Note: The below
information was sent to this site by Bob Tate. The information on Marine
Aircraft Group 12, Chu Lai was compiled by Dave Pendergast. It contains
dates, etc for the Marine Attack Squadrons in Chu Lai (A-4 Skyhawks). It,
and other information, can be found on the First Marine Aircraft Wing site at http://firstmaw.homestead.com./
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Marine Air Group 12
at
Chu Lai
Events:
·March 1965:
First Marine Division mud Marines waded ashore at
Da Nang
to protect the allied airfield from the Viet Cong. The mud Marines were soon in
the midst of heavy combat and were requesting air support of their own. The
Marine landing coincided with a need for a new coastal air base needed to reduce
flight time to targets in Quang Tin province and adjacent districts.
Da Nang
was the first Marine air base in
South Vietnam
. Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) would direct most operations assigned
Da Nang
aircraft that flew north of the base and over the DMZ and southern
North Vietnam
.
A second airfield was sorely needed. Chu Lai located about 50 miles south
of
Da Nang
was chosen for the new airfield. Starting in April 1965 Navy Seabees worked in
100-degree-plus temperatures to prepare the remote Chu Lai site for an aluminum
plank SATS (short airfield for tactical support) "tinfoil strip"
4,000-foot runway. A catapult and arresting gear were planned to allow Skyhawks
to use the field. The arresting gear was soon installed but a catapult was not
available. So JATO (Jet Assisted Take Off) was planned to reduce the Skyhawk
takeoff distance by half. Soon the Chu Lai facility had a runway, arresting
gear, taxiways, and a parking ramp. A catapult was installed
May 14, 1966
.
Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) was assigned to Chu Lai to direct most Skyhawk
operations in
South Vietnam
. The plan was to rotate Skyhawk squadrons to and from Chu Lai and
Japan
to conduct combat operations.
The Skyhawk --- The Marine Corps had flown the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk since 1957,
but had to wait eight years to fly the Skyhawk in combat. The A-4 Skyhawk was
armed with two internal 20mm cannons and could carry additional guns in external
pods. The A-4C had three external stores stations available and the A-4E had
five external stores stations available. From the external stores stations
Marine pilots could deliver approximately 8,500 pounds of ordnance
---"iron" bombs weighing up to 1,000 pounds, napalm, Zuni semi-guided
rockets, cluster bombs, and unguided rockets.
·
June 1, 1965
:
Colonel John D. Noble, MAG-12 Commanding Officer, lead Lieutenant Colonel Robert
W. Baker, VMA-225 Commanding Officer, and three other VMA-225
"Vagabond" A-4C Skyhawks (tail code CE) into the new Chu Lai air base
(June 1, 1965 - October 1965).
Later on
June 1, 1965
, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard J. Stender, VMA-311 Commanding Officer, lead three
VMA-311 "Tomcat" A-4E Skyhawks (tail code WL) into the new Chu Lai air
base. (June 1, 1965 - October 1965; February 1966 - March 1967; June 1967 -
February 1970; May 1972 - January 1973).
Still later on
June 1, 1965
, Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Baker, VMA-225 Commanding Officer, lead the first
"Vagabond" combat mission from Chu Lai striking the enemy six miles
north of the base.
·
June 2, 1965
:
Early in the morning Colonel John D. Noble, MAG-12 Commanding Officer, lead four
VMA-225 "Fighting Eagle" aircraft to bomb and strafe Viet Cong forces
near the base.
Later in the morning of
June 2, 1965
, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard J. Stender, VMA-311 Commanding Officer, lead three
other "Tomcat" Skyhawks on the squadron's first Chu Lai combat
mission. The four VMA-311 "Tomcats" bombed and strafed Viet Cong
forces in Quang Ngai, about twenty miles south of Chu Lai.
On this mission Colonel Stender demonstrated a colorful departure as he took the
short runway and ran his engine up to 85 percent power for the takeoff check.
Colonel Stender inadvertently hit the JATO firing button when calling the tower
for takeoff clearance and the JATO fired. The Skyhawk leaped forward; Stender
brought the engine to 100% and was on his way --- barely getting airborn and
blowing sand for a mile after he was airborne from the short runway.
·
June 16, 1965
:
All twenty VMA-311 A-4E Skyhawks had arrived at Chu Lai to begin an intensive
period of combat operation.
