Tonle Cham Camp
| Tonle Cham Camp | |
|---|---|
 Tonle Cham Camp, 19 March 1967 | |
| Coordinates | 11°35′24″N 106°29′06″E / 11.59°N 106.485°E |
| Type | Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1967 |
| In use | 1967-74 |
| Battles/wars |  Vietnam War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 5th Special Forces Group 92nd Ranger Battalion |
Tonle Cham Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 33 ft / 10 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Tonle Cham Camp (also known as Tonle Cham Special Forces Camp or Tong Le Chon Special Force camp) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base southwest of An Lộc in southern Vietnam.
History
[edit]The 5th Special Forces Group Detachment A-334[1] first established a base here in 1967 to monitor communist infiltration from base areas in the Fishhook (Cambodia).The base was located beside the Saigon River on Route 248 8 km southeast of the Fishhook and approximately 14 km southwest of An Lộc.[2]
On 28 November 1968 Lockheed C-130B Hercules #61-2644 of the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron was damaged beyond repair after its nose gear failed while landing at Tonle Cham[3]
Following the Battle of An Lộc the base was transferred to the 92nd Ranger Battalion in late 1972.[2]
On 25 March 1973, less than 2 months after the Paris Peace Accords went into effect, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) began a siege of the camp.[4] The Rangers held out for more than a year before they abandoned the base to the PAVN on 12 April 1974.[5]
Current use
[edit]The base has been turned over to farmland and housing.
References
[edit]- ^ Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 246. ISBN 9780811700719.
- ^ a b Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 517. ISBN 978-1555716257.
- ^ "Lockheed C-130B Hercules 61-2644 Tonle Cham Airfield". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "Central Intelligence Bulletin 21 March 1973" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ "Central Intelligence Bulletin 13 April 1974" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 November 2014.