camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968

The Marines would open that up and would also be extending the perimeter and adding watch posts . I spent 1968-72 in the US Navy, as a Corpsman (Medic). Well, the Camp Tein Sha barracks got me for Friday, and Saturday. the fresh meat so what do I know about it. What ever it was we were done by shortly after 1600 hr. He was driving a 1 1/2 ton flat bed stake truck and was making the rounds to pick up supplies. Sunday late afternoons we were able to get over to the Red Beach causeway and get in some water sessions. Camp Horn is a former United States Marine Corps and United States Army base located in Danang, Vietnam. sat idle. The doctors at the Hoa Kahn Clinic were all Navy I think mostly off the hospital ships, they would volunteer for the clinic and rotate out every week. just out of the picture on the right. The doc had no idea but it was a sure thing she was going to die. I was one of the unlucky ones who ended up shoveling a lot of shit! TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Hi Dan, I've always On 27 February 1969 a People's Army of Vietnam rocket hit LCU-1500 while it was loading at the Bridge Cargo Ramp killing 13 crewmen. Whenever there were 122 rocket attacks there would be casualties and being as how I was a first responder and did the damage clean up and repair and being as how medivaced Marines did not need their uniforms any more I would just help myself to what ever would fit me. Just to the right of I always had hot meals and a warm bed. It was losing altitude and we were wondering if they would make it. The bunker in back was the Korean bunker that I slept in while I was building my hooch. This is our new Chief Builder. Danang. Bruce Moore says he first returned from a 13-month stint in the Vietnam War to a "poor response." "We were at Norton Air Force Base. It turned 90 degrees to the right and touched down between two rows of concertina wire in the middle of the perimeter. Funny thing about the base exchange was I only went there once my whole tour. about culture clash!) who manned the PTF base at night used for transportation to and from The scarcity of lighterage and the heavy weather that often buffeted the harbor made ship-to-craft cargo transfers hazardous and inefficient. Marine guns up to the DMZ, we looked like shoe boxes eith long gun When we arrived at Red Beach the Seabee team shop was a mad house. While base facilities were under construction, the fleet deployed to Danang LSTs, a Landing Ship Dock (LSD) and an Attack Transport (APA), the latter for quartering and messing NSA personnel. The On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They had to be manned 24 hours a day. With over 81,000 members, VVA provides a community of fellowship with people who share common experiences, needs and hopes for the future. The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto trucks instead of offloading into Lighters while anchored in the harbor. time does that. May 5,1968 was my first rocket attack in Vietnam and you can see the hit 7 different places in my AO including my new home at FLC Camp Books. Another thing that screwed up the night for us was our night radio, phone watch, it was a real bitch ! I was in Vietnam from November 3, 1968, through November 7, 1969. This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Soon we came to the bridge across the Han River. The next weekend I asked about the farmer ? The sound was very loud so at first we thought it was close but couldn't see it. And [4]:2[2], In August 1967, the headquarters of NSA Danang was moved from downtown Danang to Camp Tien Sha. Mountain. Suddenly the helicopter went nose high and stopped going forward. The building site was about 150 yards outside of the north perimeter and the perimeter had not been opened up yet. NMCB THREE Main Body Flights consisting of three passenger . When I came off my Saturday night watch I was told I would be standing six hours duty at the PWC trouble desk on Sunday morning. The Magazine was found This was the closest skivvy house to Camp Books , a very short walk. I had orders in September 1966 to go to boat part would be housed in supply Nang officers billeting ! To add your photos, please email them to [email protected]. with Calif. [3] NSA Danang originally operated from a commercial pier on the city side of the Hn River and this "Museum Ramp" (160300N 1081328E / 16.05N 108.2245E / 16.05; 108.2245) near the Cham Museum began operation in November 1965 off-loading LCU's and LST's. while we were starting the wall framing we heard the sound of a UH-1 helicopter. Drawing what it is like now. The events highlighted in yellow