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We are attempting to list all of the places C 2/5 Cav occupied during its 6 1/2 years in Vietnam. To be included in the list, the company must have actually been on the base (as opposed to the battalion headquarters being there), and there must have been some sort of semi-permanent structure or artillery pieces on the site, (as opposed to it being merely a place to land helicopters.)
This database is by no means complete. As the history of the company grows, we will add to this database. Please send additions and corrections to webmaster@tallcomanche.org. Listed alphabetically.
We are grateful to Michael P. Kelley and the locations of the bases found in his book "Where We Were in Vietnam." It is an excellent reference, and recommended for any student of the war.
Name | Times | Location | Comments |
An
Khe |
1965 - 1968 |
BR 462-478 On east-west highway Route 19 on the eastern approaches to the Central Highlands Binh Dinh Province |
Ah Khe was also
known as Camp Radcliff, and was the main division base camp from the
time the 1st Cav landed in Vietnam in 1965 until it deployed south in
the fall of 1968. |
Anchor, LZ |
1966-67 |
Binh Dinh Province, Bong Song plains, just northwest of Dam Tra O. Map | |
Andy, LZ/FSB |
1969-70 |
Northern III Corps, near Cambodian border, 12 km SE of Loc Ninh, and 12 km NNE of An Loc. | Also known as Quan
Loi Base Camp |
Anna, FSB |
June 1970 |
XU 682522 Cambodia |
|
Barbara, LZ |
January-February,
1970 |
Tay Ninh Province Map (Large file) |
|
Camlot, FSB | Built June 6, 1970 | Cambodia | |
Carol, LZ |
Aug 1968 |
Thua Thien Province, I Corps, due west of Hue at north end of the A Shau Valley | Later named FSB Carroll. Became famous in 1970 as FSB Ripcord and the 101st Airborne Division |
Drinnon, FSB |
Spring 1972 |
General area of FSB
Gibraltar |
Named after SGT Bedford Drinnon, the last KIA suffered by C 2/5 Cav. Was small, with two tubes of 105 artillery, 2 81mm mortar tubes, and secured by one platoon of infantry. |
English, LZ |
1966-68 |
Binh Dinh Province, Bong Son plains, on Route 1, north of the town of Bong Son. Map | Large brigade-sized base, with an air strip suitable for C-130 aircraft. Originally named LZ Dog. |
Evelyn, FSB |
Circa May, June, July 1971 |
YT901119 Long Khanh Province, III Corps |
|
Fatima, LZ |
January 1967 |
Exact location
unknown Near Cambodian border in II Corps |
Information from
Don Markham |
Granite, FSB (or
FSB Ft. Granite) |
Circa July 1970 |
XU 929082 Phuoc Long Province |
Located on the
Song Be, east of Loc Ninh |
Furr, FSB |
Circa June
1971 |
General vicinty of FSB Mace in Long Khanh Province, near Xuan Loc, III Corps | |
Gibraltar, FSB |
Spring 1972 |
YT253279 30 kilometers NE of Bien Hoa Air Base, III Corps |
This was the last FSB occupied by 2/5 Cav. It was turned over to 1/12th Cav on March 15, 1972, after which the battalion flew to Bien Hoa and was disbanded. |
Gonder, FSB | June 1970 | XU 807 383 Cambodia |
|
Hammond, LZ |
1966 |
BR 888570 On Route I in southern Binh Dinh Province Map |
|
Hardcore, LZ |
Circa October 1968. |
Quang Tri Province, I Corps |
At this base while OPCON to 3rd Squadron 5th cavalry (an armored unit) |
Ike, LZ and FSB
|
April 1969 - February 1970
|
XT340715 Tay Ninh Province, War Zone C III Corps Map (Large file) |
Built on April 20, 1969 by C 2/5 Cav, it was hit at least three times by a major attack. It was closed off and on, and used by other 1st Cav battalions. Last record is made in February 1970. Name was changed to FSB Ike when the entire 1st Cav Division was forced to change the names of all bases from LZ to FSB by the new CG of II Field Forces, LTG Ewell, who came from the 9th Infantry Division |
Ingalls, FSB |
October 1970 |
YT 739302 Long Khanh Province, 34 km NE of Xuan Loc |
Built on or about
October 8-10, abandoned November 1, 1970 |
Jake, LZ/FSB |
February 1969 |
XT62280910 km due south of the tip of The Fishhook, 16 km SW of An Loc. near a small river. Map (Large file) | |
Jamie, LZ |
April-May 1970 |
XT 482715 35 km NE of Tay Ninh, on Route 244 Map (Large File) |
C 2/5 located on
Jamie as jumping-off point into Cambodia |
Jane, LZ |
May, 1968 |
