Sóc Trăng Airfield

Sóc Trăng Airfield was a French colonial, Imperial Japanese Army, United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Army (US ARMY) and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) base located in Sóc Trăng in southern Vietnam.

Sóc Trăng Airfield
Sóc Trăng, Sóc Trăng Province in South Vietnam
Sóc Trăng Airfield, 28 July 1968
Sóc Trăng Airfield
Coordinates09.58°N 105.959°E / 09.58; 105.959 (Sóc Trăng Airfield)
Site information
OwnerArmy of the Republic of Vietnam
OperatorUnited States Marine Corps (USMC)
United States Army (US Army)
Site history
Built1940 (1940)
In use1940-1975 (1975)
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: SOA
Elevation10 feet (3 m) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
03/21 3,200 feet (975 m) Asphalt

History
Vietnamese troops with an HMM-362 UH-34
Transfer ceremony, 4 November 1970

Sóc Trăng Airfield was originally established in the French colonial era, it was subsequently used by the Japanese forces from 1940 to 1945.[1]

HMM-362 with Sikorsky UH-34s codenamed "SHUFLY" was the first USMC helicopter unit to serve in Vietnam arriving on 15 April 1962. Sóc Trăng was selected for the deployment because it had one of the few hard-surfaced runways in South Vietnam. HMM-362's mission was to provide transport and resupply for ARVN units throughout the Mekong Delta.[2] In early September HMM-362 began moving north to Da Nang Air Base, completing the redeployment by 20 September.[2]:73–4

Other units stationed at Sóc Trăng included:

  • 121st Aviation Company (Airmobile Light) from late 1962.[3]:24
  • 336th Assault Helicopter Company
  • Detachment A, 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance), Provisional with Bell UH-1B Huey's from March 1964.[3]:134
  • 82nd Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) from November 1964.[3]:137

On 4 November 1970, the control of Sóc Trăng was passed to the RVNAF.[4]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 19 May 1967, two UH-1D Iroquois (#64-13521 and #66-01154) of the 336th AHC collided on approach to Sóc Trăng causing both helicopters to crash killing all 4 crewmen on one helicopter and 1 crewman on the other[5]
  • On 12 August 1972, Lockheed C-130E Hercules #62-1853 of the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron was shot down on takeoff from Sóc Trăng, killing 30 of 44 passengers and crew on board[6]

Current use

The airfield remains visible on satellite images.

References
  1. Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–470–1. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. Whitlow, Robert (1977). US Marines in Vietnam: The Advisory And Combat Assistance Era, 1954-1964. History and Museums Division Headquarters United States Marine Corps. pp. 57–67. ISBN 9781494285296.
  3. Dunstan, S (1988). Vietnam Choppers. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-85045-572-3.
  4. "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary November 1970" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. p. xi. Retrieved 16 March 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. "Michael Kight, WO". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  6. "Lockheed C-130 E Hercules Soc Trang". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
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