ASP 1
CampMonahan
Danang, S. Viet Nam
April 27, 1969
I was in the ammo dump on that Sunday morning in April when it all began. Out by the road at the far end of the dump by the “grade 3” area some Vietnamese were burning trash. A 5 year old kid supposedly lit a piece of paper on fire and stuck it under the fence and started a field of dry grass burning which eventually reached a pallet of 105 WP (white phosphorous or “willy peter”) rounds.
I, and 3 other marines, (I think one of them was named Sanders or Sandman) tried to beat the fire out with our shirts and the firefighting tools in the area. These firefighting tools consisted of an 8 ft. 2×4 with a rubber mudflap attached to the end.
This old Gunnery Sgt from South Dakota (I can’t remember his name) yelled from a distance to “get the hell out of there” because it was going to blow. We started running and sure enough it went up. The rest, as they say, is history.
When we got to the main operations office in the dump it was really starting to spread. One of our truck drivers, Tom Robertson from NJ, told us to get in the back and he drove us to the gate at the other end of the dump (which happened to be closed). He said to “hang on” and he crashed through the chain link gate.
Back in the compound there was pandemonium. Everyone was scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. I, Stan (Buck) Owens and a guy named Hart (I think) were running down the dirt road. I believe we jumped on the back of a tank that was going by. When it got to the hill on the other side of the rice paddy we jumped off. We were at the entrance to a communications compound which had already evacuated. We had a fantastic view of the destruction taking place but it soon got out of control.
By now the Air Force bomb dump and bulk fuel area were also blowing up. 1,000 pound bombs were flying through the air and skimming along the ground like little toys. Some were too close for comfort so we went into the communications compound where there were some pretty good in-ground sandbagged bunkers.
The compound was deserted except for us three. Some of the explosions were so big that the 4×4 beams across the top of the bunkers were starting to collapse and sand was falling in. We would take turns watching the dump from the opening in the bunker while the other two huddled in the corner.
At one point, the dynamite mag went up. The day before, my crew unloaded semi after semi of pallets of dynamite (250,000 one pound sticks). This looked like an atomic bomb explosion. You could see the shock waves coming through the air. When it reached our bunker the concussion was unbelievable. Hart was starting to freak out. We had to leave that bunker and run to another one about 30 or 40 yards away. Hart didn’t want to go but we dragged him out and told him to run for his life. All kinds of debris was falling from the sky and the dump was going “full bore”! All the smoke and dust made the daylight seem like night time. The air was moist with a stench of fuel, chemicals and gunpowder.
We spent the entire day till about dusk running from bunker to bunker. We had one M16 with us and wondered if the VC would try to take this compound during the night. Then all of a sudden we heard trucks and dogs barking. To our relief it was the entire rest of our company.
They had all gathered early in the day and ran down the road a few miles and laid low till dusk. They decided they had to find shelter for the night and ended up in the communications compound. Were we ever glad to see them! We spent the night and most of the next two days hunkered down while the ammo dump “did its thing”!
When it finally started to die down they gave each of us a piece of paper, an envelope and a pencil and told us to write home and let someone know that we were OK. I guess this event made national news and loved ones would be concerned.
In the aftermath, SSgt Vanmeter received a medal for bravery when he drove a jeep out to the dump in the midst of the destruction and rescued SSgt Fulton from the underground bunker there.
Clean up of the dump began immediately. I was in the first wave of guys sent to walk the road (or what was left of it) looking for any live rounds of ammo. We had a couple EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) guys with us. About 2 weeks later I was transferred to ASP 2 and spent the rest of my tour there.
The day the ammo dump blew up I had been in country a little shy of 10 months of my 13 month tour.
Well, that’s my account of that fateful day in history. I did read an official account of that day in some publication. It said that some of the explosions had blown the metal doors off a concrete foundation at 3rd MAF headquarters which was 15 miles away.
I hope this helps. Just writing about it brought back the memories. I’ve never done this till now. What a rush!