directly affected me. ( the rules for Camp Books were that to be off base you had to have a weapon). k. All terrain forklifts would scurry back and forth off After our three big generators and fuel tank were up and running that area became a target for the VC. Bombardier Jan 17, 2016 I bet they had to patrol that high ground a lot though Media information Category Images of Vietnam Added by nstar48 Date added Jan 30, 2008 View count 16,033 2 [email protected]. ptfnasty.com and the DaNang section, Some of the rocket attacks were on Camp Books (FLC) . Yes that's me smiling up from the 122mm rocket crater. snakes and other items of entertainment. The PTFs, under Vietnamese officers and crews, conducted over 1,000 raids against North Vietnam from March-April 1964 to January 1972. As soon as they caught on they would take on that task and I would move on to the next. readers. meand I translated it to this map. really care. [2] There was to much noise from the generators and air conditioner to hear the rockets explode or the warning siren go off . Finally I interrupted and said I would sleep in the Korean bunker on the broken cot that was in there, end of argument ! June 29, 2022; creative careers quiz; ken thompson net worth unix There was about a weeks over lap so the knew Chief could learn his job! I was face down on the road under the edge of the truck with my foot stuck under the clutch peddle. I set up a course We had fox holes around the generators and fuel tank and I would sit there looking up at that big ass fuel tank thinking that if the VC hit that with a RPG (rocket propelled grenade) I was going to be turned into a crispy critter. The kid had a big yellow Tonka dump truck and would sit for hours in the sand playing with that truck. James L Chambers (cause of death,misadventure). "Supply" at Camp Fay John arrived here on November 21, 1968 and left December 22, 1969, thirteen months later. (my home base). The argument got pretty heated. On May 15 I had finished 6 or 8 escape doors. They made runs north to Cua Viet at the mouth of the river (80 miles north of DaNang and 6 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone) and then upriver eight miles to Dong Ha to haul cannon ammunition to the marines. arrive there again.. Joe Witmeyer shares this 50th morning. iwas in the 1097th med boat co. dongtam,vietnam 1968 towed 3rd 34th artery barges up down the canels moble riverine force 9th inf divion, caption wild was incharge The were riding shotgun on truck convoys to and from Danang to Quang Tri Province. I was to hear FNG About a mile out the crew started kicking boxes out the doors. I'm at camp Tien Sha at Da Nang now. The enlisted head The rest of my tour I did what every good Seabee team would do, I stole them ! After the bones were cut the Doc tied off all the bleeders and removed the hemostats . Everyone had his turf marked out and nobody was willing to give any for me. I had plenty of time to take it all in and it was very UN-nerving. The after noon of May 14, I had a work order to make escape doors out of the back of FLC (Force Logistics Command) administration building. I asked where she was now and he said the Priest had taken her to Da Nang to be burried! He expired nine days later. When we got there the doc wanted to show us around. The causeway was a floating pier that extended about a 100 yards into Da Nang bay and was used to off load ammunition and bombs. Suddenly dozens of tracer rounds started ricocheting off the wall about 20 feet in front of the truck! It was what those I had to make a quick exit when the patients got excited when I walked towards the main ward! This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command. All the stuff that related to the . Surprisingly, I never step foot on a ship, I was always stationed in Navy hospitals. These positive relations were largely a reflection of the fact that black and white soldiers in combat were heavily dependent on one another. There hours were 0800 to1700 so it was impossible for me to go. say I rarely ventured onto the left T are sections in the book about Camp Tien Sha, Cua Viet, Dong Ha, Tan My, Hue, Phu Bai, Chu Lai, and Sa Huynh. There was a young mother with several kid and grandma and grandpa. The There were so many sound at night and for my own safety I had to learn them all. Now I know where Barbee is but where is Babyson? Then walk the length of pier re-installing any buffer pads that might have come out. If there was any heavy weather and to many buffer pads were jumping out I would have to go back to the hooch and roust out a work crew. No. camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968. identified as "enlisted head." a