Dak Seang Camp (also known as Dak Seang Special Forces Camp) is a former US 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 northwest of
Kon Tum
Kon Tum is the capital city of Kon Tum Province in Vietnam. It is located inland in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, near the borders of Laos and Cambodia.
Historically, this area has been inhabited by the indigenous Ba Na people, whic ...
in the
Central Highlands of
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 ...
.
History
The
5th Special Forces Group and
CIDG forces
first established a base at here in 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), ...
. The base was located 10 km from the Laotian border, 23 km northwest of
Đắk Tô and approximately 64 km northwest of Kon Tum.
5th Special Forces Detachment A-245 was based here in October 1966.
[
On 18 August 1968 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) 101D Regiment, supported by artillery attacked the camp. The attack was beaten back with small arms and artillery fire.
On 1 April 1970 the PAVN attacked the camp starting a siege that lasted until 8 May. At the same time the PAVN attacked the Dak Pek Camp. On 15 April 1970 the 170th Assault Helicopter Company dropped the 3rd Battalion, 42nd ARVN Regiment into a landing zone near Dak Seang, resulting in the loss of two helicopters. Sergeant Gary B. Beikirch a 5th Special Forces Group medic would be awarded the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for his actions during the siege. SFC Gary L. Littrell would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the siege as an advisor to the ARVN 23rd Battalion, 2nd Ranger Group.
On 29 October 1972, following a 1,000+ round artillery barrage, the PAVN attacked the camp forcing its 300 Ranger defenders to abandon it by nightfall.
Shootdowns
* 2 April 1970: de Havilland Canada C-7A Caribou #61-2406 was shot down while dropping supplies, killing all three crew
* 4 April 1970: C-7B Caribou #62-4180 was shot down while dropping supplies, killing all three crew
* 6 April 1970: C-7B Caribou #63-9746 was shot down while dropping supplies, killing all three crew37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
The 37th Helicopter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 582d Helicopter Group in support of the 90th Missile Wing located at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. The unit is tasked with flight operations in support ...
was shot down while trying to rescue the crew of UH-1H #68-16203, resulting in one crewman killed
Current use
The base has been turned over to forest and housing adjacent to the Ho Chi Minh Highway
Ho Chi Minh Road or Ho Chi Minh Highway () is a highway in Vietnam. It runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, west of National Route 1. The highway was named after Hồ Chí Minh.
History
The route roughly coincides with the Ho Chi Minh t ...
.
References
{{Use dmy dates, date=February 2021
Installations of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam
Buildings and structures in Kon Tum province