Lai Khê

11°11′42″N 106°37′01″E / 11.195°N 106.617°E / 11.195; 106.617 (Lai Khê Base Camp)TypeArmy BaseSite historyIn use1960-1975Battles/wars

Vietnam WarGarrison informationOccupantsARVN 5th Division
US 1st Infantry Division

Airport

Lai Khê Airfield
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary

Lai Khê (Lai Khê hamlet, Lai Hưng commune, Bến Cát, Bình Dương Province) (also known as Lai Khê Base) was a former Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. Army base, located along Highway 13 to the northwest of Saigon and about 20 km north of Thủ Dầu Một in southern Vietnam.

History

During the Vietnam War Lai Khê was a garrison town as the ARVN 5th Division was based there for most of the 1960s/70s.^[1]

Lai Khê was also the Headquarters for the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division from October 1967 until January 1970.

Other U.S. Army units based at Lai Khê included:

121st Signal Battalion (1965-1970)
2nd Surgical Hospital (1968-March 1970)^[2]^: 213
2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry (April–December 1969)^[2]^: 126
5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry (April–December 1969)^[2]^: 128
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (February 1969)^[2]^: 130
6th Battalion, 15th Artillery (May 1967-July 1968)^[2]^: 99
18th Surgical Hospital (December 1967-February 1968)^[2]^: 215
2nd Battalion, 33rd Artillery (July 1967-April 1970)^[2]^: 104
173rd Assault Helicopter Company (1966 - March 1972)^[2]^: 122
554th Engineer Battalion (October 1969 – 1971) ^[2]^: 174
337th Radio Research Company, 303rd Radio Research Battalion, 509th Radio Research Group (ASA)
4th Platoon of the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) [AKA "Dustoff"] (June 1966 - February 1969)
1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry
- Bravo Troop^[3]^: 67
- Echo Troop - formed here on September 1, 1970^[3]^: 141

On 28 July 1971 a PAVN/VC sapper attack on the base destroyed four U.S. helicopters and damaged a fifth.^[4]

Most of the base has been turned over to housing and farmland while part of the base remains in use by the People's Army of Vietnam.

^ Tucker, Spencer (2000). Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. ABC-CLIO. pp. 526–33. ISBN 9781851099610.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 74. ISBN 9780811700719.
^ ^a ^b Zahn, R (2003). Snake Pilot. Brassey's Inc. ISBN 1-57488-565-0.
^ "Enemy blows up 4 U.S. helicopters". The New York Times. 28 July 1971. p. 4.