Must-Visit Attractions in Danang, Vietnam In addition to setting construction standards which were binding on all Services, another major function of MACV-DC was to receive the requirements which the various services had heretofore placed on the OICC, sort out relative priorities among the services, and then assign construction responsibility to the OICC or troops. At the same time, after being under the investment management of Vietnam Maritime Corporation, Quy Nhon port is determined to become an international port in the South Central region, promoting opportunities for the development of Vietnam's maritime transport industry. Experience ultimately showed that the life cycle of a piece of equipment committed to Vietnam averaged 45 months from the time it was received from the factory in a U. S. depot until it passed out of the system. First of these was the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, formed in Da Nang under Captain H. F. Liberty in early May 1965 to provide operational control over all Seabee battalions in Vietnam. fact I was required to draw up an escape plan in case the port came under Though this report referred essentially to timber bridges, the Seabees also used precast concrete, steel substructure with timber decking, Bailey Deck type, and the AMMI (a multi-purpose steel pontoon designed by NAVFAC's Chief Engineering Advisor, Dr. Arsham Amirikian). WebDANANG VIET NAM, DEEP WATER PIERS Air Force Units Army Units Coast Guard Units Marine Corps Units Navy Units Become a VetFriends Member Site Map Search Veterans & Personnel Photos, Humor, Stories & More Military Records & Resources Reunions, Parades, & Events Online Catalog About VetFriends My Profile MetLife Veteran The original $22 million worth of work had grown to a total of more than $150 million over the three years. Net progress has been minimal since during one period 22 bridges were built while 21 were destroyed by sabotage." One year tours and rotation of individuals, not units as in the case of the NMCBs, was the case for both PW and CBMU officers and men. operations of running the port of Chu Lai late in 1971. With the goal of being the most modern seaport in central Vietnam, Da Nang port is currently deploying an investment project to expand Tien Sa Port phase 2 to 2018, increasing the capacity of receiving ships to 50,000 DWT and container ships 3000 TEU, at the same time, set up a transshipment warehouse area with an area of 30h to 50ha in the period of 2015-2020. Get to know the time in transit of cargo on popular container shipping lines between ports of loading and port of discharge. Veteran C. Young, After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. By far the greatest construction effort outside of the RMK-BRJ joint venture came from the U. S. construction troops. Shaffer arrived I took the pictures which are on the This is not to say that the omission was not of concern in some quarters. Untitled . Da Nang prior to the mine sweeper making a pass thru the channel in order to off load I got onto With the rapid buildup, there were not enough experienced petty officers on active duty to go around and the voluntary recall of reservists yielded little more. By the time the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese did move in strength, the fundamental facilities from which to move American troops, planes, and ships were in place. The remaining 115 were U. S. civil servants, Vietnamese, and civilians from other countries. Though the bulk of their work was in the Saigon area, public works forces operated country wide. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Deepwater+pier, [Middle English, from Old English, from Latin, The left-hand side of a ship or aircraft facing forward. The VCNO indicated that CinCPacFlt could do the job temporarily, that he would seek additional assets from the Secretary of Defense to do the job if the Army Logistics Command were not to be assigned long range responsibility, and that the Navy would seek an authoritative interpretation of policy to determine "whose responsibility it is. It turned out to be the Navys. [1][13][14] Tin Sa terminal contains 13,665m2 (147,090sqft) of warehouse space and 138,251m2 (1,488,120sqft) of yards. There were, of course, numerous small contractors some of whom worked for the OICC and some who did not, who were employed by engineer elements of each of the services and by USAID. Following the confusion of the explosion, while we initiated and all ships had to night steam following a sapper charge sinking an Includes excellent aerial views of the entire area, the hospital, Marine airgroup, 16 area, Camp Tien Sha, Naval Support Activity Da Nang Hdqtrs. The War - The Boy in the Apple Orchard Fortunately, enemy harassment was minimal in this early period, but temperatures reaching 120F. If paucity of numbers produced a complaint during World War II when the Seabees reached a strength exceeding a quarter of a million, surely one can sympathize with involved operational commanders on the eye of the Vietnam adventure when Seabee (Group VIII) strength world-wide totaled only 8,500 men. It should be noted that this program did not deny battalions essential equipment because of the availability of an adequate backup pipe line. I actually thought it had all been forgotten. Provided by Shannon Nichols. [3] NSA Danang originally operated from a commercial pier on the city side of the Hn River and this "Museum