A number lasted only a short while, but, conversely, manysome 40 per cent of the Americans, for instancereturned for at least one additional tour. Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, United States military bases of the Vietnam War, 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, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. On 5 June 1965, CinCPacFlt cancelled and superseded his message of 22 May, now stating that NSA would not be established in the immediate future and that the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, should provide and arrange for all shoreside capability required. In February 1966 the Directorate of Construction, U. S. Military Assistance Command Republic of Vietnam (MACV-DC) was established. The Navy, on the other hand, used Philco-Ford primarily to furnish Korean artisans who were integrated into a combined Seabee-civilian Public Works Department at Da Nang run by CEC officers. In the spring of 1966 three new regiments were formed, one at each Construction Battalion Center. Colonel Merbott became received (3) Joint service planning factors and construction standards will have to be developed prior to a contingency. The job would not be easy. In the initial planning for NSA, ComServPac concentrated on the supply, operations, and medical areas but did not devote much attention to Public Works. Of the first 5,000 recruits some 75 per cent were under 24 years, yet veteran commanders state that they were as effective as their World War II predecessors. To develop the ports, to start a pipeline of materials across the Pacific, to of determine the what, where, and when of facilities to be constructed, involved countless decisions that could not wait. Further, they were able on many occasions to engage in civic action projects similar in nature to those of the teams sponsored by USAID. In one way or another every career CEC officer will have some duty with Seabees, and most officers tend to consider Seabee duty among the most rewarding they have experienced. They even became involved in building stable platforms which the Army could fire their 155-mm guns into the again DMZ. Port Authority Vietnam National Shipping Lines. WebThere were three deep-draft ship piers for ocean-going ships, while LSTs used the Tien Sha, Bridge, Museum, and Ferry cargo facilities. [7] New piers were under construction at Da Nang in 1966. Certainly our equipment and materials have not reached their ultimate development. The most significant action occurred on June 9-11, 1965, at Dong Xoai, 55 miles northeast of Saigon, where 2,000 Viet Cong troops overran a Special Forces camp containing 400 South Vietnamese and allied Asian troops, 11 Green Berets, and nine Seabees of Seabee Team 1104. Fortunately, enemy harassment was minimal in this early period, but temperatures reaching 120F. [9], Nng Port consists of two main terminals (Tin Sa Seaport and Song Hn Terminal) and an additional freight warehouse, Tho Quang Station. (4) Joint service planning standards should lead to compatible systems among services, of what the Navy has called Advanced Base Functional Components. We frequently found in Vietnam that items were not in stock and long delays ensued in getting them. In the early days the Marines sent small parties out of the enclaves on village pacification and "search and destroy missions. Some became skilled, even by our standards, as a result of working with RMK, Public Works or Seabee Teams. 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. The above are just some of the highlights; there have been, obviously, many other lessons to be learned from our involvement in Vietnam. He didn't want to tell me what had just happened. Water 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. The remaining 115 were U. S. civil servants, Vietnamese, and civilians from other countries. 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. Currently, Tan Phong port has completed two terminals: My Giang and Doc Let and Ninh Thuy. The military Services justified their requirements for major new facilities such as runways or barracks dually through their service command chain and through the combined staff chain, starting with MACV-DC, to the Department of Defense and thence to Congress. 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. We may not have a contractor there next time. Nng Port (Vietnamese: Cng Nng) is a major port system located in Central Vietnam at the mouth of the Han River on the East Viet Nam Sea, in the city of Nng. run Deep Water Pier. As the seaport with the largest traffic volume in the North of Vietnam, Hai Phong Port is capable of receiving about 10 million tons / year, of which, Hoang Dieu Port Branch accounts for nearly 60% of the loading and unloading cargo. UN/LOCODE VNDAD. Currently, Chan May port has Ben 1 and 2 berths and Ben 3 will be completed in 2018. [before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin. Another incident I remember was a morning that I also was again working the Also significant were a few large U. S. contractors who did not belong to the RMK-BRJ combine. 