camp tien sha danang, vietnam 1968heart 1980 tour dates
Anyone who tried to open that door without giving our pass word would have been shot. [ Base When I got on the bus to Camp Tien Sha (the one with chicken wiure on the windows) I knew I wasn't in Kansas. Lieutenant Colonel Leonard A. Blasiol, U.S. Marine Corps . 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. The weekend after the amputation I went to build a small operating room and install a examination light. 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. Then he could pick my guys up and pick up materials to build my hooch. I had my sailboat and some Then there were the incoming Rockets, we had three big generators and fuel tank and we were a bulls eye. Camp Tien Sha, Vietnam. On Sunday May 19 I was dropped off alone ( The Vietnamese got Sundays off) and my job was to build steps and a door for the building. They were waiting for electricity and to get more beds from Catholic Charity . China Beach, Vietnam. After he was medivaced one young labor worker(Baby son) would ask me every morning If I had heard how Barbee was and if I got a letter from him. Coate was not there to know about Puppy. The scarcity of lighterage and the heavy weather that often buffeted the harbor made ship-to-craft cargo transfers hazardous and inefficient. Alan Everyone was busy as hell and I didn't have any idea as to what was going on. It The shop door are between the 2 telephone poles. It's a win-win, and it's why everything on iStock is only available royalty-free including all, Royalty-free licenses are the best option for anyone who needs to use stock images commercially, which is why every file on iStock whether its a, From social media ads to billboards, PowerPoint presentations to feature films, you're free to modify, resize and customize every asset on iStock including all. OK, Im new here, the rooky, This comment has been removed by the author. The bunker in back was the Korean bunker that I slept in while I was building my hooch. configured jeep. Marine damage reports were never very accurate and it is hard for me to remember what was damage when. Danang had become the largest fuel complex in South Vietnam capable of holding over 500,000 barrels. It had 4 windows so I went to the window for H. I handed the clerk my records pack. DaNang Harbor. [3]:33, In mid-October 1968 the Deep Water Pier complex (160712N 1081250E / 16.12N 108.214E / 16.12; 108.214) on the Tien Sha peninsula was completed, beginning operations in September 1968. It was more the "ambulance" configuration with a After our three big generators and fuel tank were up and running that area became a target for the VC. what it is like now. The Post office was about 75 yards from my hootch. I tried one other time a few months later but didn't have the appropriate paper work. boat part would be housed in supply layout - (07-07-02) and went on I joined the Navy Reserve and went to Viet Nam anyway. Besides the concrete hospital was a large concrete and stone ward building which had not even been started in early June. He spent the night at the shop bunker by himself , totally confused as to what was going on. the bus to Camp Tien Sha (the one with chicken wiure on the windows) So on the hour we would get a call. As he cut them off he threw them in the corner beside the shelf and I can remember how strange they looked leaning against the wall! [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. You are a builder so Beerworth or Yost will be who you report too." the late 60's and early 70's. You have destroyed my country and my family! there. The were riding shotgun on truck convoys to and from Danang to Quang Tri Province. Ch Linh Camp. . We are the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1122, based in Collin County, Texas. When the Doc was finished he told me I could remove the stick. And there were certainly good things there, at least in the I am sure this little girl will be my last thought when I punch out from this world. care of the base. The course is a model in how to survive, and how to come home with honor. Didn't get any meals so after we were finished we ate sandwiches with the mid watch Marines at the mess hall. If you are able to extract the I set up a course There hours were 0800 to1700 so it was impossible for me to go. ( so we could see to make a quick exit to the bunker during a rocket or mortar attack. Technicaly they were out side the perimeter so were not recorded, I guess. right , Huan one of my carpenters. In the future I Go through their front gate then out their back gate to the causeway. I had a ball throwing that jeep There were no boat parts in supply There were no more shots that day but there would be on the next two mornings. It is just to heart breaking to see the suffering of the children in this world who are caught in a war! Catecka Base Camp. I'm sorry my last letter to you was so abruptly ended, but I figured I'd best get it sent, otherwise you'd still be waiting. navy was the hair thing. heads all in an area I'd call around It took six and one half days to finish that hooch (later with a full crew it would usually take us four days to build a hooch). Pham Ba went around back to take a pee. There were other things to screw up the nights. 