Only in Que Son Valley there were at least fifteen firebases on different sites at some point in time. Finally, my image of An Hoa can be put to rest after seeing all the changes to the former combat base. 2023 Knowledge WOW - All Rights Reserved Where is the Liberty Bridge in Pittsburgh? David Robert Ray. The San Diego Union-Tribune, May 28, 2017. I have so many memories from An Hoa. Thanks again, Webster would come up to Mike 4/11 all the time to change the PTO pumps on your turrents. Escorted many mine sweeps between Phu-Loc (6) and An-Hoa. I really learned something and I am thankful you shared a part of your story. Just two weeks later he was part of a mission to protect Liberty Bridge, a strategic supply artery across the Thu Bon River connecting An Hoa to Da Nang. I am happy you made it out. A tour of Naval Hospital Long Beach followed. He blamed the Doc. For those of us in the Navy Medical Department these individuals are symbols of service and sacrifice in the most trying moments of our history and standard-bearers for what one Medal of Honor recipient later described as acts of true spirit [and] determination. As we got 20 to 30 yards into the paddy Kinh and the other Chieu Hoi had killed a half dozen NVA that had dug spider holes in the rice paddy and hid. Went back in 2000, nothing leftat all. Remains of the runway can still be seen. Why? Marine PFC Dan Bullock, the youngest American serviceman killed in action in the Vietnam War died at An Ha on 7 June 1969. Hill 41 was the sister hill to Hill 10. The runway is in decent condition and is possible to drive on. As I recall it was a white building about a mile or so away. Me and a Sgt. Still alive at 77. In the early morning of March 19, 1969, a Marine combat base at Phu Loc 6 near An Hoa, The people on the ship had colorful magazines of naked ladies On 10 September, 1965 the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment LtCol. 2nd Marine Brigade. On May 25, 1967, I experienced my worst combat action to date. Its been a while and I dont remember the exact dates but those are approximate. Thank you so much for the work and pictures you provided Like I said a flood of memories . It was attacked again on the morning of March 19th, setting the stage for Rays heroic actions that would ultimately punctuate his life. We were near the BAS. The second Vietnam deployment was to Da Nang in March 1967. read more, Photo By Andr Sobocinski | In the early morning of March 19, 1969, a Marine combat base at Phu Loc 6 near An Hoa, Vietnam, became the scene of a surprise enemy attack. Your email address will not be published. Taken at Hospital Corps School San Diego, Calif., in October 1966, it is a heavily cropped image that conceals the fact that at 66 Ray towered over his classmates and he typically shied away from getting his photograph taken. The war was tragic, my thoughts don't need inspiration. Thank you for your comment. The Liberty Bridge was constructed over a period of 12 months by Taylor and Murphy Construction Co. of Asheville, N.C., designed by bridge architect Miquel Rosales of Boston, and engineered by Schlaich Bergermann. 69. On an operation to Liberty Bridge, Vietnam, 1970. E- 2/5 69-71. The Antenna Valley is located across the pass to the west from the Que Son Valley. Most of these photos were taken while on patrol in the An Hoa Valley, which we called "Happy Valley", in Qung Nam Province. About a third of the temples are still standing in various condition. Liberty Bridge. I read subsequent to that that some made it, at least one died. There is no question that in his formative years the native of McMinnville, Tenn., built an impressive resume of accomplishments. Dont remember much about that year my mind must off blocked it off. This bridge had been a prime target. It was against the 36th NVA Regiment. Semper Fi. I am very happy you made it out. I know Mike Harris.SF. It was built to get tanks into Arizona Territory and was attacked and burned multiple times. Liberty Bridge South side of Liberty Bridge view directly north to Charlie Ridge and Hill 37. Chuck, thank you for checking out the article and for your nice comment. It really adds to the historical context of the base. My mom had a vendor shed on the north side of Liberty Bridge selling soft drinks and souvenirs during the period. [3], The airfield was capable of handling C-7, C-123 and C-130 aircraft. We came to a 1000 meter rice paddy near the village of Vinh Huy. I was on Hill 300 in 1967. Division: 3d