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Marine Base Chu Lai by Bill Harvill
Mike the site is great. Well constructed and very professional. I have read most of your stories already. I especially identified with it on the one about your Da Nang divert to Chu Lai. I was with the initial Troops and SeaBees that made the landing in first few days of May '65. We initial opened a 3800 ft aluminum runway closer in to the encampment. As the laterite clay would erode from the pounding the SeaBees just kept laying it so that it reached a total length of 8000 ft. As soon as the last half was laid then they would go back and re lay the first half.
Not too long after completing the total length and before tearing up the older part we received a MayDay from a flight of 4 AF 100 SuperSabres. Da Nang was clobbered with no place to go. All low state they approached fro a straight, in landing south . First section land more or less in section, then # 4 was preparing to punch out just off shore where we had a helo hovering for pickup. # 3 told him hell no you're going to make it. They came in over the boundary and #3 touched down with #4 glued to his wing.(remember the aluminum runway was only 102 ft wide. As there was no mastron matting all the way to the end, there was NO taxi way for the first to at the end so they were in a 180 on that narrow runway and back taxiing just as 3 and 4 were about to touch down. JUST as 1 and 2 cleared the runway 3 and 4 rolled out. It was some of the most outstanding airmanship that I have ever been privileged to witness.
Not too long after completing the total length and before tearing up the older part we received a MayDay from a flight of 4 AF 100 SuperSabres. Da Nang was clobbered with no place to go. All low state they approached fro a straight, in landing south . First section land more or less in section, then # 4 was preparing to punch out just off shore where we had a helo hovering for pickup. # 3 told him hell no you're going to make it. They came in over the boundary and #3 touched down with #4 glued to his wing.(remember the aluminum runway was only 102 ft wide. As there was no mastron matting all the way to the end, there was NO taxi way for the first to at the end so they were in a 180 on that narrow runway and back taxiing just as 3 and 4 were about to touch down. JUST as 1 and 2 cleared the runway 3 and 4 rolled out. It was some of the most outstanding airmanship that I have ever been privileged to witness.
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