Bill Letendre
Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps
Bradenton, FL
(Born and raised in Massachusetts)
I was a corporal USMC. Most of the time I was stationed at the Ordnance Depot (Bomb Depot) outside of the DaNang airbase in 1965-1966. We had some close calls, but were fortunate to not have the big blast. SEMPER FI.
Watched it from 1st Engr Bn, by Marble Mountain.
Hey Sgt, good to see someone from the 1st Eng. Batt 1st Mar Div in my time frame. Was a Corpsman with Bravo company in An Hoa, doing road sweeps daily, then Alpha Co on a Land clear outside of Hill 55 when I hit a Booby trap 04/25/69 and was medevaced to the USS Repose which was sitting in the harbor during the big blow, so I missed it, except for the distant booms and occasional shock wave which was minimal. Only spent my first week in country at Camp Faulkner in early March when we were still hitting the lines every night and watching 122 mms fly over head in to Mag 16 . In any case Sgt. Welcome home and Thank you for your service. Doc Paul HM3/USN/Ret
E 4, 65-66 at the dump.
I was a Corpsman with 3/5 in 1967. being a FNG on a patrol outside of Danang we came under intense VC fire. rifle, m79, rocket, mortar’s. this went on for an extended period of time. I was in a bomb crater with 3 other marines . Hugging the ground with every inch of my being under my helmet. Glanced to my side and saw a marine (don’t remember his name calmly making a can of c-ration coffee ) I think of this almost every single day. It calms me when I feel stressed.
DOC MIKE
Do you remember a Kevin Reilly weapons platoon with Lima 3/5?
I was south of Danang with 3rd battalion 1st Marines 81 Motar Platoon We watched it sitting on bunkers you could see the heat waves coming off the explosives We heard the gooks had hit the ammo dump Never forget it
I was up at Dong Ha in 1966/1967 with A Co. 3rd Shore Party Bn. There was only a small portion of an old rice paddy between us and the big ammo dump. Many a night we would get shelled by NVA artillery. They would start at the air strip and walk their artillery right on across our LZ. One night, rockets along with the shells landed in the old rice paddy. They seemed to be getting a little closer to the ammo dump each time. Fortunately, I rotated home on August 14, 1967. A good buddy of mine, who didn’t rotate until that next January, later told me that on September 28,1967 the NVA’s artillery finally hit the ammo dump. Only one man in Shore Party was KIA during the attack. They were in the bunkers over night and the next day due to ammo from the ammo dump landing and exploding in the Shore Party compound. They finally had to abandon the bunkers because the sandbags caught on fire. Trucks from the Engineer Bn came and rescued them. When it was all over the entire A Co. and C Company’s joint compound was destroyed. However,they did rebuild and the ammo dump was relocated to Quang Tri where it would be harder to reach by NVA artillery…….Bob, Cpl., Vietnam 1966/1967
There was still an ammo dump at Dong Ha , it was blown again in June or July 1968 , can’t remember exact date .
Earl…Sorry for the misinformation. Maybe he meant that there was another, smaller ammo dump built at Quang Tri temporarily. Also the news account was incorrect about the date the ammo dump was hit. Instead of being hit on August 28, 1967 it was hit five days later on September 3rd 1967. The Marine KIA happened on August 28, 1967 when he was in his tent sleeping in after standing last watch when a mortar round hit his tent. The other Marines had all gone to the mess tent for breakfast that morning. After almost 53 years I guess our memories are getting a little foggy…Bob 1381
I was with C Co 1st Bn 9th Mar and was on the USS Sanctuary when the ammo dump went up it was something to see. The bombs were dropping in the bay close to the ship so they turned and headed back to Quang Tri and Charlie med
When were you with 1/9 ?
