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Dĩ An Base Camp

{{Infobox military structure

|name=Dĩ An Base Camp

|partof=

|location=

|coordinates={{Coord|10.9|N|106.739|E|display=inline|name=Dĩ An Base Camp}}

|image= File:Di An Base Camp, April 1966.jpg

|caption=Dĩ An Base Camp, 16 April 1966

|type=Army/Marine Base

|code=

|built= 1966

|builder=

|materials=

|height=

|used= 1966–present

|demolished=

|condition=

|ownership=

|controlledby=

|garrison=

|commanders=

|occupants= 1st Infantry Division
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Republic of Vietnam Marine Division

|battles= 60px
Vietnam War

|events=

}}

{{Infobox airport

| name = Dĩ An Army Airfield

| elevation-f = 108

| elevation-m =

| website =

| metric-rwy =

| r1-number =

| r1-length-f = 2800

| r1-length-m =

| r1-surface = laterite

| footnotes =

}}

Dĩ An Base Camp (also known as Dĩ An Army Airfield or Sóng Thần Base Camp; named after the "Tsunami" (Sóng thần) nickname of the division) is a former U.S. Army and Republic of Vietnam Marine Division base in Dĩ An and part of Bình Hòa, Lái Thiêu (now is Thuận An), northeast of Saigon in southern Vietnam. It remains in use by the People's Army of Vietnam.

History

=1966–72=

File:President Richard Nixon greets a U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division Soldier.jpg

Dĩ An Base Camp was established at Dĩ An, 13 km northeast of Tan Son Nhut Air Base and 12 km southwest of Biên Hòa.{{cite book|last=Kelley|first=Michael|title=Where we were in Vietnam|publisher=Hellgate Press|year=2002|isbn=978-1555716257|page=144}}

The 1st Infantry Division had its headquarters at Dĩ An from February 1966 until September 1967 and from November 1969 until April 1970.{{cite book|last=Stanton|first=Shelby|title=Vietnam Order of Battle|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=2003|isbn=9780811700719|page=74}}

Other units stationed at Dĩ An included:

The airfield was capable of accommodating C-7 Caribou and C-123 aircraft.

The Mobile Advisory Teams advisor school operated at the base from 1969 until September 1971.{{cite book|last=Clarke|first=Jeffrey|title=The U.S. Army in Vietnam Advice and Support: The Final Years, 1965-1973 |publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History|year=1998|url=https://history.army.mil/banner_images/focus/dr_clarke_ret_comm/the_final_years.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125225653/http://www.history.army.mil/banner_images/focus/dr_clarke_ret_comm/the_final_years.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 25, 2017|isbn=978-1518612619|page=452}}{{PD-notice}}

On 30 July 1969, US President Richard Nixon visited the base on his only Presidential visit to South Vietnam, meeting US military personnel.{{cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/nixon-richard-m|title=Presidential and Secretaries travels abroad Richard M. Nixon|publisher=State Department Office of the Historian|accessdate=22 May 2018}}

On 13 October 1971 Vietcong sappers destroyed two U.S. helicopters at the camp.{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Enemy demolition squad destroys two U.S. copters|date=14 October 1971|page=4}}

On 8 September 1972 the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division established a training center, ranges, hospital, recruit depot and LVT base on part of the former camp and named it Song Than Camp.{{Cite book|last=Dunham|first=George R|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975 (Marine Corps Vietnam Operational Historical Series) |publisher=History and Museums Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1990|isbn=978-0-16-026455-9|page=16}}{{PD-notice}}

Current use

The base remains in use by the 4th Corps of People's Army of Vietnam, while the logistics base has transformed into Sóng Thần Industrial Park I, II and residential area.

References

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{{Commons category|Dĩ An Base Camp}}

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Category:Military installations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Category:Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam

Category:Buildings and structures in Bình Dương province