Looking for Camp Evans

DANANG:  In 1968 US Army’s legendary 1^st Cavalry Division’s main base of operations in South Vietnam was Camp Evans.  Located a few miles north of Hue City just west of Highway #1 according to old maps it proved increasingly difficult to locate.  Not much remains of 1968 and the only current information comes from various shops along Route #1.

This time along with US Army Veterans Neil Tallon, Pete Conroy and Corky Reinhart are Le Ly Hayslip and Mark Conroy.  Le Ly is the founder of The East Meets West Foundation (EMWF) a major Vietnam charity. Mark Conroy was the EMWF country director for twenty years. 

The massive development of Viet Nam over the last few years makes it difficult to locate places that looked quite different nearly fifty years ago.   The roads have changed here along with most of the buildings and all the vegetation.   Pete Conroy was stationed at Camp Evans in 1968 but nothing looks familiar.  Oliver Stone was stationed at Camp Evans around the same time.  His movie ‘Heaven and Earth’ was based on Ms. Hayslip’s book “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places.”

“Le Ly and myself along with Oliver and his son Sean were up here in Hue at least fifteen years ago”, said Mark Conroy.  “We spent a day showing them around the old Hue Citadel that was nearly 

Pete Conroy, Le Ly Hayslip, Mark Conroy &
 Neil Tallon on Camp Eavns

Pete Conroy, Le Ly Hayslip, Mark Conroy and Neil Tallon on Camp Evans

destroyed during the siege of 1968, and talked of trying to find the remnants of that 1^st Cav. Base camp then.  We never got around to it but hopefully will this trip.”

The railroad tracks and rivers a few miles above Hue begin to be recognizable on the old maps in an area that was a hotbed for opposition forces during both the French and American wars.  The stretch of Highway #1 above Hue to Quang Tri acquired the name “Street Without Joy” during the French war in Indo China and is the name of the famous book by Bernard Fall. 

After a number of inquires among shops in this area it was determined by Ms. Hayslip that the next left turn towards higher country would be the correct route.  It appears that a number of ex GI’s or others interested in the historical aspects of the Viet Nam War have been through here over the years.   A mile or two up this one lane road ex Sgt. Pete Conroy signals a stop.

“The lay of the land here looks familiar along with the mountain ridges in the distance but as you can see there is no physical evidence,” says Pete.  “This must be it.”

“It reminds me of driving up to Long Binh in 1989” said Neil Tallon.  “Nothing was left but a few pieces of tarmac and concrete and to think that during the late sixties this place was the largest base camp in the world”.

Pete Conroy on the site of the old 1st Cav. base, Camp Evans.

Camp Evans was the supply depot for all 1^st Cav. Operations in this sector.  The Au Shau valley which runs north and south along the Laotian boarder 30 miles south of Khe Sanh was a major logistics center for the NVA as well as being a branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  The 1^st Cav. Division was a major player in ‘Operation Delaware’ which took place during parts of April and May in 1968.  Its task was to clear the valley of NVA troops and destroy all weapons and supplies.

Again Pete Conroy remembers:  “We were dropped in by helicopter on the ridge line and before getting dug in a Chinook was downed.  At least two Hueys were shot down along side of us before we were able to land. While walking patrols the next few days helicopters were left hanging in the trees as well as down on the jungle floor.”  A C-130, two fighters and over twenty helicopters were downed during this operation.  There were 86 killed, 47 missing and 530 wounded, among those, Pete Conroy.

“We were patrolling up a slope when the soldier in front of me triggered an explosion.  I was taken down by the shrapnel.  Soon after a chopper picked me up and flew to an aid station, then on to a hospital ship off the coast”.

Three weeks later Pete was dropped off at the navy port in Da Nang and returned to Camp Evans.

*A version of this article appeared in the Press Republican on April 14, 2014.