Camp Evans (Vietnam)


Camp Evans is a former U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps base northwest of Huế in central Vietnam.

History

1966-7

Camp Evans was established by the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines in late 1966 as part of Operation Chinook. The camp was located to the west of Highway 1, approximately 24 km northwest of Huế in Thừa Thiên–Huế Province. The camp was named after Marine Lance Corporal Paul Evans who was killed during Operation Chinook.
Marine units based at Camp Evans during this period included:
In January 1968 Camp Evans was taken over by the 1st Cavalry Division.
On the night of 19 May 1968 the ammunition dump at Camp Evans was hit by People's Army of Vietnam rockets and exploded causing a chain reaction and fire that lasted more than 12 hours and damaged or destroyed 124 aircraft rendering the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division combat ineffective for a week until replacement aircraft arrived.
On 3 October 1968 a USAF C-7 Caribou that had just taken off from the Camp Evans airstrip collided with a 1st Cavalry Boeing CH-47 Chinook resulting in the death of all 24 passengers and crew on both aircraft.

1969-72

Camp Evans was taken over by the 101st Airborne Division.
Army units based at Camp Evans during this period included:
The 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron used Camp Evans as a forward operating base.

Current use

The base is abandoned and turned over to farmland.