Phu Loi Base Camp

Phu Loi Base Camp (also known as Darkhorse Base or Phu Loi Field) is a former U.S. Army base north of Saigon in southern Vietnam.

Phu Loi Base Camp
Phu Loi Base Camp, 16 June 1970
Coordinates10°59′57″N 106°42′10″E
TypeArmy Base
Site history
Built1965
In use1965-72
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division
3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
Phu Loi Airfield
Summary
Elevation AMSL95 ft / 29 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
2,800 853 asphalt

History

1940s-1963

Phu Loi airfield was originally established by the Japanese in the 1940s and was located approximately 20 km north of Saigon in Bình Dương Province. During the First Indochina War the base was used by the French as a prisoner of war camp for captured Viet Minh. Following the end of the war it was used to imprison opponents of the Ngo Dinh Diem government.

1965-72

The U.S. Army base was established in 1965.[1]

Red tents for refugees from Operation Cedar Falls at Phu Loi, 29 January 1967
Phu Loi, 23 September 1967

The 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division comprising:

was based at Phu Loi from December 1965-February 1966.

The 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division comprising:

was based at Phu Loi from September 1968-December 1969

Other units stationed at Phu Loi included:

  • 11th Combat Aviation Battalion:
    • 128th Assault Helicopter Company[3]
    • 173rd Assault Helicopter Company before moving to Lai Khe
    • 205th Aviation Support Helicopter Company
    • 213th Aviation Support Helicopter Company
  • AVEL Central Avionics (January 1966-April 1972)[2]:187
  • 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor[2]:93
  • 34th Engineer Battalion (May 1968-October 1971)[2]:171
  • 1st Battalion, 27th Artillery (April–November 1967)[2]:102
  • 6th Battalion, 27th Artillery (March 1970-April 1971)[2]:102
  • 2nd Battalion, 32nd Artillery (October 1969-January 1972)[2]:103
  • A Battery, 5th Battalion, 42d Field Artillery (January-March 1972)
  • 44th Signal Battalion (May–June 1972)[2]:182
  • 82nd Brigade Support Battalion
  • 3rd Battalion, 197th Artillery (September 1968-September 1969)[2]:108

Current use

The base is largely abandoned, but a small section serves a museum. The former airfield is still clearly visible on satellite images.

gollark: "MyoWare Muscle Sensor Development Kit"?
gollark: "Weather Meter Kit"? Interesting.
gollark: Don't bother with that, just add a resistance checker thingy into the calculator.
gollark: When you're finished with a page of working, just set it on fire!
gollark: Oh, that piezo igniter *could* be useful for the calculator actually

References
  1. Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–400. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 142. ISBN 9780811700719.
  3. Van Etten, B (2018). 50 Years Before The (Rotor) Mast. WaveCloud Corporation. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-5356-1248-7.
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