This meant that crew chiefs and armorers actually got to see their aircraft in action. The helicopter gunships of the Armys 145th Aviation BattalionBell UH-1 Iroquois and AH-1 Cobrastook off immediately and started strafing runs, he recalls. A2C Jessie was working tower duty in hitting the bunker. On 9 March 1965 the Joint Chiefs of Staff formally approved the use of USAF aircraft for offensive operations in South Vietnam, ending the advisory era. over looking the base. I am here local in O.C. black powder cartridge that fired when the pilot hit the starter [3]:168 By the end of 1963 it had 16 O-1s at Bien Hoa and had flown 3862 sorties. [24]:465, At 04:00 on 27 April the 341st Division attacked Trang Bom, the initial attack was repulsed but by 08:00 attacks on the flanks broke through and the town was captured with the 18th Division suffering heavy casualties in their retreat. NCO inside with the tank crew, as a liaison for fields of fire. Spec,) which had another term we use to refer to ourselves as--WAFs. out of his chair. out and hit the fuse of one of the 500 pounders starting a chain Several VNAF killed The surviving B-57s were transferred to Tan Son Nhut and continued to fly sorties . I was there! Schiffer Military Aviation History. According to the book, Air Base Defense in the Republic of Vietnam, The aircraft and the ammunition were stored too close together which allowed the fires and explosions to propagate. From: James F. Kozlowski the 1968 TET offensive but when the 1969 TET offensive (Feb. 1969) arrived, We spoke only once The accident investigation board recommended improvements. of the starter housing like a buzz saw. Unit was: 34th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 45 Bien Hoa Air Base Stock Photos & High Res Pictures [3]:50 From this point Bien Hoa became the base of newly formed and continually growing air units. Burning aircraft on ramp at Bien Hoa Air Base after explosion. The [14]:202 Base rescue was provided by a daily rotation of 2 HH-43Fs of Detachment 14, 3d Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group from Tan Son Nhut Air Base. his plane to get his maps. A further artillery attack on 7 May caused minimal damage. [8]:36, The use of the B-57s in combat continued to increase as the VC stepped up their attacks on ARVN outposts throughout South Vietnam and the jets were also used on Operation Barrel Roll missions over Laos. 34 Tac Ftr Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. These turbines sometimes spun loose and flew out of the starter housing. Vietnam Bien Hoa Air Base 1965 stock footage and images Agent Orange Effects: History, Symptoms, VA Benefits - Verywell Health from the Air National Guard, and 12 B-57Es had to be withdrawn from We found his name tag and it took about 3 days to figure Bien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force (Khong Quan Nhan Dan Viet Nam) military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province. Tough times but good times with very good The AC-47D was damaged beyond economic repair when its undercarriage collapsed on landing. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Other Accident. They fired their rockets into the field off the end of the runway. Prepares for biggest-ever Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam", "This Fighter Jet Turned the Tide During Vietnam's Decisive Tet Offensive", "Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1973: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, Second Session, on H.R.16593, an Act Making Appropriations for the Department of Defense for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1973, and for Other Purposes", "Agent Orange: U.S. to clean up toxic Vietnam War air base", USAF Historical Research Division/Organizational History Branch - 35th Fighter Wing, 366th Wing, VNAF - The Republic of Vietnam Air Force 1951-1975, USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present, Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16 1965 Conflagration / Fire (Video), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bien_Hoa_Air_Base&oldid=1151274346, Seized 1975 by PAVN, in use as military airfield, 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8 February 1966 - 31 October 1970, 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 21 November - 6 December 1965, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 16 November 1965 - 15 April 1967, 1st Air Commando Squadron, 21 November- 8 March 1966, 10th Fighter Squadron (Commando), 8 April 1966 - 17 April 1967, 311th Attack Squadron, 15 November - 15 December 1969, 602nd Air Commando Squadron, 21 November- 8 March 1966, 112th/124th Liaison squadron: O-1A, U-17A, 221st/223d/231st/245th/251st Helicopter Squadrons: UH-1H, Det E 259th Helicopter Squadron: UH-1H (Medevac), 522nd/536th/540th/544th Fighter Squadrons: F-5A/B/C RF-5A. General Patton's son, then Lt. Col. General Westmoreland along with retired General Maxwell D. Taylor, Ambassador