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Bien Hoa Base Camp
Coordinates 10°59′02″N 106°50′02″E / 10.984°N 106.834°E / 10.984; 106.834 (Bien Hoa Base Camp)
TypeArmy Base
Site information
Conditionabandoned
Site history
In use1965–75
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants 173rd Airborne Brigade

Bien Hoa Base Camp (also known as Bien Hoa Army Base) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base northeast of Biên Hòa in Đồng Nai province, southern Vietnam.

History

Sign for 1RAR's New Gallipoli Barracks at Bien Hoa

From 3 to 6 May 1965 United States Air Force (USAF) transport aircraft deployed the 173rd Airborne Brigade from Okinawa to Bien Hoa Air Base to secure the air base and surrounding areas and the port of Vũng Tàu. [1] The 173rd established their base on the northeast perimeter of the air base. In June and July they were joined by the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and a New Zealand Artillery Battery attached as the third battery of the U.S. 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment. The allied units were under the operational control of the 173rd until April 1966 when they were given their own tactical area of responsibility (TAOR) in Phước Tuy Province. [2] [3]

On 15 March 1971 a grenade was tossed into an officer billet at the base killing 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) Lieutenants Thomas A. Dellwo and Richard E. Harlan. Private Billy Dean Smith was charged with the murders, but was acquitted at a court-martial in November 1972. [4]

Other units stationed at Bien Hoa included: [3]

References

  1. ^ Schlight, John (1999). The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia: The War in South Vietnam The Years of the Offensive 1965–1968 (PDF). Office of Air Force History. p. 36. ISBN  9780912799513.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ Ham, Paul (2007). Vietnam: The Australian War. Harper Collins. pp. 128–131. ISBN  978-0-7322-8237-0.
  3. ^ a b Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 53. ISBN  978-1555716257.
  4. ^ Lepre, George (2011). Fragging: Why U.S. Soldiers Assaulted their Officers in Vietnam. Texas Tech University Press. pp. 89–93.