17 3 DEPLOYMENT COMPLETION. REPORT AUG 1966 - APR 1967. ',/ I U.S. NAVAL. MOBILE CONSTR.UCT-ION BATTALION. NINE
Fr om: To: Subj: U. S. NAVAL MOBILE CONSTRUCTION BATTALION NINE Fleet Post Office San Francisco, California 96601 03:cd 12. 7 9 () 3 j\ll ts'ol Commanding Officer, U. S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion NINE Connnander, U. S. Naval Construction Battalions, Paci fic NMCB NINE Deployment Completion Report Ref: (a) (b) COMCBPAC INST. lc COMCBPAC OPORD 10-66 Encl: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) Administrative Summary Equipment Summary Training Summary Labor Distribution Sunnnary Construction Operations Sunnnary Construction Item Summary Fiscal Summary Air Supported Detached Unit Construction Happy Valley Quarry and Crusher Site Bridge Construction Anuni Pontoon Installation Photographs of Major Construction Projects 1. This r eport, covering NMCB NINE's 1966-67 deployment to the Republic of Vietnam, is submitted in accordance with reference (a). 2, EMPLOYMENT STATUS. In accordance with reference (b), U. S. Naval Mobile Construct i on Battal ion NINE was deployed to Camp Haskins, Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, from August 1966 to April 1967. The primary mission of the unit was construction in support of U. S. Military and other Free World Forces, under the operational control of the THIRTIETH Naval Construction Regiment. Units were employed at 'other locations as fol lows: a. Seabee Team 0908: Employed at Thoai Son, Republic of Vietnam (Map series 17014, SH6041 I; coord. 296343), in accordance with COMCBPAC OPORD 7-66 from April 1966 to December 1966, to perform construction in support of the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID). b. Seabee Team 0909: Employed at Chiang Kham, Thailand (Map series 1708, SH5069 I; coord. 369594), in accordance with COMCBPAC OPORD 18-66 from November 1966 to May 1967 to perform construction in support of the U. S. Overseas Mission (USOM). c. Seabee Team 0910: In t raining at the 31ST Naval Construction Regiment f r om January 1967 to May 1967.
d. Seabee Team 0911: In training at the 31ST Naval Construction Regiment beginning March 1967. e. Detail in the Mekong Delta (Map series Sl306, SH2; coord. 604 :14): 26 men and 1 officer employed at Dong Tam, Republic of Vietnam, from '.O JAN 1967 to 18 FEB 1967 to construct a contonment area for U. S. naval fa :.ces. f. Detail at Ba To (Map series 1704, SH6755 III; coord. 567342): 62 men and 1 officer employed at Ba To, Republic of Vietnam, from 25 AUG 196 > to 7 NOV 1966 to construct a Special Forces camp and an airstrip with C-.23 capability. g. Detail at Thuong Due (Map series 1701, SH6558 I; coord. 14253._): 18 men and 1 officer employed at Thuong Due, Republic of Vietnam, fro 1 29 AUG 1966 to 1 NOV 1966 to construct a Special Forces camp. h. Detail at Minh Long (Map series L701, SH6756 III; coord. 495 '62): 42 men and 1 officer employed at Minh Long, Republic of Vietnam, from 31 AUG 1966 to 5 DEC 1966 to construct a Special Forces camp; 19 men from 12 FEB 1967 to 26 MAR 1967 to co.nstruct an airstrip with C-123 capability. i. Detail at Hue-PhG Bai (Map series L701, SH6560 III; coord. 898: 22): 27 men and 1 officer employed at Hue-Phu Bai, Republic of Vietnam, frc m 31 OCT 1966 to 9 DEC 1966 to assist NMCB SEVEN in construct ion of liv: ng quarters for Marine units. j. Detail at Hill 55 (Map series 18020, SH6640 I V; coord. 970621: 43 men.and 1 officer employed at Hill 55, south of Da Nang, Republic of ' iet-iiam,. from-5 AUG 1966 to 15 MAR 1967 to construct and maintain roadways and to con- : struct a bridge. k. Detail at Quang Ngai (Map series L701, SH6756 II; coord. 6507'.: 1): 18 men employed at Quang Ngai, Republic of Vietnam, from 18 OCT 1966 t o 16 MAR 1967 to build facilities for USAID. 1. Detail at Dai Loe (Map series L8020, SH6640 IV; coord. 913588). 17 men and 1 officer employed at Dai Loe, Republic of Vietnam, from 22 FE B 196T to 10 APR 1967 to build a 400-foot bridge across the Ai Nghia River an d to construct five sniper towers along nearby roads. m. Detail at 2ND Battalion,. lst Marines (Map series L701, SH6659 coord. 605034): 14 men employed at 2ND Battalion, 1 ST Marines, seven south of Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, from 31 DEC 1966 to 11 FEB 1967 build a 500-man messhall and upgrade camp facilities. III; miles.to i 1 l. / 1 n. Detail at Rock Quarry: 58 men employed near Hill 327 two mile s from Da Nang (Map series L701, SH6659 III; coord. 978752), Republic of Viet nam, from 8 AUG 1966 to 12 FEB 1967; and 113 m~n and 1 officer employed at: Happy 2