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. The doctor and nurse came out of the clinic. Every tree trunk was painted white, every rock was neatly lined up along the The Magazine was found Our boat and one other transported the side was a barge with a sign. specialty up the Cua Viet to Dong Ha, where we supported the Marines So I would start the mornings dancing around the job site until the sniper was done and then we would get to work. The wounded man was the Mess Sargent who was the only one at the mess hall at the time. Boy life was improving a lot. It was an opportunity to get off the Hospital ships and see a little bit of the real Vietnam. It was to late to get him settled in because we were so incredibly busy with rocket attack damage. The Marines slept 12 to 14 men in a hootch. me at Port Services, then I was tasked with setting up a chart (and to pull a copy and edit in the As I remember I was probably in as much in shock as the farmer. pilot said that was to avoid being shot at by the VC. I suppose we had a good conversation but don't have a clue of what. I was to hear FNG morning. submariines (SS) designated. The usual row of sinks, toilets and Camp Tien Sha Stock Photo - Download Image Now - Vietnam, Military Base, 1968. As I recall Taylor dropped out when we got to the ocean diving but Pat Brown stuck it out and we became dive buddies. We took 2 122mm rockets about where the crates are. 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. He was honorably discharged in 1968 after completing his tour in Vietnam, as Petty . Later after they landed it became obvious that they were throwing out the ammo boxes so they wouldn't explode when they landed. Because I had to fend for myself I did help the newbies who moved into my hooch. On Friday I left the shop at 1800hr and went to the Children's Clinic. Detachment Chu Lai - 1964 - 1971. mind. sat idle. Camp Tien Sha Vietnam 1968, viewed from Monkey Mountain. Also we took care of damage at Camp Reasoner and the small CAP out posts. She smelled horrible! Relations outside of combat were typified by racial tension and violence. "Supply" at Camp Fay Camp Tien Sha Vietnam $20.00 Brand: Design Apparel Product Description Order this cap today.. U.S. Keep exploring. Vietnam went on and I was done at the Clinic and never heard about it anymore until I went back to Vietnam in 1996 and tried to visit and the guard at the gate chased me away but I did find out that after the war in became a mental hospital for young people. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. But when shit happens to you and you are the victim, everything changed! 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. sucked and the barber dissed me for 44 Declassified Vietnam War Photos Taken By U.S. Army Photographers View Gallery History is not a fixed set of facts. Then after thinking about it I realized how wrong I was. Let me tell you that wasn't fun at all. If I wanted something I had to have Bet or Ski pick it up. ever getting my hair cut at Camp The embarrassed but she didn't seem to The audio is a little weak, so listen in a quiet place with the sound turned up. Even now-days I hate phones,radios, air conditioning and coffee ! I donated money several times while at Camp Books. quarters. The Brief. The PTFs, under Vietnamese officers and crews, conducted over 1,000 raids against North Vietnam from March-April 1964 to January 1972. bgmarshall@aol.com. My station when Significant Events 19-31 August 1970 19-28 October 1970 5 November 1970 13 November 1970 15 November 1970 U.S. I needed to know which of the sound meant danger! basis So every week there would be a different doctor. Well it scared the crap out of me and probably took a few months off my life ! Sometimes we could be called out 2 or 3 times in a night. right out of there. I have spent countless hours over the past 15 years driving my motorbike around the Camp Books area looking for any of our workers. I wanted to know everything about what happened to those Marines. Welcome to Viet----fuckn Nam you FNGs ( funking new guys) !!! I went out and sat on my toolbox and thought about what I had just experienced. I served there and just would like to hear from some of the guys that was there. The photos on this page are from an exhibit that was at the Collin County Historical Society Museum. The Post office took a close hit and there was damage to 3 ambulances by sick bay and a bunch of trucks at the motor pool. I don't know what the building 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. History U.S. Charles R. Smith . Clayton Beerworth and I were working on major repairs there by 0600 and the Mess hall was in operation more or less by that evening although it took a couple more days to get it up to 100% . The beach is more than twenty miles long, and in the last two decades, numerous China Beach hotels as well as dining and shopping venues have sprung up along it. loved cars and fast driving. The base appears to remain in use by the PAVN. I was a certified SCUBA diver. The Doc trimmed all the skin and muscle nice and neat adding clamps (hemostats) as he went. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Vietnam photos available for quick and easy download. Some of the women were in their early twenties, so there is still hope. perceived attacks. They were all in alignment with our generators. Color home movie footage filmed by a serviceman at Camp Tien Sha and Da Nang during 1969, including footage of Freedom Hill, Dogpatch, the April 27th Da Nang ammo dump explosion & aftermath, and more. List of battleships of the United States Navy, http://www.worldcat.org/title/southeast-asia-building-the-bases-the-history-of-construction-in-southeast-asia/oclc/952642951&referer=brief_results, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/b/by-sea-air-land-marolda/chapter-4-winding-down-the-war-1968-1973.html, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States military bases of the Vietnam War. What has stuck in my mind all these years is how much that bullet hole in the blond guys head looked like the bullet hole in the back of the head of a very large possum that I had shot in the back of the head when I was about 16 years old. It was a Saturday, perhaps we were finishing up the cook shed. In the fall of 1966 I was transferred Well sure I heard about it and even saw them down at 1st MPs. I couldn't grasp what was going on at the time. Da Nang is known as the tourist capital of South-Central Vietnam, with a west coast location that makes for beautiful sunsets against an impressive backdrop of lush mountains. In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha (Tin Sa) at the foot of Monkey Mountain. We also had a couple of American Philco Ford teachers. Camp Horn is a former United States Marine Corps and United States Army base located in Danang, Vietnam. Maybe it's just me. the fresh meat so what do I know about it. After checking in, I was assigned to Nights in Vietnam were uncomfortable at best. ---- I spent the rest of the day until after dark alone in the shop building a foot locker. Paperback. Detachment Hue - 1965 - 1970. I'm at camp Tien Sha at Da Nang now. Mostly I was just kind of mentally numb. Finally, the harsh northeast monsoon made cargo operations at Danang and throughout I Corps hazardous and difficult during the winter months.[1]. information beyond what we already have. I would sit at the desk and drink coffee, write letters or poetry. Had tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. LCU-1498, then the chart office at the White Elephant. Another interesting point is the H&S Co. I think that maybe it was a way to help get my thoughts together, write the event down and then move on. Total Area Sprayed (sq. That distance above us was only 4 feet. To know all the different sounds was to be able to read what was happening at night and how safe I was. These places were essential for the completion of the overall mission and are important for understanding the assignments and accomplishments of personnel who served with the U.S. We Everyone had his turf marked out and nobody was willing to give any for me. C Chi Base Camp. Suddenly the helicopter went nose high and stopped going forward. The MPs left in a hurry. That's danger close to the shop! [1][3]:2, In August 1967, the headquarters of NSA Danang was moved from downtown Danang to Camp Tien Sha. So now I know why the sniping stopped. Pilot, youre the one flying the plane. Population in 2009 (millions) Percentage of Province Sprayed During 1960s. Find Camp Tien Sha, Headquarters unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Here is the letter I wrote my parents on May 15, 1968. He didn't mince words. " The next day a Chinook helicopter dropped a cable down to the burned out UH-1 and hauled it away. Select the period (starting by the reporting year): precomm - 1967 | 1968 | 1969 - now Register and add yourself to the Crew List of the Naval Support Activity Danang. [1] In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha at the foot of Monkey Mountain. It's claim to fame was that it had a black prostitute. Under the supervision of the Doc , the Vietnamese nurse and I got him tied down. We went downtown in Long Beach, and we got harassed a lot. MST1 and thought it would be a good time to go back and see The building site was about 150 yards outside of the north perimeter and the perimeter had not been opened up yet. Travis, Hawaii, Subic Bay (and shore patrol in Olongapo), then to CONTACT: VETERANS CENTER OF NORTH TEXAS. and Captain David A . training), ands a week at Whidby Island (E&E, and SERE. The two crew members jumped out just under the flames .They carried their M-60 machine guns. This is the near miss at our Post office. You FNGs I took my time cooling myself off in that shower then went That is the only time I had to get clothing issue. reportedf to the USS Permit (SSN-594) at Mare Island, and got out a The village it refers to was just north of Camp Books. I served until 1970. Over the months as I got to know my Vietnamese and they opened up to me the most asked question they had for me. Administration Armed assigned Assistant August Back base boats Camp Tien Sha CAPT Captain cargo Center CHARLES Chief of Staff combat Commander Control Corps craft Cua Viet DaNang DAVID. 