·
June 23, 1965
:
The United States Air Force 2nd Air Division, which directed air strikes in
South Vietnam
, cited VMA-311 for "the finest close air support we have ever seen!"
·
June 28, 1965
:
The VMA-214 "Black Sheep" (tail code WE) arrived bringing twenty A-4C
Skyhawks to Chu Lai (June 28, 1965 - February 1966; April 1966 - March 1967).
·August 1965:
During Operation Starlite North Vietnamese forces tried to attack Chu Lai but
were driven off by mud Marines on land and in Skyhawks in the air.
·October 15, 1965
:
The VMA-211 "Wake Island Avengers" (tail code CF) arrived bringing
twenty A-4E Skyhawks to Chu Lai. (October 15, 1965 - July 1966; November 1966 -
September 1967; December 1967 - February 1970; May 1972 - February 1973).
MAG-12 now commanded about 80 Skyhawks at Chu Lai.
·October 1965:
MAG-12 now started to rotate Skyhawk squadrons to
Japan
. VMA-224 "Bengals" (tail code WK) arrived bringing twenty A-4E
Skyhawks to Chu Lai (October 1965 - April 1966; July 1966 - November 1966).
VMA-225 "Fighting Eagles" were rotated to
Japan
.
·December 1965:
The VMA-223 "Bulldogs" (tail code WP) arrived bringing twenty A-4E
Skyhawks to Chu Lai. (December 1965 - December 1966; March 1967 - December 1967;
April 1968 - January 1970).
The VMA-311 "Tomcats" were rotated to
Japan
.
·December 29, 1965
:
First Lieutenant Thomas F. Eldridge, United States Marine Corps VMA-211
"Wake Island Avengers" was Killed in Action. Lieutenant Eldridge's
A-4E Skyhawk was hit by .50-caliber fire as he rolled in on enemy positions
during a helicopter escort. Despite a leg wound, Lieutenant Eldridge was able to
drop his load of napalm and turn for base. His crippled craft crashed 13 miles
from Chu Lai and killing Lieutenant Eldridge.
·February 1966:
The VMA-311 "Tomcats" arrived with twenty A-4E Skyhawks (tail code WL)
to Chu Lai. (June 1, 1965 - October 1965; February 1966 - March 1967; June 1967
- February 1970; May 1972 - January 1973).
The VMA-214 "Black Sheep" were rotated to
Japan
.
·March 19, 1966
:
First Lieutenant Augusto "Gus" M. Xavier, United States Marine Corps
VMA-311 "Tomcats" was Killed in Action. Lieutenant Xavier was
attacking targets in mountainous terrain in predawn darkness and failed to pull
out of a strafing run.
·April 1966:
VMA-214 Black Sheep arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
VMA-224 Bengals were rotated to
Japan
.
·May 14, 1966
:
Chu Lai's aircraft carrier type mobile catapult system became operational. The
aircraft catapult was able to launch Skyhawks on either north or south runway
headings.
·July 1966:
VMA-224 Bengals arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers were rotated to
Japan
.
·September 6, 1966
:
First Lieutenant Thomas H. Hawking, United States Marine Corps VMA-311
"Wake Island Avengers" was Killed in Action. Lieutenant Hawking had
successfully ejected from his Skyhawk after hitting a tree during a bombing run.
Lieutenant Hawking grabbed a line trailed by a passing Huey, but as the
helicopter climbed Hawking lost his grip and fell to his death.
·September 21, 1966
:
The Viet Cong attacked Chu Lai with mortars, wounding some VMA-223
"Bulldog" personnel.
·October 1966:
Chu
Lai West, a 10,000-foot concrete runway with aircraft hardstands and taxiways,
was completed.
·November 1966:
VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
VMA-224 Bengals rotated to
Japan
.
·December 1966:
The VMA-121 "Green Knights" (tail code VK) arrived bringing twenty
A-4C Skyhawks to Chu Lai, (December 1966 - October 1968). They were the seventh
Marine Skyhawk unit to fly
Vietnam
combat missions from Chu Lai. Earlier, in 1962, the "Green Knights"
deployed with Skyhawks to
Ubon
,
Thailand
, to help prevent a coup. VMA-121 had returned home without firing a shot.
VMA-223 Bulldogs rotated to
Japan
.
·(1967):
Tropical weather in
Vietnam
provided much low cloud and rain to cover the Viet Cong. The Marines used
ground controlled precision radar to allow bombing through clouds and at night.