YD379437 Northern Thua Thien Province (some sources say it was in southern Quang Tri Province |
There were
multiple LZ Janes |
Jess, LZ |
March 1969 |
XT186717 Tay Ninh Province, War Zone C III Corps |
Built on March 29, 1969 after
a bad fire fight. |
Lauffer, FSB |
Circa July, 1970 |
Western III Corps,
vicinity Song Be |
Small base with 3
tubes of 105 artillery, and 2 81mm mortars Named for PFC Billy Lauffer of C 2/5 Cav, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in September, 1966. |
Mace, FSB |
Late 1971-January
1972 |
YT 595080 Long Khanh Province, III Corps 15 kilometers due east of Xuan Loc |
Originally built by the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, it was turned over to the 1st Cav when the 199th departed in September 1970. Built at the foot of Nui Chau Chan, a small mountain with a signal unit on top, but with enemy spotters on the mountain itself. It was a large base and built to be permanent. |
Mary, LZ |
July - September,
1969 |
YT 265 999 In the Song Be area, Phuoc Long Province III Corps |
|
Maureen, LZ |
Circa August 1968 |
Thua Thien
Province I Corps |
|
Nancy, LZ |
Circa October 1968 |
YD440400 Quang Tri Province, I Corps |
Before divisional move
south the III Corps |
Oasis, The |
Fall 1965 - Fall 1966 |
ZA 114 275 25 kilometers south of Pleiku and near the Catecka Tea Plantation |
The Oasis was a major staging area built originally for the Pleiku campaign in 1965, but used again in the spring of 1966 for other operations in the Central highlands. The last known time C 2/5 was at The Oasis was December, 1966 |
Odessa, LZ |
Late 1968 |
XT 063 754 Near Katum, Tay Ninh Province III Corps Map (Large file) |
|
Ollie, LZ | |||
Peggy, FSB |
December 1970 -
February 1971 |
YT 860 330 Near Tan Linh Binh Tuy Province, III Corps Map |
|
Phuoc Vinh Base
Camp
|
Occupied Nov 1968
2/5 Cav was "Palace Guard" late
fall 1969, and again spring 1970 |
XT975490 II Corps
|
Phuoc Vinh had been a major
base of the 1st Infantry Division prior to the 1st Cav moving in during
November 1968. It became the division forward base until the 1st
Cav left VN in the spring of 1971, leaving the 3rd Brigade (Sep), which
operated out of Bien Hoa
|
Quan Loi Base Camp (See LZ Andy) |
|||
Ready, FSB |
Built May 14, 1970
by D 2/5 Cav, closed June 8, 1970 |
XU854426 Cambodia |
D 2/5 Cav. CA'd into the LZ on 13 May (miserable rainy/foggy day). On 14 May, at first light, was probed by NVA forces. The berm was incomplete at about 18 inches of height. 18 NVA were killed and 1 US wounded. |
Rita, LZ |
January 28 -
February 1969 and February 21 - February 25. 1969 |
XT 499 804 12 kilometers south of the Cambodian border, southwest of An Loc and Quan Loi, built across Rt. 244 Map |
|
Sandra, FSB |
Spring 1971 |
ZT 096 195 Binh Tuy Province, III Corps Map |
|
Silver, FSB |
September -
October 1970 |
YT 829-043 Binh Tuy Province 35 kilometers SE of Xuan Loc. |
Originally built by the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, and closed when the 199th was sent home and deactivated. 2/5 Cav reopened it in September 1970 |
Sue, LZ |
December 1968 |
XT 918 956 15 kilometers NE of An Loc Extreme right side of Map (Very large file) |
|
Stud, LZ |
April 1968 |
Northern I Corps, east of Khe Sanh Combat Base - Map | |
Terri, LZ (AKA Terry) |
26 February
through 28 March, 1969 |
XT 421168 Hau Nghia Province Angel's Wing area very near Cambodian border |
|
Uplift, LZ | 1966-67 | Binh Dinh Province, Bong Song Plains, directly on Route 1 | |
Wade, FSB |
June-July 1970 |
Binh Long province in general vicinity of Loc Ninh, Song Be, and Quan Loi - near the Fish Hook in III Corps. | |
Wishart, FSB |
Fall 1971 |
Exact location unknown,
but in vicinity of FSB Mace in Long Khanh Province |
From what little
information is available about FSB Wishart, it seems to have been a
small firebase an part of the protective ring around the Long Binh/Bien
Hoa/Saigon complex late in the war.
Named for LTC Leonard P. Wishart III who had the unusual opportunity to serve with 2/5 Cav on two tours. The first was in 1967 as the Battalion Operations Officer (S3), and the second was as the Commanding Officer from August 1970 to early 1971. |
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Updated March 31, 2007