# Firebase Gio Linh

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name=Firebase Gio Linh
|partof=
|location=  
|coordinates={{Coord|16.943|N|107.076|E|display=inline|name=Firebase Gio Linh}}
|image=File:Gio Linh Marine Outpost March, 1968.jpg
|caption=Gio Linh, March 1968
|type=Marines/Army
|code= 
|built=1966
|builder=
|materials=
|height=
|used=1966–1972
|demolished=
|condition= 
|ownership=
|controlledby=
|garrison=
|commanders=
|occupants= [3rd Marine Division](/source/3rd_Marine_Division)<br>[ARVN 1st Division](/source/1st_Division_(South_Vietnam))<br>[ARVN 3rd Division](/source/3rd_Division_(South_Vietnam))
|battles= 60px<BR>[Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War)<br>[Battle of Con Thien](/source/Con_Thien)<br>[Easter Offensive](/source/Easter_Offensive)
|events=
}}

'''Firebase Gio Linh''' (also known as '''FSB A-2''', '''Alpha 2''', '''Camp Hill''', '''The Alamo''' or simply '''Gio Linh''') is a former U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and [Army of the Republic of Vietnam](/source/Army_of_the_Republic_of_Vietnam) (ARVN) [firebase](/source/Fire_support_base) north of [Đông Hà](/source/%C4%90%C3%B4ng_H%C3%A0) in [Quang Tri Province](/source/Quang_Tri_Province), central [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam).
 
==History==

===1966-7===
[[File:A193904.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An [LVT-5](/source/LVT-5) hit by mortars at Firebase Gio Linh on the night of 9 May 1967 still burns the next morning]]
The base was established 13&nbsp;km north of Đông Hà on [Highway 1](/source/National_Route_1_(Vietnam)) immediately south of the [Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone](/source/Vietnamese_Demilitarized_Zone) (DMZ).<ref>{{cite book|last=Kelley|first=Michael|title=Where we were in Vietnam|publisher=Hellgate Press|year=2002|isbn=978-1555716257|page=199}}</ref>

On 19 May 1966, the [People's Army of Vietnam](/source/People's_Army_of_Vietnam) (PAVN) attacked the ARVN base at Gio Linh killing 43 and wounding 54.<ref name=Shulimson66>{{cite book|last=Shulimson|first=Jack|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1982|isbn=978-1494285159}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|145}}

From 15 to 18 September 1966, the [1st Battalion, 26th Marines](/source/26th_Marines) launched [Operation Deckhouse IV](/source/Operation_Deckhouse_IV) and discovered that the PAVN had built a network of tunnels and bunkers in the [Con Thien](/source/Con_Thien)-Gio Linh area.<ref name=Shulimson66/>{{rp|188–9}}

Gio Linh was intended to form part of the [McNamara Line](/source/McNamara_Line)<ref name=Telfer>{{cite book|last=Telfer|first=Gary|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1984|isbn=978-1494285449}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|89–91}} and formed one corner of what became known as [Leatherneck Square](/source/Leatherneck_Square), with the other corners being [Con Thien](/source/Con_Thien), [Cam Lộ Combat Base](/source/Cam_L%E1%BB%99_Combat_Base) and [Đông Hà Combat Base](/source/%C4%90%C3%B4ng_H%C3%A0_Combat_Base).<ref name=Shulimson>{{cite book|last=Shulimson|first=Jack|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968 The Defining Year|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1997|isbn= 0-16-049125-8}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|40}}

In February 1967 the [12th Marines](/source/12th_Marines) had four 175&nbsp;mm guns and sic 105&nbsp;mm howitzers based at Gio Linh. On 27 February, the PAVN attacked Gio Linh with mortars, rocket and artillery fire.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|10}} On 20 March the base was subjected to another rocket and artillery attack and on 21 March a supply convoy was ambushed just 300m from the base. The PAVN claimed to have killed over 1,000 enemy troops and destroyed 17 artillery pieces, 57 vehicles and three helicopters in the 20 March artillery barrage.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Military History Institute of Vietnam |title=Victory in Vietnam: A History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975|others=trans. Pribbenow, Merle|publisher=University of Kansas Press|year=2002|isbn=0-7006-1175-4|page=201}}</ref>

