Hurdles of a political and administrative nature in Washington, too complicated to relate here, were enormous. WebHoi Ans expat community has grown from less than 50 to more than 1,000 over the past decade. Their officersCivil Engineer Corpswho had reached a high of 10,000 during the war now numbered less than 1,700. (3) Joint service planning factors and construction standards will have to be developed prior to a contingency. During this time it was possible for them to serve two eight-month deployments with a battalion, or a split tour with some time in a battalion or shore- based outfit and the rest with a public works or CBMU assignment of a year in Vietnam. While a number of the old stand-bys of World War II, the metal quonset huts in stock, were used, particularly during the early phase of the buildup, the majority of the structures erected were of wood. 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. The War - The Boy in the Apple Orchard Another area of interest has been a comparison of skills between the civilians on the contractors rolls and the Seabees. WebIn digging open water wells, it was found that the sand was 15 to 20 feet deep over the rock formations with no plastic clays in evidence. Let us now take a look at the Navy's contributionmade up of disparate elements but brought together under the aegis of the Civil Engineer Corps. port the helm; ported sharply to avoid a shoal. China Beach was recognized by UNESCO as one of the six fine sand beaches in the world in 1995. my first 6 months in country and a LTC Hickey took over Command until we U.S. It is hard to visualize that we could get more courage, stamina, ability, intelligence, and spirit than has been exhibited in Vietnam by the officers who led them, and by our "sailors in green," the Seabees. In this instance the CBMU played a much more dominant role than its counterpart in I Corps, supplying some two-thirds of the manpower involved in public works functions under the cognizance of NSA Saigon. At the same time, the largest vessel can receive 40,000 DWT at Lan Ha transshipment area and the lowest with 700 DWT at Bach Dang buoy. Coincident with the RMK-BRJ build-up Seabee help was now mobilized. elementary school in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania since 1978. 2 at the mouth of Sa Ky seaport has the capacity to accommodate ships of 3,000 DWT, mainly for local maritime transport needs. disappointed not to find any information, except on the landing craft JUD Page, This brought the total number of battalions in 1968-69 to twenty-one. and had come through the roof of the Captains cabin and embedded itself into his n. 1. a. At the same time we managed to generate an extensive military peace corps effort in and around the war. By 2030, this port will have 8 general cargo terminals with a length of 2,280 m. It is forecast that by 2020, the volume of goods via Chan May port will reach 7.4 million tons / year. There were Yet another element of the Civil Engineer Corps was in Vietnam long before the 1965 buildup. Deep Water Pier was where the large ocean vessels could offload cargo to support the armed forces in I corps. Though the Brigade Commander reported to Commander Naval Forces Vietnam in Saigon, there was little question that on a day-to-day basis the Seabees were working for the senior officer in I Corps, the Commanding General III Marine Amphibious Force. Plans were revised again shortly after the Tet offensive in January and February 1968 when the decision was made at a Commander in Chief Pacific conference to rebuild RMK-BRJ to 25,000 men for the indefinite future. Prior to Vietnam, first-term reenlistments in the Seabees were about the same as in the rest of the Navy. deep water piers Includes excellent aerial views of the entire area, the hospital, Marine airgroup, 16 area, Camp Tien Sha, Naval Support Activity Da Nang Hdqtrs. He pointed out that the Mobile Construction Battalions had construction missions and would not be available for maintenance. Port Authority Vietnam National Shipping Lines. For example, at the same base a difference in construction standards for berthing facilities between be Army and Air Force caused unnecessary morale problems. WebDa Nang Vietnam 1972 stock footage and images. Such was the case immediately after the initial landings at Chu Lai where MCB-10 experienced extremely high deadline percentages (up to 45 per cent of the equipment inoperable). Best Things to Do in Da Nang, Vietnam Flatbed trailers being unloaded from a U.S. Navy ship at a pier in Da Nang, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In Even though there were few contingency plans upon which to build, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command was able to muster practically overnight a tremendous and unprecedented design and construction capability which was so essential to place and maintain combat troops ashore in Vietnam. Ultimately every Seabee unit went to Vietnam except CBU-201, which was a small force serving the Antarctic research program. This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command. The station hospital begun in 1965 had treated over 21,000 casualties, 44,000 nonbattle patients and one million outpatients flowing in from the hostile and disease-ridden I Corps environment. One month later, on 17 July, a Secretary of the Navy Notice established NSA Da Nang. I got onto WebThere were three deep-draft ship piers for ocean-going ships, while LSTs used the Tien Sha, Bridge, Museum, and Ferry cargo facilities. 