For the most part, they tended to concentrate on work of a temporary or emergency nature at scattered Air Force sites. 9. De Faria was one of the first Westerners to write about the area, and through his influence Portuguese ships began to call regularly at Hi An, which was then a far more important port than Nng. Despite the handicaps of weather and terrain, the "Men of Ten had put enough of the airfield in place (3,500 feet) to enable Marine jet planes to operate from it 23 days after the initial landing. Subsequently 50 more were added to provide perimeter security for base camps and job sites, bringing new authorized allowances to 24 officers and 738 enlisted men. RMK-BRJ took care of itself but did not appear to have the capability to overhaul Seabee equipment on top of its own work load, so pieces were sent for overhaul primarily to the U. S. but also to Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, or Guam. In general it may be stated that the contractor took the larger, more complicated jobs in relatively secure areas while the troops concentrated on lighter jobs in the more forward areas. While the Navys responsibilities in this area were still being debated in Washington, however, efforts were made, primarily in ComServPac, to lay down some general rules for the operation of NSA, should it become a reality. They, and the Army and the Air Force units soon to follow, would need ports and roads and airfields to get a foothold in this undeveloped land. Unfortunately, from the Navys standpoint, few of them chose to stay in the Navy, electing to return to civilian life after 30 months or less in the service. . During this time it was possible for them to serve two eight-month deployments with a battalion, or a split tour with some time in a battalion or shore- based outfit and the rest with a public works or CBMU assignment of a year in Vietnam. Naval forces left Vietnam. To get the required experience level in uniform in a hurry, the Navy instituted in the spring of 1966 a Direct Procurement of Petty Officers program. This was in line with the standard policy which called for transferring a man to shore duty after he had served in Vietnam under the above conditions. It must be emphasized that offloading at DaNang for the first year was all by lighterage as there were no deep draft piers. (either M48 or M60) tanks during their shift (Korean stevedores were paid by the Though this report referred essentially to timber bridges, the Seabees also used precast concrete, steel substructure with timber decking, Bailey Deck type, and the AMMI (a multi-purpose steel pontoon designed by NAVFAC's Chief Engineering Advisor, Dr. Arsham Amirikian). The base appears to remain in use by the PAVN. Now that the Marines were ashoreapparently for a protracted periodthey would need support of engineers. Thus, for a variety of reasons, public works was also, in part, a construction force. As the troop build-up mounted in 1965, the conflicting demands and changing priorities of the various services demonstrated the need for a new regulatory body on the staff of the U. S. Commander in Vietnam. According to the plan to 2020, in addition to 4 areas of Cai Mep - Sao Mai Ben Dinh, Phu My - My Xuan, Dinh River and Dam - Con Dao wharf area, Vung Tau port will expand 2 more berth areas in Long Son. They were an outstanding group of young men, and without them the Seabee effort in Vietnam would have been severely curtailed. Built by the French in 1874, Hai Phong port is now the most modern container port in the North of Vietnam. Again, by and large, a standoff. The port controlled 900,000 square feet of supply depot space, 2.7 million square feet of open-air storage space, and 500,000 cubic feet of refrigerated storage space. For example, roving one and two man Seabee automotive and generator repair teams rendered service to Special Forces, MACV Advisors, and U. S. Government civilian agencies located in remote provinces. Apparently roles and missions of the various forces had not been clarified to cover this contingency. Two battalions were shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet in 1965 and went immediately to Vietnam In the fall of 1965, four new battalions were authorized and they were commissioned in February, March, July, and August of 1966. officially turned over the port in June 1972. Veteran L. Prickett, "Dear VetFriends, Thanks so much for your help! On April 10, the successful reception of 160,000 tons of Yang Ming Wellhead vessel with capacity of 14,000 TEU docked at Tan Cang - Cai Mep Thi Vai port (CMTV) proved its handling and loading services. Included in their numbers were some 4,200 Americans, 41,800 Vietnamese, and 5,700 "free-world journeymen, mostly Filipinos and Koreans. A semi-alert battalion was based at Guam, ready to move to help also should the alert battalion need assistance. Also on Okinawa, but deeply engaged in major construction primarily for the Marines, was a third battalion. Though the Brigade Commander reported to Commander Naval Forces Vietnam in Saigon, there was little question that on a day-to-day basis the Seabees were working for the senior officer in I Corps, the Commanding General III Marine Amphibious Force. Special requirements in Vietnamparticularly in the area of road and airfield construction raised the number by 125, primarily in the equipment operator and mechanics trades. All six The June 1968 report showed that two-thirds of the battalions man-day effort now went into tactical support, just double that of the previous year; and by January 1969 the proportion had grown to three-fourths. The ammo ship had been carrying 500 pound bombs. When it became evident that a U. S. troop build-up was in the offing, BuDocks hastened to enlarge the contractors construction capability to include support of U. S. forces. Email cangdn@dng.vnn.vn. tanks also fell in. As a result, loss of productive man days was not a significant factor. In this instance the CBMU played a much more dominant role than its counterpart in I Corps, supplying some two-thirds of the manpower involved in public works functions under the cognizance of NSA Saigon. American advisors penetrated the jungles, American warships