to Vietnam, also came to see the extent of damage so they could brief their superiors. Mesco, Jim (1987) VNAF Republic of Vietnam Air Force 1945-1975 Squadron/Signal Publications. [2]:70, On 1 June 1955, Bien Hoa Air Base became the RVNAF's logistics support base when the French evacuated their main depot at Hanoi. The vintage footage in this video has been uploaded for research purposes, and is presented in unedited form.. At the conclusion of the airstrike the F-100s landed to the east. the enemy down, while Security Police could fall back to a safer position. An ARVN security force cornered a group of VC/PAVN in a supply shed and engaged them with recoilless rifle fire before USAF Security Police and ARVN forces finished them off with grenades and rifle fire. While the base security moved to attack this VC force, PAVN units infiltrated the perimeter in 3 different places and began firing on the base's III Corps Direct Air Support Center. Several USAF ( other than B-57 crew ) killed that, for additional troop strength, our backups were usually several The tests ended successfully in mid-December with only one aircraft lost and the squadron was then attached to the 14th Air Commando Wing at Nha Trang Air Base but it continued to fly out of Bien Hoa. of that fact many referred Bin Ha as 'Rocket Alley'. [16], USAF losses were 4 killed in action with another dying of a heart attack, while 26 were wounded. In addition a detachment of 6 AC119K Stinger gunships and 150 men from the 18th Special Operations Squadron deployed from Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base. [3], Further Viet Cong mortar attacks led General William Westmoreland on February 19, 1965 to release B-57Bs for combat operations. The PAVN then advanced to Bien Hoa where they were met by the 3rd Armored, at this point the PAVN 4th Corps changed the axis of their advance to the south. [8]:113, F-100 units attached to the 3rd TFW were:[14]:10, In addition AC-47 Spooky gunships of Flight D, 4th Air Commando Squadron were deployed to Bien Hoa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bien_Hoa_Air_Base, Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative], Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]. Casualties being loaded into U.S. Army UH-1B helicopters at Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam during Vietnam War. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. TSgt Ander, the Flt Chief on duty, went into the type) destroyed. The only other fellow Nam Vet SP that I keep Or send email to Joseph F. Seaman using this automatic email form. [24]:48890 The 3rd Armored was moving from Bien Hoa to attack PAVN forces when they heard the surrender broadcast of President Dng Vn Minh and BG Khi halted his advance and disbanded the unit. [9] With the activation of the 38th Air Rescue Squadron on 30 June 1965 the detachment at Bien Hoa was renamed Detachment 6. [3] The unit would administratively and operationally belong to the Air Force section of MAAG Vietnam. buddies because everyone would want to act like John Wayne. On this day, a loose turbine hit the fuse of an armed 500 lb bomb, setting off a whole chain of secondary explosions.[4]. [3], In December 1960, the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group Vietnam (MAAG) requested the U.S. Navy, as the designated contract construction agent for the Department of Defense in Southeast Asia, to plan and construct several jet-capable airfields in South Vietnam, including at Bien Hoa. I worked with a lot of the locals. [3]:195, In early 1964 the USAF and RVNAF were only able to provide half of all requested air support. explosion, but minutes later I was relieved to hear his voice over the On 13 July 1965 the newly arrived 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron also equipped with F-100Ds arrived at the base. One potential cause is the failure of a B-57 starter turbine, actuated by a black powder cartridge, which may have flown loose from the starter housing and hit the fuse of an armed 500 lb bomb. Each tank had one Security Police we had very close working relations with the 5th SF which was also at stealth. On 15 March 1971 the 3rd TFW inactivated at Bien Hoa and was simultaneously activated at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, taking over the defensive mission there. The French Air Force established an air base, the Base arienne tactique 192, which was very active during the First Indochina War . Vietnam War-Stories.com: Sapper Attack, Ammo Dump Explosion, Bin Ha Like me, Ed Crawford is a proud member of both VSPA and AFSFA. The French Air Force established an air base, the Base arienne tactique 192, which was very active during the First Indochina War. The base had two east-west runways, each about two miles long. I followed with my napalm right on target. The accident investigation board . The B-57 mission continued to increase to the point that it became an around-the-clock commitment. worrying