2,960,941, MILITARY UNITS - Danang Viet Nam, Deep Water Piers. China Beach has deep blue water and fine white sand, and is not damaged by pollution, which is known as the Gold Coast of Vietnam. It was a wonderful moment that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it to VetFriends. Though this report referred essentially to timber bridges, the Seabees also used precast concrete, steel substructure with timber decking, Bailey Deck type, and the AMMI (a multi-purpose steel pontoon designed by NAVFAC's Chief Engineering Advisor, Dr. Arsham Amirikian). They, and the Army and the Air Force units soon to follow, would need ports and roads and airfields to get a foothold in this undeveloped land. The newspapers from time to time carried the unhappy stories of the French and their troubles in Indo-China in the turbulent years following World War II. Central Vietnam. They did, however, in the next month, install a number of fuel systems, provide causeways for off-loading LSTs, and establish camp support ashore in Da Nang. close to the deep draft facilities. American advisors penetrated the jungles, American warships cruised the Tonkin Gulf, and then it was March 1965 and American Marines landed at Da Nang. We were fortunate to have a large contractor on site capable of rapid expansion. One good example of a component was the 400-bed quonset hospital erected swiftly in Da Nang by one of the earliest battalions in country. Subsequently 50 more were added to provide perimeter security for base camps and job sites, bringing new authorized allowances to 24 officers and 738 enlisted men. refloated the ship after pumping and welding underwater. We learned of their value again in Vietnam, but it should be emphasized in many casesin the hospitals, for instancethe hardware from World War II stocks had not been updated.3. Escape the crowds with a private dive into Vietnams most tangible history. Each battalion had about 10,000 measurement tons of tools, equipment, and supplies valued at $4.4 million. Veteran L. Prickett, "Dear VetFriends, Thanks so much for your help! their belongings. In July 1966 the "Bridge Cargo Ramp" (160307N 1081352E / 16.052N 108.231E / 16.052; 108.231) began operations increasing NSA's supply capability. Most expats live outside of The latter, with 46 officers and 1,049 men per battalion, provided more general engineering support of a deliberate nature for the landing force (division and wing). Thanks VetFriends, It was a wonderful moment that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it to VetFriends. The one hundred and fifty battalions of World War II had dwindled to two shortly thereafter, were rebuilt to eleven during the Korean War, and returned to ten from that point until the Vietnam build-up in 1965. the Philippines to salvage what they could. were in the process of berthing a Sealand vessel, the harbormaster called me on However, most of the design work for the larger facilities was done under the direction of the OICC, in consultation with the engineers of the affected service and the users, regardless, of whether MACV-DC assigned the construction to the contractor or to the troops. Apart from sand, rock, and gravel which were available in Vietnam, most of their materials such as lumber, pipe, and fittings came from the U. S., largely by ship but some by air. tanks also fell in. This international mixed military and civilian force, organized along Public Works Center lines, had grown with roughly equal proportions of Seabees, Vietnamese, and Koreans. It seems clear that our system, stock reserves planning, and procedures can be vastly improved. Certainly, round-the-clock operations accelerated the breakdown of equipment, particularly where time out for adequate maintenance was hard to come by. By that time some 56 teams had served in Vietnam, and every one of the four corps areas had felt their presence. He placed the charge on a rib One of the first Europeans to visit the city was Portuguese explorer Antonio De Faria, who anchored at Nng Port in 1535. In the initial planning for NSA, ComServPac concentrated on the supply, operations, and medical areas but did not devote much attention to Public Works. A few months later when it came time for the chief staff officer, Colonel W. R. Gould, to be relieved, he was replaced by a CEC officer. In the course of a full career an officer will not normally have more than two, two-year tours with the battalions. The maximum number in Vietnam reached twelve early in 1968 and was reduced to ten before the end of that year. As troop strength increased, another small port at the mouth of the Cua Viet, some four and one-half miles from the DMZ, was established in 1967 to provision the Marine combat base at Dong Ha and its satellites. Unfortunately, from the Navys standpoint, few of them chose to stay in the Navy, electing to return to civilian life after 30 months or less in the service. The DPPO program was a great success in terms of the journeyman quality of the recruits. [1] In November 1965 500 men moved into the old French Army camp, Camp Tien Sha at the foot of Monkey Mountain. We raced volkswagens on our time off and we'd go to the range and shoot all day. Operations at NSA Da Nang have clearly demonstrated that we must be prepared to handle large amounts of cargo in underdeveloped ports in areas where the Navy will be required to support the Marine Corps. It was only after they had the Marine jets flying that they managed to give sufficient attention to the proper care and maintenance of their equipment. Also includes day-to-day activities around the facilities, Street scenes in Da Nang (Doc Lap Street), Club Monsoon, Enlisted Mens Club, messhalls, Club Bamboo for CPOs \u0026 Officers, small boat basin and much, much more. Digital