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. Conversely, as the Seabees were called upon for more tactical support, work originally assigned them was shifted to the contractor. very difficult task with only four berths. a very sweet, usu. in town that I can not remember the name of and Tien Sha Ramp, which was very In these areas the Army had this responsibility for the U. S. Armed Forces, relying heavily on its contractor, P.A. Generally speaking, they operated in II, III, and IV Corps, but when Army units moved into I Corps to reinforce the Marines in 1967-68 four Army engineer battalions accompanied them. NSA, first under Captain K. P. Huff, U. S. Naval Reserve, then under Rear Admiral T. R. Weschler, U. S. Navy, and his successor, Rear Admiral P. L. Lacy, expanded rapidly. come into the berth where the Sealand vessel was being piloted to. Veterans Benefits Administration Home Furthermore, battalion strengths differed. The Seabees in the Saigon area departed with the demise of HSA, but in June 1966 some one hundred of them were back again, on "loan" from the newly formed Public Works Department at Naval Support Activity, Da Nang. deep water piers Ship's crewmen hook cable onto a flatbed. Well as you may In the years prior to FY69 the career Seabees had a slightly higher reenlistment rate than their contemporaries in the fleet, but FY69 marked the crossover point. History and documents on bases at DaNang - Warboats.org The former were involved in combat engineering functions such as mine sweeping, demolition, and field fortification. The terminal has five berths, located along the shore; berth No. Suffice it to say that Pentagon rivalries, lack of understanding in some quarters as to the requirements and importance of the engineer effort, and reluctance to relinquish decision-making which was better made in the field (an attitude which also prevailed at Pearl Harbor initially) only served to complicate this overwhelming task. In officially turned over the port in June 1972. Similarly many military construction troop units were able to work under relatively peaceful conditions. Almost half of them were assigned to such diverse activities as the State Department Naval Support Unit, the Antarctic Support Activity, Nuclear Power program, two Amphibious Construction Battalions (ACBs), and Public Works Departments scattered all over the world. I was told The Navys answer to this problem was to import CBMU-302, a slightly smaller (200 and later 300 men) version of the CBMU which went to I Corps about the same time. In the course of a full career an officer will not normally have more than two, two-year tours with the battalions. Chu Lai Both incidents resulted in thorough searches being conducted of the piers and nearby ships. Approximately 30 per cent of initial financial support was provided by the U. S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) for teams supporting the Special Forces. the Harbor where the map is marked "piers". Except for LSTs which could beach, all cargo had to be discharged into lighters and transported to the beach where it was offloaded again and loaded onto trucks. Sign up to receive our newsletter regarding Veterans, Reunions, Military, Veteran Benefits, Military Pictures, Jokes, Military History, This has been a general comment, not only concerning Seabee duty, but also about all duty connected with the Vietnam efforts, and most career CEC officers have served in Vietnam. As expected, the international transshipment port in Vietnam is capable of receiving 5 million TEUs per year, with 8 berths for container ships with a capacity of up to 12,000 TEUs and 8 berths for feeders and the total port area of 405 ha. [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. Flatbed trailers are unloaded from U.S. Navy ship Comet at a deep water pier in Da Nang, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. (White Elephant) and much more. The Support Activity's Public Works Department, during Captain S. C. Gill's tenure as PWO, ultimately numbered well over 2,000 people, of whom nearly 200 were Seabees. [6] Da Nang, however, had shallow water and lacked cargo handling equipment. Heretofore we have assumed that the Armyor perhaps the Marineswould do it. Address: PT Indo Globex Worldwide , Axa Tower 45th Floor , Jl.Dr Satrio Kav 18, Jakarta Selatan 12940 Indonesia. already be aware, Sealand vessels had top priority for berth space, so I was in [1][3]:2, In August 1967, the headquarters of NSA Danang was moved from downtown Danang to Camp Tien Sha. We were fortunate to have a large contractor on site capable of rapid expansion. Their burgeoning requirements for ports, cantonments, utilities, aircraft support, supply areas, and other support facilities were well beyond Marine organic capabilities. (Nautical Terms) to turn or be turned towards the port, [before 900; Middle