small cargo plane in the middle of the night, all I The villagers brought each one of us Seabees a Tiger Beer before we left for Camp Books. Beerworth dropped us at 1st MPs. The two guys shot in the skivvy house that night were, Pvt. Had fun there, especially since I had to wear civilian clothes. Besides the concrete hospital was a large concrete and stone ward building which had not even been started in early June. The Doc first put surgical tourniquets on and took the belts off. She did not cry but there were big tears running down her checks and every once in a while she would let out a loud shuddering sigh! This is the poem I wrote about the little girl who died from gangrene. Statewide Water Diversion and Fish Passage Coordinator (Senior The Doc started by cutting the legs off. Rank Among Most Heavily Sprayed Provinces in Vietnam. He spent the night at the shop bunker by himself , totally confused as to what was going on. I just haven't had time for any more. As tired as I was I never got much sleep. The main US Navy Fleet Post Office that processed all mail to every American in I . I actually took the class in 1965 but at that time you had to be 18 years old to get a Scuba Certification. It was kind of like the work orders I got. waiting in transit at the Long Beach Naval Station, I got orders to because of all the flares in the mountains next to the base. It is very likely this was were the Marines were killed . C Chi tunnels. There was a Marine listening ambush set up outside the perimeter in that area. roof. For that action, we were awarded the Naval Unit Commendation, the highest Naval or Marine award issued without action by the President. Provinces. I didn't Memoir of my time served with the Navy at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang, during the Vietnam war. and created an overlay of the changes to the harbor, which was The plane started to drop, going in steep and fast. You are a builder so Beerworth or Yost will be who you report too." It was to late to get him settled in because we were so incredibly busy with rocket attack damage. Coate was not there to know about Puppy. camp where you get sheared. Let me tell you that wasn't fun at all. [2] If I wanted something I had to have Bet or Ski pick it up. Total Area Sprayed (sq. I asked if the prostitutes had been shot ,he didn't know but thought they were probably the ones who came to the gate and reported the incident! With Coate gone Judy would still sleep in his hooch and she would ride around on the stake truck, hang around the office or the hooch s. Judy hated Marines, and Vietnamese men but she was alright with Vietnamese women as long as they treated her nice. Was I scared ? There were 6 area work centers in the Da Nang AO . He had a little Vietnamese kid with him about 8 years old. The village it refers to was just north of Camp Books. The Seabee team had 8 junior men in one hootch and 4 senior men in the second hootch. When I found out about that I went with Bet to talk to that officer. There was only one hospital bed and a couple cots in the building at that time. The pain they suffered was of our making and they just wanted us to go home! march in columns of two over to that building. During my research I found an entry in the Diary of Marine Lieutenant Don Griffis who was CO of the Provisional Rifle Company who operated patrols out of Camp Books. Thursday morning we stripped the forms and started building the framing of the first building. The fire was caused by a Air or artillery white phosphorus flare ( WP). [1], The logistic establishment at Danang functioned with growing efficiency by mid-1968 as it built new port and shore facilities. So I took a trip in September 2016 back of the enclosure with a "shower heads all in an area I'd call around When I got to the gate it was a little past curfew and the guard started to give me some shit and wanted my travel chit. in Subic and got a pro hair cut. The hooch in back is the doctors office and residents. Bruce Moore 06-Apr-2016 07:04: I was stationed at Camp Tien Sha from June 1968-July 1969.,I was a BU3 attached to the US Naval Support Activities Danang.I lived in barracks #35 which was on the backside of Camp Tien Sha.I was in barracks #35 when the Rocket and mortar attack began.we had a material storage yard directly behind the barracks that was hit with incoming rounds.I also, as a . afford at the time and they taught me a lot about handling vehicles. Historian, US Navy Seabee Museum. and I was just finishing up the door. He praised me for staying calm and I had done good then he said I should go outside and sit down as I was looking a little green around the gills! for references to