Ramp" (160300N 1081328E / 16.05N 108.2245E / 16.05; 108.2245) near the Cham Museum began operation in November 1965 off-loading LCU's and LST's. While P.A. But this was not the OICCs sole job. Besides the ability to receive container ships with a tonnage of 50,000 DWT, Chan May port is also selected by the Asian Yacht Association to build a stop for yachts in Southeast Asia with the ability to welcome cruise ships. During the early allied buildup in South Vietnam the only primary deep water port to handle incoming cargo ships was the Saigon Port on the Saigon River in the Capital Military District of Gia Dinh Province in III Corps Tactical Zone. Air shipment to Vietnam of critical items could normally be accomplished within 30 days of ordering. Conditions ashore were such that the Seabees were not needed to make the landings at Da Nang. And, of course, there was a significant amount of "self help construction by non-engineer troops who were furnished materials and plans and left largely to their own devices. The one hundred and fifty battalions of World War II had dwindled to two shortly thereafter, were rebuilt to eleven during the Korean War, and returned to ten from that point until the Vietnam build-up in 1965. The concept at this time was that NSA Da Nang would concern itself with operating ports and beaches from Chu Lai to the DMZ and would operate a supply depot, shipping, and some ancillary services. A few miles away, Panama Ports Co., a member of Hutchison Port Holdings, has converted a, With plenty of flat land for construction and. In the spring of 1966 three new regiments were formed, one at each Construction Battalion Center. However, Seabee strength measured in terms of numbers of battalions could be somewhat misleading, for not all of the Group VIII enlisted men (as the construction trades had come to be designated) were in Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs) in 1965; nor are they today. Collectively these local contractors had accounted for some $75 million worth of construction by the fall of 1966. For example, at the same base a difference in construction standards for berthing facilities between be Army and Air Force caused unnecessary morale problems. Accordingly, it was engaged on rough construction projects which could be dropped immediately when the call came. One other statistic is also worthy of note; at the time of this report team hospital corpsmen had treated well over 150,000 Vietnamese at sick call. Ships in this category entered Vietnams inland waterways temporarily as part of their gunfire, interdiction, or support missions. They did, however, in the next month, install a number of fuel systems, provide causeways for off-loading LSTs, and establish camp support ashore in Da Nang. & E. contract with that between the Navy and Philco-Ford, but comparisons are difficult. When CBPac planners had been working on contingency plans with the Marines on Okinawa they had visualized, under the direct chain of command of the Commanding General, the Commander of the 30th NCR (a CEC Captain), wearing a second hat as Commander of the Force Engineer Group (FEG). WebIn mid-October 1968 the Deep Water Pier complex ( 16.12N 108.214E) on the Tien Sha peninsula was completed, beginning operations in September 1968. After the Dong Xoai Seabee Team action opinions began to change, and when MCB-9, working on the hospital in Da Nang in October 1965, was hit with mortars and infiltration gangs the lessons hit home. WEBMASTER'S NOTE Escape the crowds with a private dive into Vietnams most tangible history. [1], In 2008, Nng Port handled 2.7 million tons of cargo, of which 1.2 million tons were exports, 525,900 tons were imports, and 985,600 tons were domestic cargo. You've read 1 out of 5 free articles of Proceedings this month. Because it could barely handle the regular commercial commerce and with the heavy volume of additional Camp Tien Sha Similarly, repair and utility support at the numerous small and scattered naval activities in these Corps areas left much to be desired. A 3rd NCB report of 1 December 1967 stated matter-of-factly: "Progress to date: Approximately 29 bridges have been constructed utilizing timber construction primarily. [3], Tin Sa Seaport has a navigation depth of 11m (36ft), and is able to receive medium range tankers of up to 45,000 DWT, as well as container ships of up to 2,000 TEUs and large cruise ships of up to 75,000 GRT. The 30th Naval Construction Regiment continued in Da Nang, and the new 32nd Naval Construction Regiment established headquarters to the north in Phu Bai-Gia Le. Their officersCivil Engineer Corpswho had reached a high of 10,000 during the war now numbered less than 1,700. Chu Lai The base appears to remain in use by the PAVN. Public Works Da Nang had not reached its required strength to support the Marines when it was directed by MACV to give repair and utilities support to all Army units in areas now served by public works, this service to commence 1 January 1968. The new pier facility allowed deep-draft ocean-going vessels to unload cargo directly onto trucks instead of offloading into Lighters while anchored in the harbor. Apparently roles and missions of the various forces had not been clarified to cover this contingency. [5], In 1965, U.S. Army General William Westmoreland and James Killen, chief of U.S. foreign aid, agreed to expand Da Nang Port in order to supply materiel directly to U.S. troops in Vietnam. port