Related Pages:
Det 2, 175th RRC
Bill Kosek's Con Son Photo Album
Con Son is about 150 miles off the Vietnam coast southeast of Saigon* and was mainly a prison Island for the RVN; home of the so-called Tiger Cages which did make the news on ocasion.
Another View:
(From the Website's Email Contact)
YourName? Bob
YourEmail xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
Subject? Con Son
Message:
Two Army landing craft visited the island in 1969. We were delivering useless bags of hardened cement. The stuff had been stored in open marshalling yards, during monsoon, and the bags had ruptured. It was useless when it was loaded. The other captain and I had the temerity to point out that fact, and it was almost like being back in "basic." Shut up, soldier, and haul cargo. Anyway, we delivered the stuff and spent a few days on the island. Beautiful place, for a visit. I don't recall seeing any fence lines, of any importance. Political prisoners and criminal offenders were wandering around the island, with impunity, ala Devil's Island, performing odd jobs (of a "houseboy" nature) for the Army and Coast Guard personnel.
The Army guys were living in thrown together huts and the Coasties were in neat air-conditioned modular type buildings. They had wall to wall carpets, so to speak, and the Army didn't even have wall to wall floors. Highly placed Saigon muckety mucks used the place as a quiet little getway spot. I guess there were unscheduled flights into the pretty basic little airstrip. If they ever get their act together that place would be more beautiful than Hawaii.
*I use mostly in era terms and place names - Such as Saigon, RVN etc.
Con Son Island RVN, ARVN DF Detachment
I was on Con Son Island when that beach photo was taken, I was there from June 67 to July 68.......Did a lot of R & R on that beach at the end of the runway. I remember party flights coming out on Sundays from Saigon, mostly Embassy types with their guests. Always brought their own food/beer with them. I have a few photos.
Navy Seabees were building more permanent facilities for the Air Force radar site operators up on the hill, Army ( and a couple of Australian contractors ) ran the Decca Site. Most of these folks ate their meals at the Coast Guard Loran Station in the air-conditioned dining hall. Everyone gathered there watch the nightly movie, except on Saturday night. That's when the "club" opened up. I ran electricity down to the club so we could have lighting and listen to AFN radio. The only USO visitor we ever had was "Martha Raye". General Westmoreland stopped in once for a formal inspection. The only day I ever had to wear a "uniform".
Yes, the island could be turned into one really nice resort, given time and money for developement..............