A refugee family was living in a lean too in Dog Patch south . Sandoval. half, aside from the times that I He had a little Vietnamese kid with him about 8 years old. He finished his tour with detective work as one of six NSA investigators at Camp Tien Sha, adjacent to Da Nang. One about half way from knee to foot and the other just below the knee! It was by the time they got to us AWC# 5 we would be awake (hopefully) and report in. So there I would be for over a week trying to keep the mosquitoes off of me by covering with the sheet and putting my head in the pillow case. Over the months as I got to know my Vietnamese and they opened up to me the most asked question they had for me. Pilot, youre the one flying the plane. It was the UH-1 trailing smoke. for references to information received from Maybe it's just me. it, there were about a dozen shower The number of rockets are probably plus or minus a couple rockets. from two times. What the hell is that? We were also vulnerable to sappers . 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. Thursday morning we stripped the forms and started building the framing of the first building. morning. Around back there was a Jeep with a utility trailer on behind. For African Americans soldiers serving in the armed forces during the Vietnam War the domestic scene loomed large. It didn't take long to get out of bed when the first rocket struck nearby. with her work. Yes that's puppy and our new steel worker (Calhoun). Well sure I heard about it and even saw them down at 1st MPs. never even gave a thought that a These positive relations were largely a reflection of the fact that black and white soldiers in combat were heavily dependent on one another. k. It was where the French first landed in the 19th Century in their quest to control the area and. The Navy Doc cleared off the big desk and the MPs deposited the farmer onto the desk. I would have to wait a few more days for that to start. U.S. MARINES IN VIETNAM THE DEFINING YEAR 1968. by. [3] The camp was quickly expanded to include 25 new barracks able to accommodate an additional 1,700 men, together with a barber shop, post exchange and milk plant. What the F is wrong with her? It seemed a bit strange to see everything so neat and tidy when This was All of the workers that worked for us were dislocated Vietnamese and us putting them to work was an attempt to keep their economy rolling. The hardest things for them to figure out was the batter boards, how to measure and cut rafters and how to measure and cut gable end studs. at Camp Fay. I was never in harms way. [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. to my new cubicle and dressed in my slightly used green utility working The only answer I could give them that they would except was. 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). We were here, the "enlisted head" identified in 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. I was finished with my concrete forms before noon on Wednesday . The memory of that little girl is as strong now as then and I can not think about her without getting choked up and teary eyed ! vehicle I took full advantage of it! I recognize the admin building on the right, everything else is pretty vague. Surprisingly, I never step foot on a ship, I was always stationed in Navy hospitals. On Friday May 17 I was sent out on another job. This was a Sunday afternoon BBQ about 1800 hr. boats took place at the other base. Camp Tien Sha Vietnam 1968 from Monkey Mountain Bombardier Pretorian Aug 16, 2013 Good photo, get a good look at the base. sucked and the barber dissed me for 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. I spent 33 years Drive out the back gate and about 2 miles to the Navy Seabee base. On May 15 I had finished 6 or 8 escape doors. ---- I spent the rest of the day until after dark alone in the shop building a foot locker. They had decided to spend the night at the Skivvy house (whore house) in Dog Patch. [1] In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha at the foot of Monkey Mountain. Well, the Camp Tein Sha barracks got me for Friday, and Saturday. Between 1969 and 1971 hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents of racial violence occurred in and around American military bases Fun! The enlisted head I had just been recruited to help the Doc and nurse amputate this poor farmers legs. When that needle went in that poor farmer screamed and jerked up headed for the ceiling! Here is the battalion report for May 1968. pilot said that was to avoid being shot at by the VC. The So back around to the front of the hut and to work on the awning . Very often our flares would land in Hoa Kahn or Dog Patch burning down many Vietnamese huts providing more damaged children for the clinic. Naval Support Activity, Da Nang 1969 Cruise Book vietnamandmilitary $175.00 101st Airborne "Tour Book" 1967-68 The first year!!! . With chow finished I had the rest of Then I started paying more attention. I did a phone call to the Marine Duty officer and he calmly told me the incoming fire had already been reported by the outposts. Ten of them cluster around one of the three air bases that became the most contaminate with dioxin: Da Nang, Phu Cat and Bien Hoa. She would throw dirt into the air and scratch at her face until it was bleeding , rubbing dirt into the cuts. I needed to know which of the sound meant danger! CONTACT: VETERANS CENTER OF NORTH TEXAS. 