Tây Ninh Combat Base

Tây Ninh Combat Base
Coordinates 11°19′30″N 106°03′00″E / 11.325°N 106.05°E
Type Army
Site information
Controlled by People's Army of Vietnam
Site history
Built 1966
In use 1966-present
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants 196th Light Infantry Brigade
25th Infantry Division
1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Tây Ninh West Airfield
IATA: noneICAO: none
Summary
Elevation AMSL 300 ft / 91 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
3,800 1,158 asphalt

Tây Ninh Combat Base (also known as Tây Ninh Base Camp and Tây Ninh West) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and current People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) base west of Tây Ninh in southern Vietnam.

History

1966-70

Tây Ninh Combat Base was established approximately 5 km west of the city of Tây Ninh and 12 km from the Vietnam-Cambodia border.[1]

Tây Ninh served as the base for the 196th Light Infantry Brigade from April 1966 until August 1967.[2]

Other units stationed at Tây Ninh included:

The US Air Force 619th Tactical Control Squadron Detachment 7 provided air traffic control from August 1965 until May 1968.

On 21 June 1969 after two days of shelling the PAVN attacked the base and Tây Ninh City but were repulsed suffering 194 dead for the loss of 10 Americans.[3]

In April 1970 the base was used as a staging area for U.S. units participating in the Cambodian Campaign for attacks west into the Parrot's Beak and north into the Fish Hook.

1970-5

The base was handed over to the ARVN in September 1970 and was used by the ARVN 25th Division.[1]

Current use

The base remains in use by the PAVN as part of the 7th Military Region.

The airfield is no longer in use but remains clearly visible on satellite images.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–498. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 136. ISBN 9780811700719.
  3. "Communists storm U.S. base near Tay Ninh". History Channel. Retrieved 2 November 2014.

External links