by Mark Sigrist
A
Vietnam fi rebase was a bit like an updated 1870s west-
ern cavalry fort. Instead of log wall, the fi rebase of the
1960s and 1970s consisted of sandbagged and earthen
walls topped with barbed wire and surrounded by mined perime-
ters. They dotted the landscape and provided a place with a level
of security. Firebases were safe havens for troops to operate from
and to return to; logistics points; helicopter landing zones (LZs);
and fi re support — usually in the form of light to heavy mortars
and artillery.
Also known as fi re support bases, fi rebases were established
to support infantry operations that were sweeping the landscape
of hostile forces and to hold geographic areas. Firebases were
usually located 5 to 10 air miles apart to allow full artillery cov-
erage for the 105mm and larger fi eld guns. Larger, more perma-
nent fi rebases were accessible by road and usually constructed
with heavy equipment.
Smaller, more temporary fi rebases were frequently located
on mountain tops supported and resupplied only by helicopter.
All of the earthworks were usually done by hand. Occasionally,
a helicopter lifted in a earth mover.
ESTABLISHING A FIREBASE IN THE A SHAU
The A Shau Valley area in northern South Vietnam between
fi REBƒSE
BLƒZE
Building in the A Shau Valley
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