the helm; ported sharply to avoid a shoal. This is actually the first time I have discussed this information since Practically all of the public works activity in the early months was internal to NSA itself and was theoretically limited to the "secure" areas; but as the troop buildup continued, the demand for an expanded public works organization became more pressing. This military training was to stand many of them in good stead, for every different type of organization to which they were assigned was exposed to enemy action sometime in Vietnam (by mid-1968 the Seabees wounded in action totaled more than those in World War II and the killed in action rate per total men deployed was four times that of World War II). He therefore urged the inclusion of a Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (none in commission at the time) and early action to determine the scope of public works functions at NSA. LECs Representative in Indonesia Naval Support Activity (NSA) Danang was officially established on 15 October 1965. Press BACK to return to this page). Phosphorus missile, fortunately unarmed, which had fallen of the wing of the F4 elementary school in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania since 1978. Following the initial landings in 1965, the Seabee battalions spent about 18 months developing the enclaves at Da Nang and Chu Lai and later in Phu Bai. The Public Works and CBMU Seabees reported to the Naval Support Activity Commanders at Da Nang and Saigon, and the Amphibious Construction Battalion Seabees were part of the Amphibious Force.) Regardless of their unit, be it construction battalion, amphibious battalion, public works, maintenance unit, or some other, they were, as Seabees, not only trained as construction men but, in addition, were given infantry training by the Marines. Similarly, though the battalions were led and predominantly staffed by Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) officers (17 of the 24), also included were officers of the Line and Supply (two each), and one each from the Medical, Dental, and Chaplain CorpsSeabees all. Such was the case immediately after the initial landings at Chu Lai where MCB-10 experienced extremely high deadline percentages (up to 45 per cent of the equipment inoperable). Each of the services in Vietnam had its own engineering their planning groups who concentrated on defining their own requirements such as siting, number of units, and the like. United States combat troops were now committed to the mainland of Asia. All U.S. personnel began carrying weapons, especially at night. The majority of the remaining 1,800 were Vietnamese. attack. casualties and take on emergency repairs. When the Marines next landed, at Chu Lai, some 50 miles south of Da Nang, during the period 7-10 May 1965, elements of ACB-i, under Lieutenant Commander R. T. Field, went ashore with the third assault wave. Since CEC officers can be assigned to a number of different billets in design, construction, education, research, contracts, public works, and others, there is no such thing as a permanent Seabee officer. Early in 1968, responsibility for all rural development and allied civic action type programs was vested in a newly created MACV/U.S. Release of the TSFCs could be authorized by Commander 3rd Naval Construction Brigade when the senior operational commander could certify that his need qualified under ten criteria, which boiled down to urgent, unforeseen, and needed for direct tactical support against the enemy. This is a port cluster with 4 areas including 10 major ports serving the needs of oil and gas trading and trading in the Southeast region of Vietnam. Colonel Merbott became received UN/LOCODE VNDAD. Another area of interest has been a comparison of skills between the civilians on the contractors rolls and the Seabees. I even told him that I was This would have given him the same continued authority over Marine battalions with construction capability (division and force battalions oriented primarily toward tactical support) as he had over the Seabees. and had come through the roof of the Captains cabin and embedded itself into his The other two Pacific battalions were at their home port of Port Hueneme, taking leave and retraining, having recently returned from overseas assignments. You'll be in paradise of best beaches in Vietnam. One of the biggest problem areas was real estate Property was not automatically available for our bases but had to be bargained for, haggled over, rented, bought, or condemned as the situation demanded. hooking up the tanks to the BD Crane and get them out of the salt water. Use our real-time freight calculator to compare rates, See your cargo location on the map in real-time, Find sailing schedules by route or vessel with multiple shipping lines, A tool for carriers to provide accurate tracking, Visual module with map, showing sea and land routings, Port Authority Vietnam National Shipping Lines, Coordinates 16 7' 34'' N, 108 14' 19'' E, Oil Terminal 21 - 25 feet 6.4 - 7.6 meters. With the projected assignment of a second CEC Flag Officer to Vietnam, the OICC shed his brigade responsibilities and the Regimental Commander in Da Nang, Captain A. R. Marschall, took command of the brigade as well, briefly during the summer of 1967. A 1941 graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, he served aboard the USS Nevada (BB-36) and USS Alabama (BB-60) during World War II. WebMy Son