Sóc Trăng Airfield
| Sóc Trăng Airfield | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 9°34′48″N 105°57′32″E / 09.58°N 105.959°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940s |
| In use | 1940-75 |
| Battles/wars |
 Vietnam War |
| Sóc Trăng Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: SOA – ICAO: none | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 10 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Sóc Trăng Airfield was a French colonial, Japanese Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base located in Sóc Trăng in southern Vietnam.
History
Sóc Trăng Airfield was originally established in the French colonial era, it was subsequently used by the Japanese forces from 1940-5.[1]
HMM-362 codenamed "SHUFLY" was the first USMC helicopter unit to serve in Vietnam arriving on 15 April 1962. Sóc Trăng was selected for the deployment because it had one of the few hard-surfaced runways in South Vietnam. HMM-362's mission was to provide transport and resupply for ARVN units throughout the Mekong Delta.[2] In early September HMM-362 began moving north to Da Nang Air Base, completing the redeployment by 20 September.[2]:73–4
The 121st Assault Helicopter Company was based at Sóc Trăng from late 1962.
On 4 November 1970 control of Sóc Trăng was passed to the ARVN.
Other units stationed at Sóc Trăng included:
- 336th Assault Helicopter Company
Accidents and incidents
- 19 May 1967, two UH-1Ds (#64-13521 and #66-01154) of the 336th AHC collided on approach to Sóc Trăng causing both helicopters to crash killing all 4 crewmen on one helicopter and 1 crewman on the other[3]
- 12 August 1972 C-130E #62-1853 of the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron was shot down on takeoff from Sóc Trăng killing 30 of 44 passengers and crew onboard[4]
Current use
The airfield remains visible on satellite images.
References
- ↑ Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–470–1. ISBN 978-1555716257.
- 1 2 Whitlow, Robert (1977). US Marines in Vietnam: The Advisory And Combat Assistance Era, 1954-1964. History and Museums Division Headquarters United States Marine Corps. pp. 57–67. ISBN 9781494285296.
- ↑ "Michael Kight, WO". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ↑ "Lockheed C-130 E Hercules Soc Trang". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 November 2014.