Đức Cơ Camp

Đức Cơ Camp
Coordinates 13°47′17″N 107°37′37″E / 13.788°N 107.627°E / 13.788; 107.627 (Đức Cơ Camp)
Type Army Base
Site history
Built 1964
In use 1964-73
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants 5th Special Forces Group
Đức Cơ Airfield
Summary
Elevation AMSL 1,247 ft / 380 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
3,700 1,128 PSP

Đức Cơ Camp (also known as Đức Cơ Special Forces Camp or Chu Dron Special Force camp) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base west of Pleiku in central Vietnam.

History

The Operational Detachment Alpha-224, 5th Special Forces Group[1] first established a base at Đức Cơ in December 1964 to monitor communist infiltration along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.The base was located on QL-19 13 km from the Cambodian border and approximately 55 km west of Pleiku.[2]

1965

In late May 1965 the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) besieged the camp which was defended by the 5th Special Forces Detachment A-215 and CIDG forces. On 3 August a force of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Paratroopers with Major Norman Schwarzkopf as senior military adviser was sent to relieve the camp. The paratroopers took heavy casualties and a second, larger force was required to relieve them. That force too came into heavy contact on 5 August. Schwarzkopf and his group fought continuously for several days. On 17 August additional ARVN forces supported by two battalions of the 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived and broke the siege.[3]

1966

In May 1966 Operation Paul Revere was launched in the Đức Cơ tactical area. On 24 June the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry and 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment engaged a PAVN Battalion close to the Cambodian border losing 15 U.S. killed. On 3 July a 35th Infantry platoon was ambushed and overrun with the loss of 17 U.S. and 23 PAVN killed.[4]

1967

The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ in June 1967.[1]:141

The 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ from September 1967 to February 1968.[1]:141

The 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment was based at Đức Cơ at various times in 1968/9.

The base was transferred to 81st Border Rangers.[2]

1973

On 20 January during the War of the flags period before the Paris Peace Accords came into effect on 28 January 1973, the PAVN 320th Division attacked the camp and by the next day controlled the camp.[5] The International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) established to monitor the Paris Peace Accords set up a base at Đức Cơ to monitor PAVN movements into Pleiku Province, however the ICCS team was never permitted outside its compound without PAVN escort and was not allowed to observe any traffic or military activity. Because of inadequate health protection and sanitation facilities provided by the PAVN, all the ICCS members became ill with malaria, dysentery, or other ailments and the ICCS base closed in May 1973.[5]:36

Current use

The base has been turned over to farmland and housing.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

  1. 1 2 3 Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 246. ISBN 9780811700719.
  2. 1 2 Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–161–2. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  3. ↑ Pyle, Richard (1991). Schwarzkopf: In His Own Words. Signet Books. pp. 34–5. ISBN 978-0-451-17205-1.
  4. ↑ "Engagements Near Duc Co Airfield (1966)". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. 1 2 Le Gro, William (1985). Vietnam from ceasefire to capitulation (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. p. 24. ISBN 9781410225429.
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