Chi Lăng Training Center
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Chi Lăng Training Center (also known as That Son Special Forces Camp) was an
History
The center was located approximately twelve kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Cambodian border northeast of the Dop Chompa hill mass and 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-southwest of Châu Đốc.[1]
The center was originally used by the
In January 1971 the 25 man 1st New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam (1 NZATTV), which included members from different branches of service of the New Zealand Army was deployed to the center to assist the U.S. Army Training Team in training ARVN units.[2]: 474–5 The team trained ARVN platoon commanders in weapons and tactics, class sizes were up to 150 men but attendance was poor and after nine courses had been run only 634 men had been trained. Many of the instructors took the view that the ARVN soldiers were not interested in fighting.[2]: 477
On 9 January 1972 a dispute between two ARVN battalions from different divisions over their rice rations led to a gun battle that resulted in two killed and 12 wounded.[2]: 479
1 NZATTV remained at Chi Lăng until being withdrawn as part of the general withdrawal of New Zealand forces from South Vietnam in December 1972.[2]: 486
That Son camp was used as the model for the fictional Phan Chau camp in Robin Moore's book The Green Berets.[1]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1555716257.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-908988969.