Holyland , Hoi An Ancient City Tour With Night Market , Sampan Boat Ride. They built for everyoneMarines, Navy, Air Force, Army, Free World Forces, the Vietnamese Armed Forces; but they worked primarily for the Marines. With this salute to the Navy's construction men, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Wallace M. Greene Jr., continued the accolades which stretched back a quarter of a century to World War II when General MacArthur complained to their boss, Admiral Ben Moreell, ". about Danang Port [9], Nng Port consists of two main terminals (Tin Sa Seaport and Song Hn Terminal) and an additional freight warehouse, Tho Quang Station. A socket on a micro where a lead is plugged in linking it to another device. These gradually moved away from the coastal plain to the highlands and evolved into sweep operations of battalion size. Colonel Merbott was the Commander of the 5th Transportation Command during Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) is the port's authority. Getting supplies over the beacheswith the Marines taking over from therewas to be the primary mission of NSA. All rights reserved. Navy planners should concern themselves with the full range of naval warfare which includes the bases supporting the ships, aircraft, and Marines. They included airfields capable of handling the c-130, water distribution systems for 1,000-man cantonments, combat support hospitals, and a host of others. [10], Tho Quang freight warehouse station contains 12,225m2 (131,590sqft) of warehouse space and 29,141m2 (313,670sqft) of yard space. . Some came from the ranks of the inactive reserve, but most of them were recent college graduates. The Captain was last off and he told the NSC officer that he In August and September 1954, elements of ACB-i under Commander L. N. Saunders participated in Operation "Passage to Freedom, a massive evacuation of people and equipment from the Tonkin Delta region of French Indo-China to the south. These teams have earned praise from high officials of every country involved, even though the program as a whole is still relatively young. One month later, on 17 July, a Secretary of the Navy Notice established NSA Da Nang. Champa was an ancient kingdom that flourished in southern Vietnam beginning in the 4th century. The warehouse building damaged by the typhoon was still utilized as the port This international mixed military and civilian force, organized along Public Works Center lines, had grown with roughly equal proportions of Seabees, Vietnamese, and Koreans. This was started officially in March 1967 for the First Marine Air Wing and soon spread to the other Marine units in the major enclaves. Its head, also a CEC Captain, now carried the title of Deputy, though the Saigon office became increasingly independent of the main office in Bangkok. I believe I remember a picture that hung in the old office on [When I was in Da Nang just before Rich Located in Quang Ngai province, Dung Quat port is Vietnam's national general seaport. the country later, I caught just a few quick camera pictures of the harbor at The degree to which we can improve on the men is another matter. Viet Nam Let us now take a look at the Navy's contributionmade up of disparate elements but brought together under the aegis of the Civil Engineer Corps. Parenthetically, it should be noted that while everyone attached to one of these battalions was a Seabee, not all were Group VIIIs. When it comes to specific action contributions, the Seabees are second to none.. Once again, generalizations as to differences are difficult to make. large warehouse building. [2] In the first two months of 2010 alone, 12 cruise ships docked in Nng, carrying 6,477 passengers. Insofar as construction equipment is concerned, there are varying opinions as to whether Vietnam put a tougher strain on equipment than might be expected elsewhere. their belongings. . Approximately 30 per cent of initial financial support was provided by the U. S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) for teams supporting the Special Forces. Danangs Museum of Cham Sculpture houses the worlds most extensive collection of ancient Cham relics. Rear Admiral Edwin B. Hooper, U. S. Navy, Commander Service Force Pacific, in January 1968 stated: "An elite group within the Service Force . More Photos from Shannon Nichols (Click on thumbnail to enlarge. Navy Lt. and I both went out to the LST, which was now tying up. Especially, Lec owns a warehouse system right next to the ports in the. were in the process of berthing a Sealand vessel, the harbormaster called me on In addition, they also turned out final designs and let small construction contracts. Email:mike@lecvietnam.com [10], In recent years, the number of large cruise ships docking at Nng Port has increased, despite the fact that its infrastructure is not specifically designed to accommodate cruise ships. Van Phong port construction project has been restarted since late 2009 and is scheduled to be completed by 2020 in two phases. Suffice it to say that Pentagon rivalries, lack of understanding in some quarters as to the requirements and importance of the engineer effort, and reluctance to relinquish decision-making which was better made in the field (an attitude which also prevailed at Pearl Harbor initially) only served to complicate this overwhelming task. a very sweet, usu. The near facility at in the picture may be part of the Deep Water Pier. In August of 1967 public