Vietnam
1965-1966
Đà Nẵng AB, Vietnam
 © 1997 by, Don Poss , LM 37
23rd ABG/AP; 6252nd APS; 35th APS; 366th APS/SPS
 APO for Da Nang Air Base was APO San Francisco, 96337
Telling it like it was!

POL Storage Access Control post. 1966.

Photo is a composite of three photos taken by Don Poss in Jan 1966. © 2013 by Don Poss.

Jan 25, 1966, A2C James Bruce Jones was assigned the POL Storage Access Control post. He had five hours to live. An Air Police QRT Jeep stops by to check on JB (photo: center, near post shelter). All is well, but the night is coming. The POL post is as safe Russian Roulette at Da Nang AB can be, in fact, JB's newly constructed hut is within 100 yards. Around 0200 hours, January 23, 1966, the quiet night was shattered by the first of a dozen 122 mm rockets to arc toward Da Nang Air Base. Mortars began krumping across the flight line, sounding much like a heavy oak doors slamming shut. Launched from between Marble Mountain and Da Nang, the mortars and rockets began thumping in the outerperimeter, skipped the flight line, and pockmarked the fields between the taxiway and only active runway. JB starts to cross the POL road toward a large sandbagged bunker. A 60mm mortar bursts in the road within feet of him (above photo: about nine feet to the left of where the jeep stopped).  He has more than 100 shrapnel wounds above the waist, but still lives until the QRT jeep races to his position. Dead, his body is transported on the jeep's hood to the AF dispensary med unit located about two blocks away.

US casualties were one KIA and six WIA, and SVN casualties were five KIA and 25 WIA. Days later, a VC POW was captured who participated n the stand-off attack.  JB was the second Air Policeman KIA in Vietnam. The list of dead AP/SP would continue growing to 111.

POL Storage
1. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: A2C James Bruce Jones (JB) read to go to post. 1966.
1. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Close up of A2C James Bruce Jones (JB) ready to go to post. 1966.
2. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: A2C James Bruce Jones (JB) read to go to post. 1966.
2. Da Nang AB, JBJ: A2C James Bruce Jones (JB) read to go to post. 1966.
3. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: POL Access Control AP observing post. 1966.
3. Da Nang AB, JBJ: POL Access Control AP observing post. 1966.
4. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: POL Road runs N/S and T-intersects with POL Service road that forms the south border of AP Tent City. 1966.
4. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  POL Road runs N/S and T-intersects with POL Service road that forms the south border of AP Tent City. 1966.
5. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Airman Charles McIlwain inspects damaged AF POL Pickup truck. Fragments riddled the driver's side. 1966.
5. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  Airman Charles McIlwain inspects damaged AF POL Pickup truck. Fragments riddled the driver's side. 1966.
6. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: POL Pickup Truck. 1966.
6. Da Nang AB, JBJ: POL Pickup Truck. 1966.
7. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Directly across the POL Road from the AP Post is the POL bunker and pump station. The day after the stand off mortar attack the road's crater is patched, the pickup truck replaced, and an AP is at the pump station. 1966.
7. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  Directly across the POL Road from the AP Post is the POL bunker and pump station. The day
after the stand off mortar attack the road's crater is patched, the pickup truck replaced, and an AP is at the pump station. 1966.
8. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Close up of Pump Station with patched mortar crater in foreground. 1966.. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Close up of Pump Station. 1966.
8. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Close up of Pump Station with patched mortar crater in foreground. 1966.
9. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Closer view of Pump Station with patched mortar crater in foreground. 1966.
9. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Closer view of Pump Station with patched mortar crater in foreground. 1966.
10. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: POL road's patched mortar crater within yards of POL AP post. 1966.
10. Da Nang AB, JBJ: POL road's patched mortar crater within yards of POL AP post. 1966.

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S11. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Satellite view as of 2013. POL Farm Tanks are directly North of AP Tent City. Note the red astrisk denoting lockation of mortar crater strike. 1966.N
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11. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Satellite view as of 2013. POL Farm Tanks are directly North of AP Tent City.
Note the red astrisk denoting lockation of mortar crater strike. 1966.

12. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: POL Road runs N/S passing the AP Tent City's West AP Access post. Across the street in the field is a growing boneyard of destroyed aircraft debris. 1966.
12. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  POL Road runs N/S passing the AP Tent City's West AP Access post.
Across the street in the field is a growing boneyard of destroyed aircraft debris. 1966.
13. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: March 1966, an AP Memorial Day Room, in memory of TSgt Terrance Jensen (KIA 1 July 1965) and A2C James Bruce Jones (KIA 25 Jan 1966).
13. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  March 1966, an AP Memorial Day Room, in memory of
TSgt Terrance Jensen (KIA 1 July 1965) and A2C James Bruce Jones (KIA 25 Jan 1966).

14. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: AP squadron members await start of dedication at Day Room entrance. 1966.
14. Da Nang AB, JBJ: AP squadron members await start of dedication at Day Room entrance. 1966.
15. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: K-9 Airmen wait dedication ceremony. 1966.
15. Da Nang AB, JBJ: K-9 Airmen wait dedication ceremony. 1966.
16. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: A2C Tom Baker (RIP, Agent Orange, 2007), tentmate of JB, sets quietly. 1966.
16. Da Nang AB, JBJ: A2C Tom Baker (RIP, Agent Orange, 2007), tentmate of JB, sets quietly. 1966.
17. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Col Eisenhower, Đà Nẵng AB Commander, and LTC Arthur G. Phillips Jr., 35th APS Commander join Chaplin as he says a prayer. Airmen and focused and silent during the ceremony. 1966.
17. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Col Eisenhower, Da Nang AB Commander, and LTC Arthur G. Phillips Jr., 35th APS Commander
join the Chaplin as he prays. Airmen and focused and silent during the ceremony. 1966.
18. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: The new base commander, Colonel Eisenbrown, a full bird,pinned a well deserved Bronze Star w/V on Major Rupert. 1966.
18. Da Nang AB, JBJ: The new base commander, Colonel Eisenbrown, a full bird,
pinned a well deserved Air Force Commendation Medal on Major Rupert. 1966.
19. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Base Commander, Colonel Eisenbrown cuts red dedication ribbon, officially opening the Day Memorial Room. 1966.
19. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Base Commander, Colonel Eisenbrown cuts red dedication ribbon,
officially opening the Day Memorial Room. 1966.
20. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: LTC Arthur G. Phillips Jr. and Captain Ownes look on as ribbon is cut. 1966.
20. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  LTC Arthur G. Phillips Jr. and Captain Ownes look on as ribbon is cut. 1966.
21. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Major R is presented the Air Force Commedation Medal. 1966.
21. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Major R is presented the Air Force Commedation Medal. 1966.

22. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: 35th APS Airmen and officers of the Squadron entered the Day Room. Rank forgotten. Quiet words exchanged over too sweet punch. Photos snapped. Memories filed away. Faces seared into future dreams. 1966.
22. Da Nang AB, JBJ: 35th APS Airmen and officers of the Squadron entered the Day Room. Rank forgotten. Quiet
words exchanged over too sweet punch. Photos snapped. Memories filed away. Faces seared into future dreams. 1966.

23. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Don Poss (center), Airman Miller (right). After an hour or so, the crowd began to thin. Men reported to duty. Rank reassumed. Some eager to leave. 1966.
23. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Don Poss (center), A1C Lee Miller (right). After an hour or so, the crowd began to thin.
Men reported to duty. Rank reassumed. Some eager to leave. 1966.
24. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: An hour later only a dozen or so men were left. 1966.
24. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  An hour later only a dozen or so men were left. 1966.
haunting. No one applauded, but all appreciated the song was the real service that lay memories to rest. 1966.
25. Da Nang AB, JBJ:  Some brought guitars and strummed a Peter Paul & Mary favorite, singing softly a voice alternately choked
with emotion then clear and haunting. No one applauded, but all appreciated the song was the real service that lay memories to rest. 1966.
26. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: AP Helment and MSgt's shirt is draped over a chair. 1966.
26. Da Nang AB, JBJ: AP Helment and MSgt's shirt is draped over a chair. 1966.
27. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Close up of guitar players. 1966.
27. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Close up of guitar players. 1966.
28. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Airman sings a meloncoly song. 1966.
28. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Airman sings a meloncoly song. 1966.
29. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: Duties resume. Airmen report for duty, go back to tents or huts for some rest. 1966.
29. Da Nang AB, JBJ: Duties resume. Airmen report for duty, go back to tents or huts for some rest. 1966.
 
30. Đà Nẵng AB, Tent City: James Bruce Jones, sleeping hard after a long shift around Christmas 1965. 1966.
30. Da Nang AB, JBJ: James Bruce Jones, sleeping hard after a long shift around Christmas 1965.
 

Official Information for A3C James B. Jones:

JONES, JAMES BRUCE
A3C - Air Force - Regular
20 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on 12/15/45
From ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY
6252d APS, Da Nang
Length of service 2 years.
Casualty was on 01/25/1966
in QUANG NAM (Da Nang), SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, MORTARS
Body was recovered
Panel 04E - - Line 093
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