Editing Civil Air Transport (section)

===Indochina Operations (1953–1954)===
CAT supported French forces during the First Indochina War against the Viet Minh. On May 1, 1953, under Operation Squaw, CAT airdropped supplies to French troops besieged at Na Sam, Laos, using C-119 Flying Boxcars loaned by the U.S. and hastily painted with French insignia. CAT pilots, unfamiliar with the aircraft, flew these dangerous missions, showcasing their adaptability.

In 1954, CAT was heavily involved at Dien Bien Phu, delivering supplies to French forces under intense anti-aircraft fire. Pilots like James McGovern and Wallace Buford were shot down during these missions, with McGovern and Buford killed in a crash near the Laos-Vietnam border. Buford’s earlier heroism, saving a wounded crewmember, was noted but not formally recognized due to his civilian status. Their bodies were later recovered by villagers and a French team. These operations underscored CAT’s role in high-risk CIA-backed missions.

A notable incident on July 23, 1954, involved a CAT C-46 flown by Cox and William Rousselot, attacked by Chinese forces near Hainan Island while en route from Hong Kong to Haiphong. This “Cathay-Pacific Incident” highlighted the dangers of CAT’s covert routes near communist territories.