ON OR ABOUT 8-10 AUGUST 1965, BRIEFINGS WERE HELD BY THE COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY, NAVY, AND AIR FORCE, AT HEADQUARTERS PACAF, TO ASCERTAIN AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, COULD EITHER THE ARMY OR NAVY CONSTRUCT AIR BASES AND SUPPORT THE AIR FORCE IN THE VIETNAM WAR AND FUTURE WARS. THE ANSWER WAS NO, EVEN THOUGH BOTH SERVICES HAD BATTALIONS ASSIGNED TO SUPPORT THE AIR FORCE.

AT THIS BRIEFING WAS THEN COLONEL WILLIAM TOM MEREDITH, HE STATED THE AIR FORCE COULD AND WOULD DO THE JOB. THUS THE SECAF ISSUED ORDERS FOR THIS TO BE CARRIED FORWARD. ACTIVATED THAT DAY WAS THE USAF REDHORSE.

ON, 1 OCTOBER 1965, SPECIAL ORDER G-173 WAS ISSUED FOR THE ACTIVATION OF TWO REDHORSE SQUADRONS, THE 554 AND 555 SQFUADRONS. ORIGINALLY THE ORDERS WERE ISSUED THAT THE 554 SQUADRON WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO CAMN RAHN BAY, VIETNAM.

ON, 15 OCTOBER 1965, COLONEL JAMES P. CONTI OFFICIALLY SIGNED IN TO LtCol TILLEY AS COMMANDER OF THE 554th REDHORSE SQUADRON, THUS THE BIRTH DATE OF REDHORSE.

ON, 21 OCTOBER 1965, SPECIAL ORDER G-181 WAS WRITTEN AND ISSUED TO COLONEL CONTI THAT THE 554th REDHORSE SQUADRON WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO PHAN RANG AB, VIETNAM AND THAT THE 555th REDHORSE SQUADRON WOULD GO TO CAMN RAHN BAY, VIETNAM.

THE AREAS KNOWN TO US AS PHAN RANG AB, OR TO THE VIETNAMESE AS BUU SON, AN-SON, MY-SON IN NINHTHUAN PROVIDENCE WAS LEASED FROM THE VIETNAMESE ON 6 SEPTEMBER 1965, ON VIETNAMESE ORDER NR 5905, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING A JET AIRSTRIP ON THOSE PARCELS OF REAL ESTATE. THIS ORDER GIVEN BY LtCol DIAH-VIET-LARG.

ON OR ABOUT 16 OCTOBER 1965, THE OTHER OFFICERS BEGAN ARRIVING AT CANNON AFB, NEW MEXICO AND BRIEFING BEGAN TO TAKE PLACE WITH THE BASE COMMANDER, BASE PERSONNEL OFFICER, AND MILITARY POLICE, BRINGING EVERYONE UP TO DATE ON WHAT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE AT CANNON.

DURING THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER MANY BRIEFINGS TOOK PLACE WITH TACTICAL AIR COMMAND PACAF HEADQUARTERS, AIR FORCE PERSONNEL HEADQUARTERS TO CUSTOM DESIGN THE ORIGINAL 554th CIVIL ENGINEERING SQUADRON HEAVY REPAIR FOR THE TASK OF CONSTRUCTING THE "JET AIRFIELD" AT PHAN RANG, VIETNAM.

THE QUESTION HAS ARISEN AS TO WHERE THE NUMBERS 554 CAME FROM? THERE WAS A BASE CIVIL ENGINEERING AT FORBES AFB, KANSAS THAT WAS DEACTIVATED, THE 4554th, THE NUMBER WAS SHORTENED AND GIVEN TO THE 554, THIS ACCORDING TO ONE PARAGRAPH OF THE HISTORY TAPE.