about--Victor Charlie." the idea of mounting a "mini-gun" on top was seriously considered. We each made two bombing passes after that and put all bombs right on target. The PAVN then advanced to the town of H Nai (now Tn Ha), which was held by the Marines. [3]:271, In June 1962 2 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) soldiers guarding the base perimeter were killed by Viet Cong (VC) and as a result CINCPAC Admiral Harry D. Felt recommended the defoliation of the jungle area north of the base and this was carried out by RVNAF H-34 helicopters in July. eye brows and arms. The aircraft and the ammunition were stored too close together which allowed the fires and explosions to spread. I never told my bunker The more beer the better the story. Two officials from North American Aviation, the manufacturers of the T-28, visited Bien Hoa and reviewed these losses and advised that the T-28 wasn't designed for the stresses it was being subjected to as a close air support aircraft. The battalion's pilots lived off-base at the Honour-Smith Compound, a villa on Cong Ly Street in the city of Bien Hoa, some 2 kilometers away. of Bunker Hill 17. Bien Hoa Air Base - USAF Use During The Vietnam War - 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing The 3d Tactical Fighter Wing was the host unit at Bien Hoa. On 14 April 1972 a turnaround service for F-4 Phantoms was established at the base. Bien Hoa Disaster (May 16, 1965) | A Diagram of where the ai | Flickr a long time. [8]:251, On 17 July 1967 the 604th Air Commando Squadron flying the A-37A Dragonfly began arriving at the base to test the A-37 in combat over three months under a program named Combat Dragon. Performance & security by Cloudflare. I taped Before I got there, I heard plenty of stories about The Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16, 1965 Conflagration/Fire Accident Investigation Board concluded that the disaster was caused by the accidental explosion of a bomb on a parked B-57 triggering a series of blasts. In June 1965, the B-57s were moved from Tan Son Nhut Air Base to Da Nang Air Base. the base was under siege by VC and NVA and proved to be challenge enough base was ten miles in radius. Today in History - May 16, 1965 - Accidental Explosion at Bien Hoa AB Needless to say the parking apron was severely damaged and all munitions [8]:135, The rapid growth of units at Bien Hoa led to issues of overcrowding and electricity and water shortages which were only gradually addressed throughout 1966, while many units were undermanned for the increased demands placed on them. But generations of ethnic. American air attacks continue - Bien Hoa airbase explosion caused by bomb/ Armed forced day parade in New York/Dominica: situation in Santo Domingo Guid: ANB5389A Story Number: 138/65/09 Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images The 10 surviving B-57s were transferred to Tan Son Nhut Air Base and continued to fly sorties on a reduced scale until replacement aircraft arrived from Clark AB. The ramp and taxiway were covered with shrapnel and gravelthere was debris all over, he says. Click to Report BROKEN LINKS or Photos, or COMMENT/span>. FILM ID:3114.16A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATH. The main gate was near the active runway of the 145th Aviation Battalion, a U.S. Army helicopter unit. Then we were called in. [14]:165 Then the 8th SOS was attached to the 377th Air Base Group (later 377th Air Base Wing) at Tan Son Nhut Air Base on 15 January 1972. The VC had an isolated South Vietnam Army unit pinned down. Gp ) said he was in command of the worst U.S. military disaster Explosion at Bien Hoa Air Base May 16, 1965 - Flickr We were in country at the same time on the same base. (Ret) Edward Crawford. Bien Hoa is located on quiet, flat grounds in a rural area 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Saigon. [8]:2412, In the early morning of 31 January at the start of the Tet Offensive VC and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces hit the base with mortar and rocket fire and then attacked the eastern perimeter of the base, establishing a defensive position in an engine test stand. [3] Farm Gate would quickly grow to 4 SC-47s, 4 B-26s and 8 T-28s. [4] In December 1961, the American construction company RMK-BRJ was directed by the Navy's Officer in Charge of Construction RVN to begin construction of a new concrete runway, the first of many projects built by RMK-BRJ at the Bien Hoa Air Base over the following ten years. The HH-43s were responsible for search and rescue, local base rescue and firefighting. From the blue and tango sites and LP's, for almost my entire year in country. [15]:12 The bodies of the VC/PAVN killed in the attack were buried in an unmarked mass grave on the edge of the base that was only uncovered in 2017. [14], The 3rd TFW briefly absorbed the assets of the 1st and 602nd Air Commando Squadrons, however in January 1966 the 1st Air Commando Squadron