A-502 - Detachment A-502 - Vietnam       A-502 - Detachment A-502 - Vietnam

     Hon Tre Island is located east of Nha Trang City in the South China Sea.  The island's location in relation to the city and A-502's Area of Operation can be viewed on the Eastern AO map page.  During the Vietnam War Hon Tre Island was the location of an important radio tower and radar installation, which can be seen in the center of the map.  The importance of the radar facility made it vulnerable to probes or attacks by enemy units attempting to destroy or damage the station.

     A-502's responsibilities did not end at the sea.  For that reason, whenever Hon Tre Island was threatened, it was the team's job to respond.  After a report from the radar station regarding the sighting of large probe unit, the island became the site of A-502's only amphibious assault.  The map below shows the assault route and includes a description of the event.



     In the middle of the night, approximately mid summer of 1968, one of the technicians working at the radar station on Hon Tre Island reported seeing an enemy patrol of 9 -10 men.  The message was immediately relayed to 5th Special Forces Group Headquarters where the response was assigned to A-502.

     Before dawn, a CIDG (Civilian Irregular Defense Group) platoon with its A-502 advisors loaded onto an amphibious assault craft and headed east from Nha Trang.  Upon approach to the island, the landing craft took the path followed by routine patrol boats.  However, on the east side of the island, the landing craft abruptly turned directly towards the beach, dropped its ramp, and the unit quickly went into the water and onto the beach. The red arrows on the map indicate the path taken by the unit from Nha Trang to the beach.

     While an all day search failed to locate the enemy patrol, which had evidently left the island before daylight, the operation demonstrated A-502's ability to immediately mount an operation in response to enemy activity.  With the ongoing threat to Hon Tre Island and the greater Nha Trang area, A-502 lived its Special Forces mission to respond - anytime . . . anyplace.


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