information received from Use tab to navigate through the menu items. I forgotten how much it sucked being there? get a mailing address via email from Chip and Naval Support Activity (NSA) Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965. The wounded man was the Mess Sargent who was the only one at the mess hall at the time. I was going to start building my own hooch so I would have a place to sleep ! and Captain David A . I sure didn't void Maybe 6 on a side. We went through the gate, down Main Street, took a left and stopped in front of a small building that looked like a hamburger stand. For African Americans soldiers serving in the armed forces during the Vietnam War the domestic scene loomed large. Only 364 more days to go! [1], U.S. NSA Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965 under the operational control of Commander, III MAF. There were two supply tents up there and when the Field Marines (grunts) would come in from the bush they would strip off all their dirty clothes and throw them in piles in one tent then go into the other tent and pick up clean uniforms. to pull a copy and edit in the it, there were about a dozen shower Link to video tour of . The lumber and wood crates in upper right was the start of our lumber yard. Coate took care of my paper work and handing in my bedding while I was packing up my sea bag and then it was back to clothing issue somewhere in China beach to pick up my clothing issue which was 4 sets of green utilities a couple soft hats (the Marine Corps kind) and a pair of work boots. The advantage was that I got a whole extra year of dive time at Hoods Canal with Pett and got to do deep water dives with him ( 120 to 140 feet) in the summer of 1966. Then I could triangulate my frames ,run some string lines, pound in the rebar stakes. Remember the talk we got about staying away from the prostitutes that I got my first day in Vietnam? ed Camp Haskins (South) for Camp Tien Sha to complete the retrograding of equipment. heads" but they were always stolen [1] In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha at the foot of Monkey Mountain. You will use the chain of command ,don't come to me. I knew I wasn't in Kansas. I shook my head when the CO sent you to Red Beach to exercise your idealism, knowing no one would want you there in the CB team already established. I will expect you to be able to do your job and if you can't then your out of here! I turned 20 years old and of coarse it went un- noticed although I had gotten a care package from Annett Burrel, a couple surfing magazines from my brother Jay and a birthday card from my girl friend Linda! We had to give Puppy away as we were not even supposed to have a dog. to develop this map. I would share it with my team mates but a lot of it I gave to the Vietnamese children at the Clinic or whenever I worked off base. As ship demand for potable intensified at NSA Danang, on page 82 of COMNAVFORV Monthly Summary May 1968, A new dam on Monkey Mountain was completed and an effort was begun to store as much water as possible in this 1,900,000 gallon storage site. Our generators were not even running yet so I heard the rocket coming in. Maybe it's just me. camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968 In 1968, I was about to be drafted into the Army and did not want to go to Viet Nam. That episode followed rioting along China Beach by black . Whatever, I was very "Ya, there has been a sniper shooting at the fence crew every morning for the past week. I couldn't grasp what was going on at the time. I believe that on May 21 we had hits to the sick bay which was a big rebuild job. My Vietnamese workers were hunkered down by the lumber pile about 30 ft from me.Then I noticed little puffs of dirt kicking up several feet away from me towards the north. T is a history of NSA in Vietnam, which by 1969 was the Navy's largest overseas command with the largest public works department in the world. Stephen was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving state side and in Vietnam at Camp Tien Sha, Danang. Gallons of Herbicides Sprayed. DaNang aerial photograph It was reported in an Email that National Geographic Magazine somewhere between Jan. 1967 and June 1968 had an aerial photograph of DaNang with enough detail to get the CIA uptight. Here is the satellite view of any old charts, photos or drawings of the PTF In other words, if you could drive a Corvair fast and survive you blocked. There was the real possibility of hitting a mine or being ambushed by the VC (it happened more often then I would like to think about) . whatever you say Mr. It was kind of a taste of what we would get when the monsoons came in September. They