TO PROVIDE A RAPID RESPONSE CAPABILITY WITHIN THE AIR FORCE TO AUGMENT BASE ENGINEER FORCES IN THE EVENT OF HEAVY BOMB DAMAGE OR DISASTERS, AS WELL AS ACCOMPLISH MAJOR REPAIRS WHERE CONTRACT CAPABILITY IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. AS A BY-PRODUCT OF THIS CAPABILITY, "EXPEDITIONARY AIRFIELDS", USING AM-2 MATTING AND AUSTERE CONTONEMENT FACILITIES COULD BE BUILT, TO PROVIDE A CAPABILITY WHICH WILL NOT DUPLICATE ANY EXISTING EFFORT BUT "FILL THE GAP" UNTIL THIS EFFORT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE AIR FORCE AND REMAIN TO THE AIR FORCE, THE CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE "EXPEDITIONARY AIR FIELDS" AND AUSTERE CONTONEMENT FACILITIES IN 30 DAYS TO INCLUDE:
A - EXPEDITIONARY AIRFIELDS
B - A 1,000 MAN CONTONMENT AREA (IF REQUIRED) USING TENTS AND WOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTION, WITH AUSTERE ROADS, ELECTRIC POWER, WATER, AND SEWAGE.

THIS REDHORSEMAN IS WHERE THE TERM "EXPEDITIONARY SQUADRON" HAS CAME FROM AND IT REMAINS SO TODAY AS OTHER SQUADRONS GO ON EXPEDITIONARY MISSIONS INTO THE UNKNOWN AND EXPECTED TO DO THE UNEXPECTED WITH FEW PERSONNEL AND LITTLE TO DO WITH.

THIS PLAN WAS PREPARED BY THE DEPUTY FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING, HEADQUARTERS AIR COMMAND, LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VIRGINIA IN OCTOBER 1965. THIS PLAN ESTABLISHED REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR TRAINING OF TWO CIVIL ENGINEERING SQUADRONS (HEAVY REPAIR) AT CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO. DURING THIS PERIOD OF NOVEMBER 1965 TO FEBRUARY 1966.

UNIT INTEGRITY WAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE TRAINING PERIOD AS OUR SQUADRON COMMANDER COLONEL JAMES CONTI MANAGED HIS OWN PROGRAMS.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

A. ASSURE THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDS THE MISSION, ORGANIZTIONAL STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING SQUADRONS (HEAVY REPAIR)
B. INDOCTRINATE PERSONNEL IN SUBJECT AREAS DESIGNED TO ASSURE INDIVIDUAL UNIT CAPABILITY OF LIVING AND WORKING UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS.
C. QUALIFY INDIVIDUALS IN TECHNIQUES PECULIAR TO MISSION REQUIREMENTS OF HEAVY REPAIR SQUADRONS.
D. PROVIDE TRAINING EXERCISES AND PROJECTS TO CLOSELY APPROXIMATE UNIT'S ASSIGNED MISSION.

ANOTHER PART OF THE TRAINING WAS TO LEARN TO COPE WITH THE PHRASE "PENNY SHORT" WHICH CAME ABOUT DURING GOOD NATURED RIBBING FROM THE "TRIPLE NICKEL" HORSEMEN AT THE BEGINNING OF TRAINING PERIOD.

NEXT TRAINING WAS ON ALL ASPECTS OF INFANTRY BASIC TRAINING, RIFLE FIRING, WHERE SOME HORSEMEN ACHIEVED "EXPERT" WITH M-16's, SQUAD TACTICS, AND OTHER INFANTRY TACTICS, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE, FIRST AID, FIELD LIVING, SANITATION, TRAINING ALSO INCLUDED ORIENTATION ON VIETNAM AND VIET CONG TACTICS, MINES, AND BOOBY TRAPS.

TECHNICAL TRAINING COVERED CARE AND OPERATIONS OF ROCK CRUSHER PLANTS, WELL DRILLING, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE, EXPOLOSIVES, DEMOLITION, AND ALL OTHER PHASES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION.

THE OPERATIONAL CODE NAME FOR THE START UP AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FIRST TWO REDHORSE SQUADRONS WAS "OPERATION CORONA HARVEST."

THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT PHAN RANG,VN. WAS THE ADVANCE PARTY OF TWENTY PERSONEL, DEPLOYED ON 6 JAN.66, AND THEY ARRIVED 8 JAN.66. THE JOB OF THE ADVANCE PRATY WAS TO SET UP, MESS AREA, CANTONMENT AREA, AND SANITATION AREAS. THIS FEAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A FEW HAND TOOLS AND GOOD OLD AMERICAN INGENUITY.

THE FIRST SECTION OF THE MAIN BODY OF THE SQUADRON ARRIVED AT PHAN RANG, VN ON 1 FEB.66. THIS WAS A GROUP OF SOME 20 TO 30 PERSONEL INCLUDING COL. CONTI, FIRST SERGEANT, AND MYSELF "DON E AVERETT". WE SET RIGHT TO WORK ON SELECTING AN AREA TO CONSTRUCT A PERMANENT CANTONMENT AREA, WHICH WAS BUILT OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER OF WHAT WAS THE MAIN BASE AT THAT TIME. TO COMPLETE THE CANTONMENT AREA AS IT NEEDED TO BE MANY CONVOY TRIPS, BY THE ADVANCE PARTY AND THE FIRST GROUP REQUIRED MANY CONVOY TRIPS TO CAMN RAHN BAY, THRU 46 MILES OF VIET CONG INFESTED AREAS. ALL OF US HAD TO RESULT TO MANY DIFFERENT METHODS TO AQUIRE THE MATERIALS REQUIRED TO GET THE JOBS AT HAND ACCOMPLISHED. ON 9 FEB.66 MAJOR KENNETH MYERS AND A SIXTY MAN FORCE WAS SENT TO CAMN RAHN BAY, TO UNLOAD THE EXPORT AGENT, THE SHIP WITH THE 554 SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT ABOARD. AGAIN I WAS ONE OF THE SIXTY MAN FORCE. THE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT WAS PUT ABOARD A NAVY LCI SHIP AND TRANSPORTED TO PHAN RANG HARBOR THIS WAS A SANDY BEACH 12 MILES EAST OF THE BASE ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. WE WERE HAMPERED IN THE UNLOADING PROCESS BY THE VIETNAMESE LONGSHOREMEN AS THEY WENT ON STRIKE FOR HIGHER PAY TO UNLOAD THE SHIP. THEY WERE BEING PAID 10 CENTS PER DAY NORMALY, BUT WANTED 50 CENTS PER DAY, AND IT WAS OK'd AND THE JOB COMPLETED. HARASSMENT WE WERE HARASSED CONSTANTLY BY SMALL ARMS SNIPER FIRE EACH TIME WE CONVOYED TO AND FROM CAMN RAHN BAY, ALSO AT THE BEACH HARBOR, AND AT THE ROCK CRUSHER AREA, THOUGH THAT PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BY CALLING IN " PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON".

CLEARED & GRUBBED	1,834,573 SY	AGGREGATE	55,571 CY	SPOILS REMOVED	178,789 CY
SAND	6,632 CY	BASE COURSE	76,599 CY	FILL	253,605 CY
SANDBAGS	190,560 EA	TENTS	68 EA	TENT FLOORS-WOOD	63 EA
TENT PADS-CONCRETE	68 EA	BUTLER BLDGS	7 EA	METAL BLDG	9 EA
QUANSETS	8 EA	BAK-12 BARRIER	4 EA	SW INFLATABLES	5 EA
ROAD REPAIRS	5 EA	PSP MATTING	215, 073 SF	MESS HALLS	2 EA
3000 BBL WATER TANK	2 EA	ROADS CONSTRUCTED	5 MI	REVETMENTS ARMCO	2,180 LF
CULVERTS	1,284 LF	TWO STORY DORMS	29 EA	LATRINES	2 EA
EQUIPMENT OPERATION	54,917 HRS	MILITARY (PROD)	357,07 MH	RVN CIV	118,124 MH
TOTAL SF BLDG	278,510 SF	RUNWAY LIGHTING	10,000 LF	MISC SHOPS	12 EA
WATER HAULED	2,910,515 GAL	CONCRETE	6,154 CY	CONVOYED MAT	240 TN
AMMO MOVED	1,500 TN	RATIONS MOVED	700 TN	SHIP TO BEACH	5,000 TN
BEACH TO SHIP	5,000 TN	SHIP TO BEACH PR	5,000 TN	BEACH TO PR	5,000 TN

THIS IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE WORK BY THE VERY FIRST AIR FORCE COMBAT ENGINEER SQUADRON EVER IN AIR FORCE HISTORY AND WORKING UNDER SUCH HARDSHIPS OF SHORTAGES OF MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND COOPERATION.