works support of the I Corps MACV Advisors (mostly U. S. Army with all other services represented, including Australian Army) was started This not only called for roving teams of automotive and generator mechanics, but also brought permanently assigned Seabees from Public Works to all of the major advisor compounds in I CorpsQuang Tri, Hue, Hoi An, Tam Ky, and Quang Ngai. A 450 m (1,480 ft) breakwater provides protection from high waves and monsoons. The terminal has five berths in total: four berths, located along two finger piers of 185m (607ft) each, and one 225m (738ft) berth on a wharf along the shore, for a total of 965m (3,166ft) Throughput capacity at this terminal is over 4.5 million tons per year. It was located in the area of The Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son or Five Elements Mountains) are a cluster of marble and limestone hills just 7km from the city, and one of the best things to do in Da Nang! and Sao Mai-Ben Dinh serving the petrochemical industry and passenger transport. Seabees returned again in 1956 when a group of five officers and six men from NMCB-10, led by Commander W. M. Brown, surveyed some 105 tortuous miles of jungle, the toughest link in a master survey involving 1,800 miles of existing and proposed roads in South Vietnam. Da Nang port has three berth areas: Tien Sa - Son Tra, Lien Chieu and Tho Quang, of which, Tien Sa - Son Tra port is the main berth with a total yard area of 178.603m2 and 14.285m2 for the total area. Similarly many military construction troop units were able to work under relatively peaceful conditions. U.S. Navy Records Search & Veteran Locator | TWS Email cangdn@dng.vnn.vn. While the Navys responsibilities in this area were still being debated in Washington, however, efforts were made, primarily in ComServPac, to lay down some general rules for the operation of NSA, should it become a reality. Such a contribution is valuable indeed. Within six months 5,000 new petty officers had been recruited. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Familiar Places NSA/NSF DaNang Veterans Association (4) Joint service planning standards should lead to compatible systems among services, of what the Navy has called Advanced Base Functional Components. Terminal Yes In addition a new offensive was Terminal 1 is the main port area in Dung Quat Bay capable of receiving 70,000 DWT ships with the function of loading and unloading, transporting all goods and equipment to build Dung Quat Oil Refinery. One good example of a component was the 400-bed quonset hospital erected swiftly in Da Nang by one of the earliest battalions in country. 50th Infantry At the same time, Vung Tau port is one of two international gateways in Vietnam. Prior to Vietnam, first-term reenlistments in the Seabees were about the same as in the rest of the Navy. Built by the French in 1874, Hai Phong port is now the most modern container port in the North of Vietnam. . [12] In the first two months of 2010, 12 cruise ships were reported to have docked at Nng Port, carrying 6,477 tourists, mainly from Europe, the U.S., Canada and Australia. about Danang Port Vietnam Because of the truce agreement, these Seabees were not allowed ashore at Haiphong, their original destination, but they did some work at Tourane and, after removing all American military identification from their clothing and equipment, they disembarked at Cap St. Jacques and provided significant assistance in the construction of a 15,000 man refugee camp. The former, consisting of 34 officers, 735 men (and a few naval medical personnel) per battalion, provided close combat support to the division. WebQuang Ninh Port is a deep-sea port located in the key economic region of Northern Vietnam. operations office. In general it may be stated that the contractor took the larger, more complicated jobs in relatively secure areas while the troops concentrated on lighter jobs in the more forward areas. The first year total cost of a battalion was estimated to be $13,476,000 (including $3,184,000 for operating costs). Chan May Port is a general port of our country located between the two urban centers of Hue - Da Nang. other assignments Their placing of two eight-section causeway piers from the open sea was described by Major General Collins, Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Division, as ". The crew viewed it as a bad omen and wanted nothing more to the radio to talk to the LST Captain, who was Korean, but he was talking only in Witness the failure to even plan for the Public Works Department at Da Nang which became the largest in the Navy within two years. These two groups were officers who had come up through the enlisted ranks and were top managers in their trades. During the early years, ten teams (four teams at any given rime), on six to seven month tours, supported the Special Forces, and two others had split responsibilities between military and rural development programs. Best Beaches in Vietnam While a vigorous recruiting plan was instituted, the initial buildup of the battalions was accomplished by transferring Seabees out of shore stations all over the worldsome to the battalions and some directly to Vietnam. For all practical purposes, it was now Public Works I Corps. Some selected Air Force sites were also included. At the working session of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Nghe An last February, the planning of Cua Lo port cluster will be implemented.