Marine Division (Rein) FMF. E- 2/5 69-71, Your email address will not be published. I thought maybe I would escape the rest of the War, but that was wishful thinking. The 8th of March 1965 US Marines landed on the beaches of Da Nang. [2]:93 On 6 July 5 Marine Battalions launched Operation Macon around the An Ha area, the operation continued into October resulting in 24 Marines and 380 VC killed. Ha! This work, A Portrait of HM2 Bobby Ray, Heroic Doc of Liberty Bridge, by Andr Sobocinski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. To look back on Rays life in 1966 most would say he was destined for great things. Terry's unit provided security for Liberty Bridge over the Song Thu Bon River, northeast of An Hoa Combat Base. I guess I spoke to you. The sector was near an enemy base camp area with dense foliage, covered in booby. He almost didnt survive that battle and earned his Purple Heart that night his name is Darrel McMaster. The base as such covers a large area, parts of it has developed in to an industrial zone today, but most of it is more or less untouched. Time has taken its toll as well as the war. Then the entire hedgerow came alive with NVA fire. On June 9th ,1968 we caught the 90th NVA Regt off guard, as we had camouflaged so well & moved at night when the NVA lest expected Marines on the move & foufgt a successful battle at An Bang 3 village area killing 80 NVA by body count, & collecting 100s of enemy wpns. Poinsett Bridge is the oldest bridge in South Carolina and perhaps in the entire southeastern United States. I was the FO attached to Echo 2/5. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=An_Hoa_Combat_Base&oldid=1123027739, Military installations of the United States Marine Corps in South Vietnam, Installations of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, Military installations closed in the 1970s, Buildings and structures in Qung Nam province, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Marine Corps, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 November 2022, at 09:46. Several of his classmates from Corps School had already deployed to theater with Marine units and Ray too wanted to do his part. We swept the Que Son Valley with other Marines from 1/5 for a week, but made very little contact with the NVA. He Died a Marine. Leatherneck Magazine, October 1974. I was attached to Echo Company as the 81 FO. We have helped, without cost, several veterans and history travelers to find their way around the country. I remember that like yesterday. It underwent several changes but was finally destroyed when the North Vietnamese were victorious over the South. I was only an 18-year-old kid myself. Im so sorry. I was at An Hoa 69 70, attached to 2/11 Hq, field radio operator. It was built From April to September 1967 Seabees of Mobile Construction Battalion 4 built a 2,040 feet (620m) "Liberty bridge" (T Do bridge, now the Giao Thy bridge) over the Thu Bn river. Young orphans killed laying out on the front of the temple. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. I was a Navy Corpsman with Delta 1/5 in 68-69. The guy in front of me jumped out and hit something, and I got peppered in my knee, head, side, arm and leg. I think we ran on raw youth. Required fields are marked *. I served with CHARLIE 1/5 during TET 68-69 i was a machine gunner in the AZ VALLEY IT WAS THE VALLEY OF DEATH. Thats what we called him. Was assigned to Bravo Company. A bridge guard threw frag at something in the water. The mess tent was kind of toward the end of the runway if I remember correctly and had lots of dust blow through it 5 faves. The $4.5 million structure was funded by the City of Greenvilles Hospitality Tax, which must be spent on tourism-related facilities. He requested transfer to the Field Medical Service School (FMSS) in Camp Pendleton, Calif., and after graduating on June 25, 1968, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) destined for Vietnam. On September 19, 1970, we moved to Baldy. You can NOT get into Vietnam right now. I too worked in the the COC as a watch sgt for the FSCC. North of the river are also located Hill 65 and Hill 37 in Dai Loc, the remnants of the Victory Bridge are just a few kilometers north east of the base. One was to a Bhudist orphanage nearby. I got to Vietnam in May 1969, to a little town called An Hoa, and went to the Liberty Bridge. When he started coming in, he had a Coca-Cola in his hand and was making like he was drinking it. Locals use it