Paul's Danang Photos Homepage
This homepage will always under construction, actually all three of my homepages, since I'll probably always be adding to them, or making adjustments. For this reason, I'm leaving the construction bars surrounding this paragraph. The family homepage will be the main homepage and the Danang photos homepage and the rear bumper homepages will be secondary homepages,even though they are separate individual homepages.
Also, a word of caution, this DaNang Photos homepage will take a while to come up because, at last count, I have 165 photos loaded to it alone.
Welcome to my Danang Photos Homepage. Whether you
logged on from my Family Homepage, or came here
directly, Welcome. Several months ago, I started a
Family Homepage and added a page that contained photos
I had taken while I was stationed at DaNang. I had logged onto the homepage of Don Bach and saw that he had photos from alot of other folks. I decided to try to get some photos that way myself. I started with my 20 photos and ended with over 110 photos. I had so many that I started a second homepage just to use as a "storage place". I guess that's against Angelfire/Lycos' rules as they deleted my "storage place". Now I'm going to have to contact all the guys that sent me photos and have them send them to me again. More to follow!
For the the unitiated, these symbols have occupied a
significant place in my life, along with the three
flags at the top of the page. They are from the left:
the patch of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing from
DaNang South VietNam; the patch of the Brotherhood of
VietNam Veterans of Vacaville (CA); the symbol for
ordnance, or for us Air Force types, munitions.
This a second, improved map sent to by Bud Knoop.
This map is, as you can see, actually two maps that I
downloaded from a site that was sent to me by Gary
Ganslow. I have decided not to trim them so everything
would line up perfectly because I was afraid I'd loose
too much detail on the right side where the two maps
come together, which covers the main part of DaNang Air
Base. Hope you understand.
And now for the pictures of DaNang South VietNam. I
will start each section with a brief biography of the
person that supplied that group of pictures.
In April of 1969, I was transfered to the 366th
Munitions Maintenance Squadron of the 366th Tactical
Fighter Wing at DaNang, South VietNam for four months.
Then, the Air Force, Apparently, decided it needed more
munitions Troops in Thailand than at DaNang, South
VietNam. Some of us went to Ubon Royal Thai Air Base
and I was in the group that went to Udorn, Royal Thai
Air Base jus 5 miles south of Vientienne, Laos.
Like most G.I.s, I took pictures while I was in VietNam
and Thailand. I am going to put the pictures of DaNang
on this homepage. I have also obtained some pictures
from some other people who were at DaNang.
This is the hooch I lived in, in Tent City next to Gunfighter Village, for the first month or so I was
at DaNang.
This is the new barracks, new in '69, that I moved into.
It was located on the west side if the runway, near the
new, also in '69, MAC terminal.
Me in the barracks - ready for anything?
This is my cube-mate for the three or four months I
lived in the barracks. Sorry, I don't remember his name.
If anyone recognises him, I'd appreciate it if you'd
let me know what his name is.
This is the vehicle shack in the bombdump where I
worked. I worked days for a month or so then went to
graves until I left DaNang.
Some of the vehicles we had at the bombdump. I think
that's me on the MJ-3 "Jammer".
A couple of the Coleman tugs we used to pull the bomb
trailers with.
A view of the flightline looking toward Gunfighter
Village from South perometer road.
A couple of the H-11 Crane Trucks we used.
I believe this is an assembly or storage building set
back in a revetment.
Me on an RT (rought terrain) forklift. You'll see it
again, but it won't look like it does here.
Me at the desk inside the Vehicle Shack.
The man taking the drink was my boss, TSgt Atanacio B.
Burrell. I don't remember who the other TSgt was. If
anyone recognises him, let me know.
About April or May, we had a catastrophic fire, along
with many explosions when whole revetments of bombs
exploded, which started in one of the outer storage
areas, that burned for twelve hours. We were told that
it would take all the munitions factories in the states
ten days, working around the clock, to replace what was
lost. The rest of my pictures show the results of the
fire and explosions.
Cleanup after the fire begins.
Remember the earlier picture of the RT forklifts, well
here they are again on the way to salvage.
Just one of many craters that were formed when whole
revetments, or a couple side-by-side, went hight order,
that is exploded. Some craters were so deep, they had
water in the bottom.
Sorting out stuff to see if there was anything worth
saving. There was.
The following group of photos comes from Retired Senior
Master Sergeant Jimmy Jones who was assigned to the
362nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron(TEWS) from
March, 1971 to March, 1972 as an EC-47 maintenance crew
chief.
Jimmy and the 362nd TEWS sign - one week in country.
Jimmy at his barracks.
Jimmy with his aircraft #771, due to be painted.
Jimmy with his aircraft #771 after its paint job.
Jimmy, summer of '71 - Gunfighter Village, he's facing the VNAF ramp and BX is in the background.
A view of the South Vietnamese Air Force(VNAF) A-37 ramp near Gunfighter Village.
Another view of the VNAF ramp.
A view of Gunfighter Village. The BX is seen
across the street.
