THE HISTORY OF THE USMC AT AN HOA PART ONE 1966-67

By

Alan Waugh

I have spent the last five years researching the history of An Hoa combat base and its surrounding area of operation. Using Marine Corps After-Action reports and command chronologies I have written the only compete history of this Combat Base. I furthermore had the input of Marine Veterans who served in the An Hoa TAOR which included the coal mines at Nong Son which is a place many knew as ‘Antenna Valley’.  My contributors range from Colonels to Grunts and the stories they have provided for my Scuttle Butt Section (Scuttle Butt is Marine term for gossip) have been varied.  Some of the subjects covered have been the art of C-Ration cooking, the M-14 and the change to the M-16 and the loss of good friends due to action.

I had great fortune to be tracked down by Le Thuc Can who was the Vietnamese director of the An Hoa industrial complex.  The complex was the reason why the USMC had come into the An Hoa Basin.  I have also been indebted to George D Navadel Col USMC Retired who acted as my military advisor checking my work to ensure it was put over correctly. George was also a Company Commander of I/3/9 and had served in the An Hoa basin in 1966.  The project has also had input from Dale Dye who you all know through his work as a military advisor to Hollywood. Dale’s work includes Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Platoon and many more block-busting movies. Dale had been a combat correspondent with the USMC and visited An Hoa many times during his tour in Vietnam.

But without the help of many ordinary Marines who did their duty and returned to America, this history would not have been complete. Many have joined the An Hoa Project to give stories and accounts of their time in the hot rice fields and jungles of Quang Nam province.  Several climbed on chairs and from the top of their wardrobes brought down an old shoe box full of faded photos of their tour in what they would call ‘The Nam’. They searched their memories and wrote down their reflections of a time when they were young over forty years ago.  For many it has been a cathartic experience as they face their ghosts of lost comrades and past combat. For me this has been the most rewarding part of the project.

The History of the USMC at An Hoa is a multi-media CD-ROM which contains 282 pages of the day-to-day life of Marines in Vietnam. There are 231 photos, the majority of which have never been seen before as they have come from the Marines’ own private collections.  Four short movies are included on the CD, one of which is rare footage of An Hoa taken by Bill Gavin who served with Golf/2/5 in 1967. The reminder of loss is also on the CD as I list every Marine killed in action in Quang Nam for the years 1966-67 on a searchable database. In some cases there are photos of the fallen to accompany names. A name with a face is a stark reminder that he is someone’s loved one. All of them had hopes, dreams and fears.  And it is for both the living and the dead that this project is dedicated.

To see a preview or to order the An Hoa history CD log on to my website on http://www.graphicbikeart.com/vietnam2.htm

 or email me for details of the project  alan@graphicbikeart.com

An Hoa from 1966 to 1971 which will cover three CDs

THE HISTORY OF THE USMC AT AN HOA IS AVAILABLE AS A MULTI- MEDIA CD-ROM OR E-BOOK FORMAT.  THE CD CONTAINS 231 PHOTOS, 20 MAPS,  282 PAGES OF TEXT GIVING THE HISTORY OF THE U.S. MARINES  IN THE AN HOA AREA OF OPERATIONS.  THIS HISTORY IS AN IN-DEPTH ACCOUNT OF MARINE OPERATIONS IN THE AN HOA AREA OF OPERATIONS.  USING AFTER ACTION REPORTS AND COMMAND CHRONOLOGIES THE HISTORY BUILDS A PICTURE OF THE MARINES WAR IN VIETNAM .  

IT ALSO CONTAINS ACCOUNTS FROM  MARINES WHO SERVED IN THE SHIMMERING RICE FIELDS OF  QUANG NAM PROVINCE.  THEIR RANKS RANGE FROM COLONEL TO GRUNT AND THEY COVER MANY ASPECTS OF THE WAR IN VIETNAM. DALE DYE MILITARY ADVISOR TO  HOLLYWOOD  HAS GIVEN HIS ACCOUNT OF HIS TIME AT AN HOA WHEN HE WAS A  MARINE COMBAT CORRESPONDENT .  I  FURTHERMORE HAD THE INPUT OF MARINE VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE AN HOA TAOR WHICH  INCLUDED THE COAL MINES AT NONG SON WHICH IS A PLACE MANY KNEW AS 'ANTENNA VALLEY' .  MY CONTRIBUTORS  HAVE GIVEN VARIED STORIES  FOR MY SCUTTLE BUTT SECTION.   I HAVE ALSO BEEN INDEBTED TO GEORGE D NAVADEL COL USMC RETIRED WHO ACTED AS MY MILITARY ADVISOR CHECKING MY WORK TO ENSURE IT WAS PUT OVER CORRECTLY.  GEORGE WAS ALSO COMPANY COMMANDER OF I/3/9 AND HAD SERVED IN THE AN HOA BASIN IN 1966. 

Marines left and destroyed An Hoa in 1970

I just had a request from a guy who is a friend of India 3/9. George Navadel, Jim Clark, and Jack Riley and myself helped this guy write a history of a place the company was at in Vietnam, the name of the place is called An Hoa (pronounced as Ann Whoa). This guys name is Alan Waugh, Alan is from all places England...don't worry he is legit, Jim Clark spent a few days with him in England. Alan is very pro USMC, USA etc...a good guy. Anyway he is writing this book about An Hoa from 1966 to 1969. (the Marines left and destroyed An Hoa in 1969). India 3/9 was the first unit there in about June 1966. Alan has finished the first book "The History Of The USMC At An Hoa Part One 1966-1967". That is when 3/9 was there, we left there in Dec 1966. He has put this book in CD ROM form. He wants to put something on your website about it.....maybe the "Old Salts" section. I had about 30 little ads on the round table in the hospitality room, the guys seemed interested and grabbed them up. Anyway you might consider it, the guys in my era would be interested. I told him to e-mail you about it, but here is his e-mail address: alan@graphicbikeart.com Thanks.........later.....Jim/Burgie

Thank you very much Rock. I have a copy of his book/CD, he did a great job and a great justice to us who were there in our youth........Burgie