cruised the Tonkin Gulf, and then it was March 1965 and American Marines landed at Da Nang. Air Force arguments to gain permission from Secretary of Defense McNamara for this departure from policy included the charge that RMK-BRJ lacked sufficient capacity to meet the requirements of all the services in Vietnam and that the U. S. Command in Saigon had short changed the Air Force in the assignment of construction priorities. Apart from sand, rock, and gravel which were available in Vietnam, most of their materials such as lumber, pipe, and fittings came from the U. S., largely by ship but some by air. Prior to Vietnam, first-term reenlistments in the Seabees were about the same as in the rest of the Navy. This international mixed military and civilian force, organized along Public Works Center lines, had grown with roughly equal proportions of Seabees, Vietnamese, and Koreans. ". Accordingly, it was engaged on rough construction projects which could be dropped immediately when the call came. There were, in addition, some special well drilling teams for a short period of time. In July 1966 the "Bridge Cargo Ramp" (160307N 1081352E / 16.052N 108.231E / 16.052; 108.231) began operations increasing NSA's supply capability. The French overpowered the Vietnamese stationed in Nng, swiftly occupying the city and Tin Sa Peninsula (now called Sn Tr Peninsula). The Support Activity's Public Works Department, during Captain S. C. Gill's tenure as PWO, ultimately numbered well over 2,000 people, of whom nearly 200 were Seabees. This process only took a very few [3] :2 The Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son or Five Elements Mountains) are a cluster of marble and limestone hills just 7km from the city, and one of the best things to do in Da Nang! Later he earned bachelors and masters degrees in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and, as a Rhodes Scholar, a doctorate from Oxford University. each evening and morning. Generally speaking, they operated in II, III, and IV Corps, but when Army units moved into I Corps to reinforce the Marines in 1967-68 four Army engineer battalions accompanied them. Following the initial landings in 1965, the Seabee battalions spent about 18 months developing the enclaves at Da Nang and Chu Lai and later in Phu Bai. Captain Merdinger is the author of a book, Civil Engineering Through the Ages, and has contributed articles on education, construction, administration, and history to many periodicals and has been invited to contribute an article on viaducts to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. This was converted to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract in January 1962 in the amount of some $15 million, plus government furnished materials and equipment which brought the total to more than $22 million. Champion shooting at kids stealing supplies from convoy - NSAD Sa Huynh . A 3rd NCB report of 1 December 1967 stated matter-of-factly: "Progress to date: Approximately 29 bridges have been constructed utilizing timber construction primarily. asked if I would consider becoming his aide, but I had to decline because my (However, it should be noted that all Seabees assigned to duty in Vietnam did not come under the command of 3rd Naval Construction Brigade. terribly to one side during this same offensive. Those in the Pacific Fleet, home ported at Port Hueneme, California, and deployed at various times in unit or sub-unit strength to Guam, Okinawa, Midway, Adak, and Sangley Point, were five in number, each of 525 men. A few 1968 figures may help to put Seabee costs in perspective. One month later, on 17 July, a Secretary of the Navy Notice established NSA Da Nang. Many times they had to do a job over again. Underwater divers were brought in the next day to begin Getting supplies over the beacheswith the Marines taking over from therewas to be the primary mission of NSA. It is expected that the plan is expected to be in 2030 with the goal of becoming an international seaport, receiving ships of up to 10,000 DWT as well as meeting the import and export needs of Nghe An province and neighboring provinces. In many places in the U. S., civil service and trade union restrictions had kept them from working in their trades, so they were employed in a variety of jobs (such as Shore Patrol, Master at Arms, Commissary) in which they could be replaced by other sailors. From the beginning, the unit, although it belonged administratively to ComCBPac and maintained its integrity as a unit, acted as an extension of "Public Works North" and its Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander H. A. Holmes, took his basic instructions from the Public Works Officer at Da Nang. The crew viewed it as a bad omen and wanted nothing more to In the early days the Marines sent small parties out of the enclaves on village pacification and "search and destroy missions. Cua Lo port belongs to Nghe An port cluster and is approved as an important container port in the group of seaports in the North Central region of Vietnam, with a port length of 3,020m with the capacity to receive ships of 30,000 DWT - 50,000 DWT. units outlined by President Nixon in 1972. Insofar as construction equipment is concerned, there are varying opinions as to whether Vietnam put a tougher strain on equipment than might be expected elsewhere. Non-members can read five free Proceedings articles per month. WebChu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Ni Thnh District, Qung Nam Province, Vietnam. These gradually moved away from the coastal plain to the highlands and evolved into sweep operations of battalion size. How cool is that. The latter had responsibilities similar to the Seabees for more standard construction chores. warehouse. Some became skilled, even by our standards, as a result of working with RMK, Public Works or Seabee Teams. LEC's Singapore Representative actually I was the night Operations Officer and worked from 1900hrs. Meanwhile, wharf No. (White Elephant) and much more. Da Nang airport was the main US airbase during the war and where huge stock piles of Agent Orange were stored. The total area of container yard at Chua Ve and Tan Vu port branches is 712,110m2 