Charlie 2
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Charlie 2
| ensign_size =
| native_name =
| partof =
| location = Đông Hà, Quảng Trị province
| country = Vietnam
| image = 250px
| caption = Charlie 2, 3 June 1970
| type = Marines/Army base
| coordinates = {{Coord|16.855|N|107.005|E|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = Vietnam
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Vietnam
| pushpin_label = Charlie 2
| pushpin_label_position =
| operator = Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
United States Marine Corps
United States Army (U.S. Army)
| garrison = 3rd Marine Division
1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
| built = {{Start date|1966}}
| used = 1966-{{End date|1972}}
| builder =
| condition = Abandoned
| battles = 60px
Vietnam War
Battle of Con Thien
Easter Offensive
| events =
| footnotes =
}}
Charlie 2 (also known as C-2, Combat Base C-2, C-2 Strongpoint and Firebase Charlie 2) is a former U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) firebase north of Đông Hà in central Vietnam.
History
=1966-7=
The base was established 12.5 km northwest of Đông Hà and 5 km southeast of Con Thien to protect the land route to Con Thien and particularly the C-2 bridge immediately north of the base.{{cite book|last=Kelley|first=Michael|title=Where we were in Vietnam|publisher=Hellgate Press|year=2002|isbn=978-1555716257|pages=5–78}}{{cite book|last=Shulimson|first=Jack|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1982|url=https://archive.org/details/AnExpandingWar|isbn=978-1494285159|page=[https://archive.org/details/AnExpandingWar/page/n57 44]}}
By December 1967 all bunkers at C-2 had been completed and all minefields laid and perimeter barbed wire emplaced.{{cite book|last=Telfer|first=Gary|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1984|url=https://archive.org/details/FightingTheNorthVietnamese|isbn=978-1494285449|page=[https://archive.org/details/FightingTheNorthVietnamese/page/n105 94]}}
The Marines constructed Route 561 linking Con Thien to Route 9.{{cite book|last=Shulimson|first=Jack|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968 The Defining Year|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1997|url=https://archive.org/details/USMarinesInVietnamTheDefiningYear1968|isbn=0160491258|page=[https://archive.org/details/USMarinesInVietnamTheDefiningYear1968/page/n59 44]}}
=1968–9=
During 1968 further improvements were made to the bunker system at C-2, totalling 81 reinforced bunkers.{{rp|46}}
In August 1969, responsibility for C-2 passed from the Marines to the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized).{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Charles|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1988|url=https://archive.org/details/HighMobilityAndStanddown|isbn=978-1494287627|page=[https://archive.org/details/HighMobilityAndStanddown/page/n158 144]}}
=1970-2=
On 21 May 1971 30 US infantrymen, many from Company A, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment, were killed when a People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 122mm rocket hit their bunker at Charlie 2.{{cite journal|title=Deadly climax of ground war on Firebase Charlie 2|journal=Veterans of Foreign Wars|author=Richard Kolb|date=May 2011|url=http://digitaledition.qwinc.com/publication/?i=67000&article_id=703057&view=articleBrowser&ver=html5#{"issue_id":"67000","view":"articleBrowser","article_id":"703057"}}
On 1 April 1972 in the face of the PAVN's Easter Offensive the base was abandoned by the ARVN.{{cite book|last=Melson|first=Charles|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The War That Would Not End, 1971–1973|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1991|isbn=978-1482384055|page=47}}
Current use
The base has been turned over to farmland.