Medium helicopter lift was provided to the 9th Infantry Division by the 147th ASHC. Although they were an element of the 9th Aviation Battalion who operated out of Dong Tam, during 1969 the Hillclimbers were stationed at Vung Tau. In these views of the 147th flight line, the peaks of Nui Nho overlook the airfield. The airfield control tower is barely visible left of center in the left photo frame.
A large radar installation operated by the US Army stood atop Nui Lon. In addition to the 147th ASHC, Vung Tau Army Airfield also supported the 73rd Surveillance Airplane Company and a US Air Force Tactical Airlift Squadron. The surveillance company flew Grumman OV-1, Mohawk, fixed-wing aircraft to accomplished their classified work of locating enemy and tracking enemy units. The USAF flew the larger, De Havilland, fixed-wing, Caribou, C-7A aircraft.
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After 1966 the USAF inherited all US Army, fixed-wing, tactical transport companies deployed in Vietnam as well as their De Havilland, CV-2, Caribou aircraft. The official date of the transfer was January 1, 1967. The USAF reclassified US Army CV-2 aircraft C-7A. |
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| ARMY COMPANY | ORGANIC UNIT | LOCATION | USAF TACTICAL AIRLIFT SQUADRON* |
| 17th AVN | 11th CAG | An Ke | 537th TAS - KN |
| 57th AVN | 12th CAG | Vung Tau | 535th TAS - KH |
| 61st AVN | 12th CAG | Vung Tau | 536th TAS - KL |
| 92nd AVN | 14th CAB | Qui Nhon | 459th TAS - KE |
| 134th AVN | 13th CAB | Can Tho | 457th TAS - KA |
| 135th AVN | 14th CAB | Dong Ba Thin | 458th TAS - KC |
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AVN: AVIATION, CAG: COMBAT AVIATION GROUP, CAB: COMBAT AVIATION BATTALION *Tail-Fin Alphabetic Code and Tail-Fin Stripe Color |
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The breathtaking beauty of the Vung Tau Peninsula provided a sharp contrast to the horror of the Vietnam War. Vung Tau was one of two in-country R&R (rest and relaxation) centers (the other was China Beach) as well as home airfield to both the 147th ASHC and the 73rd SAC. The French had called Vung Tau Cape Saint Jacques. The Vung Tau Peninsula jutted into the South China Sea at the mouth of the main shipping channel into Saigon Harbor. Two mountains called Nui Nho (little mountain) and Nui Lon (big mountain) dominated the southern end of the peninsula.
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- Damaged aircraft that were deemed a total loss were discarded in a bone yard near the POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricant) storage area on the airfield.
