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October 18, 2017 Grunt.com Admin

DaNang Ammo Dump, April 27, 1969

 

DaNang Ammo Dump - April 27, 1969

On April 27, 1969, I was the OIC of a small communications detachment assigned to 1st MAW in DaNang. That Sunday as I was working in the office, there was a huge boom. The initial explosion caused the fluorescent lights in our small working space to tumble down. One light hit the Gunny in the left shoulder - it was more of a surprise than an actual injury. A series of smaller, but just as dangerous, explosions soon followed. We stepped outside our work spaces (which was actually a small hut that was surrounded by a sandbag revetment) to see what was going on. We could see a billowing cloud of smoke in the direction of 11 o'clock. Some would say it looked like a nuke's mushroom cloud. Suddenly, we saw that a shock blast wave was heading toward our area - and they kept coming. After an hour of this, I finally had no choice but to shut down our comm link with III MAF across the DaNang River. In the meantime and in accordance with our standing procedures, the rest of the detachment all reported in for duty.

 

The explosions would continue for about 17 hours and the dump wouldn't completely "cook off" for several days. The white phosphorus bombs lit up the night sky. When it was over, millions and millions of dollars of ammo had been destroyed.

It must have been about 10 a.m. the next morning when the all-clear was sounded. "All present and accounted for, Sir!"

The story I heard at the time was that some local hires were burning some brush that got away from them and, as a result, caused the series of explosions in the DaNang ammo dump. It sure did a lot of structural damage!

After getting all affairs back in order and re-establishing comms with II MAF, I headed up to Freedom Hill in the detachment's jeep to check in with the detachment that was assigned to 1stMarDiv, of which Capt. Jim Bolson was OIC. The drive on the way was harrowing - it was like navigating an obstacle course. Bombs, including unexploded ordinances, were littered all over the ground and the damage was unreal. There was shrapnel everywhere and miles of berms were blackened.

When we arrived at Freedom Hill, we found that Jim Bolson's detachment was back up and running. They had suffered some minor damage, but nothing that couldn't be repaired easily. Dog Patch, the civilian makeshift residences outside the 1st MAW compound near the foot of Hill 327, was literally leveled.

Arthur Kidd
Capt Ret
1957-1977

Do you have a story about the DaNang ammunition dump explosion in 1969 Vietnam? Share it with the SGT GRIT community below to connect and share your personal experience. And be sure to check out other stories about Vietnam on the SGT GRIT blog.

Filed in: Marine Corps Stories
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Comments

Wade - June 16, 2022

I had just finished buying some stuff at Freedom Hill Exchange that morning. We were heading towards Dog Patch in a deuse and a half when the first big one’s blew. I was in the back. The driver stopped to see what was going on. Marines were running for cover. We thought we were getting hit by some very big stuff. We were! The driver stopped to see what was going on. We all yelled at him “get the hell out of here!” ….. The dump "cooked off " non stop for almost 24 hours as I recall. It took several days to completely stop. When a bunker full of 1,000 lbs bombs goes it looks like a giant mushroom 1,00’s of feet into the air. Our hooches at Camp Haskins 5 or 6 miles north were not affected but the sealed Medical hooches looked like pumpkins. The vacuum created by the concussions literally sucked walls out. We were amazed. We also had no ear plugs issued. I can hardly hear anything now, especially high pitched sounds.
As Seabees we were called to the site to clean up. Everything was flattened. We built a chow hall and hooches. To this day I believe we were exposed Agent Orange which was stored in that area along with the bombs. I have no feeling in my hands to this day.
I understand the Vietnamese still living in the area have a high incidence of cancer. That area is very contaminated.

Daniel Pellegrino - April 24, 2022

I was standing ‘ZULU’ guard on Marble Mountain Airfield. Heard the explosions and saw the blast waves hurtling through the sky. My first thought – it was some sort of nuclear blast. Thought it would end but it didn’t – shock waves just kept coming and coming.