From 20 March to 1 April, [Operation Beacon Hill](/source/Operation_Beacon_Hill) saw BLT [1st Battalion, 4th Marines](/source/1st_Battalion%2C_4th_Marines) patrolling around the base to try to prevent further PAVN attacks.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|17}} From 10 to 17 April, the [11th Engineer Battalion](/source/11th_Engineer_Battalion) began clearing a 200m wide strip between Gio Linh and Con Thien, a distance of over 10&nbsp;km<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|19}} the strip was eventually completed on 1 July and widened to 600m.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|30}}

On 27/8 April Gio Linh was hit by over 800 artillery shells and 200 mortar rounds. On 8 May the PAVN launched an attack on Con Thien and shelled Gio Linh in an attempt to reduce its fire support for Con Thien.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|21}} On 17/18 May PAVN artillery rockets and artillery hit Đông Hà and Gio Linh, killing 1 Marine and wounding 12 others at Gio Linh.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|24}} By July engineers had completed clearing a 500m radius around the base and had started building underground bunkers.<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|91}} On 2 July, the first day of [Operation Buffalo](/source/Operation_Buffalo_(1967)) the base was again heavily shelled in an attempt to reduce fire support for the encircled [1st Battalion, 9th Marines](/source/1st_Battalion%2C_9th_Marines).<ref name=Telfer/>{{rp|99}}

===1968–9===
From late 1967 the ARVN 2nd Regiment of the [1st Division](/source/1st_Division_(South_Vietnam)) was based at Gio Linh together with Company M [3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines](/source/3rd_Battalion%2C_3rd_Marines) to provide security for the artillery.<ref name=Shulimson/>{{rp|40–1}} On 9 January a mortar attack on the base resulted in three marines killed and two wounded.<ref name=Shulimson/>{{rp|47}}

In September 1969 as part of [Operation Keystone Cardinal](/source/Operation_Keystone_Cardinal) the 3rd Marine Division began its withdrawal from Vietnam and by early October the Marines had handed over control of their tactical area of operations (including the Gio Linh base) to the [1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division](/source/5th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)) and the ARVN 1st Division.<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Charles|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1988|isbn=978-1494287627|pages=165–70}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

===1970-2===
In 1970 the [M55 Self Propelled Howitzer](/source/M55_Self_Propelled_Howitzer) of the Marines 5th 175mm Gun Battery remained at Gio Linh under the command of the Army's [108th Artillery Group](/source/108th_Field_Artillery_Regiment).<ref name=Cosmas>{{cite book|last=Cosmas|first=Graham|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and Redeployment 1970–1971|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1988|isbn=978-1482384123}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|299}} A small number of Marines remained at Đông Hà as part of the [ANGLICO](/source/Air_Naval_Gunfire_Liaison_Company) unit supporting the ARVN 1st Division.<ref name=Cosmas/>{{rp|384}}

By January 1972 the ARVN [3rd Division](/source/3rd_Division_(South_Vietnam)) had assumed responsibility for the area north of Highway 9.<ref name=Melson>{{cite book|last=Melson|first=Charles|title=U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The War That Would Not End, 1971–1973|publisher=History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|year=1991|isbn=978-1482384055}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|32}}

The PAVN launched their [Easter Offensive](/source/Easter_Offensive) on 30 March 1972 and by midday on 1 April the ARVN garrison at Gio Linh had retreated from their perimeter positions to the base's bunkers, while the 5-man ANGLICO team continued to call in fire missions against the advancing PAVN. PAVN forces were probing the base perimeter when an Army [Bell UH-1 Iroquois](/source/Bell_UH-1_Iroquois) arrived to evacuate the ANGLICO team, just as the team was boarding the helicopter the landing zone was hit by mortar fire mortally wounding the team leader. Corporal James Worth of the ANGLICO team failed to board the helicopter and was listed as Missing in Action.<ref name=Melson/>{{rp|46–7}} By nightfall on 1 April, all ARVN defensive positions along the DMZ and north of the [Cam Lo River](/source/Cam_Lo_River) had fallen to the PAVN.<ref name=Melson/>{{rp|47–8}} Gio Linh would remain in North Vietnamese hands for the rest of the war.

==Current use==
The base has been turned over to farmland.

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Marine Corps}}

Category:Military installations of the United States Marine Corps in South Vietnam
Category:Installations of the United States Army in South Vietnam
Category:Installations of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Category:Buildings and structures in Quảng Trị province

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Firebase Gio Linh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebase_Gio_Linh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebase_Gio_Linh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.