Proceedings content made possible by a gift from CAPT Roger Ekman, USN (Ret.). The extent to which the Navy in general and the Seabees in particular would support the Marines once they got ashore was not clearly spelled out at the time of the landing at Da Nang, nor was it for some time thereafter. Since CEC officers can be assigned to a number of different billets in design, construction, education, research, contracts, public works, and others, there is no such thing as a permanent Seabee officer. In FY68 the program fell short when only 3,200 were enlisted, but in the following year the number returned again to the 5,000 mark. Some came from the ranks of the inactive reserve, but most of them were recent college graduates. and as it tipped the barge while falling into the water, the remaining five 2 and 3 are 100m (330ft) long, berth No. Each of the services in Vietnam had its own engineering their planning groups who concentrated on defining their own requirements such as siting, number of units, and the like. Coordinates 16 7' 34'' N, 108 14' 19'' E. Decimal 16.1263874, 108.2386362. A semi-alert battalion was based at Guam, ready to move to help also should the alert battalion need assistance. Provided by Shannon Nichols. While P.A. The total area of container yard at Chua Ve and Tan Vu port branches is 712,110m2 and 3,300 m2 for CFS warehouse at Chua Ve port. came and picked me up and said that he had changed his mind. Sign up to receive our newsletter regarding Veterans, Reunions, Military, Veteran Benefits, Military Pictures, Jokes, Military History, The Navy's Seabees, though small in number, were mobile and capable of deploying quickly, expediency prevailedthe Navy Civil Engineers, who guided both the Bureau and the Seabees, were handed the job. "Without the Seabees we could not do it! Despite the second report being assessed as a definite sighting, no trace of enemy sappers were found. By late 1967, the contract force had dwindled to less than 16,000. The first Seabee battalions to arrive in Vietnam came by ship from Okinawa, Guam, and Port Hueneme, but later personnel deployments in and out of the country were accomplished by air. I believe I remember a picture that hung in the old office on The smaller Naval Support Activity, Saigon, immediately came into being to take care of those scattered Navy elements in the southern sectors (II, III, and IV Corps) which the Army found difficult to support.1. Hoi An, Vietnam According to the plan of the Ministry of Transport, Quan Ninh port holds the second position in the important group of seaports in Northern Vietnam, after Hai Phong is the central position. Though the bulk of their work was in the Saigon area, public works forces operated country wide. LEC's Singapore Representative who became our Harbormaster. In June 1967 it included over 3,200 personnel, a year later 4,900, and by early 1969 the total approached 7,000. Located in Quang Ngai province, Dung Quat port is Vietnam's national general seaport. The average annual cost to the sponsor was $88,000 per team for materials, transportation, and so on, plus $200,000 to the Navy for initial outfitting, training, and personnel costs. There were many highly placed recommendations to stop the interchange of battalions, but experience with the huge Seabee construction effort at Cubi Point a decade before indicated that productivity and morale were enhanced by keeping the battalions intact. Conflicts WebDa Nang Vietnam. Thanks for making it possible!" In late May 1963, NMCB-3 deployed from Guam and the next month NMCB-9 left Port Hueneme; both reported to Da Nang. The Civil Engineer Corps had always been relatively small, supervising predominantly civilian organizations. Initially, these were to maintain the airstrips at the three sites mentioned above and to render whatever other public works support the battalion was capable of. How cool is that. Da Nang A place on a waterway with facilities for loading and unloading ships. Moreover, personnel programs developed to complement the unit rotational concept, enabled the Navy to reduce total Seabee manpower requirements by about 2,000 men. As the troop build-up mounted in 1965, the conflicting demands and changing priorities of the various services demonstrated the need for a new regulatory body on the staff of the U. S. Commander in Vietnam. Web14 JULY - - AT 2330H, U.S. Army Sentries in a tower in the vicinity of the deep water piers of Da Nang Harbor reported sighting three swimmers on the North side of Pier #1. As a matter of fact, as the contractor's force was reduced, it turned a number of its jobs over to the troops for accomplishment. The crew viewed it as a bad omen and wanted nothing more to These Army construction battalions were slightly larger, having 41 officers and 879 enlisted men. Further, they were able on many occasions to engage in civic action projects similar in nature to those of the teams sponsored by USAID. The cooks, yeomen, medical corpsmen, and other men in essential support roles generally comprised about 15 to 20 per cent of a battalions complement. The war that seemed to many to have just happened, turned out to be several wars in one; it was, among other things, a guerrilla war, an air war, a political war, and an engineering war. Its first project was to administer an architectural and engineering contract for the layout of a runway at Bien Hoa. Apparently roles and missions of the various forces had not been clarified to cover this contingency. Relocation of graves from construction sites with appropriate ceremony and compensation was a problem of unbelievable proportions.2 Our bases were not necessarily