Bien Hoa Base Camp
| Bien Hoa Base Camp | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 10°59′02″N 106°50′02″E / 10.984°N 106.834°E |
| Type | Army Base |
| Site information | |
| Condition | abandoned |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1965–75 |
| Battles/wars |  Vietnam War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 173rd Airborne Brigade |
Bien Hoa Base Camp (also known as Bien Hoa Army Base) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base northeast of Biên Hòa in Đồng Nai province, southern Vietnam.
History
[edit]
From 3 to 6 May 1965 United States Air Force (USAF) transport aircraft deployed the 173rd Airborne Brigade from Okinawa to Bien Hoa Air Base to secure the air base and surrounding areas and the port of Vũng Tàu.[1] The 173rd established their base on the northeast perimeter of the air base. In June and July they were joined by the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and a New Zealand Artillery Battery attached as the third battery of the U.S. 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment. The allied units were under the operational control of the 173rd until April 1966 when they were given their own tactical area of responsibility (TAOR) in Phước Tuy Province.[2][3]
On 15 March 1971 a grenade was tossed into an officer billet at the base killing 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Lieutenants Thomas A. Dellwo and Richard E. Harlan. Private Billy Dean Smith was charged with the murders, but was acquitted at a court-martial in November 1972.[4]
Other units stationed at Bien Hoa included:[3]
- 5th Special Forces Group, Detachment C-3
- Special Forces Detachment 60
- MIKE Force A-302
- 101st Airborne Division Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School (SERTS)
- 1st Cavalry Division replacement training center
- Military Assistance Command, Vietnam advisors Teams 95 and 98
- Army of the Republic of Vietnam 3rd Rangers
References
[edit]- ^ Schlight, John (1999). The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia: The War in South Vietnam The Years of the Offensive 1965–1968 (PDF). Office of Air Force History. p. 36. ISBN 9780912799513.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Ham, Paul (2007). Vietnam: The Australian War. Harper Collins. pp. 128–131. ISBN 978-0-7322-8237-0.
- ^ a b Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-1555716257.
- ^ Lepre, George (2011). Fragging: Why U.S. Soldiers Assaulted their Officers in Vietnam. Texas Tech University Press. pp. 89–93.
