During the Vietnam War, the defense of
Air Bases mirrored the conflict itself: There was no rear echelon once
the entire country became a battlefield. Air Bases relatively,
unaffected by ground forces in past wars, were no longer considered safe
havens. They, too, suffered from costly ground assaults and mortar shelling.
Within easy reach of North Vietnamese troops, Air Bases in Vietnam and
Thailand were attacked 478 times from 1964 to 1973. One hundred and
fifty-five Americans were killed and 1,702 wounded, along with 375 allied
aircraft being destroyed and 1,203 damaged. In fact, more U.S. planes were
lost in ground action (101) than in dogfights with MIGs (62).
Biên Hòa Air Base, located 15 miles north of Saigon, was the first U.S. Air Base in Vietnam to taste the damage a small, well-trained force can inflict.
A hit-and-run mortar attack destroyed five B-57 bombers and damaged 15
others. The Viet Cong, in less than five minutes, wiped out an entire
squadron.
The attack hammered home a hard message. To fight in the air, the Air Force
had to be able to fight on the ground."
Above Published in AF Times
The city of Đà Nàng AB is located on the coast of the South China Sea. It is 764
kilometers South of Hanoi and 964 kilometers North of Saigon. Đà Nàng AB borders Thua Thien - Huế Province to the north, Quang Nam
Province to the south and southwest, and the Pacific Ocean to the
east. Early in the Viet
Nam War the city had been the site of a large Vietnamese Air Base. The French
had built the base when Vietnam was a colony. Several large concrete bunkers
remained from their conflict with the communist. American involvement in the war
was expanded when General Westmoreland ordered US Marines to land at Đà Nàng AB.
The air and navy base was considered too important. On March 8, 1965 units of
the 2nd and 3rd battalions, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed from a Navy
Task force of four ships. The marines came ashore in full battle gear prepared
for an immediate battle. Instead, they were greeted by Vietnamese girls greeted
them, hanging leis of yellow dahlias and red gladioli around their necks. The
Mayor of Đà Nàng AB and the Vietnamese General were on the beach to welcome them.
The marines erected a defensive perimeter around the airfield.
The first Air Force C-130 transports soon landed, diving sharply to avoid
small arms fire. They contained the 1st Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment from
Okinawa. The marines could scarcely believe that this was a war-torn nation.
Peaceful rice fields, villages, and bamboo groves were located close to the
base. The marines soon learned that in Vietnam the war happened after
nightfall. During the first night the sounds of grenades, mortars, and gunfire
erupted.
Air Force personnel arrived, with Security Police assuming responsibility for
their share of the base perimeter. Tents were erected and construction was
started on the base infrastructure. Within several years the base had all the
comfort of home. Including bunkers to offer protection from the rocket and
mortar attacks. In 1968 or 69, The Security Police moved out of tents and lived
in barracks built by the French.
In 1967 or 1968 a second runway was built parallel to the original runway. Đà Nàng Air Base was described as the busiest airport in the world. Transport
aircraft and fighters took off and landed around the clock. The base had two
bomb dumps located inside the base and two large POL tank farms. Both the Air
Force and the Marines had larger bomb dumps located off base. These would be
destroyed at least twice during the war. The VC often aimed their rockets at the
POL tanks and ammo/bomb dumps.
Aircraft from the base supported Marine units in the northern section of
South Vietnam. Both the Air Force and Marine Air Wing at Đà Nàng AB flew F-4
Phantom fighters. The Air Force also used C-130 "Hercules" and C-127
"Caribou" transport aircraft to supply the small firebases in the
highlands. The base was also home for one of the famous "Spooky"
aircraft.
Over it's lifetime, four Security Police units were
assigned to Đà Nàng AB. Usually when these changes occurred, all personnel
remained, just the unit name (or number) was changed. It's a military
thing! Đà Nàng AB was the home of the 28th, 35th, 366th,
and the 6498th.