Saturday, May 6, 2023

 Ban Mê Thuột was the province capital and not the name of the airfield/installation. Camp Coryell was the Army Air Field whose primary occupant was the 155 Assault Helicopter CO, but also located there was a small 100 yard X 150 yard compound which was the USAF Control Squadron Detachment that kept aircraft and ordnance safely apart. It is not clear to me now so many years later whether it was an American compound or VNAF. It seemed to me the USAF were in charge but it could have been that it was actually VNAF with the Americans as advisors (there was a RSVN flag flying over the compound).The airfield was located on the edge of town and it was only a short walk to "downtown." Although there was another Air Field some five miles to the east called East Field that may have actually been bigger, but I don't think there were any SPs there. Barry McLean's description seems to suggest by the 155 Compound reference that we were both at Camp Coryell. So, my point is the installation where the SPs served should be called Detachment 9 of the 619th Tactical Control Squadron (USAF), located on Camp Coryell (USArmy). There was never a Ban Mê Thuột Air Field [Ban Mê Thuột City Field] and I don't recall anyone referring to Camp Coryell as Ban Mê Thuột Air Field probably in part because of the need to distinguish between the two. There was East Field or City Field (Camp Coryell).

Ken de Russy

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