Bearcat Base

Bearcat Base (Long Thanh North Airfield)
Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai province in Vietnam
Bearcat Base, 26 September 1967
Bearcat Base Shown within Vietnam
Coordinates	10.835°N 106.96°E / 10.835; 106.96
Site information
Operator	Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) United States Army (U.S. Army)
Condition	Abandoned
Site history
Built	1960 (1960)
In use	1960-1972 (1972)
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Garrison information
Garrison	9th Infantry Division Royal Thai Volunteer Regiment Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division
Airfield information
Elevation	140 feet (43 m) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 05/23 5,000 feet (1,524 m) Asphalt

Bearcat Base (also known as Bearcat, Camp Martin, Camp Cox or Long Thanh North) is a former U.S. Army base near the city of Biên Hòa in Đồng Nai province in southern Vietnam.

History

Long Thanh helicopters, 27 January 1967

Bearcat was originally a French airfield, later used by the Japanese during World War II. Early in the Vietnam War, the 1st Special Forces established a base there. It was later the base camp for the 9th Infantry Division from January 1967 until the division moved to Đồng Tâm Base Camp near Mỹ Tho in late 1967. The camp was located on Route 15, 16 km southeast of Biên Hòa.[1] The camp took its name from its Special Forces radio call sign.[2][3] Other U.S. units stationed at Bearcat included:

• 7th Battalion, 8th Artillery (June–October 1967)[3]: 98 
• 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery (November 1966–August 1969)[3]: 98 
• 1st Battalion, 11th Artillery (January 1967–1968)[3]: 98 
• 5th Battalion, 42nd Artillery (1968)[3]: 105 
• 1st Battalion, 84th Artillery (February 1967–1968)[3]: 107 

• 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division comprising:
  • 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry (June 1967, February 1970)[3]: 142 
  • 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry (January–February 1970)[3]: 143 
  • 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry (January 1970)[3]: 143 
  • 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry (January–February 1970)[3]: 143 
• 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division comprising:
  • 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry (October–November 1966)[3]: 140 
  • 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (October–November 1966)[3]: 145 
• 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry (March–July 1968)[3]: 150 1

Bearcat also served as the base for the Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division forces from 1968.[2][4]

Long Thanh North Airfield

Long Thanh Army Airfield, July 1967

Aviation paragraph.

• 210th Aviation Battalion (January 1968-August 1971)[3]: 117 
  • 25th Aviation Company (February 1968-July 1971)[3]: 117 
  • 54th Aviation Company (January 1968-March 1971)[3]: 117 
  • 73rd Aviation Company (January 1968-May 1970)[3]: 117 
  • 74th Aviation Company (January 1968-July 1971)[3]: 117 
  • 120th Aviation Company (January 1968-April 1969)[3]: 117 
  • 125th Aviation Company (January 1968-March 1968)[3]: 117 
  • 184th Aviation Company (January 1968-July 1971)[3]: 117 
• 214th Aviation Battalion (January 1967-November 1968)[3]: 117 
  • 191st Assault Helicopter Company (May 1967-late 1968 when it moved to Dong Tam to support the 9th Infantry)[3]: 117 
  • 200th Aviation Company (March 1967–July 1968)[3]: 117, 122 
  • 240th Aviation Company (May 1967–December 1971)[3]: 117, 122 
• 135th Aviation Company (January-unknown 1968)
• 244th Aviation Company (August–December 1971)[3]: 122 
• 56th Transportation Company, 765th Transportation Battalion

ARVN use

In 1972 the Army of the Republic of Vietnam infantry school and armor school began moving to Bearcat Base from Thủ Đức.[5]

Current use

The base was abandoned and turned over to farmland although the Long Thanh North airfield is clearly visible on satellite images.

References

1. See map on: http://720mpreunion.org/history/project_vietnam/212th/detachments/Long_Thanh/long-thanh-north.html accessed October 16, 2018
2. Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-1555716257.
3. Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 77. ISBN 9780811700719.
4. Ruth, Richard A (2011). In Buddha's Company: Thai Soldiers in the Vietnam War. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3489-0. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
5. "United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam 1972-1973 Command History Annex C" (PDF). United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 15 July 1973. p. C-44. Retrieved 10 September 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.