Valley near Da Nang (Map series L701, SH6659 III; coord. 746942), from.10 FEB 1967 to 15 APR 1967 to quarry and crush rock for road and concrete work. 3. UNIT MOVEMENTS a. 22 JUN - 2 JUL 1966 -- NMCB NINE Advance Party, consisting of 110 personnel, deployed to Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, on four C- 118 aircraft from NAS Point Mugu, California. b. 1-4 AUG 1966 -- The NMCB NINE main body, consisting of 646 personnel, deployed to Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, on seven C-141 aircraft from NAS, Point.Mugu, California. c. 1 NOV 1966 - - Seabee Team 0909 completed training at the 31ST Naval Construction Regiment and deployed to Thailand," via C-130 aircraft. d..5 DEC 1966 -- Seabee Team 0910 departed the main body at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, via C- 118 aircraft for the 31ST Naval Construction Regiment to commence military and technical training. e. 3 FEB 1967 -- Seabee Team 0908 returned to the main body at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, via C-1 18 aircraft, from leave in the United States after completing a six- month deployment in Vietnam.. 14 and 25 MAR 1967 -- NMCB. NINE Advance Party, consisting of 30 personnel in two groups, returned to NAS, Point Mugu, California, on two C-'118 aircraft from Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam. g. 25 MAR 1967 - - Seabee Team 0911 departed the main body at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, via C-118 aircraft, for the 31ST Naval Construction Regiment to commence military and technical training. h." 11-16 APR 1967 -- The NMCB NINE main body, consisting of 716 personnel, returned to CONUS on ten C-141 aircraft. Seven flights terminated at NAS, Point Mugu, California, one flight at Charleston AFB, S.C., and two flights at McGuire AFB, N.J. 4. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 12 SEP 1966 -- The facility containing the two NMCB camps and the 30TH NCR Headquarters at Red Beach, Republic of Vietnam, was named Camp Haskins in memory of BUL2 Donald Dean HASKINS of NMCB NINE, who was killed in action on 28 October 1965 when Camp Adenir, Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, came under Viet Cong attack. 3
. 12 SEP 1966 ~- Rear Admiral Robert P. WOODING, CEC, USN, Commander, THIRD Naval Construction Brigade, toured the NMCB NINE camp. 28 OCT 1966 -- The Thuong Due Special Forces camp was completed on schedule. 1 NOV 1966 -- Admiral David L. McDONALD, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, toured Camp Haskins. 7 NOV 1966 -- Despite monsoon mud and Viet Cong harassment, the Ba To Special Forces.camp and C- 123 airstrip were completed ahead of schedule. 1 DEC 1966 -- Major General H. NICKERSON, Jr., USMC, officially opened the NMCB NINE-constructed CB 60 510-foot timber bridge across the flood swollen Ai Nghia River south of Hill 55. 2 DEC 1966 - - A' change of command ceremony was held on board Camp Haskins, Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, at which Commander Daniel N. SHOCKEY, CEC, USN, relieved Cornmander Richard E. ANDERSON, CEC, USN, as Commanding Officer of U. S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion NINE. 5 DEC 1966 -- The Minh Long Special Forces camp was completed. Construction proceeded on schedule despite crippling monsoon rains. 9 DEC 1966 -- Work was completed at Phu Bai. The detachment, in support of NMCB SEVEN, built 113 huts in a 15-day period and remained to do other work for MAG-16 and "A" Medical Battalion. 22 DEC 1966 -- Rear Admiral Paul E. SEUFER, CEC, USN, Commander, THIRD Naval Constructi on Brigade, toured the NMCB NINE camp and near.by construction projects. 28 JAN 1967 - - Rear Admiral A. C. HUSBAND, CEC, USN, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and Chief of Civil Engineers, visited Camp Haskins. 15 FEB 1967 -- Rock was crushed at the Happy Valley quarry site, initiating production at the extensive project. 18 FEB 1967 -- One officer and 26 men returned to Camp Haskins from the Mekong Delta project. In two weeks a 250-man cantonment was constructed and several Ammi Pontoons were installed for U. S. naval forces there. 4
I 12 MAR 1967 -- Work on the road south of Da Nang and at Hill SS was turned over to NMCB FOUR as directed by the 30TH Naval Construction Regiment, to free personnel to concentrate on the major quarry development at Happy Valley. 17 MAR 1967 NMCB ONE's Advance Party arrived at Camp Haskins. 20 MAR 1967 Twenty men returned to Camp Haskins after 5~-months at Quang Ngai, Republic of Vietnam. A medical warehouse and two hospital burn wards were turned over to the Quang Ngai Province Chief. Other work was completed and turned over to the U; S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 20 MAR 1967 A storage complex of 12 rigid frame 40' x 96' buildings and an open storage area were completed and turned over to the lst Marine Division. 2S MAR 1967 -- Rear Admiral N. G. WARD, USN, Conunander, Naval Forces Vietnam, visited NMCB NINE's Happy Valley quarry site. 27 MAR 1967 29 MAR 1967 The 2100- foot Minh Long airstrip was completed. Rear Admiral W. M. HEAMAN, CEC, USN, Commander, Construction Batt alions, Pacific, artd Rear Admiral Paul E. SEUFER, CEC, USN, Commander, THIRD Naval Construction Brigade, visited the NMCB NINE camp and the Happy Valley quarry site. 5. MAJOR PROBLEMS a. A lack of workable vertical const ruct ion backlog (defined as work not held up by design changes or lack of materials, equipment, site access, etc.) prevented the battalion from achieving maximum efficiency between November 1966 and late January 1967. See enclosure (S) for amplification. b. Although not considered major in effect on unit performance, other areas of concern are discussed in the enclosures to this letter. 6. Enclosures (1) through (7) and (12) provide summary data and a historical record of NMCB NINE's second deployment to the Republic of Vietnam. Enclosures (8) through (11) discuss relatively unique operations performed by the battalion and are offered for information and guidance to battalions that may be engaged in siroilar operation future. Copy to: (See reverse side) 5