Latrine Row in Gunfighter Village along Perimeter Road.
Results of a rocket attack 5 July, 1971 next to the Chow Hall.
More rocket attack damage.
This is one of the Air Force aircraft that brought
badly needed supplies to Viet Nam. It's the Douglas C-133.
This is a Kaman HH-43 Pedro. It was used as an aerial firetruck by using an underslung pod.
The 362 TEWS Latrine. A very important place.
These pictures are from Warren "Bud" Knoop. Bud was
assigned to the 366th Munitions Maintenance Squadron
from April 1967 to April 1968. Some of the photos are
actually pictures taken of slides projected onto a
screen. Hey, it works for me.
One of the trucks used by the 366 MMS bombdumps.
A view of the bomb dump, 750 lb. MK-117 bombs and the
back end of an H-11 hoist truck which was used here to
take the bombs off the 40 foot flat-bed trailers and
put them on one of the smaller trailers to be taken to
the flightline after the fuses are installed.
A view of the munitions road leading to the flightline.
An F-4 Phantom is in the background.
A revetment full of MK-117 750 lb. bombs. After seeing these next couple photos, it's easy to see why a hit into one of these revetments by a mortar or rockets could cause so much havack.
Another revetment of MK-117 750 lb. bombs. We probably
sent a hundred or so each day to the F-4s.
Loaded 2.75 inch folding fin rockets. The rockets are
fitted with the High Explosive Anti-Personnel (HEAP).
That might be Monkey Mountain in the background.
The Vietnamese Crew Leader/Interpreter with a crew
working the 2.75 inch folding fin rocket launchers.
A crew of Vietnamese workers. The one in the foreground
is carrying a 2.75 inch folding gin rocket with a HEAP
head.
A typical view of the city of DaNang residential area
near the base.
If this C-123 was stationed at DaNang, it might have
been with the Ranch Hands. They sprayed for mosquitos
over the base and they sprayed Agent Orange over the
jungle.
These are the fuzes we used in just about all bombs.
The hole in the left side was where the delay element
went. The longest delay we used with these fuzes was
1/4 second. At 300+ knots, they traveled quite a
distance in 1/4 seconds.
The Snake Pit.
F-4 loaded with 12 MK-82 500 lb bomb.
Flares over runway looking towards Hill 327.
2.75 inch rocket crew, summer of '67, old bomb dump prior to rocket attack.
A load of Mk-82 bombs heading to the flightline.
The scene out the back door of the tent, sentry tower and east perimeter.
Scene from the sentry tower area.
Another scene from the sentry tower area.
Semi-tractor hit by a rocket and blown into the 366th FMS barracks setting it on fire.
Several burnt out barracks - outfits unknown.
Rocket damage to barracks.
Old bomb dump flare revetment hit at night in June '67.
The person who sent this photo asked to remain
anonymous. He says he's not sure if he took this photo
at DaNang or not. I decided to include it because it
shows what I did at Udorn AB, Thailand after I left
DaNang.
The two guys pictured here are preloading the bombs.
After they install the two fuzes, they install these
wires which connect the fuzes to the bomb shackle.
When the pilots hits the switch to drop the bombs, the
wires are pulled out of the fuzes which allows them to
be armed as they fall to earth.
The following group of photos comes from Retired Senior
Master Sergeant Bruce Keyser who was a maintenance
expediter and shift chief for the 4th Tactical Fighter
Squadron (TFS) from June, 1971 to June, 1972.
This is the picture of a Military Airlift Command
commercial aircraft, this one a Boeing 727, one of many
called "Freedom Birds". They took you to Viet Nam and
by the grace of God and some luck, they brought you
back to the U.S.A. in the same condition, under your
own power and a little older and wiser.
A 4th TFS aircraft departing on a mission.
This F-4 was called "Blind Faith" because the eyeball
was missing from the sharks face.
The ditch burned after getting a hit during a rocket
attack. It was located behind the 4th TFS and across
from the job control. It may have had petroleum products
in it.
The result of a 50mm shell hit on the bottom of an
F-4 wing.
A Security Policeman guarding the 4th TFS barracks
after a rocket attack.
Two damaged helicopters being transported to a repair facility. The helo in the foreground was not properly secured to the trailer and got damaged more.
This F-4 departed the runway after it failed to engage the barrier at the end of the runway.
The next group of photos was sent by Melvin Davidson. Melvin was assigned to the 366th Field Maintenance Squadron(FMS) Aerospace Ground Equipment(AGE) section from September, 1969 to April, 1970.
Melvin outside his barracks.
A picture of the north end of the runway looking south, notice the bunkers in the foreground.
The AGE "service station" where he worked. The paint shop is to the left and the base perimeter is clearly visable directly ahead.