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. Looking back, have 2023 iStockphoto LP. We visited Chu Laiu, Hue, and our My very first Some where along the line the nurse had done an IV drip. naval reserves just before graduating from high school in 1962. I had my sailboat and some This is the first Poem that I wrote in Vietnam and is about the two marines killed in the skivvy house. The guys loaded up my tool box and gave me an M-16 so I would be able to walk back to the base later. We hopped in his truck and he took me down to H&S company supply to get bedding and mess gear. I dreaded standing that watch but ever 5 and then 7 days I was going to get it! 15x12. I remember one time showering in Let me tell you that wasn't fun at all. I held that little girl until it started to get dark and I had no choice but to give her to the nurse and walk back to the base. I started building the 3 strong backs at 7 Motors on Monday morning June 3rd. I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic.generator hire & new generator sales, Mark, I served with the Naval Support Activity DaNang from Aug 1966 - Mar 1968. The second floor office was just being framed up . We had no black out lights on our trucks so we would have been any easy target for anyone who decided that they were going to kill us! They were waiting for electricity and to get more beds from Catholic Charity . There was one thing that bothered me about Tien Sha. meal in Vietnam was roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green peas, 2 large I wondered how I would feel if someone burned down my home ,killed my dad and took my little brother away to a hospital. PTF base at after working hours. I always had hot meals and a warm bed. 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! Hard at work in the Investigations Office, Camp Tien Sha annex, Da Nang area, 8/69 to 7/70, Ray Norton. 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. It was really to late to save the helicopter but at least nobody was killed or hurt! The rocket attacks in my AO meant that I was called out to man my post which was defense of our base generators and our very large generator fuel tank. 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. His name was Coate and he was a 3rd class yeoman. to return to It was very clear that they did not want a FNG getting in their way. During our night watch I would lock the office door ,lay my M-16, (locked and loaded) on the desk pointing at the door. You are a builder so Beerworth or Yost will be who you report too." 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. Friday was an interesting day. My Vietnamese works didn't want to hang around waiting for the truck to take them back to the shop. When we got there the doc wanted to show us around. Detachment Nha Trang - 1965 - 1971. couldn't resist testing it's limits! You got to do what you got to do ! mind. Pham Ba went around back to take a pee. barrels over the bow. On Sunday most of my team mates loaded up our flat bed truck with building materials from our salvage yard. Only 364 more days to go! May 27 was my birthday. Some time during the night the VC entered the Skivvy house, capturing them without a fight. It was a strange way for a job to start. Mountain. It is a code of conduct course as much as it teaches the practical issues of survival. Suddenly dozens of tracer rounds started ricocheting off the wall about 20 feet in front of the truck! FLC took twenty one 122mm rocket rounds and on May 22,1968 at 0200 hr FLC took 12 122mm rocket rounds. boat part would be housed in supply The three strong backs that I was to build for 7th motors was put on hold. You FNGs get to the back of the Here in Vietnam with the advanced gangrene she was going to die and there was nothing that could be done! I was one of the unlucky ones who ended up shoveling a lot of shit! heads" but they were always stolen 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. Our electricians went to wire up the building for electricity. that's one of our generators upper left. good times in the "duty jeep". Everyone had his turf marked out and nobody was willing to give any for me. 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! My first assignment was YFU-54, then Drinking black coffee trying to stay alert. You will use the chain of command ,don't come to me. The trailer was to short so the Marines legs were bent at the knees and sticking up, no shoes, pant legs up to their knees showing their very white legs. You FNGs get off the plane and fall in over there. The Doc took a big syringe and needle and shot both legs up with anesthesia. Then of course there was the dreaded incoming 122mm and 140mm incoming rocket. I was then sent to Camp Carter while we were opening up an old ROK base that was being used by Philco Ford to teach Vietnamese Sailors how to maintain diesel motors that were used in the river boats. After that LT Branch never stayed late at the office, he would leave at 1700 to take Miss Nguyen home to Da Nang. basis Very close now and it was clear that they weren't going to make it over the hurricane fence at the perimeter. The Docs loved coming to Hoa Kahn Clinic. If US Mail works best for you, The rest of my tour I did what every good Seabee team would do, I stole them ! May 1. I started building my hooch on Wednesday May 8th at just before noon. This is a 122mm rocket crater in the road in front of our shop. [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. He was laying on his back and we had tied his arms (wrists) to the legs on one end of the desk and then had tide his upper thighs to the other legs of the desk. Hi Dan, I've always Historian, US Navy Seabee Museum. Coate would send dog food care packages to Judy. Some of the rocket attacks were on Camp Books (FLC) . Their shirt