5440 x 3520 px (18.13 x 11.73 in.) My day was done!! Didnt take long to figure out that everyone could see that you were a FNG. time does that. 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. Statewide Water Diversion and Fish Passage Coordinator (Senior ALL work centers report in : AWC # 1 reports everything is quite ! We all thought that everyone on this earth was doing the highest and best possible all the time for each situation. On May 15 I had finished 6 or 8 escape doors. [2] The camp was quickly expanded to include 25 new barracks able to accommodate an additional 1700 men, together with a barber shop, post exchange and milk plant. "enlisted". After the bones were cut the Doc tied off all the bleeders and removed the hemostats . I think the thing that The rest of my tour I did what every good Seabee team would do, I stole them ! The Seabee construction crews he is referring to was my crew. side was a area called Bridge Ramp which was where the Navy LSTs would pull in - 300 dpi - RGB, Royalty-free licenses let you pay once to use copyrighted images and video clips in personal and commercial projects on an ongoing basis without requiring additional payments each time you use that content. The green building upper right is the hooch that I built for our Vietnamese workers. from Danang, Republic of Vietnam. He's shooting from a long way out and hasn't hit anyone yet. The next work order I got for there I gave it to Beerworth and told him I would not work there any more! I finished the shower and got By the time I graduated from High school I was a damn good diver! The tents were on the right. The three strong backs that I was to build for 7th motors was put on hold. I wondered how I would feel if someone burned down my home ,killed my dad and took my little brother away to a hospital. Naval Support Activity Danang or NSA Danang was a United States Navy logistics support organization located in Danang, South Vietnam active from October 1965 to April 1972. Both of his legs had been pretty much blown off. BBC News, Da Nang, Vietnam Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history. The solution that I found was just to build big rectangle frames (20 feet by 40 feet) sitting on top the ground . say I rarely ventured onto the left Link to video tour of . There was only one hospital bed and a couple cots in the building at that time. I was given our 2 new carpenters to help with the concrete pour, 3rd class builder Calabresy and builder CN Craig Taylor. So back around to the front of the hut and to work on the awning . "Honcho come", he pulls me around the Quonset hut, his eyes were as big as saucers! The doc had no idea but it was a sure thing she was going to die. We had to give Puppy away as we were not even supposed to have a dog. Mark Harms reporting for duty! The saw he used was a miniature version of the bone saw we used when we cut up cows or pigs at butchering time on the farm! Da Nang marks the halfway point between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. It Alan on base But the better probably had some car handling skills. She promised not to eat Puppy. Drive out the back gate and about 2 miles to the Navy Seabee base. May 1. The sound was very loud so at first we thought it was close but couldn't see it. So off to Camp Tien Sha to get my gear and check out. ! - Alan, Drawing I pretty much walked the whole base then back to the EM club for a cold beer Later I built a wash building and cook shack just about where these cots and the officers are standing. The Marines would open that up and would also be extending the perimeter and adding watch posts . I surveyed We found the family and with the help of other refugees were proceeded to tear down their shelter and build them a house. Maybe 6 on a side. one of authority noticed. very first day of war. The Doc told me to help tie the farmer down to the desk. Spent four years in college, and achieved QM3, and qualified in Fun! This is surely just something I've Marine guns up to the DMZ, we looked like shoe boxes eith long gun this pic is. I have nothing but respect for those that were. The poor farmer had stepped on a mine. The map I sent you is how I remember that Military personnel learn some of the basics in other training, but this is the course for the big boys. A sad day because we were no longer a Seabee Team ! Unfortunately when we got there it was closed for one hour for lunch and Coate did not have the time to hang around. had to man the perimeter during When I got on 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. We set the radio on squelch so it would make a lot of noise and wake us up. the evening to wonder about and check out what Camp Tien Sha had to offer. The ESSO fuel plant from the north east side where we were snorkeling. Danang was handling more tonnage than the port of Baltimore at the time. What amazed me was by brakefast time at 0530 the marines had already set up a field mess trailer out side the mess hall and were serving breakfast. I didn't realize at the time that the intended target was me and the generators. The nurses were all Vietnamese and were employed there so I would often see the same nurses. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The day we put up our sign . painting rocks. I got used to the nights but was never comfortable enough to sleep well. Then I could triangulate my frames ,run some string lines, pound in the rebar stakes. I had never been a boss and language was an obstacle so there was a lot of pencil drawings or just comparing construction with the closest hooch. He seemed totally comfortable and relaxed. K-9 Security Unit-1 (Navy Sentry Dog Unit) Det Cua Viet 1st Naval LARC Division. Individuality, not. He was really short, only six more days and a wake up and he would be out of Vietnam, back to the world and his girl friend Judy. What was done was done! Luxury. I was new in country and still in John Wayne mode. There was to much noise from the generators and air conditioner to hear the rockets explode or the warning siren go off . All terrain forklifts would scurry back and forth off We were not part of the Marine Civil Affair but worked independent of them. There was always something interesting to watch at Camp Books. The building to the right of the Post office was the base exchange and it took a shit load of shrapnel from this hit. 1966 and assumed I would spend two years on a submarine in WesPac. It must have been about 1100 hr. I slowly walked around the trailer checking them out. Sure. Our electricians went to wire up the building for electricity. and created an overlay of the changes to the harbor, which was A couple of our guys , Craig Taylor and Pat Brown were interested in learning to Scuba dive so I took it upon my self to teach them. She was wearing light blue pajamas with little lambs printed on it. the "enlisted head" identified in Provinces. blocked. I was face down on the road under the edge of the truck with my foot stuck under the clutch peddle. Vietnam War Home Movies Tien Sha & Da Nang 1969 ammo dump explosion, freedom hill VintageFilmArsenal 2.48K subscribers 37K views 8 years ago Go to vintagefilmarsenal.com to purchase a. I didn't understand at that time the danger of rocket attacks. Off we went to the supply yard at one of the SeaBee battalions, while we were there we stopped for a quick lunch at the Navy mess hall. Their shirt tail were hanging out and sleeves not rolled up (Marine style). Historian, US Navy Seabee Museum. course. map and make modifications, please email your I think it was on May 22,Wednesday when I was on the night radio,phone watch that I wrote my poem about this event. But I don't consider myself as one. It was no problem during the day because either the XO or Chief were there or the secretary,interpreter (miss Nguyen). The kid had a big yellow Tonka dump truck and would sit for hours in the sand playing with that truck. [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. These detachments decentralized the support function and improved the logistic flow. As soon as they caught on they would take on that task and I would move on to the next. Then of course there was the dreaded incoming 122mm and 140mm incoming rocket. in Subic and got a pro hair cut. was about vehicles, building I actually took the class in 1965 but at that time you had to be 18 years old to get a Scuba Certification. The events highlighted in yellow directly affected me. Friday was an interesting day. Only 364 more days to go! and the LT moved to the Da. . I asked about the little girl and the doc said she had died Thursday night. Browse millions of high-quality stock photos, illustrations, and videos. Do you have CAMP TIENSHA, DANANG,VIETNAM Reunion information you'd like to share. whole story here. You'll see scenes filmed along the roads between Da Nang and Camp Tien Sha -- driving through villages and countryside, past ships in the harbor, port activity, etc. meand I translated it to this map. I thought they were trying to lighten their load. He got in line and they loaded his truck with beds, lots of beds. His name was Coate and he was a 3rd class yeoman. loading the LSTs and loading onto trucks. The guy on the right had black hair, he had been shot with a small caliber pistol right where the skull meets the spine. I had just been recruited to help the Doc and nurse amputate this poor farmers legs. Then when I went back to the shop that night I would have Bettencourt cut me a bunch of rebar stakes 2 ft long. of the DaNang Military Complex, One of The kids were always hanging around and the best way to keep them from stealing was to befriend them by giving them candy. Because of the rocket attack on May 13 (rockets hit with in 50 yard of this building) some of the officers there wanted escape doors out the back of the building where they were starting to build their own bunkers.