This group of photos comes from Marv Ressman who was also a maintenence crew chief with the362nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (TEWS) from August, 1970 to August, 1971. When he sent his first group of photos, before I lost most of them, I thought that name was familiar. Then when he sent a photo that had him in it, I thought the face was familiar. Then he sent his biography. He worked at Travis AFB, California as an Air Reserve Technician (ART) on the C-5 flightline and I realised I had worked with him, before I retired from the Air Force at Travis, when I worked on the C-5 flightline. Small world.
This is the cowl key that was used to remove the engine cowling from reciprocating (piston) engines.
EC-47's on the flightline-1970.
Washing a Gooney Bird.
The next group of photos comes from Lester Barnard who was assigned to the 366th Services Squadron from December, 1970 to December, 1971 and worked as a desk clerk at Bachelor Officers Quarters.
The BX burning in Gunfighter Village, Photo by Bob Schultz, sent by Lester Barnard.
Another view of the BX burning in Gunfighter Village, Photo by Bob Schultz, sent by Lester Barnard.
Flightline of Air America (CIA), Photo by Bob Schultz, sent by Lester Barnard.
AT-37 aircraft used by the VNAF, Photo by Bob Schultz, sent by Lester Barnard.
Bob Schultz standing in a rocket crater, Photo by Bob Schultz, sent by Lester Barnard.
Miss Lati Hua, a secretary in the billeting office in the Main Compound. Trailers in background are Officers Quarters. The black smoke in the upper right corner is from a rocket atack. Lati was hurring to the billeting office. Photo by Lester Barnard.
Les clowning around in his hooch. He sewed on Sergeant soon after.
This is a fake outhouse located in the corner of the Marine Compound where the road crossed over to Dogpatch on the way to Freedom Hill. Les' hooch was located to the right after he moved in after the Marines left.
This next group of photos was sent by Gary Ganskow who was assigned to the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS), from February, 1969 to February, 1970, as a maintenance crew chief on OV-10 aircraft.
Freedom Hill Exchange on Monkey Mountain after a rocket attack.
More damage to the Freedom Hill Exchange on Monkey Mountain.
Freedom Hill - Keep Off The Grass.
Freedom Hill - more rocket damage, rocket crater in foreground.
Freedom Hill-damage everywhere.
Freedom Hill-more damage, say mayby this is why DaNang AB earned the nickname "Rocket City". Think so?
Main Exchange at main entrance to DaNang AB. We'd loose this area to the VC almost every Friday and we'd take it back by dark.
Gary taxying from fuel cell to the tie down area after a flight.
Gary had just removed all safety lanyards, also known as "Remove Before Flight" streamers, from rocket pods so the 0-2 aircraft could takeoff.
Part of the Navy yard at DaNang. You may have passed this area on the way to China Beach from the main gate by the main BX.
0-2 revetment "Charlie 8" with aircraft tail number 21838.
A1/c Torians aircraft, 21351.
Aircraft launch and recovery area.
Open fire Zone, rear perimeter. Snoopy Compound.
Perimeter of DaNang, rear area of 20th TASS - Snoopy Compound.
A1/c Robert Gustofson parking his aircraft, an OV-10.
A1/c Freeman at Garys aircraft 21395.
A1/c Nieto finally got a day off.
Getting ready for a night mission.
Night Mission.
Gary and A1/c Bramble in the background.
20th TASS maintenance hut.
Gary cleaning the rear engine cowling after a perfect flight.
Sgt Patterson, Gary, A1/c Torian.
Sgt. Patterson and Gary at bunker #3 in the AGL area.
A1/c Leatherman defueling Torians aircraft before taking it to the fuelcell area.
I owe a couple people my sincerest apology. About the time I was having trouble trying to figure out why so many of my pictures had vanished, two people sent me a couple groups of photos. When I downloaded them, they got loaded to my Eudora Attach file. I happened, at about the same time, to dump my Eudora trash file. So while I kept the photos, I didn't save the name of the individuals who sent them. I am going to put them in my homepage, since that's why they were sent to me, and put as a caption, the caption that was saved in the Eudora file. If anyone recognises them as their photos, PLEASE let me know who you are and what the correct captions should be. Again, my sincerest apologies.
I saw several of the first group of photos in Dan Bachs great homepage and discovered that they are from Jimmy Grant, who was with the Caribous from '68 to '69.
Regretfully, I don't have any captions for these photos.
Some of you might remember this item. It's a drink stirrer from the Airmens Club. I promise, I am not inferring anything by putting a drink stirrer as the first "photo" of this group.
I am including these two photos of, what I guess is Jimmy's truck, because the art is beautiful and it's about VietNam.
I still have no idea who sent this group of photos.
danang1B
danang1C
danang1D
danang2A
danang2B
danang2C
danang2D
This is the one group of "Mystery" photos that remains a mystery. Again, if you recognise them as yours, PLEASE let me know and again I apologize for loosing your names.
Regretfully, I was only able to have one Guest Book for
the three of my homepages. Therefore, I must ask you
to Click to my Family Homepage to sign the Guest Book
there. Sorry, their rules, not mine.
Click Here For Pauls Family Homepage.
Click Here For My Rear Bumpersticker Homepage.