had decided to spend the night at the Skivvy house (whore house) in Dog Patch. Then he could pick my guys up and pick up materials to build my hooch. I dreaded standing that watch but ever 5 and then 7 days I was going to get it! Camp Tien Sha is a former United States Navy base located in Danang, Vietnam. Chn Thnh Camp. Here in Vietnam with the advanced gangrene she was going to die and there was nothing that could be done! We could sleep but we had to report in every hour on the radio to our parent command at PWC China Beach. corner and pretty balanced oversteer under power out of the corners. Within a hundred feet of the generators. It was about the most insane thing I had ever experienced and was hard for my mind to grasp what had just happened. Guard shacks along the pipe line to the ESSO fuel plant, Oil Tanker off loading at the ESSO fuel plant. It was time to go look for some food! I served until 1970. I wanted to know everything about what happened to those Marines. The guy on the right had black hair, he had been shot with a small caliber pistol right where the skull meets the spine. The flares were often still burning when they hit the ground. It had been a very busy month with a lot of things happening. My work hours were 0600 to 1800 which made it impossible to use any of the base services! So just go back to work and keep moving so he doesn't have a stationary target and you should be OK!" New year found They were trying to fly that chopper to the safety of Camp Books. Looking back, have This is my Poem about the farmer who stepped on the mine. thought about was the airbase in Danang was under attack, The port of Danang contained only three small piers, three Landing Ship, Tank (LST) ramps and a stone quay that were inaccessible to oceangoing vessels; even smaller craft had trouble approaching. [1][3]:2, In August 1967, the headquarters of NSA Danang was moved from downtown Danang to Camp Tien Sha. 44 Declassified Vietnam War Photos Taken By U.S. Army Photographers View Gallery History is not a fixed set of facts. At the base of Monkey mountain was Camp Tien Sha, the main Navy base. a lot in Vietnam. Catecka Base Camp. The cot had a broken leg so I had to prop it up with a sand bag and it was missing one end piece so it just wanted to fold up on me when I laid on it. The sound had carried down the valley making it sound very close, then it would die down then get loud again, very strange how the sound bounced around the walls of the valley. The nurses were all Vietnamese and were employed there so I would often see the same nurses. [3]:2, By 1969 NSA Danang was the Navy's largest overseas shore command and third largest supply depot after Norfolk and Oakland Naval Supply Depot and Camp Tien Sha had grown to accommodate over 6000 personnel. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Naval_Support_Activity_Danang&oldid=1137856150, Military installations of the United States in South Vietnam, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Naval History & Heritage Command, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 20:12. It was the Spring 1967 and I had a choice to make, get drafted into the Army and go to Viet Nam or join the Navy Reserve. I guess that is why there were a lot of E-2 in the Marines. there. The U.S. Navy established the MST-1 detachment to train Vietnamese crews and maintain PTFs in February 1964. quarters. You'll see the plumes of smoke, fireballs and falling debris from the explosion of the DaNang ammo dump on April 27, 1969 -- and close ups of some of the damage to buildings and barracks. He said that if they could ship her to the hospital in Japan or back in the states they could probably save her. At Freedom Hill you'll see some panoramic shots of the base and buildings (USO Club, ), likewise at Tien Sha (Snoopy's Chicken Hut, Acey Ducey Club). There was one thing that bothered me about Tien Sha. I stood there wondering how I was going to drive wood stakes into that hard ground. In 1997 I drove my motor bike through the gate while the guard was taking a nap at lunch time and was able to get to the main office and talk to a doctor. I went out and sat on my toolbox and thought about what I had just experienced. I dont know a damn thing so click here or click "back" until you I am searching for anyone who may recall serving with me in the Seabees at Camp Tien Sha, Da Nang between 1969-1971. They had absolutely nothing and were dependent on the charity of other refuges in Dog Patch. January 30, 1968 marked the beginning of the Tet Offensive. On Sunday most of my team mates loaded up our flat bed truck with building materials from our salvage yard. really an enclosure. side was a area called Bridge Ramp which was where the Navy LSTs would pull in When he was all loaded he told them one of the other drivers had the paper work and while they were trying to hunt down the papers he just drove away. [6], In April 1972 all US Navy facilities in Danang were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy.[1]. It was more the "ambulance" configuration with a We were supposed to protect our base generators and fuel tank from sappers. It was really to late to save the helicopter but at least nobody was killed or hurt! to my new cubicle and dressed in my slightly used green utility working There was outgoing mortar rounds and incoming. Danang was handling more tonnage than the port of Baltimore at the time. Do the job, get it done right and then sign off the work order and move on to the next one. I experienced rocket attacks, an ammunition dump explosion, total boredom, drug busts, police raids, China Beach, and the birth of my daughter, Rebecca. Chapel? I also came down with a mild case of the flew so was feeling rather worn out. was the building directly adjoining I remember one time showering in The fleet also managed logistic operations at these locations. Over 130 rough terrain and warehouse forklifts and 20 cranes eased cargo handling. PTF base at after working hours. I was able to remain calm and under control and do what ever he told me but inside I was on the edge of losing it! uniform. The number of rockets are probably plus or minus a couple rockets. I was at Camp Tien Sha from June '69 until Feb '70. Detachment Chu Lai - 1964 - 1971. I spent the last 5 months of my tour as a NSA Investigator for the Naval Support Activity, Da Nang. So that's what I did, went back to work. Her husband was an ARVN soldier who had been killed. It was a real learning experience for the three of us. Ok, I I do web work now and I want to help you fix your articles so people can read them easier.I'm not asking to get paid I just want to do something for you. Coate introduced me to a Chief Boatswain Mate who was our executive officer.The Commanding officer wasn't there( a lieutenant Junior Grade.) of the guys took to securing a History [ edit ] Following the initial landing of Marines in South Vietnam on 8 March 1965, the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (9th MEB) established their headquarters in an old French Army compound on the western edge of Da Nang Air Base . Between 1969 and 1971 hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents of racial violence occurred in and around American military bases Work started at 0700 hr and we got off at 1700 hr. Another interesting point is the H&S Co. area or any of the DaNang area, I will continue I joined the Navy Reserve and went to Viet Nam anyway. On 1 April 1966 Naval Forces Vietnam was established in Saigon and assumed control of NSA Danang from III MAF. on the National Geographic Magazine information beyond what we already have. Cat Lo Naval Base. You forget the bad things and you remember the good and their 155 and 175 guns. He told me step by step every detail. Pretty big load for As I remember Some morning I would be more tired when I woke up than when I went to bed. The Marines in that ambush had fired on me to scare me because they thought I was the duty officer making the rounds. Well I never did hear from Barbee. technical and supply stuff. Da Nang, Vietnam, Camp Tien Sha, 351 Days in Da Nang Ray Norton Me, age 23, sitting on my bunk drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. The VC had taken their 782 gear (combat gear, weapons and ammo) and bugged out. Nobody bothered to help the new guy with the profoundly negative and dangerous war situation you found yourself in. Here is the battalion report for May 1968. So off to Camp Tien Sha to get my gear and check out. Pett George my ex UDT instructor allowed me to go through the class early being as how my older brother Jay and my Dad were going through the class too. Late in the day we had built them a nice hootch and had them moved in. Coate gave me two sets of shorts and short sleeve shirts. History U.S. The second floor office was just being framed up . 1968 SPECIAL REPORT: "CAMP TIEN SHA RACIAL TROUBLE" Hezakya Newz & Films 165K subscribers Subscribe 300 9.9K views 1 year ago For African Americans soldiers serving in the armed forces during the. I donated money several times while at Camp Books. Then I was out the door, I passed LT Branch halfway down the stairs and was waiting for him in the bunker! Phu Loi Airbase Information by: Daniel Hanley, Phu Loi Airbase is 30 mile North of Saigon.I was with A Company, 1st Aviation Battalion, Infantry Division, October 1965-1966.