LIST OF THE VERY FIRST 554 RED HORSEMEN!

SSgt Don Redd	TSgt Horace Doyal	SSgt A.J. Caparota
CMSgt T.Fl Kirk	MSgt J.L. Minds	MSgt M. Karashopoff
MSgt M.C. Rodden	MSgt M. Bluford	TSgt J.C. Bailey
TSgt R.G. Franko	CMSgt C.A. Wulff	MSgt G.D. Denny
SMSgt D.D. Shiverdecker	SMSgt V.W. Bryson	TSgt Bill Larrison
SSgt F. Belmares	SSgt Carl Potter	Sgt Scott
Sgt Padilla	Sgt Berry	AMN Taylor
AMN Black	AMN Love	AMN Yoder
AMN Hernandas	AMN Heidebrecht	AMN Havard
AMN Legett	AMN Bearer	AMN Dressel
AMN Drencelowz	AMN Eastman	AMN Fowler
TSgt Clark E. Sessions	AMN Fryman	AMN Greco
AMN Gerss	AMN Chapman	AMN Dorman
AMN McDaniels	AMN Aubrey	TSgt Walt Engeman
AMN H.G. Heilbron	AMN J.B. Moore	AMN Hassler
AMN Bullock	AMN Evans	Sgt Big John Schulte
Sgt Buck Odom	Sgt Stoney Wheat	Sgt Koropsak
AMN Harvey Lewis	AMN Richard Gendreau	MSgt Hardesty
Sgt Carl Allen	Sgt Al Springs	Sgt Wilford L. Brien
Sgt Bill Wilson	AIC Mike Crampton	Sgt Ray Morris
Sgt Cox	Sgt Maurice May	TSgt George Ezell
SSgt Fred Bohlken	AIC Chico Guerra	Sgt Sal Salle
Sgt Bill Wells	Sgt Pat Keaton	Sgt Bourgeois
Sgt George Potts	Sgt Grimes	Sgt Larry Wilson
Sgt Snowadski	Sgt Doan	Sgt W.D. Brown
Sgt Brea	SMSgt J.H. Allard	SMSgt E.J. Thompson
MSgt Salley R. Naylor	MSgt George Cassens	SSgt Ronald Ward
MSgt John W. Burkett	Sgt Ricardo Leal Jr.	AIC Don E. Averett

This is the 554th Red Horse Squadron's advance party to Phan Rang Air Base, Vietnam in 1966. In back row from left to right is Joe VanHooser and Arthur Tribble. In the front row from left to right is Carl Allen, R.W. Neipow, and Fred Farmer. Picture was submitted by Arthur Tribble.

VISIT OTHER RED HORSE COUNTRY PAGES!

Red Horse Home Page	Red Horse Training	554 Red Horse Vietnam	554 Red Horse Utapao	554 Red Horse Kadena	554 Red Horse Osan	Red Horse Korea 73-76
554 Red Horse Kunsan	554 Red Horse Kwangju	554 Red Horse Taegu	Don's Red Horse Memoirs	Original 554th Red Horse	554 Red Horse History	Red Horse History 1
Red Horse History 2	554 Red Horse Commanders	555 Red Horse Vietnam	557 Red Horse Squadron	823 Red Horse Squadron	Red Horse Reserve/Guard	202nd Red Horse Squadron
Red Horse Iraqi War	Prime Beef 3 Vietnam	Prime Beef 10 Vietnam	36th Red Horse Anniversary	40th Redhorse Anniversary	RedHorse Video	Red Horse Photos
Red Horse e-mail A-L	Red Horse e-mail M-Z	Editor's Page	556RedHorse