Landing Zone Kate

Landing Zone Kate
Coordinates 12°14′17″N 107°21′47″E / 12.238°N 107.363°E / 12.238; 107.363 (Landing Zone Kate)
Type Army
Site history
Built 1969
In use 1969
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants 5th Special Forces

Landing Zone Kate (also known as Firebase Kate, LZ Kate or Firebase White) is a former U.S. Army base northwest of Quang Duc Province in southern Vietnam near the Cambodian border.[1]

History

The base was defended by men from 5th Special Forces Detachments A-233 and A-236 and their Montagnard forces and elements of the 5th Battalion, 22nd Artillery and 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery when it was subjected to a siege by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 66th Regiment from 27 October to 1 November 1969.[2] On the morning of 30 October a PAVN force attacked the base but was beaten back with artillery and air support. A UH-1B helicopter gunship #63-08587 was shot down with the loss of 4 U.S. killed.[3] By 31 October 2 of the 3 artillery pieces at the base had been disabled and the artillerymen were fighting as infantry and 1LT Ronald A Ross of 5/22 Artillery was killed by a B-40 rocket.[4] The base was abandoned on the night of 1 November and the US and Montagnard forces evacuated towards the nearby Bu Prang Camp. PFC Michael Norton disappeared during the escape and evasion and was listed as missing in action.[5] The base was bombed on 2 November to destroy any materiel that had been left behind.

Current use

The base has reverted to jungle.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. pp. 5–270. ISBN 978-1555716257.
  2. ↑ Sharp, Arthur (2014). The Siege of LZ Kate: The Battle for an American Firebase in Vietnam. Stackpole Books. p. 213. ISBN 9780811713863.
  3. ↑ "Helicopter UH-1B 63-08587". Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "CPT Ronald Alan Ross". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "SFC Michael Robert Norton". The Virtual Wall. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
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