as a road. On 7 May Company A 1st Battalion 7th Marines relieved one Company from 2/7 Marines and Company K 3/7 Marines was added to the operation. We were young, dumb and lived on borrowed time. 58 captured. Since the appearance of this amazing bridge, it has become more and more magnetic. " The Liberty Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge and was constructed as the missing link between downtown Pittsburgh and the Liberty Tunnel, which had been constructed four years earlier in 1924 as a link to the South Hills. I earned the Bronze Star for the time I was in the Quang Tri province, where we had a little outpost with a concertina wire gate around it. Many thanks to all the veterans out there! At the time I was there we had the NVA come on our radio net and tell us they would have complete control of Liberty Bridge and our CO told us we were surrounded by 5000 NVA Regulars. or nature. Hi Marine, I was a radio relay tech at An Hoa from About August or September 1968 to June 1969. Thank you. We never slept when in from the bush. The hospital was still standing when I returned there in 1997. Semper Fi to every Marine who served with 2/5 at An Hoa. And he raised his hand (Im sorry, I still get emotional thinking about this) and I popped him square in the chest. Going though some of his papers and found his Navy Achievement Medal with a V . I went in as a private and got out as a staff sergeant. They thought some guy was to get General Discharge for drugs when MACV canceled the Theyd chew right through the tins. Never saw a hospital. There is a brick factory here but no memorial. Liberty Bridge View westward along the flood plain. Liberty Bridge on the Thu Bon river near An Hoa, Vietnam 1968 Picture taken from a CH 46 on a routine mail run with HMM 164 to An Hoa. Tom I First Force Recon and our compound was right by the artillery battery. Harvey 3/5, Operation Meade River was right out side the wire surrounding Hill 55, 7th Marine Regiment Headquarters. And thank you for sharing a piece of your story. The airstrip is/was still there (2008) but had grass growing up thru the cracks in the asphalt. The Marines were a really impressive group of men. to enable the Marines to move men and material across the Song Thu Bon south to An Hoa or to a jump off point for Operations there were 6 or 7 of us at a time at Anhoa with the Airwing3 Air Traffic Controllers and repair/maintenance men for the radar equipment and generatorsNormal cleared to land & cleared to take off stuff plus advise the pilots on which batteries were firing & what direction/grid.Remember the night we were supposed to get over-run.& instead the He was one of 13 whose lives I had to take. I had no shrapnel wounds and felt lucky to be alive. Still remember all the rockets all too well. We would be choppered back to An Hoa while other Marines chased the NVA. There were 28 of us We built our camp from scratch replaced the runway and-started with the rest of the base hospital-chow hall I extended for 6 month leaving in December of 68. I was attached at the last moment to serve as Fox 2/5s 81FO. Liberty Bridge was constructed and located at coordinates AT 923532, in Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province. After boot camp and Corps School in San Diego, Ray received orders for the USS Haven (AH-12)then moored in Long Beach, Calif., and serving as a station hospital. I was in An Hoa with CBMU 301 from Aug 69 to Aug 70, Hi Jim, I came down with Alpha Co when we first established our camp after being on the advance party at Dong Ha we set up at the North End of the runway.. He even fought off an attack of two NVA soldiers before he himself was wounded. I think of An Hoa every day of my life want to say SEMPER FI to all who served there. You grunts were everything a Doc could ask for and more. Cant remember his real name but he looked dead on Lee Marven. So proud of my Pop. I was a Field Wireman (2512) with 3/1 comm., 1/1 comm. We were positioned at the far end of the airstrip from the ammo dump, that was blown by NVA sappers in Feb (?) As a USNavy physician, I was assigned as Battalion Surgeon for 2/5 and arrived at An Hoa Combat Base July 26, 1970, three weeks after finishing my internship. The bridge had been sought by motorists for two decades and on opening day, March 27, 1928, a mile-long procession of cars were present to mark the event. KIA May 10, 1969 at Liberty Bridge. A docent who was familiar with the history of the air craft told me that