Đức Cơ Camp
| Đức Cơ Camp | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 13°47′17″N 107°37′37″E / 13.788°N 107.627°E |
| Type | Army Base |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1964 |
| In use | 1964-71 |
| Battles/wars |
 Vietnam War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 5th Special Forces Group |
| Đức Cơ Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: none | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,247 ft / 380 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Đức Cơ Camp (also known as Đức Cơ Special Forces Camp or Chu Dron Special Force camp) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base west of Pleiku in central Vietnam.
History
The 5th Special Forces Group Detachment A-224[1] first established a base at Đức Cơ in December 1964 to monitor communist infiltration along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.The base was located on QL-19 13 km from the Cambodian border and approximately 55 km west of Pleiku.[2]
1965
In late May 1965 the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) besieged the camp which was defended by the 5th Special Forces Detachment A-215 and CIDG forces. On 3 August a force of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Paratroopers with Major Norman Schwarzkopf as senior military adviser was sent to relieve the camp. The paratroopers took heavy casualties and a second, larger force was required to relieve them. That force too came into heavy contact on 5 August. Schwarzkopf and his group fought continuously for several days. On 17 August additional ARVN forces supported by two battalions of the 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived and broke the siege.[3]
1966
In May 1966 Operation Paul Revere was launched in the Đức Cơ tactical area. On 24 June the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry and 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment engaged a PAVN Battalion close to the Cambodian border losing 15 U.S. killed. On 3 July a 35th Infantry platoon was ambushed and overrun with the loss of 17 U.S. and 23 PAVN killed.[4]
1967
The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ in June 1967.[1]:141
The 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ from September 1967 to February 1968.[1]:141
The 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment was based at Đức Cơ at various times in 1968/9.
The base was transferred to 81st Border Rangers.[2]
Current use
The base has been turned over to farmland and housing.
References
- 1 2 3 Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 246. ISBN 9780811700719.
- 1 2 Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–161–2. ISBN 978-1555716257.
- ↑ Pyle, Richard (1991). Schwarzkopf: In His Own Words. Signet Books. pp. 34–5. ISBN 978-0-451-17205-1.
- ↑ "Engagements Near Duc Co Airfield (1966)". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 17 November 2014.