and 3,300 m2 for CFS warehouse at Chua Ve port. The cycle of eight months in country followed by six months back in the U. S. for leave, training, and regrouping cut to a minimum the number of individuals leaving the battalion during its deployment in Vietnam. I was told It is interesting to note the comparative age of the World War II Seabees who averaged 35 years of age, whereas their successors during the Vietnam conflict averaged 23 years. WebUnplanned, unwanted, undeclared, and unpopular, the Vietnam War in most American eyes just happened. At any given time, normally two of the seventeen CEC officers assigned to a construction battalion would be limited duty or warrant officers. The first Seabee battalions to arrive in Vietnam came by ship from Okinawa, Guam, and Port Hueneme, but later personnel deployments in and out of the country were accomplished by air. ton off loaded) but they had loaded the on the barge beside the BD Crane side [before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin. & E., to furnish Repair and Utility support. Put another way, a battalion could be expected to place about $350,000 worth of new construction a month. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: Da Nang Air Base was the first major airfield used by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. These Marines were the vanguard of an American force which was to expand steadily beyond half a million troops. Many of the crews were a mixture of all three nationalities, the aim being ultimately to train the Vietnamese to take over from the more skilled Koreans and Seabees. At the start of the Vietnam conflict the authorized allowance of a battalion was 21 officers and 563 men. RMK-BRJ had a relatively small cadre of highly trained American artisans, a slightly larger number of skilled Asians from outside of Vietnam, and a very high percentage of Vietnamese, most of whom possessed very little skill when they were first hired. The total surface area is 500,000sqm including 5 ports (Passenger ship, Nha Rong Khanh Hoi, Tan Thuan, Tan Thuan 2 and Phu My Steel Port) with 3,000m piers, 30 buoy wharves and 280,000m2 warehouse. I had a great time and intend to go again next year. Until 1966 each service, upon receipt of its military construction funds, placed its requirements directly on the OICC for design and contract accomplishment. The cooks, yeomen, medical corpsmen, and other men in essential support roles generally comprised about 15 to 20 per cent of a battalions complement. This was the first appreciable number of Seabees in one unit committed to Vietnam on a continuing basis. So, NSA Da Nang came into being in mid-1965 as an activity desperately needed by the Marines, which they were not organized to provide for themselves and which no other service seemed ready to provide. Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) is the port's authority. He wrote me and Coincident with the RMK-BRJ build-up Seabee help was now mobilized. 3 For further discussion on this point, please turn to Commander F. O. McClendon's essay "Doctors and Dentists, Nurses and Corpsmen in Vietnam" in this edition and Captain K. P. Huff, USNR, "Building the Advance Base at Da Nang" in Naval Review 1968, pp. of the attack. The fact that they were engaged primarily in maintenance and operations where a gradual turnover provided continuity and less disruption made the individual rotation system preferable to the unit rotation. Initially, to counter Viet Cong political influence in the villages, their missions in Vietnam were of two basic types: to construct small fortified camps and support facilities for U. S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets), and to assist Vietnamese civilians in civic action projects in relatively secure rural areas. Like the Peace Corps, the Seabee Teams put something into the country: They develop human resources. The port has a total surface area of 154,700m2; total warehouse reaches 5400m2 and container yard up to 49000m2. Before the end of the year the foundations were laid for one of the greatest construction ventures in history. During peacetime deployments in the Pacific areas the battalions had feported directly to Commander Naval Construction Battalions, U. S. Pacific Fleet, (ComCBPac) in Hawaii, and he in turn, reported to Commander Service Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet (ComServPac), also located in Hawaii. Suffice it to say that Pentagon rivalries, lack of understanding in some quarters as to the requirements and importance of the engineer effort, and reluctance to relinquish decision-making which was better made in the field (an attitude which also prevailed at Pearl Harbor initially) only served to complicate this overwhelming task. Release of the TSFCs could be authorized by Commander 3rd Naval Construction Brigade when the senior operational commander could certify that his need qualified under ten criteria, which boiled down to urgent, unforeseen, and needed for direct tactical support against the enemy. It is hard to visualize that we could get more courage, stamina, ability, intelligence, and spirit than has been exhibited in Vietnam by the officers who led them, and by our "sailors in green," the Seabees. [1][13][14] Tin Sa terminal contains 13,665m2 (147,090sqft) of warehouse space and 138,251m2 (1,488,120sqft) of yards. In late May 1963, NMCB-3 deployed from Guam and the next month NMCB-9 left Port Hueneme; both reported to Da Nang. The encounter between North Vietnamese and U. S. warships in August 1964, soon to be known as the Tonkin Gulf Incident, touched off a series of actions which culminated in the landing of U. S. Marines in Da Nang in March 1965. [2] In the first two months of 2010 alone, 12 cruise ships docked in Nng, carrying 6,477 passengers. Most of the materials coming in country came by ship to Da Nang where they were off-loaded and placed in shallow draft vessels for further shipment south to Chu Lai and north to Tan My and Hue, servicing Phu Bai. He placed the charge on a rib Furthermore, battalion strengths differed. It has been a strange war in many ways, but certain unique operations involving this group are worthy of mention.