Bình Long Explained

For other uses see Bình Long (disambiguation).

Bình Long
Settlement Type:	Town (Class-4)
Official Name:	Bình Long Town
Native Name:	Thị xã Bình Long
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location within Vietnam##Location within Southeast Asia##Location within Asia
Pushpin Map:	Vietnam#Southeast Asia#Asia
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Type1:	Region
Subdivision Name1:	Southeast
Subdivision Type2:	Province
Subdivision Name2:	Bình Phước
Seat Type:	Capital
Unit Pref:	Imperial
Area Total Km2:	126.28
Population As Of:	2018
Population Total:	105,520
Population Density Km2:	auto
Timezone:	Indochina Time
Utc Offset:	+7
Coordinates:	11.6869°N 106.5964°W
Website:	binhlong.binhphuoc.gov.vn

Bình Long is a town of Bình Phước Province in the Southeast region of Vietnam. As of 2018, the district had a population of 105.520 and an area of 126.28 km². The district capital lies at An Lộc ward.^[1]

The town's former name is An Lộc. It is located approximately 90 km north of Ho Chi Minh City with a population of 8,599 (2009). An Lộc was formerly part of Bình Long Province before the merger with Phước Long Province to form Bình Phước Province. It became famous during the Vietnam War for being the location of a major battle in 1972. Today Bình Long has a mass grave memorial with 3,000 bodies.^[2]

Geographical location

Bình Long borders Hớn Quản District to the east, west, and south, and Lộc Ninh District to the north.

Administrative division

Bình Long consists of four wards (phường) and two communes (xã):

• Wards: An Lộc, Hưng Chiến, Phú Thịnh, Phú Đức
• Communes: Thanh Lương, Thanh Phú

In popular culture

• An Lộc is mentioned in the epilogue of American Graffiti, which states that "Terry 'Toad' Fields was reported missing in action near An Lộc in December 1965." This is later expanded upon in the sequel, More American Graffiti.
• An Lộc is also mentioned in Good Morning, Vietnam, as Sgt Major Dickerson requests activity on the road to An Lộc for the trip that Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) and Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker) are taking to supposedly "interview" troops in the field.
• Ba-Nee, one of the Starlight Girls in Jem, is said to have been born in An Lộc.

See also

• South Vietnam

External links

• The Battle of An Loc - Battle Overview, Photos, Personal Accounts and Links.
• Battle of An Loc (Valiant Binh Long)
• Battle of An Loc - by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Willbanks
• Communist Battle Plans for An Lộc
• Vietnam War Internet Project
• Texas Tech University Vietnam Project - Major Vietnam Era Archive.
• Gerald R. Ford Library holdings - Declassified National Security Adviser files of interest
• PBS Battlefield: Vietnam
• Account of ARVN Armor general and last days combat

11.6527°N 106.6093°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Nghị quyết số 35/NQ-CP. Government of Vietnam. Feb 9, 2014.
2. Christina Schwenkel The American War in Contemporary Vietnam 2009- Page 72 "A monument that stands on location reads: "This grave marks the resting place of three thousand fellow countrymen [đồng bào] from An Lộc, Bình Long, who were exterminated by American bombs in summer 1972."