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Chu Lai Air Base was a military airport in Chu Lai, Vietnam, operated by the United States Marine Corps between 1965 and 1970. It was located near Tam Kỳ city, the largest city in Quảng Nam Province. Abandoned after the end of the Vietnam War, it was reopened as Chu Lai International Airport in 2005. ==History== On 8 March 1965, the U.S. 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed at Da Nang to protect the Danang Air Base from possible communist attack. On 6 May units from the ARVN 2nd Division and 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines secured the Chu Lai area. On 7 May, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States) (3rd MEB), composed of the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, elements of Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 10 landed at Chu Lai to establish a jet-capable airfield and base area. At first, only a "short airfield for tactical support (SATS)" was installed. This SATS consisted of a 1,200 m runway with an aluminum surface of interlocking lightweight metal alloy planking, a catapult and a carrier deck-type arresting gear. It also included a tactical airfield fuel dispensing system. Much difficulty was encountered with the base of soft sand at Chu Lai in the installation of the SATS but the first landing of an A-4 Skyhawk was made on 1 June 1965, by Colonel John D. Noble, Commanding Officer of MAG-12 from VMA-225 landed. On the same day the first combat mission was flown, led by Lieutenant Colonel R. W. Baker, CO of VMA-225. The aircraft took off using jet-assisted takeoff rockets on the partially completed runway as the Sea Bees continued lengthening the runway. It was involved in Operation Starlite on 18 August 1965, when the Marines made a pre-emptive strike on gathering Viet Cong forces who were preparing to attack the base.〔(【引用サイトリンク】accessdate=6 January 2011 )〕 By mid-October 1965, the base was home to more than 80 A-4 Skyhawks from MAG-12. On the night of 27 October 1965 the Vietcong penetrated the air base destroying 2 A-4s and severely damaging a further 6. The Marines killed 15 of the 20-man sapper squad.〔 In September 1966 a new 10,000 ft runway with taxiways were completed, just west of the SATS strip.〔http://www.history.navy.mil/download/mca-m8.pdf〕 With the opening of the new runway Marine Aircraft Group 13 with three F-4 Phantom squadrons arrived at Chu Lai and would remain there until September 1970. In April 1967, VMA(AW)-533 equipped with the A6-A Intruder all-weather attack aircraft arrived to provide air support for Marines in I Corps, and to deliver ordinance on targets in North Vietnam under all weather conditions. On the morning of 31 January as part of the Tet Offensive the Vietcong attacked the base with rockets and mortars triggering an explosion in the bomb dump. MAGs 12 and 13 suffered 3 aircraft destroyed and 23 damaged. The last Marine sorties were flown from Chu Lai by aircraft from VMFA-314 on 11 September 1970.〔http://airwarvietnam.com/mag12.htm〕 The Marines departed Chu Lai on 13 October 1970, turning control over to the United States Army.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Chu Lai Marine Aviation )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chu Lai Air Base」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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