Landing Zone English Explained

Landing Zone English
Type:Army
Built:1966
Used:1966-71
Condition:abandoned
Occupants:1st Cavalry Division
173rd Airborne Brigade
22nd Division
Battles:
Vietnam War
Battle of Bong Son
English Airfield
Elevation-F:98
R1-Length-F:3600
R1-Surface:asphalt

Landing Zone English (also known as English Airfield, LZ Dog, LZ English or simply Bong Son) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base in Bồng Sơn, Bình Định Province, Vietnam.

History

1966-71

The base was located along Highway 1 approximately 82 km northwest of Qui Nhơn.[1]

LZ Dog was originally established by the 1st Cavalry Division in late January 1966 as part of Operation Irving.[1] The base served as headquarters (together with Camp Radcliff) for the 1st Cavalry Division from July 1967 to January 1968.[2]

English was the base for the 173rd Airborne Brigade from May 1968 to August 1971.[2]

From August–October 1968 combat engineers from the 18th Engineer Brigade upgraded the existing airstrip into a Lockheed C-130 Hercules capable airfield.[1]

Other units stationed at English included:

In November 1970 military police investigated the sale of heroin from a Vietnamese house on the base. On 24 January 1971 NBC reported that soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed at English were buying heroin from the house and the South Vietnamese then proceeded to demolish the house.[5]

1972

During the Easter Offensive, after overrunning much of Bình Định Province, by 1 May the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) besieged the ARVN 40th Regiment, 22nd Division at the base. The 40th Regiment, supposed to number 3,000 soldiers had been reduced 40% by desertion and 30% by casualties.[6] On the night of 2 May the 40th Regiment abandoned the base and fled east to the coast where they were picked up Republic of Vietnam Navy landing craft.[7]

Current use

The base is abandoned and turned over to farmland, light industry and housing. The airfield remains visible on satellite images.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kelley, Michael. Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. 2002. 978-1555716257. 172.
  2. Book: Stanton, Shelby. Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. 2003. 9780811700719. 73.
  3. Web site: LTC Andrew C. Remson Jr. 19TH ENGINEER BATTALION UNITED STATES ARMY. January 2, 2020. 19th Engineer Battalion Vietnam Association.
  4. Book: McGibbon, Ian. New Zealand's Vietnam War: A history of combat, commitment and controversy. Exisle, Auckland NZ & Ministry of Culture and Heritage. 2010. 978-0-908988969. 318–24.
  5. Book: Hammond, William. The U.S. Army in Vietnam Public Affairs The Military and the Media 1968-1973. U.S. Army Center of Military History. 1996. 978-0160486968. 393.
  6. News: The New York Times. Allied program fails a key test. Craig R. Whitney. 2 May 1972. 1.
  7. News: The New York Times. 1968 hero sent in. Fox Butterfield. 4 May 1972. 1.