the plane had been flown of An Hoa at the same time period that I was flown out of An Hoa! I was wounded May 16, 1969 at An Hoa combat base by the rocket attack and, unfortunately, your brother must have been the KIA I never knew. 71 killed. Joseph When I look back I cant but wonder how we as a countty could have allowed that war to continue. Found an old bugle and they sent a chopper to An Hoa to pick me up to play taps at a ceremony for a fallen Marine in Danang. Thomas Murry Frew Jr. A chu hoi led the grunts to a VC propaganda leader on. Wed pull bunker duty and convoy runs to/from Da Nang over Liberty Bridge. I do have some specifics, but you understand my hesitancy, considering the length of time and the fog of war effects on my memory.. Mar67 to Apr68. I was there with you. The force of the explosion knocked me head over heals, and knocked me unconscious. You Marines stopped them cold before the NVA could prep the battle space near DaNang before TET. But I can only say, it was more than enough for me. He served as a platoon leader Its hard. We had perimitter watch every other night on Brovo and Alpha sector. Not sure about the hospital. My best friend (we grew up together and both became Corpsman and went to Vietnam together} was killed while we were on patrols in the valley. DURING Vietnam War. i was on hill 65 when the orphanage was attacked. we shared the chow hall when it was in one piece ! According to Garcia, "we were transitioning from Hill 37, An Hoa to Hill 51, on an operation to Liberty Bridge". The old chopper pad at about the center of the runway is now covered with trees. I was with Echo during that time frame, 2nd platoon i believe it was. This was the main route between Danang and An Hoa. We were the guys that you may have seen changing the big ass tubes on those big ass guns you talked about. At the east end of the runway are a couple of craters and some dug out areas that seem to be from the era. I went through four operations while I was in Vietnam, including the Durham Peak and Pipestone Canyon operations. Operation Taylor Common was a search and destroy operation conducted by Task Force Yankee, a task force of the 1st Marine Division supported by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), southwest of Hi An from 6 December 1968 to 8 March 1969. first of 1968 went to Hill 55 until pulled off for Hue. David Ray Medal of Honor Citation. S/Sgt Greg Smith H&S 2/5. Today, if you visit any Navy medical command you will find Rays portrait proudly exhibited among the 28 pictures of hospital corpsmen, physicians and dentists who have each been awarded the Medal of Honor. Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. I remembered one time farmers brough young rice plants to wash in the river upstream and the solders fired recoiless canon at them. Kilo 3/5 Can anyone tell me about the disposition of Hill 300. As time went on, it was clear that a more effective way of protecting the airbase was to start patrolling the areas west and south west to clear out any threats before they could reach the airbase. For the general traveler there are certainly reasons to visit the area. Not a word was said. Bob, thank you for the kind words. Ha! 704 791 2768. I remember while serving at An Hoa that 2 nurses were abducted from the Hospital by the VC and when my tour of duty was over in Aug. 69 they had never been found. If an internal link led you here, you may wish . It crosses the Monongahela River and intersects Interstate 579 (the Crosstown Boulevard) at its northern terminus. I also recall hearing that after we turned An Hoa over to the ARVNs the VC came right through the orphanage, and attacked the base. Service: Navy. Glad to see you are still kicking. Google Guns of the DMZ for more on my 8/4 Battlion. Then sent to Delta battery hill 65. Abby Weingarten may be contacted via email at Abby_Weingarten@Yahoo.com. We always argued that the other guy had it worse. I have pictures of that day and the day after. Good talking to you,take care and Semper Fi. The Semper Fi John, I was with F 2/11, and assigned to M 3/5 from Aug 68 until the end of Aug 69. I arrived at An Hoa on 25 January, 1967. Thanks to you and all my grunts that touched my life. My dad was there that night Dan bullock was