PK-17

PK-17 was an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. Marine Corps and Army base located northwest of Huế, Thừa Thiên Province in central Vietnam.

PK-17
Coordinates16.547°N 107.449°E / 16.547; 107.449 (PK-17)
TypeMarines/Army
Site history
Built1966
In use1966-68
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
OccupantsArmy of the Republic of Vietnam

History

The base was located along Highway 1 at the 17 km mark from the city of Huế. Its name was an abbreviation of the French Poste Kilometre 17.[1][2]

On 30 January 1967 a platoon of 2 M110 howitzers from the 1st 155th Gun Battery moved to PK-17. On 6 April 1967 PK-17 was attacked by People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces, resulting in 2 Marines killed and 7 wounded.

In January 1968 PK-17 was the base for two battalions of the ARVN 1st Division and one battalion of the Airborne Division.[2]

The base played an important role during the Battle of Huế in early 1968. On 2 February the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment was deployed from Camp Evans to PK-17 to launch an attack towards La Chu to close off the PAVN supply routes west of Huế. The 2/12th Cavalry was pinned down by superior PAVN forces and eventually broke out on the night of 3 February leaving their dead behind.[3]

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References
  1. Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–408. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. Shulimson, Jack; LtCol. Leonard Blasiol; Charles R. Smith; Capt. David A. Dawson (1997). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968, the Defining Year. History and Museums Division, USMC. p. 107. ISBN 0-16-049125-8.
  3. Bowden, Mark (2017). Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam. Atlantic Monthly Press. p. 176. ISBN 9780802127006.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

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