The pilot would put the Skyhawk on autopilot and couple to the ground precision
radar controller when headed toward the target. The computerized system
initiated directional changes and released ordnance at the correct altitude and
time via radio signals received by the Skyhawk's computer.
Tactical air control increasingly passed to jet aircraft during the war. Marine
Skyhawk pilots worked with Air Force FAC (forward air controllers) using the
Cessna O-1E Bird Dog; and the Marines had their own FAC aircraft --- the
two-seat TA-4F Skyhawk dual-control trainer. The TA-4F had the two-cannon
armament and similar stores delivery capability of the single seat Scooter. The
TA-4F and single seat Skyhawk's avionics were similuar --- making for
maintenance ease. The TA-4F was flown by Headquarters & Maintenance Squadron
12 and H&MS 13 at Chu Lai, and H&MS-11 at
Da Nang
.
·
February 3, 1967
:
The VMA-223 Bulldogs set a one-day, 59-sortie record for the Skyhawk, during
which the squadron flew a mix of A-4Cs and A-4Es. Along with the other A-4
squadrons, VMA-223 also flew close air support sorties during Operation Double
Eagle in February and Operation Utah in March. The Bulldog pilots were rapidly
becoming veterans, and their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Robert B. Sinclair,
was congratulated for flying the squadron's 10,000th accident-free hour.
** VMA 533 (AW)" Hawks" arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam with the Grumman A-6A Intruder. They flew missions over both North
and South Vietnam.
·April 19, 1967:
In the afternoon two A-4Es from VMA-121 flown by Captain Robert C. Blackington
(flight lead) and his wingman, 1st Lt. Samuel B. Vaughan, had twice struck
targets adjacent to rice paddies about 21 miles south of Chu Lai. The FAC
(forward air controller) called them in again. "After the spotter told us
of the Viet Cong activity," Blackington recalled, "I immediately made
a run, dropping two 250-pound bombs.
Vaughan
followed about a mile behind me, dropping identical ordnance."
Vaughan
was of the opinion that the fires the Skyhawks had started indicated a hidden
ammunition dump, but the forward air controller remained skeptical that the
target had been totally destroyed. On his target assessment overflight, the Air
Force pilot noted more enemy troops and called for another pass from both
Skyhawks. More bombs were dropped, and on his final run Blackington fired 200
rounds of 20mm ammunition. Once more the Cessna O-1E flew over the target. This
time the Bird Dog pilot commented, "You guys do excellent work."
·May 1967:
Skyhawk squadrons initiated "hot pad" alerts at Chu Lai, during which
a section of armed aircraft awaited a scramble call with pilots in their
cockpits and engines turning over.
·June 1967:
VMA-311 Tomcats arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
July 6, 1967
:
VMA-311 Tomcat Major Ralph E. Brubaker was south of the Demilitarized Zone when
his A-4E Skyhawk was struck by a SA-2 SAM (surface-to-air missile). Major
Brubaker's Skyhawk became uncontrollable and the Major successfully punched out.
Safely on the ground Brubaker was rescued by helicopter and suffered only a
dislocated knee in the action.
·September 1967:
VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers rotated to
Japan
.
·December 1967:
VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
VMA-223 Bulldogs rotated to
Japan
.
·Chulai 1967 History by David A Prendergast
·January 1968:
The North Vietnamese Tet Offensive began in January 1968, a focal point of the
North Vietnamese attack was the Marine outpost at Khe Sanh. Having been isolated
by the loss of the A Shau Valley area in 1966, the 26th Marines stationed there
were hardly surprised when the attack began.
The core of the enemy offensive was concurrent attacks on towns and
U.S.
installations throughout
South Vietnam
. Among the targets was Chu Lai, where, on January 31, rockets injured two men
from VMA-311, damaged four of that squadron's A-4s and destroyed part of the
bomb dump. In retaliation, the Bulldogs destroyed an enemy rocket dump south of
their base on February 25.
The battle to prevent the capture of Khe Sanh became one of the epic ground-air
actions of the war. It included a huge logistics airlift to bring the Marine
defenders food, medical supplies and ammunition. To help this effort, the Corps
devised the "Super Gaggle" formation, which centered on a Lockheed
Hercules C-130 cargo plane, flying with helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft
escort.
Twelve A-4s flew the first Super Gaggle on
February 24, 1968
, joining 20 CH-46 and UH-1E helicopters on a mission coordinated by a TA-4F.
