Marble Mountain Air Facility

Marble Mountain Air Facility (MMAF) was an aviation facility used primarily by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. It was a helicopter facility that was constructed in August 1965 and served as home to Marine Aircraft Group 16, the 5th Special Forces Group and an assortment of other squadrons until May 1971. It was controlled by the United States Army from May 1971 through August 1972 and finally by the South Vietnamese Air Force from August 29, 1972 through March 29, 1975 when it fell to the North Vietnamese Army. It was located in Quang Nam Province 5 mi southeast of Da Nang Air Base on a strip of beach between China Beach and the Marble Mountains.

History
On July 28, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that the U.S. would increase the number of its forces in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000. Shortly thereafter the Joint Chiefs of Staff dispatched Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG 16) to Vietnam on top of the three Marine helicopter squadrons already there. This rapid build-up of helicopters and other aircraft from the United States Air Force at Da Nang saturated the base and had the leaders of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (I MAW) quickly looking for an alternate site for their helicopter squadrons. The Marines ultimately chose a stretch of sandy beach on the South China Sea that was about five miles southeast of Da Nang and just north of a series of red marble mountains for their first helicopter facility. American military construction units were overtasked at the time so the initial construction of the field was done by Raymond, Morrison-Knudson/Brown, Root & Jones (RMK-BRJ). By the end of August 1965, they had completed a 2000 ft runway and on August 26, MAG 16 officially moved in. A week later Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) would approve the name Marble Mountain Air Facility.



On the evening of 27–28 October approximately 90 Viet Cong attacked MMAF. They attacked under the cover of 60mm mortar fire using four demolition teams armed with bangalore torpedoes and hand grenades. They were able to reach the MAG 16 ramp destroying 19 aircraft and damaging another 35. VMO-2 took the brunt of the attack with thirteen of its UH-1E Hueys destroyed leaving the squadron with only four serviceable aircraft. The attack left two Marines and one Navy Corpsman killed in action with another 91 wounded in action. Forty-one enemy were killed during the battle along with four wounded that were taken prisoner.

MMAF also saw the arrival of the first CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters in Vietnam when HMM-164 arrived on 8 March 1966 with twenty-seven aircraft from the USS Valley Forge (LPH-8).

On 31 January 1968, on the first day of the Tet Offensive, MMAF received twenty-nine incoming enemy 122mm rockets resulting in one minor injury and minor damage to one CH-53A Sea Stallion and substantial damage to another four CH-53As. Ten CH-46As and eight UH-34Ds also received limited damage. Four VMO-2 UH-1E Hueys armed helicopters were launched in defense of MMAF and engaged enemy units.

Beginning in 1969 the United States began to draw down its forces in Vietnam and by mid-October all remaining Marine helicopter squadrons were consolidated at MMAF. On 1 June 1971 Marble Mountain Air Facility was turned over to the United States Army.

In February 1971 the 11th Aviation Group was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade and redeployed to Marble Mountain. In August 1972 the Group departed Marble Mountain Army Airfield and resettled at Da Nang Air Base.

According to William Broyles, Jr.'s "Brothers in Arms", the Marble Mountains contained a hospital for the Vietcong, probably within earshot of the air field and China Beach. He describes the enemy as having been so "certain of our ignorance. . . . that he had hidden his hospital in plain sight".

Squadrons based at Marble Mountain
The following is an incomplete list of squadrons that were stationed at MMAF during the Vietnam War and the times that they were their:


 * Marine Aircraft Group 16


 * 16th Combat Aviation Brigade - December 1966 - 1969
 * 282nd Assault Helicopter Company - 1966 - 1970


 * 11th Aviation Group