tail were hanging out and sleeves not rolled up (Marine style). I tried one other time a few months later but didn't have the appropriate paper work. I think the thing that She wanted to send care packages and letters to me as part of a High School project. thought about was the airbase in Danang was under attack, 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) . They were the best I could IN VIETNAM. identified as "enlisted head." I heard the truth the next day at the mess hall. Then walk the length of pier re-installing any buffer pads that might have come out. She was wearing light blue pajamas with little lambs printed on it. Late in the day we had built them a nice hootch and had them moved in. When I found out about that I went with Bet to talk to that officer. I am sure had I not done that , the Chief, when he came down to the hootch, would have solved the problem by sending me back to China Beach. building. 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. head has about the lightest colored the upper left hand part of the pic. Significant Events 19-31 August 1970 19-28 October 1970 5 November 1970 13 November 1970 15 November 1970 I took all the materials that I thought I would need to build the cement forms for my strong backs. Despite the repeated assurances uttered by our senior non-commissioned petty officers that Camp Tiensha's location on the peninsula that juts out from the City of Danang, and with the location of the Danang airbase on the opposite side of the city itself, generally put our base beyond the purported 7 mile range of the Russian-made 122 millimeter Katyusha rockets . I think I dont know a damn thing so said hours 1700 to 2100. It's the 4th largest city in Vietnam. say I rarely ventured onto the left While the Seabee's exploits in Vietnam would carry on the tradition set during the Second World War, their work in Southeast Asia actually . Although the helicopter was only a couple hundred feet out there was no way to put the fir out as they couldn't cross the mine field. Don't try to cross in to the base as there were mines. You FNGs There was to much noise from the generators and air conditioner to hear the rockets explode or the warning siren go off . That was the LTs first rocket attack and he didn't react fast enough. The next day he would become my first hooch mate although I had to rush to get a couple partitions up so he would have his own space. I went out and sat on my toolbox and thought about what I had just experienced. to pull a copy and edit in the February 1969. We set the radio on squelch so it would make a lot of noise and wake us up. YFUs and LCUs such as the 62 were assigned to Lighterage Div of the Naval Support Activity, DaNang, and were based at Camp Tien Sha Annex. It was what those I wanted to know everything about what happened to those Marines. 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). Relive & share the memories of your service time with your brothers & sisters in arms today. afford at the time and they taught me a lot about handling vehicles. Well I never did hear from Barbee. the bus to Camp Tien Sha (the one with chicken wiure on the windows) The fleet also managed logistic operations at these locations. Camp Tien Sha is a former United States Navy base located in Danang, Vietnam. I was land based in Da Nang. . 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. The solution that I found was just to build big rectangle frames (20 feet by 40 feet) sitting on top the ground . Then when I went back to the shop that night I would have Bettencourt cut me a bunch of rebar stakes 2 ft long. In mid-October 1968 the Deep Water Pier complex ( 16.12N 108.214E) on the Tien Sha peninsula was completed, beginning operations in September 1968. Most of the time if you were And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Vietnam photos available for quick and easy download. It was a Saturday, perhaps we were finishing up the cook shed. My friend and his dog Rusty had cornered a very large possum against a tree and I went around the back of the tree and shot that possum at the base of the skull at point blank with a 22 cal short. Sleeping in that bunker was not good.It had 2 opening which allowed the mosquitoes to get in and eat the shit out of me. Total Area Sprayed (sq. After the bones were cut the Doc tied off all the bleeders and removed the hemostats . The little girl was fusing and didn't want to leave the nurse so it took a little effort to hand her off to me . H e had white hair and a white beard and very much looked like Santa Clause. Camp Haskins, Da Nang, Vietnam, served as headquarters of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, who exercised operational control of Seabee units deployed to Vietnam. This exhibit is now closed. 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. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965. John Wayne mode is when you still think you are invincible, nothing can hurt you because you are the good guy with the white hat and shit only happens to some one else. Guard shacks along the pipe line to the ESSO fuel plant, Oil Tanker off loading at the ESSO fuel plant. Every month she would send a large box of candy, cookies and other goodies. My Vietnamese had never even figured out what was happening and were still hunkered down by the lumber pile. not leaving a big enough tip. Local Page TIMES-MIRROR and OBSERVER Section B WARREN, PA., WEDNESDAY. The were riding shotgun on truck convoys to and from Danang to Quang Tri Province. So every week there would be a different doctor. The kid had a big yellow Tonka dump truck and would sit for hours in the sand playing with that truck. Message is: I am looking for members that served at Tien Sha Ramp in 1968 through 1969. CD-ROM, but it didn't provide any new Didn't get any meals so after we were finished we ate sandwiches with the mid watch Marines at the mess hall. I held that little girl sitting on my tool box and in a short time she was used to me and clutching onto the front of my shirt. and Captain David A . Next thing I realize he has a hold on my sleeve. any old charts, photos or drawings of the PTF I surveyed places that you or others would be referring to. It was a horrifying thing to watch. Published October 25, 2017 Updated April 22, 2021 These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. I sure didn't void Click here for inormation on the VVA. camp where you get sheared. Surprise, I think that was normal precaution . The plane started to drop, going in steep and fast. Naval Support Facility DaNang (1970-1972), and the Detachments. the evening to wonder about and check out what Camp Tien Sha had to offer. 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. ever getting my hair cut at Camp Provinces. I was a certified SCUBA diver. She would be down on her hands and knees crying and waling. Here is the satellite view of map to the right is intended to be used as a Just kind of shut it off excepting that I had very little control over my situation and excepting that if shit happened ,shit happened !! Me, age 23, sitting on my bunk drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. Trying to locate: Navy member at Tien Sha Ramp, 1968 - 1969 Branch of Service: Navy Unit was: Navy Support Danang Where served: Tien Sha Ramp When served: 1968 - 1969 . Anyone who tried to open that door without giving our pass word would have been shot. The harbor defense unit used landing craft, picket boats and 16 feet (4.9m) Boston Whalers to monitor and protect the maritime traffic. I asked where she was now and he said the Priest had taken her to Da Nang to be burried! We had devastated their economy and destroyed their infrastructure. Once I went "over" Well damn right I was scared. She promised not to eat Puppy. Just as I was putting on the spring door closer a ARVN military police jeep pulled up in front (they were halling ass through the loose sand) Two White mice jumped out, went to the back of the jeep and carried an old farmer from the jeep into the clinic. Anniversary story of his trip back Link to video tour of . After the little girl died I never went back to the clinic. It was kind of a taste of what we would get when the monsoons came in September. That is the only time I had to get clothing issue. The engine suddenly stop and flames shot out the top of both side back door openings. They were simply ghettos with poor sanitation , communal water supply, no roads or electricity. There was no time off just the same 12 hr work shift. care of the base. I don't remember when I stopped doing work at the Children's clinic, Maybe the end of June or early July. The Sargent in charge told him we would have to get gear from NSA Danang because the Seabee team was turned over to NSA. I forgotten how much it sucked being there? airlines circling the DaNang airbase over the Country of South Vietnam. They never did a direct hit on the fuel tank but the got damn close several times! I didn't Then there were the incoming Rockets, we had three big generators and fuel tank and we were a bulls eye. My body was always waiting to react. Some times a lot of shit happened . The Doc narrated as he worked, what he was doing, what he was going to do, when I should be prepared for the farmer to go ballistic! They were only a couple hundred yards away! This was the closest skivvy house to Camp Books , a very short walk. With tears in my eyes I told the guard that I had been helping the doc at the children's clinic and he could take his fucking travel chit and shove it up his ass! We could sleep but we had to report in every hour on the radio to our parent command at PWC China Beach. I could feel the rasping of that bone saw through the stick in the farmers mouth! It had 4 windows so I went to the window for H. I handed the clerk my records pack. I set up a course They did hit the fuel bladders at truck company several time so I knew there would be a nice warm fire if our fuel tank got hit. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. couple of Corvairs (ok, stop laughing!) Stephen was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving state side and in Vietnam at Camp Tien Sha, Danang. 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 . There were no more shots that day but there would be on the next two mornings. BU 3 Beerworth s crew took over and finished the walls and roof on Saturday May 18. It [1], 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. Gave me the creeps then and still does now when I think about it! We had to give Puppy away as we were not even supposed to have a dog. I made a series of videos about the exhibit before it was closed. I believe we also tied him around the waist. through the base that would allow me to do "hot laps" as long as no I am on the far left. Chief then showed me the mess hall and walked me down to the Seabee hooch's. This is my Poem about the farmer who stepped on the mine. I was James L Chambers (cause of death,misadventure). Made a very good impression on me, I didn't even consider it my whole time in Vietnam ! [4] : 2 Camp Fay in the evening and morning. a small cargo plane in the middle of the night, all I and created an overlay of the changes to the harbor, which was