Home to several units, Phu Loi Army Airfield, was located west of Ben Hoa.
near the small native village about 25 miles north of Saigon.

Phu Loi airfield was a Japanese air base during WW2. Phu Loi Air Field was actually built using POW labor, during WWII. The Japanese had American POWS cut out the jungle and level that area, for their fighter planes to use.

PHU LOI Political Prisoner Camp, under President NGO DINH DIEM
In 1945 there was a prison at Phu Loi, housing political prisoners who supported Ho Chi Minh.
In 1958 Phu Loi was a concentration camp under Diem. Prisoners were massacred here.

Phu Loi had a 1 mile defensive perimeter. Was triangular shaped with an artillery unit in each corner.
Located approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Saigon, along National Route 13, Phu Loi was headquarters for the Big Red One’s Division Artillery, its armored cavalry unit (1st Sq./4th Cavalry), and other key division units.
Phu Loi had been the scene of fierce fighting during the 1968 Tet offensive. Major units of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) troops had used the area around Phu Loi for pre-Tet staging and as a jumping-off point for their attacks on Saigon and surrounding U.S. and South Vietnamese installations

A display of the fall of Saigon, displays was a map showing the battle plan for taking the city. One of the northern thrusts was begun through Phu Loi

USE OF HERBICIDE AGENTS IN VIETNAM from Aug. 1965 onward. The following totals represent the USAF Ranch Hand spraying, ONLY. They do not include the US Army helicopter or ground applications, or any form of the insecticide programs by GVN or the US Military. Areas specified below are either cities or US military bases: and the gallonage represents sprays within 8 km of the specified area. (Thus, each area is a 9.6 mile diameter.)
Phu Loi: Orange 79000, White 83430, Blue 00000, Total 162,430

The airfield and compound were turned over the the ARVN's. Sometime in 1975 the area was stripped of the usefully building materials, basically wiped out. The latest information I have received the compound is still used for aviation as it is a communist helicopter facility and is closed to the public. I had information that a returning Vet tried to gain access to the air field and was denied. UPDATE: Primo Funari left this statement on the 1st Avn Bn RVN Guestbook, 09/17/2003 "I returned to Phu Loi twice doing the last 4 years. The base is now a prison and you are unable to get to the runway." Primo was an observer on OV-1's, 04/67-10/68.

Phu Loi (Thomas Barnes, 1st Avn Bn ASTA Plt April 1966 to Jan 1968)


Satellite of Phu Loi 2008

Phu Loi was home to the following units, please note this is not a complete listing.
Some of these units were support to Phu Loi, and may have been head quartered else where.
Research in progress for specific command and major unit of assignment.

HHD 1st Aviation Battalion, 1st ID was HQ'erd at Phu Loi.
          1st Infantry Division Aviation Units
          Darkhorse Control D/1/4th Cav.           (RELATED PAGES:1/4^th Cav -- A/1/4^th Cav)

HHD 11th Aviation Battalion - Phu Loi, was made up of Helicopter companies.
UH-1 Units with Gun teams --
          11th Avn Bn Inf Det "Guns"
          128th AHC Tomahawks, Gunslingers, Phu Loi,
          162nd AHC Vultures and Copperheads, Phouc Vinh
          173rd AHC Robin Hoods and Crossbows Lai Khe,
Ch-47 Chinook units --
          178th ASHC Boxcars: 6/1966-4/1967;
          205th ASHC Geronimos;
          213th ASHC Blackcats; ( A second 213th website)

Firebase Phu Loi Jim Benner's Tribute Homepage to the 205th ASHC & 612th Trans Det.

Other units links that I have found that were at Phu Loi, over the years of US occupation.
20th Transportation Bn: 605th Transportation Co., and the 539th Transportation Company (Hexmates), Patches
          520th Transportation Battalion (PIPESMOKE RECOVERY)
74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co., (Aloft)
2nd bn. 32nd FA., HHB and Service Battery were assigned from November 1970 until leaving country in January of 1972, occuping the area that was formerly the 34th Eng. Bn. area. 2/32 FA (Proud Americans)

I also understand that the Navy "Seawolves" Gunship teams were stationed off and on at Phu Loi, but I have not been able to confirm this. [You are correct the Navy Seawolves moved to Phu Loi in May 1971 and stayed about a year. If you look at the Seawolves website under pictures than detachment 6 you will see pictures of the team. Detachment 6] Information provided my George St. Martin "stmarting at msn.com".

1st Platoon, Company C, 720th MP Bn, Information from: Igor Shukoff 11/67 to 11/68, Phu Cuong and Phu Loi Bar Patrol, check point and convoy duties. 720th Reunion Page, Current Unit Web Page,

A complete list of units based at Phu Loi can be seen at the Tomahawk web site at
Other mlitary units at Phu Loi - 1965 - 1972: at VietnamExperience.Com

Further information about 11th Avn. Bn. RVN at
11th CAB, 12th CAG - Phu Loi - III Corps This is a great site....
Photo Page

Photos
1967 Photos, 213th ASHC, "Black Cat"     1966 Photos,168th Eng Bn.,     Company Area,1st Avn Bn

----------NOTE----------

The 12th Combat Aviation Group was formed in Vietnam on August 28,1965 and was located at Tan Son Nhut (Saigon) until June 29, 1966 when it moved to Long Binh. During this period we supported the major infantry units in III Corps including the 1st Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division, 5th Special Forces. In 2007 became 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, V Corp, EUCOM.

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HHD 11th Aviation Battalion (Combat), de-activated September 1972.
HHD 11th Avn Bn was reactivated in in West Germany to support V Corps in 1972, and appears to have replaced the 18th Avn Bn, which was de-activated, and was stationed at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, Hanau AAF, Germany.
In 1987 it was de-activated and reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment
17 Nov 1987 it was re-activated as 1st Battalion, 11th Aviation Regiment(ATC), provides all Air Traffic Control services and flight simulation support for USAAVNC/Fort Rucker and the National Airspace System.

2004 the unit was transferred from 1st Aviation Brigade to become part of the
US Army Air Traffic Service Command, continuing its assigned mission at Ft Rucker.