Đà Nẵng Air Base: A Day at China Beach, by: Don Poss. 1965-1966

Vietnam
1965-1966: A Day at

© 1997 by, Don Poss, LM 37
23rd ABG/AP; 6252nd APS; 35th APS; 366th APS/SPS
APO for Đà Nàng Air Base was APO San Francisco, 96337
Telling it like it was!

P A G E S
Đà Nàng AB	Tent City	Huts	China Beach	Flight Lline / Posting
JBJ	DEROS		Sounds of DN	K-9 Growl Pad/Posting

China beach was more than just sand and surf... and in 1965-1966 it represented a moment of calm for battle weary soldiers.
A beach-day to look forward to... a place where the word Rocket was never associated with, as was Rocket City Đà Nàng Air Base

Đà Nàng Air Base, 6252d Combat Air Police, 366th SPS K-9 - March 1966

A day at China Beach, renown to Vietvets and made world famous by the television series, China Beach (1988-1991) that was nothing like I ever saw but one of my favorite series, stared the still very hot Dana Delany. China Beach is a world class beach, with miles of white sand, warm gentle waves, and where you can wade 200 yards out in waist-deep water. A Western vacation tropical paradise, it would have been, with cotton-ball clouds nestled against Monkey Mountain.

A day at China Beach with some of the Đà Nàng SPS guys... a little California Dreaming of home, American beauties, and the equally beautiful sandy beaches of Long Beach, California.

A Day at China Beach

1. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Crossing the Trinh Minh Bridge over the Han River, from Đà Nẵng Air Base to China Beach.
1. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Crossing the Trinh Minh Bridge over the Han River, from Đà Nàng Air Base to China Beach.

2. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Parallel bridge.
2. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Parallel bridge.

3. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Bicycles, Pedestrians merge with military and civilian vehicle traffic.
3. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Bicycles, Pedestrians merge with military and civilian vehicle traffic.

4. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: ARVN Bridge-Guard.
4. China Beach, Đà Nàng: ARVN Bridge-Guard.

5. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Scenic views abound on both sides of the road.
5. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Scenic views abound on both sides of the road.

6. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Marble Mountain, left-center, with sampan fishermen plying their trade.
6. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Marble Mountain, left-center, with sampan fishermen plying their trade.

7. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Tidal fishing nets at low tide.
7. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Tidal fishing nets at low tide.

8. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Tidal fishing nets at low tide.
8. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Tidal fishing nets at low tide.

9. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Sampans at anchor.
9. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Sampans at anchor.

10. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Fishermen mending nets.
10. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Fishermen mending nets.

11. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Rice Paddies.
11. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Rice Paddies.

12. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Rice Paddies.
12. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Rice Paddies.

13. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Marshland, bunkers and water buffalos.
13. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Marshland, bunkers and water buffalos.

14. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Sampans and shoreline Pagado (center).
14. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Sampans and shoreline Pagado (center).

15. Click photo to see full panorama photo.
15. Click photo to see full panorama photo.

16. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Pagoda closeup.
16. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Pagoda closeup.

17. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Fishermen.
17. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Fishermen.

18. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Fishermen closeup.
18. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Fishermen closeup.

19. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Rice fields and paddies, with Temple (center).
19. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Rice fields and paddies, with Temple (center).

20. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: After the war... I'm goona build me a hotel right there!

20. China Beach, Đà Nàng: After the war... I'm goona build me a hotel right there!

21. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Hey... WOMAN! a WOMAN!
21. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Hey... WOMAN! a WOMAN!
[Several years ago an army soldier emailed that he met this girl at China Beach and married her!]

22. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Look at those fools in the hot sun!
22. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Look at those fools in the hot sun!

23. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Hey... watch it!
23. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Hey... watch it!

24. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Look at'em... trying to drown each other! How stupid! I think I'll go out and join'em.
24. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Look at'em... trying to drown each other! How stupid!
I think I'll go out and join'em.

25. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Water fight! Left, Gary Knutson riding Gary Eberbach's shoulders.
25. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Water fight! Left, Gary Knutson riding Gary Eberbach's shoulders.

26. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Drown the suckers -- two Gary's for the price of one!
26. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Drown the suckers -- two Gary's for the price of one!

27. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.... (One red Lobster boiling in the sun!)
27. China Beach, Đà Nàng: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz....
(One red Lobster boiling in the sun!)

28. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: We won! Look at the losers trying to build a pyramid.
28. China Beach, Đà Nàng: We won! Look at the losers trying to build a pyramid.

29. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: No way they can claim victory.
29. China Beach, Đà Nàng: No way they can claim victory.

30. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: What a beach! (minus the AO trash cans)
30. China Beach, Đà Nàng: What a beach! (minus the AO trash cans)

31. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Hey... did you hear someone say -- WOMEN?
31. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Hey... did you hear someone say, WOMEN?

32. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Wading 200 yards off shore and still at waist-deep! Monkey Mountain in background.
32. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Wading 200 yards off shore and still at waist-deep!
Monkey Mountain in background.

33. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Just look at that view! Calm, warm waters, and the view!
33. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Just look at that view! Calm, warm waters, and the view!

China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Yeah. Tourist will pay Bazillions to see this. Just think... the USA's just over the horizon that-a-way.
34. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Yeah. Tourist will pay bazillions to see this. Just think...
the USA's just over the horizon that'a'way.

35. China Beach, Đà Nẵng:... and there she goes! Your face scared her off! -- Did not -- Did to -- Not -- To....
35. China Beach, Đà Nàng:... and there she goes! Your face scared her off!
Did not....
Did to....
Not...
To....

36. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: The road back to Đà Nẵng AB (Freedom Hill 327, center). I guess we'll have to pave the road to. I'm bored-- Yeah... me to. Let's go back to base.
36. China Beach, Đà Nàng: The road back to Đà Nàng AB (Freedom Hill 327, center).
I guess we'll have to pave the road to.
I'm bored...
Yeah... me to. Let's go back to base.

37. Click photo to see full panorama photo.

37. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Road back to Đà Nẵng AB, ARVN government compound.
38. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Road back to Đà Nàng AB, ARVN government compound.

38. China Beach, Đà Nẵng: Close up of ARVN gate guard.
39. China Beach, Đà Nàng: Close up of ARVN gate guard.