The role of the Skyhawks was to "sanitize" the en route and landing
areas by working them over with bombs, napalm and 20mm cannon fire. Operation
Niagara
, the huge, coordinated air plan to hold Khe Sanh helped break the Tet
Offensive; yet the break was not exploited, and the
United States
ultimately began withdrawing combat units. A number of bases lost their
front-line status, among them Chu Lai.
·April 1968:
VMA-223 Bulldogs arrived at Chu Lai,
Vietnam
.
·October 1968:
VMA-121 Green Knights departed Chu Lai,
Vietnam
to
Japan
.
·5 October 1968: ** VMA(AW) detached from 1st MAW and joined MAG 15 in Iwakuni, Japan
·April 1969:
On April 4, 1969 First Lieutenant Ronald D. Layton, flying a VMA-211 A-4 Skyhawk
against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam, was shot down and killed by enemy
ground fire. His actions during this mission earned him the Distinguished Flying
Cross.
·January 1970:
VMA-223 Bulldogs departed Chu Lai,
Vietnam
to
Japan
.
·February 1970:
MAG-12 departed Chu Lai,
Vietnam
and relocated in
Japan
.
VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers accompanied MAG-12 to
Japan
.
VMA-311 Tomcats accompanied MAG-12 to
Japan
.
VMA-223 Bulldogs departed Chu Lai,
Vietnam
and returned to CONUS.
The VMA-311 Tomcats moved to
Da Nang
under the operational control of MAG-11, continuing to support the ongoing war
in
Laos
and
Cambodia
. One of the earliest arrivals in the war zone, VMA-311 had by
May 7, 1971
, flown 47,663 sorties.
·September 3, 1970
:
Marine Base Chu Lai was transfered to the United States Army; the last Marine
(VMA-311 Tomcat) sorties were flown from Chu Lai on
September 11, 1970
.
·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.
·March 30, 1972
:
The North Vietnamese invaded
South Vietnam
. MAG-12 comprised of H&MS-12 Outlaws, VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers &
VMA-311 Tomcats flew into Bien Hoa,
Republic
of
Vietnam
(near
Saigon
) from
Iwakuni
,
Japan
.
·August 29, 1972
:
First Lieutenant Charles G. Reed flew VMA-311's 50,000th sortie. The Tomcats
went on to fly a total of 54,625 sorties by the war's end.
·January 26, 27, 28, 1973:
VMA-311 ground personnel hung what they thought were the last bombs (the last
bomb was painted red, white and blue and daubed with slogans for the occasion)
on the Tomcat Skyhawks and strapped in the last duty Tomcat pilots. Colonel Dean
Macho, commander of MAG-12, led the mission, a strike into the Mekong Delta
region.
Da Nang
's ground troops waited anxiously for the Skyhawks to return. They all did.
Photograph from Mike Shelton.
·
January 27, 1973
:
The war officially ended
January 27, 1973
- the
U.S.
agreed to end hostilities around
11:45 A.M.
local RVN time. Colonel John Caldas,
Commanding Officer of VMA 311, just before he led the last combat sortie of the
Viet Nam
war on
January 27, 1973
--armistace day from Bien Hoa. The bomb rack was configured such that the
painted bomb in the picture was the last one released from the compliment on the
A-4E Skyhawk; and that Skyhawk was the last plane in his flight to drop bombs
just minutes before the end of hostilities at
11:45
local RVN time. The target was an old, former French rubber plantation north of
Bien Hoa where there was reported enemy activity. The bomb painted by troops in
the squadron says: THE LAST BOMB, 9,738.38 tons dropped VMA-311, Bien Hoa, RVN
17 May 72 -
27 Jan 73
.
Photograph from Steve Caldas.
·It appears Colonel John
Caldas of VMA-311 dropped the last bomb of the war. Colonel Dean Macho,
Commander of MAG-12, was reported dropping last bombs on January 26, 27 and 28
but they were either too early or too late for the honor. Source documents do
not agree on the date or time for Colonel Macho's drop(s).
February 1, 1973
:
Mag-12 Outlaws with VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers and VMA-311 Tomcats departed
Vietnam
for
Iwakuni
,
Japan
on January 30 & 31, 1973.
Looking forward to hearing from members of Marine Units.
Always looking for Material
and Scans of "Anything" related to South East Asia to add to this site.
