please use this number when ordering reproductions of images from this collection.

Record Group Code

01 = CAT/Air American Archives

02 = Doolittle Archives

03 = Lighter than Air Archives

04 = George H. Williams, Jr., World War I Aviation Library

05 = History of Aviation Archives

06 = University Archives

07 = HAC Stacks

08 = WPRL Stacks

09 = Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Collection

10 = Belsterling Collection

11 = Closed Stacks

12 = Unidentified

13 = Chance Vought Archives

14 = Twirly Birds Archives

Image Format Code

P = Photograph/Postcard

S = Slide

N = Negative

T = Positive Transparency

B = Black and White

C = Color

Example: 01MDK-01-01-PB001

01 = CAT/Air American Archives

MDK= (Milton) Duane Keele Collection

01 = Box Number

01 = Folder Number

P = Photograph/Postcard

B = Black and White

001 = Image Number

Images archived in plastic image holders may also have a location code in the format: 1/TL. In this example, the number is the sheet number and the letters indicate the top left position on the sheet. Position indicators are T = top, L = left, R = right, M = middle, and B = bottom. Position indicators may be combined to describe the position on the sheet, as shown in this example.

Title
Guide to the Duane Keele Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Nava, Patrizia, 1960-
Date
2018-12-04
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English (eng)
Edition statement
First revision by Patrizia Nava, CA. 2018-12-04. Second revision by Patrizia Nava, CA. 2019-11-06. Third revision by Patrizia Nava, CA. 2022-09-27.

Revision Statements

  • 2018-12-04: 1st revision was a migration to ArchivesSpace by Patrizia Nava, CA.
  • 2019-11-06: 2nd revision was an update of the collection number by Patrizia Nava, CA.
  • 2022-09-27: 3rd revision was incorporating the moving film to the collection by Patrizia Nava, CA.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives Division, History of Aviation Archives. Repository

Contact:
3020 Waterview Pkwy
SP2
Suite 11.206
Richardson Texas 75080 US
972-883-2570