English, Old English < Latin. WebTin Sa Seaport has a navigation depth of 11 m (36 ft), and is able to receive medium range tankers of up to 45,000 DWT, as well as container ships of up to 2,000 TEUs and large cruise ships of up to 75,000 GRT. Conditions ashore were such that the Seabees were not needed to make the landings at Da Nang. One of the dead was Marvin G. Shields (CMA-3), who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in carrying a critically wounded man to safety and in destroying a Viet Cong machine gun emplacement at the cost of his life. This peak number was short-lived, however, for it looked as though military construction troops would take over and finish the job. gang plank came down the entire crew came charging off the ship with all of the path of the F4 which was attempting to land at the airfield located across tanks also fell in. In company with the Marines were Seabees of Amphibious Construction Battalion One, deployed from Yokosuka, Japan. 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. Since its first opening in 1860 under French colonial rule, Saigon Port today has become an international port. The contractor did not accomplish the work completely on his own, however; he was given a lot of help by Air Force construction troops and airlift. 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. find my friend. The next significant change, the placing of all Seabee battalions under a Civil Engineer Corps Flag Officer in Vietnam, came with the formation of the 3rd Naval Construction Brigade under Rear Admiral R. R. Wooding, CEC, United States Navy, on June 1, 1966, at Saigon. With favorable natural and climatic conditions and available facilities, Quang Ninh port is constantly developing and improving its technical and technological system while ensuring close security in order to improve service quality of yourself. 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). Fax 84 511 822 565. Use our real-time freight calculator to compare rates, See your cargo location on the map in real-time, Find sailing schedules by route or vessel with multiple shipping lines, A tool for carriers to provide accurate tracking, Visual module with map, showing sea and land routings, Port Authority Vietnam National Shipping Lines, Coordinates 16 7' 34'' N, 108 14' 19'' E, Oil Terminal 21 - 25 feet 6.4 - 7.6 meters. ways instead of lengthwise. History Of DaNang & NSA/NSF DaNang Similarly, repair and utility support at the numerous small and scattered naval activities in these Corps areas left much to be desired. to the Vietnamese on June 6,1972. Address: 6 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048580. These Marines were the vanguard of an American force which was to expand steadily beyond half a million troops. It is the third largest port system in Vietnam (after Saigon Port in H Ch Minh City and the port of Hi Phng). There was also a large 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. Many of the crews were a mixture of all three nationalities, the aim being ultimately to train the Vietnamese to take over from the more skilled Koreans and Seabees. Future programming must be on the broadest possible basis and must be more responsive to the operational commanders needs. 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 year concluded with two reported swimmer sightings on 14 and 30 December, both originating from Da Nangs deep water piers. The port area has 21 wharves with a total length of 3,567m with a design depth from -7.5m to -9.4m. 2,960,941, MILITARY UNITS - Danang Viet Nam, Deep Water Piers. In mid-1965 the break was completed when OICC Republic of Vietnam was formally established as a separate entity with 135 people, including 20 officers. The Public Works and CBMU Seabees reported to the Naval Support Activity Commanders at Da Nang and Saigon, and the Amphibious Construction Battalion Seabees were part of the Amphibious Force.) In June 1967 it included over 3,200 personnel, a year later 4,900, and by early 1969 the total approached 7,000. Email:mike@lecvietnam.com In simplest terms, under the force levels imposed by the Pentagon, every sailor ashore in Vietnam meant one less sailor in a ship or on a vital shore station somewhere else. This is actually the first time I have discussed this information since WEBMASTER'S NOTE A socket on a micro where a lead is plugged in linking it to another device. He has held design, construction, public works, research, and educational postsincluding a tour as Commanding Officer and Director of the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory. Its first project was to administer an architectural and engineering contract for the layout of a runway at Bien Hoa. 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). operations office. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. A semi-alert battalion was based at Guam, ready to move to help also should the alert battalion need assistance. During the take over of Terminal 1 is the main port area in Dung Quat Bay capable of receiving 70,000 DWT ships with the function of loading and unloading, transporting all goods and equipment to build Dung Quat Oil Refinery. When the Marines next landed, at Chu Lai, some 50 miles south of Da Nang, during the period 7-10 May 1965, elements of ACB-i, under Lieutenant Commander R. T. Field, went ashore with the third assault wave. When the tug boat came in to tie off the barge, the From the beginning, the unit, although it belonged administratively to ComCBPac and maintained its integrity as a unit, acted as an extension of "Public Works North" and its Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander H. A. Holmes, took his basic instructions from the Public Works Officer at Da Nang. During the dry season the sand and laterite dust caused problems, and there was more of the same from the soupy laterite during the wet season. LEC's Singapore Representative father had developed a serious heart condition, so I was assigned to Fort George 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. Vice President Hubert Humphrey in addressing the Senate of the United States put it this way: "The Seabee Team has been called the military peace corps and the reasons for that comparison are obvious. Here it should be noted that the Seabee battalions rotated as complete units. WebThe Deep-Water Piers were turned over to the U.S. Army on July 30th, and the U.S. Navy no longer provided logistical support in I Corps. protection. WebFind Headquarters, NSA Danang, Vietnam unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. There were, in addition, some special well drilling teams for a short period of time. I returned to Ft. In August 1858, again ostensibly on grounds of alleged persecution of Catholic missionariesthis time by Emperor T cFrench troops led by Admiral Charles Rigault de Genouilly seized Nng Port as part of the punitive Cochinchina Campaign. Naval Support Activity Danang 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. I was listed as the Cargo Operations Officer, 86-111. In July 1966 the "Bridge Cargo Ramp" (160307N 1081352E / 16.052N 108.231E / 16.052; 108.231) began operations increasing NSA's supply capability. large warehouse building. do with the LST. They were an outstanding group of young men, and without them the Seabee effort in Vietnam would have been severely curtailed. reluctantly told me that the Korean stevedores were in a hurry to remove six 3 For further discussion on this point, please turn to Commander F. O. McClendon's essay "Doctors and Dentists, Nurses and Corpsmen in Vietnam" in this edition and Captain K. P. Huff, USNR, "Building the Advance Base at Da Nang" in Naval Review 1968, pp. He placed the charge on a rib While the Navys responsibilities in this area were still being debated in Washington, however, efforts were made, primarily in ComServPac, to lay down some general rules for the operation of NSA, should it become a reality. Da Nang Much of the early public works effort was directed toward leasing living and working facilities for NSA in the city of Da Nang (est. They were there to win the hearts and the minds of the people of South Vietnam, to free these people from the terror of the Viet Cong, and to help them to get on their feet politically, economically, and militarily. Email cangdn@dng.vnn.vn. returning home. These components were invaluable in getting the Seabee construction effort underway even though some obsolescent equipment was in the system. Even in Saigon this appeared to be marginal in the early days (it later improved), with the result that the 100 or so Seabees loaned to NSA Saigon by Da Nang in 1966 were kept in the south until their individual tours were completed. American advisors penetrated the jungles, American warships cruised the Tonkin Gulf, and then it was March 1965 and American Marines landed at Da Nang. "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., By Captain Charles J. Merdinger, Civil Engineer Corps, U. S. Navy, Civil Engineers, Seabees, and Bases in Vietnam, CNO Naval History - Midshipmen and Cadets, CNO Naval History - Professional Historian, Doctors and Dentists, Nurses and Corpsmen in Vietnam, Captain Charles J. Merdinger, Civil Engineer Corps, U. S. Navy. Vietnam As construction agent for the Department of Defense in Vietnam, the OICC was concerned with a large design effort, both in house and by contract, and he let numerous lump sum contracts to smaller construction contractors (largely Vietnamese or Korean) for the U. S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Department. 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. China Beach was recognized by UNESCO as one of the six fine sand beaches in the world in 1995. In August and September 1954, elements of ACB-i under Commander L. N. Saunders participated in Operation "Passage to Freedom, a massive evacuation of people and equipment from the Tonkin Delta region of French Indo-China to the south.