bien hoa airbase 1968-69

[GEORGE CURTIS]

Submitter:
roberta buck <firebird14@cox.net>

Message:
i am looking for anything relating to bien hoa airbase 1968-69 my father was stationed there with the 44-33 signal battalion his cousin leroy wilson was a flying tiger my fathers name is jerry wilson he has lost all his photos and still can not talk about the war to anyone that wasnt in it please help us if you can


firebird14@cox.net

[dukelind]

Marines were not stationed at Bien Hoa until spring of 1972. MAG-12 Forward which included VMA-211 & VMA-311 were sent there during the 72 spring offensive. They remained there until Jan 73 and left the day after the cease fire. They may have been the last American combat fixed wing squadrons in country.

Duke Lind

[jayjones]

You said VMA 211 didn't deploy back to Vietnam until 1972, which matches what I have read. I was in VMA-211 in Iwakuni from Sept 1970 to June 1971 and we did not deploy to RVN.

But I recently found this on the net:

May 17, 1971 :
Two Marine Skyhawk squadrons, VMA-311 and VMA-211, arrived from Japan at the recently reactivated base at Bien Hoa , South Vietnam . These units concentrated air strikes against enemy troops surrounding An Loc and responded to calls from counterattacking SVN forces attempting to gain ground in adjacent areas.

http://www.airwarvietnam.com/mag12.htm



Curious?
Jay Jones
Cpl USMC 1967-71
jay@jayjones.us

[IGOR]

U. S. Marines in Vietnam - The War that Would Not End - 1971-1973, published by the USMC History and Museums Division shows in Appendix C that 211 and 311 were in country 17 may 1972 to 1 Feb 1973.

Hostage IGOR (VMA-211 2/66 - 9/66)

[dukelind]

As I stated in an earlier post. I was in VMA-311 in the spring of 72 (don't remember exact date) when we deloyed to Bien Hoa from Iwakuni, Japan. With us were VMA-211 and MAG-12 forward. Left country Jan 73.

[dukelind]

Originally Posted by jayjones

You said VMA 211 didn't deploy back to Vietnam until 1972, which matches what I have read. I was in VMA-211 in Iwakuni from Sept 1970 to June 1971 and we did not deploy to RVN.

But I recently found this on the net:

May 17, 1971 :
Two Marine Skyhawk squadrons, VMA-311 and VMA-211, arrived from Japan at the recently reactivated base at Bien Hoa , South Vietnam . These units concentrated air strikes against enemy troops surrounding An Loc and responded to calls from counterattacking SVN forces attempting to gain ground in adjacent areas.

http://www.airwarvietnam.com/mag12.htm



Curious?
Jay Jones
Cpl USMC 1967-71
jay@jayjones.us

I think may is the correct month but the year is definately wrong. It was 1972 not 1973

[IGOR]

Jay,
The reference you mentioned is off by 1 year. It should read May 17, 1972.
My reference is US Marines in Vietnam The War that Would Not End 1971-73. See page 160 and also Appendix C, page 271.

IGOR