Đức Cơ Camp
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Đức Cơ Camp (also known as Đức Cơ Special Forces Camp or Chu Dron Special Force camp) is a former U.S. Army and
Army of the Republic of Vietnam The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; ) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Its predecessor was the ground forc ...
(ARVN) base west of
Pleiku Pleiku is a city in central Vietnam, located in the Central Highlands region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province. Many years ago, it was inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or De ...
in
Gia Lai Province Gia Lai is a northern mountainous Provinces of Vietnam, province in the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Central Highlands region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam. It borders Kon Tum province, Kon Tum in the north, Quảng Ngãi province, Qu ...
, central
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. The base was located on QL-19 13 km from the Cambodian border and approximately 55 km west of Pleiku.


History

The Operational Detachment Alpha-224, 5th Special Forces Group first established a base at Đức Cơ in December 1964 to monitor communist infiltration along the
Ho Chi Minh Trail The Ho Chi Minh Trail (), also called Annamite Range Trail () was a Military logistics, logistical network of roads and trails that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the kingdoms of Kingdom of Laos, Laos and Cambodia (1953–1970), ...
. In late May 1965 the
People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...
(PAVN) besieged the camp which was defended by the 5th Special Forces Detachment A-215 and Civilian Irregular Defense Group program (CIDG) forces. On 3 August a force of
Army of the Republic of Vietnam The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; ) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Its predecessor was the ground forc ...
(ARVN)
Paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...
with Major Norman Schwarzkopf as senior military adviser was sent to relieve the camp. The paratroopers took heavy casualties and a second, larger force comprising the
Republic of Vietnam Marine Division The Republic of Vietnam Marine Division (RVNMD, or '; ) was part of the armed forces of South Vietnam. It was established by Ngo Dinh Diem in 1954 when he was Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, which became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955. ...
's Task Force Alpha and an ARVN armored task force departed Pleiku on 8 August to relieve the garrison. On 9 August they came into heavy contact with a PAVN battalion dug in astride Route 19. The South Vietnamese attacked and dislodged the PAVN, only to have the rear of the column attacked by another reinforced PAVN battalion. Battered by air strikes all night long, the PAVN 32nd Regiment, launched a final attack at dawn and then withdrew from the battlefield. On 10 August the South Vietnamese moved into Duc Co and broke the siege. The South Vietnamese infantry, with the support of U.S. and RVNAF air strikes, claimed to have killed over 400 PAVN and captured 71 weapons. VNMC losses were 28 killed and three missing. On 17 August additional ARVN forces supported by two battalions of the
173rd Airborne Brigade The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic respo ...
arrived.


1966

In May 1966 Operation Paul Revere was launched in the Đức Cơ tactical area. On 24 June the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry and 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment engaged a PAVN Battalion close to the Cambodian border losing 15 U.S. killed. On 3 July a 35th Infantry platoon was ambushed and overrun with the loss of 17 U.S. and 23 PAVN killed.


1967

The 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ in June 1967. The 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry was based at Đức Cơ from September 1967 to February 1968. The 1st Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment was based at Đức Cơ at various times in 1968/9. The base was transferred to 81st Border Rangers.


1972

On 2 November following a PAVN artillery barrage, a PAVN tank-infantry assault overran the camp forcing its Ranger defenders to retreat to positions to the east where they were joined by ARVN reinforcements. Three tanks were reported destroyed by airstrikes.


1973

On 20 January during the War of the flags period before the
Paris Peace Accords The Paris Peace Accords (), officially the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam (), was a peace agreement signed on January 27, 1973, to establish peace in Vietnam and end the Vietnam War. It took effect at 8:00 the follo ...
came into effect on 28 January 1973, the PAVN 320th Division attacked the camp and by the next day seized the camp. The International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) established to monitor the Paris Peace Accords set up a base at Đức Cơ to monitor PAVN movements into
Pleiku Pleiku is a city in central Vietnam, located in the Central Highlands region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province. Many years ago, it was inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or De ...
Province, however the ICCS team was never permitted outside its compound without PAVN escort and was not allowed to observe any traffic or military activity. Because of inadequate health protection and sanitation facilities provided by the PAVN, all the ICCS members became ill with malaria, dysentery, or other ailments and the ICCS base closed in May 1973.


Current use

The base has been turned over to farmland and housing.


References

{{coord, 13.788, 107.627, type:_region:, display=title Buildings and structures in Gia Lai province Installations of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam Military installations closed in the 1970s