"Bien Hoa"
My "first" tour in country is located slightly north east of Siagon.
Click here to view map of Vietnam
Click here to view Bien Hoa photo's
"Bien Hoa"
City in Viet Nam, on the Dong Nai River, near Saigon ~aka~ Ho Chi Minh City.
The city is on a main railroad; manufactures include rubber
and timber products, tiles, and pottery.
The military airfield at Bien Hoa was the site of the initial buildup of United States
air power following the Tonkin Gulf incident of 1964.
During the Viet Nam War (1959-1975) Bien Hoa was headquarters for
the surrounding military region.
Population (1989) 273,953.
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C-130 Hercules
Climb aboard and let's re-visit Bien Hoa Air Base Republic of Vietnam
"Tour of Duty"
The year is 1965
Staff Sergeant Keith Stinson and I arrive at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida
where we board a C-130 Hercules aircraft.
We have been assigned temporary duty to the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron
"aka" Triple Nickel stationed @ MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida.
We are on our way to Vietnam. Bien Hoa Air Base to be exact.
We are nervous, excited and naturally expectant!
We have a lot in common.
We are family men.
We are Staff Sergeants.
We are vehicle mechanics.
We are lifers "aka" career men.
We are stationed at MacDill AFB, Florida.
We have sipped beers together at the NCO Club.
We have fished off Gandy bridge and other favorite spots around Tampa.
We are assigned to the Vehicle Maintenance Branch
of the 836th Transportation Squadron.
We arrive at Travis Air Force Base to refuel, we have to layover for repairs.
An “O” ring problem or something, the trip is supposed to be about one day.
It takes three days due to aircraft problems.
By the time we arrive in the Republic of Vietnam the nylon web seats we have been
sitting on begin to feel like they are made of cast iron.
The first day I purchase a "horse", that’s G.I. slang for bicycle.
I pay the price of $.10 cents, now I know that sounds like quite a deal
but I bought it from a fellow serviceman on his way back to the land of the big P.X.
That’s G.I. talk for "stateside".
He would have given the "horse" to me but figured I should pay a token amount!
I use the newly acquired "script" money for this purchase.
Script looks a lot like Monopoly money.
We receive our in-country briefing, we line up for our "Gamma-Globulin" shots.
We are told to only use ice that has Coca Cola bottle tops frozen within.
We listen to our first radio broadcast courtesy of Hanoi Hanna!
She is on the radio daily.
She tells us when the rice is knee high all the G.I.’s at Bien Hoa Air Base will die.
The Viet Cong "aka" Charlie will be eating in our "mess hall".
We receive our first duty assignment, build a bunker next to our sleeping quarters.
These quarters resembled southern "chicken houses".
Sergeant Stinson and I are put in charge and assigned a building crew, we quickly begin
as we have no bunker in case of a mortar-rocket attack.
Bien Hoa AB is in the rebuilding stages following the "Bien Hoa" incident!
Quarters were still being constructed.
Bunkers were the responsibility of those who would inhabit those new quarters.
We round up sand, sand bags, 55 gallon drums,
PSP runway material, shovels, chisels and
hammers, we line up the drums, cut out the tops and fill them with sand.
Years later we realize some of the empty drums we used were empty Agent Orange drums.
We duplicate the bunker across the path figuring the 101st Airborne guys
ought to know proper bunker building procedures.
The first day we hit the sack completely exhausted, having no "bunker"
was on our minds as we begun day two "in country".
As it turned out our "bunker" saved our lives on several occasions.
The bunkers had entry ways at both ends & blow holes to lessen the concussion
in case we received a direct hit.
Charlie just loved to "measure", walk off distances during the daytime, planning his next attack.
It was estimated at least ten per cent of the
civilian workers on base were either
Viet Cong or Viet Cong sympathizers.
Later on at night "Charlie" would serve us a few "captured" rounds of our own 88’s.
One night Charlie scored six direct hits, we had thirty nine wounded & no casualties.
This was back early on in the war, Triple Nickel was flying the old F-100 War Horse!
I was assigned to the Minor Maintenance Section in the main compound where I did minor
tune ups, pumped gas, etc., Keith was assigned to the Main Vehicle Maintenance Shop.
Charlie almost always attacked at night.
Puff the Magic Dragon could light up a dark night.
The first Puff's were C-47 aircraft.
Puff would drop parachute flares and light up the base almost like daytime.
We could see sparks flying as enemy mortars exploded nearby.
Puff would locate the enemy and the Mini-Cannons would start firing.
There is one red tracer to every five rounds of ammo being spit out of Puffs
"Gatlin" style barrels.
That is Nato 7.62 caliber or .308 caliber to civilians.
It looks like a steady stream of "red" coming down out of the sky.
We were all thankful for Puff.
MILITARY LOCATOR
If the person you're searching for is currently active within the military,
the following locator services will provide you with their
unit number and installation.
If the person is retired, they will forward a letter for you.
AIR FORCE ~ Active Duty
Air Force Locator Service
AF Military Personnel Center
Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150
AIR FORCE ~ Retired
Retired Personnel Command
AF Military Personnel Center
Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150
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Please visit my second Vietnam tour-of-duty page Phan Rang AB