Kia. http://www.marzone.com/7thMarines/Vn5500.htmhttps://www.seabee-rvn.com/Bridges/Liberty-Bridge/http://dennislathamfiction.blogspot.com/2006/08/vietnam-liberty-bridge.html?m=1http://1-5vietnamveterans.org/15-combat-ops/https://books.google.com.vn/books?id=YN1RDwAAQBAJ\u0026pg=PA178\u0026lpg=PA178\u0026dq=liberty+bridge+Vietnam\u0026source=bl\u0026ots=rdUdHu273U\u0026sig=ACfU3U03Qy55U0spK0AjFgbZvRuMbTzAmA\u0026hl=vi\u0026sa=X\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjdpfygzb_lAhWFd94KHZnMA8o4ChDoATAHegQIAxAB#v=onepage\u0026q=liberty%20bridge%20Vietnam\u0026f=falsehttps://books.google.com.vn/books?id=NxAiZsLSrhoC\u0026pg=PA139\u0026lpg=PA139\u0026dq=liberty+bridge+Vietnam\u0026source=bl\u0026ots=YxuAb4JnDy\u0026sig=ACfU3U1VelKurAzqrOtpeY2JEJGVukMsFg\u0026hl=vi\u0026sa=X\u0026ved=2ahUKEwjdpfygzb_lAhWFd94KHZnMA8o4ChDoATAJegQIARAB#v=onepage\u0026q=liberty%20bridge%20Vietnam\u0026f=false life-and-death struggles. In a Free Fire Zone SW of Danang in 1968. 46 KIA says it all. We never slept even when not in the bush. You are ALL truly HEROS!! I love some Marines (my shortfall lol). Jack L Murduck kia We moved from An Hoa to Phu Bai in December 67 and then into Hue during TET. Please take a look at some of the links below to learn more in detail about Liberty Bridge and other places of interest in the Quang Nam region in Vietnam. Marine Engineers began construction They left 17 of us to guard what was left on 2/5 base We could hear orphans screaming but could not help. In his junior year he left school to join the Navy, enlisting on March 23, 1966. I carried the radio for most of my time there, not exactly a smart move on my part. Yaa, way remote. I was with Echo also 67-68 Oct to March when evaced out of country. Go Noi Island was where Carlos Handcock (sniper-one shot-one kill) was wounded (burned, AmTrac, anti-tank mine). September a battery of 15 HAWK missles were deployed to Hill 55 were it provided coverage for the Vu Gia River Valley. Hello. All that could be heard was the clanging of our equipment as we walked along. Thanks for posting! If you want to share more, please contact me on namwartravel@gmail.com. Our two companies ran smack dab into 1200 to 1500 NVA from the 2nd NVA Divsion. By the way I was: 1st Bn 5th Mar Div H&S Co 81 Mor Plt. I was short by that time. I went through four operations while I was in Vietnam, including the Durham Peak and Pipestone. But my B Battery had been split off from the battalion on arrival in Vietnam and placed in a defensive position near Da Nang. We had people from the villages who would come into our compound during the daytime, and they would clean our shoes and clothes, and make our beds. I remember you ,Webster , Star ,Gunny Flanagan and the Lee Marvin fellow but not his name ,he was a kick. A man sent to take her and her family to resettlement, again. 1/5 Third Platoon, USMC An Hoa Base, as A Grunt Marine, from October 1968 to November 1969. I do remember one guy at Mike Battery . Respectfully, Jon. Im hoping to write a book about some of the area you patrolled in around An Hoa and the Que Son Valley if this Covid-19 crap ever tamps down. Thanks for the post and pictures, sure brings back some memories for sure. Vietnam (way remote N.W. I too was in An Hoa 69-70 I was also with HQ 2/11 assigned to 5 th marines FSCC. Looking for a Lt. who came to Fox 2/5 2nd Platoon on 11 July 69 And stepped on a box mine less than 12 hours later. It crosses the Monongahela River and intersects Interstate 579 (the Crosstown Boulevard) at its northern terminus. Semper Fi.Doc! Over the years the base grew and incorporated large Marine units as well as a 1000 meter runway able to take the large C130 transport aircraft. A piece of hot metal went right through my kneecap and left a big hole, which is still there today. From the Red Garcia Collection (COLL/5065), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections . Ears still ringing That night the orphanage was mortared and VC tried to get through our lines at An Hoa. Third platoon. It was operated by the Maltese and the nurses would visit there from time to time. I know he was stationed at An Hoa in 1967. Combined Action Platoon (CAP) 2-9-1, positioned in the hamlet of Mau Chanh (2), about a kilometer east of the base, lay in the path of the attack. I know you still miss him. Paul Conrad Sr. In the act of saving this Marines life Ray ultimately sacrificed his own. His story is out there. I remember being shot at alot and also having a sense of purpose. tuckga@carolina.rr.com Would like to find out who he was. Thanks for your comment. Additionally, Delta 1/5, which had been on our right flank, was also badly mauled.

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