I was with MWHG-! that day. We had done a sweep of the Dog Patch working with the ARVN and 1st MP Battalion and we had gotten back to the old French Compound along Route 1 nest to the 44th ARVN FA Bn. Most of us turned in and shortly after it seemed the ground started shaking and a couple of dudes said the ammo dump was blowing up. we didn’t know what happened, Some said Charlie had blown the ammo dump. I remember Vietnamese running down the highway saying VC coming. We were turned out and began manning the bunkers on the perimeter. My post was down by the LZ near MAG-11 compound. The noise and smoke ubleivable! The Air Force bomb dump began to blow. My most vivid memory of that day was nightfall. I had been sent to fill canteens with another Marine can’t remember his name now, but as we were returning the most fantastic red glow and concussion ring and the exploded like a volcano and we were smashed to the PSP and bounced along the ground until we ended up close to our destination. The other gus said we looked like tumbleweeds
I was their also with 1st MAW right beside Dog-Patch. Watching those 1000 bombs going off for thirty six hours. Stayed in our bunkers the whole time. Watching roof tops leveled and buildings the chow hall leveled in our area also. Only 1/2 mile away from the bomb dump area, you could see mushroom clouds and loud explosions and was waiting for charlie to arrive. It completely leveled hill 317 Freedom Hill right near Dog Patch and they asked for volunteers to help clean up after and Their were a few of us Marines that did not hesitate and help them on the hill. Was with MWHG-1 also from May 68 to June 69.
I was with Alpha Company, 2nd MP Battalion during that fire. I watched a duce and a half being sucked up into the mushroom cloud only to appear moments later, coming down in pieces. We were rained on by unburnt gunpowder and all kinds of shrapnel. Quite a show. I heard we lost a forty day supply of ordinance that day.
A good friend of mine was CO of the Support Battalion that had the responsibility for that dump. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased when it went up. Another friend was flying a F-4 over Da Nang on the way back from a strike up north. He said that some of the explosions really knocked his plane around. A few weeks later, I showed up at Freedom Hill for a R&R and noticed that all the buildings were new. Talk about urban renewal.
I was a Seebee with Area work center 6 1st Mar Div we were just up the road when it went up.
I do remember the ammo dump in Dong Ha blowing up. Thought it was a little later cause I’d just gotten to 3rd Recon Bn. in Quang Tri on June 30th 1968. Anyway 3rd Force Recon was in Dong Ha & had a very cool repelling tower we used often & an actual EM club ! After the dump blew up they were forced to move to Quang Tri, adjoining our compound. But no more repelling tower or bar to go to dammit-
I was with A Btry, 1stBn, 11th Marines south of Hill 55. When that mushroom cloud appeared and the shock waves hit, it was just OMG they dropped the bomb. We found out later what had actually happened. It was just another “fun” day in Nam.
SSgt Douglas Barron
1968-1978
SSGT Barron: I was with Alpha 1/11 from 1963 to 65, when they deployed to Vietnam via Okinawa. Prior to VN, the 11th Marines were at 16 Area of CamPen (above the Rodeo Grounds) and later moved to Las Pulgas.
I was thereat the MAG 11 ammo dump across Highway 1 next to FLC tank repair, they loaded us on 6bys and we went across the base that afternoon. I was sure that it was only one day until I saw a Viet Nam war history book at the local Vet Center about 10 or 12 years ago, when they allowed us to return to aur hootches I found that a nose plug from a 2000 lb bomb had gone through my bunk just below the 6 inch fold, I had 2 weeks left in country.
I was on Hill 34 with 7th com .
We had just got back from a run up north.
that night we where going to have some entertainment If I remember a band with dancing girls ( not any big names] when it started it rock the Hill For I think two days it was for sure intense.
Bo Sumer
7th com
68-71 USMC
I was there with the 1st Tanks right across the road from the 7th Comm, this was my first of 3 tours. We could see the ammo dump & were laughing about “what if’s” when the first big bomb went off. Yes I remember that huge concussion wave coming towards us & all the shrapnel & huge pieces coming down in our cantonment. We spent the next day and a half in the bunkers for protection, incredible concussions being as close as we were within maybe a hundred yards or so of the ammo dump. I still have numerous pictures of the shrapnel that rained down & collapsed our EM club & area. If I remember right they sent a couple unloaded tanks, empty except for a driver into the dump to get a couple guys out of there.
Stressful couple of days for sure.
Hey Mike, I recently read that the Marine Corps is deactivating all Tank Battalions! No more tanks! That sucks! Read it on The Military .com web site. Harry 1371
Watched it on ship ! My First Day in Vietnam .