Phillip Paulino - April 19, 2022

I was with Spt. Co., 1st FSR/FLC at the base of Hill 327 (Freedom Hill) when the dump went off. We stayed ad long as we couldd. Most of us were ordered to leave and run through the paddies to Highway 1. Some stayed to guard the weapons. There were piles of uxo’s when we went back. A couple of friends were wounded. The compound was flattened. Metal was twisted like potato chips. I still remember running through the dried rice paddies only stopping to help a mess sgt who was petrified, lying on a dike and praying. He was hard to move! Around lay huge twisted pieces of shrapnel. Can’t forget…

Michael R Anderson - April 5, 2022

I was at camp Brooks as a security guard. Been in country maybe a month. Watching the blast waves coming and sand bags leaking everywhere. Had to guard the prisoners that were evacuated from asp 1 area. Heck of a show.

Michael Egland - March 29, 2022

My oldest brother, Kenneth Egland, happened to be recording a message to our family on his tape recorder during the explosion. I remember seeing it on the news and about 2 weeks later we received a tape from Ken. On the tape he is talking to us and then BOOM!!! He said right after the explosion that the ammo dump just got hit. My brother served 3 terms and worked in the mail department. Today he suffers from severe Parkinson’s disease and Scleroderma (hard skin disease) possibly related to the agent orange. I just read that agent orange was stored at the airport. Was there any agent orange amongst the ammo dump? Was the Post office where my brother worked located at or near the airport? God bless to all you who served in Vietnam. Thank you for your service. Michael ✌🇺🇸 bluesaxe420@gmail.com

Jerry Salerno - March 3, 2022

Was this actually Mag 11 Bomb dump that went up ?

Leslie W Hines - February 14, 2022

I was a helicopter crewchief with A Co 123rd Avn Bn. It was a windy day as we flew over the DaNang area close to the bomb dump. My pilots had commented that the Marines had been burning brush around the ammo dump at DaNang as we flew over I could see men trying hard to contain the fire. We continued our mission to a location south of Duc Pho. When were coming back to Chu Lai we were as far north as Quang Ngai City when I saw this huge mushroom cloud on the horizon. I thought we had been nuked! But the pilots knew it was the DaNang ammo dump. This ammo dump had been blown up once before, but I had only seen the dump after the explosion. There seemed to be miles of berms that were blackened by bombs both times.

Ray the Bummer Stieber - December 17, 2021

Was on guard duty at the Marine Corps bomb dump. As I remember it was a sunday morning and it started slowly from a trash fire we were told. The Marine Corps was taking no chances and we were sent in to guard our bomb dump. We were knocked over by the concussion of the 10 thousand pounders just as the shock wave passed over. At night the sky lite up from the white phosphorus bombs. At least I can say I was there, walking my post in a military manner. And thanks VA for the hearing aids. They come in handy.

thomas yarborough - December 15, 2021

I was there at the Naval Communications relay station at the Triangle. We spent the night in a crypto vault. The concussions were incredible. All of the flourescent over head lights broke so the floor was covered with broken glass. When anyone would leave the vault to go to the head, a concussion from the explosion would send the glass into the air from the ground and get into someone’s eyes. It took a day to get to us because the vehicles kept getting flats from the shrapnel on the roads. I made the mistake of going outside when it had gotten quiet for awhile and BOOM I was thrown through the air and into the quantson wall. Put a foot dent in that sucker. Still have the scar on my leg from that.

Mike - November 29, 2021

We were mostly 0311’s, GRUNTS in our clutch platoon. I was in the dump at 0 bunker which was A couple 100 yd from where the explosions started. At 1st we didn’t know what was happening and after several minutes when the ammo technicians were running out the front gate and jumping on the trucks We Got orders to clear out. We were driven several miles down down what I think was route 10, Is not sure, We watched the explosions and it looked like mushroom clouds from nuclear bombs. We had the jump off the side of the road as the concussions got close to us. It was unbelievable. I don’t remember when it was but A-day or 2 later we were ordered back in to secure the area. The explosions Hadn’t. completely stopped yet. It was a minefield of debris and unexploded ordinance. The hooches that that we lived in we’re pancaked completely flattened. When the investigation started we were questioned by some generals on what we saw. We. We were told that it was a 100 million dollars worth of ammo That was blown up. I was given pictures from my friend Of mine that had a camera but most of them are gone. I wish I had them back now.

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