Cam Ranh Bay provided a relatively safe natural sea port midway between the Mekong River tributaries of the southern tip of South Vietnam, and their northern border on the DMZ.
This gave ships easy and safe access to bring in the supplies needed by the U.S. to fight the war.
The Navy port also contained an Air Force base, a replacement depot, a supply depot, and an Army hospital.
Cam Ranh Bay was a beautiful seaport, as well as a large military base. The Russian Battleship Fleet anchored there in 1905 enroute to the battle of Tsushima, fought on 27 May 1905. Cam Ranh Bay, Bien Hoa, Da Nang, were all major entry points into South Vietnam...by airliner or ship. With the exception of the Tet offensive in 1968, combat normally occurred outside of those major bases.
To keep the Soviets & Red Chinese at bay, and preserve the Republic of South Vietnam.
US supplies arrived by ship and airplanes. The USSR & Red China supplied enemy war material, which was shipped into Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam and across the Red Chinese border; then TRUCKED down into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh trail.
Reports from the "field" (US Advisers/Special Forces) indicated that the South Vietnamese Forces were losing ground in their fight against communitst forces. The request was made for regular US ground troops, to turn the tide against the communist forces.
During 1965 and 1966 when entire divisions were deployed to Vietnam, they traveled by troop ships. Individual replacements arrived on Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) contracted flights on commercial airlines - mostly in Boeing 707s. Medical evacuations from Vietnam were in C-141 cargo jets specially equipped for medical transport. Although entire units arrived in country early on together, they were replaced by individuals and when troops completed their 12 month tour, they flew home on the commercial MAC flights. Most of those flights were from the San Francisco or Oakland airports from the Oakland Replacement facility or Travis Air Force Base; or from Seattle-Tacoma airport from the replacement facility at Fort Lewis, Washington. In Vietnam, they landed at either Ton Son Nhut air base (which doubled as the Saigon Airport) or Cam Ranh Bay airbase.
Some excellent sea ports in Vietnam, such as Cam Ranh Bay.
Cam Ranh Bay was a beautiful seaport, as well as a large military base. The Russian Battleship Fleet anchored there in 1905 enroute to the battle of Tsushima, fought on 27 May 1905. Cam Ranh Bay, Bien Hoa, Da Nang, were all major entry points into South Vietnam...by airliner or ship. With the exception of the Tet offensive in 1968, combat normally occurred outside of those major bases.
During the period between June 1, 1971, and March 30, 1972, there were several attacks on Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam. Cam Ranh Bay was a major United States Army logistical and communications base during the Vietnam War. It experienced rocket and mortar attacks from Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, aiming to disrupt American operations and infrastructure in the region.
Cam Ranh's not too far north from Saigon, Australian Centurion tanks may have patrolled some of that area; mostly stationed around Saigon/Bien Hoa regions.
Camp Casey, a US Army base in Tongduchon-ni, South Korea.
3 TIMES
The Weigel was in Cam Rahn 2 times when I was aboard the ship. October 1966 and October 1967. Lt. Pat G. Moore USNR.
The main port of Vietnam is the Port of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Port. It is the largest and busiest port in the country, handling the majority of Vietnam's international maritime trade. The port is strategically located on the Saigon River in southern Vietnam and serves as a major gateway for goods entering and leaving the country.
The Philippines was a primary stop-over enroute to RVN, mostly landing at Bien Hoa Air Base (pronounced Ben Wa). Flights coming in from the north east often landed in Cam Ranh Bay. Was roughly an hour's flight or so.
Da Nang and Cam Ranh Bay were two of the main USN bases. However, the USNs riverine forces, primarily the Swift Boats (PCF-Patrol Craft Fast) operated as far north as the DMZ at the Cua Viet River in I Corps.
located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam
Hanoi is the seat of government, or capitol of Vietnam. In the North, Hai Phong is the major port city. Hanoi is located on a river which connects to Hai Phong. The major port city in the South of Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) / Cam Ranh Bay.