Lcpl John Antolin
Saw dong ha go up they said 122mm rockets hit. The dump was down the road. At mag39 hms39 radio comm
I was a crewman on one of the two tanks that was sent to the ASP compound to rescue a bunch of Vietnamese mess hall workers, and a half dozen scout tracker dogs. We had to meander through the compound to get to where the dogs and workers were, and it was amazing how the force of the explosions just moved a fifty two ton tank around. We got everybody aboard, and then as quick as we could we exited the area, and everybody in and on the tank was greatly relieved. 1st Tank Bn.’s cantonment was pretty much wiped out I got the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation for that hairy adventure.
I was with 1st. amtracks , I just got back from r&r the week before it blew. still have a lot of pictures of it.
I got to Camp Monahan on July 12, 1970. Worked at ASP 1. As we were going through Ammo Tech. school in Quantico in 1969 we were shown films (no videos back then) of the dump blowing up. We were all amazed nobody died.
What turned out interesting about the big blowup was during my short time at ASP 1 we also had an incidence were we had a 1st. Lt. that want to do a controlled burn of the grass out side the fence line (across from the Air Force dump). Needless to say that me and a couple other guys were on the outside of the fence when the “controlled” fire suddenly engulfed a creosote soaked telephone pole, as we tried to beat down the flames with our mop handle, with a piece of conveyor belting on the end, it became evident that that pole was going up in flames. We had the fire truck there and luckily the crew was able to extinguish all the grass and the pole. I think that Lt. was sent back stateside after that.
JD. We served in Okinawa in 1971 at ASP 2 out of Camp Hague.
We were both released at Camp Pendleton June 23, 1972.
Corporal k settlements alpha 1/7 1st mar. Div. I vividly remember when the ammo dump blew we were on hill55 and it out the sky up to the north of the hill it’s good to hear others expieriances!
Danang 1967 MAG-11 Ammo dump went up , I thought we had been Nuked, John Enger and I were standing outside it sent us tumbling!!!
I wish I could hear more about ASP 1 on hill 327 65-67.
I was on my way back to the states from my 2and tour .left Mag 16 and went to Da Nang air field. Turned in my weapon and was to leave the next day. Thought we were being over run & I had no weapon. Last day in country only to killed on my way home. Scary.
I was with MAG 16 at Dong Ha when the infamous day “exploded.” I was on night watch in the Comm Ctr. I came off duty and hit the rack. It was a “rare” attack during the day and as soon as that first round landed I was in the bunker very fast. Their pattern was to shoot a few rounds for effect (get their aim adjusted). I knew there was a few seconds before they start lobbing in more rounds. As I just came to the entrance of the bunker to see if any one was wounded and get them back in the bunker for safety. That is when it happened. A 122 mm Russian made rocket (was determined after all settled down) exploded about 2-3 feet in front of me. I was 19 and my life flashed in front of me (at 19 years there wasn’t much). All I remember I was sailing in the air and hit the back side of the bunker. I think I was knock unconscious because when I finally got my brain back on line I was being bounced around like a ping pong ball from the shock waves of the secondary blasts from the ammo dump. Still did not realize what happened yet. I was just in my “skivies” so I lost track of time. It seemed like an eternity in the bunker by myself. Some where a gunnery sargent crawled into the bunker and asked if I was okay. I said I was and asked what happened. That is when he told me about the ammo dump and ordered me to stay put in the bunker because not only the bombs/rockets and small round ammunition was going off everywhere. I never felt so helpless then. Finally when we were allowed to come out of the bunkers, I saw the destruction. All our “tents” and other buildings were flattened. I was able to go and secure (find) my utility uniform and felt relieved it was all over. After that we were airlifted back to Marble Mountain (where our main unit was located) and had to be re-issued all of my gear and weapon that was “lost” in the wreckage.
Till this day I still have nightmares of that incident. The VA wasn’t much help back then. Just said I have PTSD (I guess I should be honored about that–sarcasm. It’s been a long time since and just reading what others witnessed/experienced makes me feel better knowing I was not alone. Now I have a date and time to fill in the blank spots. Semper Fi