moved to Pleiku Air Base and the 602nd Air Commando Squadron moved to Nha Trang Air Base. When the ammo dump . Before the explosions, perimeter security was the responsibility of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. American air attacks continue - Bien Hoa airbase explosion caused by [3]:80 Detachment 2A would be the B-26 Invader unit; Detachment 2B would be the T-28 Trojan unit. Bien Hoa Air Base Map - Aerodrome - Bin Ha, Vietnam - Mapcarta Offensive, I carried a cassette tape recorder in my field pack. Unissued / Unused material -Bien Hoa US Air base, Vietnam.LS of billows of black smoke coming from the explosions that are taking place as American bombers l. Bien Hoa Air Base - Wikipedia There were some snipers on the water tower close to where I was, he recalls, and friendly forces shooting back. [8]:2345, Following the final withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Vietnam in February 1973, Bien Hoa remained a major RVNAF base hosting the headquarters of the RVNAF 3d Air Division and the Air Logistics Command. [8]:55, On 8 November 1965 the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Bien Hoa, becoming the host unit at the base. CD-ROM. All fuses were anti-withdrawal). I do not Privacy Statement The 101st Airborne had surrounded a North Vietnamese company right off the end of the runway and was engaged in heavy fighting. We orbited over the base for an hour and 20 minutes while the army tried to relocate and the army general tried to handle it with artillery. Wounded man seated in a chair, wearing bandages. [24]:475 H Nai was defended by the 6th Marine Battalion, an M48 tank from the 3rd Armored and Popular Forces. They didnt even refuel; theyd just reload because they were right where the fight was., While the gunships were flying, the F-100 pilots and crews attempted to clear the runways of debris so they could take off. The unit would be officially titled Detachment 2 of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron, code named Farm Gate. just started to recall my experience in the VN over the last 6-7 years. During the 1969 TET As the B-57B was withdrawn from active front-line service (the 405th's 8th and 13th Bomb Squadrons were the only active-duty B-57B units left in the USAF), some B-57Bs had to be transferred to Vietnam from the Kansas Air National Guard, and 12 B-57Es had to be withdrawn from target-towing duties and reconfigured as bombers to make good these losses. When deployed at Da Nang, the 8th and 13th Squadrons came under operational control of the 6252nd Tactical Fighter Wing which became the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing about a year later. [15]:66, After midnight on 5 May during the May Offensive the PAVN/VC shelled the base twice for 3 hours and then shelled it again at dawn wounding 11 USAF personnel and damaging 13 aircraft, 5 trucks and 3 50,000-gallon rubber fuel bladders. It was estimated that there were 3 81mm mortars. Trip flares were only installed I spoke with a guy that wave that rolled over the ground and flightline, shaking everything Bien Hoa Air Base: 1964-1969 - YouTube Your Privacy Rights I find it interesting that no one ever talked much about As Tet Offensive erupted, this Air Force vet bombed his own base to [21] On 10 September a PAVN/VC sapper attack caused an RVNAF ammunition storage dump to explode killing two South Vietnamese and wounding 29 Americans and 20 South Vietnamese,[20]:1624 and at least 30 UH-1 helicopters were damaged[22], On 22 October the PAVN hit the base with 61 rockets. Police troop, working tower duty, to distinguish the only varmints worth Had the VC made it further west, it would have been the F-100s of the 531st that would have been targeted first., Jackson remembers the chaos of the battle. The out who he was. Reel #: 1517 TC In: 015203 TC Out: 015438This clip is available for licensing without time code and logo - To inquire about licensing email us at Myfootage@g. After the explosions, a great number of generals and their staffs came to Bien Hoa to see for themselves what had happened. So I had to taxi around until I found a place that was very level. At one time, I think The Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16, 1965 Conflagration/Fire Accident Investigation Board concluded the accidental explosion of a bomb on a parked B-57 at Bien Hoa triggered a series of blasts. Some B-57Bs had to be transferred to Vietnam In the thriving industrial city of Bien Hoa, about 20 miles east of Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, there is a large air base, just beyond a sweeping bend in the Dong Nai River. that he wrote about. Off of Bravo Area, across from BIENHOA, South Vietnam, May 16 -- Further explosions were expected at this major airfield in the aftermath of a chain of blasts early today that killed at least 21 Americans and one Vietnamese.. This strike was, incidentally, the first time that live ordnance had been delivered against an enemy in combat from a USAF jet bomber.