shaped by military or economic reasons but rather by the efficacy of our real estate negotiations. By the time the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese did move in strength, the fundamental facilities from which to move American troops, planes, and ships were in place. In company with the Marines were Seabees of Amphibious Construction Battalion One, deployed from Yokosuka, Japan. Da Nang was the keystone, the major, deep water port and the major air base. The Army, hard pressed to take care of itself, wasnt prepared to supply them to the Marines, and the Marines didn't have the capability either. (A little better than half the life cycle in the U. S.) Further, from an economical and capability standpoint, this piece was good for only one depot overhaul. These components were invaluable in getting the Seabee construction effort underway even though some obsolescent equipment was in the system. Fax 84 511 822 565. Despite the size of RMK-BRJ and the Naval Mobile Construction Battalions, there was need for more construction capability than they could provide. Much of the early public works effort was directed toward leasing living and working facilities for NSA in the city of Da Nang (est. In other cases, under the stress of wartime planning, items might be left out of the drawings and the construction forces would move on before the occupant-to-be realized what was missing. Email: richardseth@lecvietnam.com With this salute to the Navy's construction men, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Wallace M. Greene Jr., continued the accolades which stretched back a quarter of a century to World War II when General MacArthur complained to their boss, Admiral Ben Moreell, ". The idea of one-service support in an area was pushed by top command and began to make some headway. WebDa Nang Vietnam. The year concluded with two reported swimmer sightings on 14 and 30 December, both originating from Da Nangs deep water piers. the country later, I caught just a few quick camera pictures of the harbor at It was permitted, after I Coincidentally, in January 1962 the Saigon ROICC office was expanded to eight officers and 72 civilians and upgraded under a more senior officer. Fortuitously, the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks under the command of Rear Admiral Peter Corradi, CEC, United States Navy, already had a large, responsible U. S. contractor at work in Vietnam. Press BACK to return to this page). gang plank came down the entire crew came charging off the ship with all of "Expanded" meant, at first, giving design, real estate, some transportation, minor construction and alteration, and maintenance and utility support to Marine facilities in the "secure" areas in Da Nang, Chu Lai, and Hue-Phu Bai. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: Da Nang Air Base was the first major airfield used by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Following the confusion of the explosion, while we (either M48 or M60) tanks during their shift (Korean stevedores were paid by the This would have given him the same continued authority over Marine battalions with construction capability (division and force battalions oriented primarily toward tactical support) as he had over the Seabees. Also significant were a few large U. S. contractors who did not belong to the RMK-BRJ combine. . The degree to which we can improve on the men is another matter. A steady shift to tactical support construction was also in evidence. One interesting statistic shows that by mid-1969 the hiring office at San Bruno, California, had screened over 385,000 U. S. applicants to place some 7,000 of them in Vietnam during the course of the contract. of the ship and when it blew, instead of blowing up everyone within two miles and Sao Mai-Ben Dinh serving the petrochemical industry and passenger transport. Currently, Hai Phong port consists of 5 branches. (2) Much greater emphasis on base development planning for contingency operations must be made. The port has a total surface area of 306,568m2; total warehouse area accounts for 30,732m2 with CFS warehouse 1,971m2; 201,000m2 of yard area with container yard accounts for 48,000 m2. The formation of MACV-DC did not alter the basic design, construction, and financial responsibilities of the OICC office which still reported back through its own chain to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Address: 6 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048580. Subsequently, five more battalions were commissioned, and two reserve battalions, MCB-12 and 22, were recalled for just about a year of active duty in April 1968. Early in 1968, responsibility for all rural development and allied civic action type programs was vested in a newly created MACV/U.S. WebThe Delong pier was no longer located at Deep Water Pier in Danang upon my arrival in country and assignment to the 5th Transportation Command. Thanks for making it possible, Thanks so much VetFriends.com for your help and genuine concern for locating this long lost buddy of mine, Please Enter a Valid email address with no spaces, VetFriends Members: Halfway around the world they were to engage in a frustrating and perplexing war with an elusive foe, where there were no fixed battle lines, yet where there were absolute lines of containment as far as United States forces were concerned, which were self- imposed by political decisions in Washington. During World War II the 1,080-man Seabee battalion had come into being, but its successor, which was developed in the following years of peace, was a more mobile highly compact unit with about half the number of men.