I Spent 65' and part of 66' at Đà Nàng Air Base, and 66'-68' in around
Đông Hà AB.
1) Late 1966, a mortar hit on the aircraft parking
area on the north side of runway. The Seabees of my detachment performed
the repairs to Đông Hà's aluminum / magnesium runway matting and the PSP
parking area.
2) When a mortar hits in the runway, the magnesium
in the matting burns, so the effected planks have to be removed before the
fire spreads to adjacent planks. An F4 tried to land here during an
emergency but still had flying speed and left the end of the runway and
flew another 1000 feet before ending up in a gully to the west.
3) A US Army twin 40 MM gun located near the
southeast end of the runway near the POL farm.
4) (Close up)
5) This is my Cow Palace card. My friend Paul
Sullivan helped a USAF FAC pilot (Capt. Clark ?), so he arranged this
card. On X-mas Eve the base was attacked. The Capt. took off to spot what
he could. He was at a party and was rather loaded at the time. He landed
with minor wounds and Sully and I was there to help him from his O1 Bird
dog. We thought that he was badly injured, but merely drunk and with only
slight wounds.
6) The Ration dump located between mid-runway and
the Air Force compound, guarded by the USAF Security Police Squadron.
You
can see the mortar damage.