[1][2]. POL, 3 out of 4 EOD men killed in line of duty. During the Vietnam Wars (1955-1975), the base was used by the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF). north of Ho Chi Minh City. fence, closest to us. the enemy, the retreating SP's could activate the Totem Poles--creating Bien Hoa Air Base - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia Bin Ha Air Base: Explosion photos by Steve Thimlar. 1965. - VSPA of the bravery displayed by many 3rd SPS 'Skycops' during the infamous trucks up to the base of the sand hill and fill sandbags during day at "Bunker Hill 10," spread through the Air Force Security On 1 January 1966 the squadron moved north to Da Nang Air Base. losses. We could see them shooting at us the whole time. We heard stories about all types of things that Hopkins grabbed a reel-to-reel tape recorder as he headed outside into the chaos. want to check them: 24 B-57s destroyed the place. Please contact: Joseph F. Seaman On 8 February 1966 the 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron equipped with F-100Ds arrived at Bien Hoa. There were bombs stored underneath the wings of the B-57s. [3]:272, On the night of 1 November 1964 a VC mortar team penetrated the base perimeter and launched a 30-minute barrage on the base destroying 5 B-57s, 3 A-1Hs and 1 HH-43 and damaging 13 B-57s, 3 A-1Hs, 3 HH-43s and 2 C-47s and killing 4 U.S. and 2 Vietnamese. American Air Force Air Field called Bin Ha. During the Vietnam War the base was used by the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF). [11]:70, On 21 January 1970 an artillery attack on the base damaged a C123, a C7 and a UH1. The aircraft and the ammunition were stored too close together which allowed the fires and explosions to spread. City, State, Zip: Maple Shade, NJ 08052 VS Base personnel risk their lives as they jump into remaining planes and taxi them away from the immediate area of the explosions. [3]:148, In July 1963 the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron was activated at the base, becoming operational on 15 September. Lieutenant Fred Abrams was asleep when the battle began. could be made good. The final 500-pound bombs set off a secondary explosion in the bunker when a cache of VC munitions likely intended to be used on the . On that fateful night, explosions . [11]:20, On 19 February 1965 the Bien Hoa-based B-57Bs mission conducted the USAF's first combat mission bombing VC bases in Phc Tuy Province, in contrast to the preceding Farm Gate missions which were ostensibly conducted by the RVNAF, though in reality carried out by the USAF). Blasts Kill 21 Americans, Hit 40 Planes in Vietnam; Explosions at PDF Bin Ha Air Base, Vietnam - 16 May 1965 On 18 March 1964 the newly formed 518th Fighter Squadron began operations from the base with an original strength of 10 A-1Hs, it would grow to 25 aircraft authorized. [24]:459, The ARVN formed a new defensive line east of Bien Hoa at the town of Trng Bom which was defended by the remnants of the 18th Division, the 468th Marine Brigade and the reconstituted 258th Marine Brigade, which had disgraced itself during the fall of Da Nang. dispatched with a riot gun to shoot dogs eating human flesh. The boomburb city is densely populated and rings the base, despite significant levels of agent orange toxins simply left there for decades. Bien Hoa Air Base is a military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam, about 16 miles (25 km) from Saigon, near the city of Bin Ha. Aerial view of Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam. HD Stock Footage AS of Bienhoa Air Base with the burning wreckage still littering the airfield. The resulting conflagration destroyed ten B-57s, eleven VNAF A-1H Skyradiers, and a US Navy F-8 Crusader. The Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16, 1965 Conflagration/Fire Accident Investigation Board concluded the accidental explosion of a bomb on a parked B-57 at Bien Hoa triggered a series of blasts. I got hit and came back as a single ship, he says, and there was nobody to de-arm the aircraft. the ammo dump at the time, and I thought for sure he perished in the [19], On 1 September 1969 with the inactivation of the 3rd Special Operations Squadron, the 4th Special Operations Squadron took over its gunship role at Bien Hoa basing 3 AC-47s there until it too was inactivated on 15 December 1969. deny the accuracy Working for the "G" has its limitations on what you [3]:267 This strike was, incidentally, the first time that live ordnance had been delivered against an enemy in combat from a USAF jet bomber. The other fence lines were constructed, when the Like This Movie Trailer? As the buildup continued, USAF directed the activation of a more permanent organizational structure to properly administer the forces being deployed. USAID begins new round of Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam
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