Red Beach (or Nam O Beach), Da Nang

Country: Vietnam

Province: Da Nang

Thanh Pho GJa Nang Holiday Weather today

Date/time of update: November 21, 2024, 3:25 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Broken Clouds

Temperature: 24.95°C
Temperature feels like: 25.8°C
Minimum Temperature: 24.95°C
Maximum Temperature: 24.95°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1017hPa
Humidity:88%
Visibility: 8000m
Wind speed: 3.09m/sec
Wind Direction: 90 degrees
Cloudiness: 75%
Sunrise: 2024-11-20 10:54:02
Sunset: 2024-11-21 10:13:24

The Red Beach Two, which was the code name of a secret landing point in Da Nang where the first US combat troops were deployed to South Vietnam in 1965, is the Nam O Beach as it is locally named.

The beach is in the area of the Nam O Village. During the war, the Nam O Fishing Village was the only village in the neighborhood facing the sea. The Nam O Beach then was a strip of sand stretching for 5-7km south and up to the base of the Hai Van Pass which is 5km to the north.

The Nam O Beach (once called Red Beach 2 by US Marines) in Da Nang Vietnam

There was a debate about the real Red Beach Two as some local tourist facilities to the south of the Nam O Beach attached their business names to Red Beach as a marketing trick. And this has caused confusion to the visitors.

The Nam O Beach (or Red Beach 2) where the first US Marines were deployed to South Vietnam in 1965

The Historian Association of Da Nang co-hosted a forum with Da Nang Museum on 6-March-2015 to make official clarifications as to which beach was the Red Beach Two.

A fisherman of the Nam O Village recalled the event on 8-March-1965 that he saw several Big-Opening-Mouth Ships landed at a point 1km south of the Nam O Village, near the French Tranchee Blockhouse. Soon, there were several amphibious vehicles making landfall and some made to to the edge of the Nam O Village. He also remembered a few months before that there were US Army personnel who inspected the site and who planted flag markers in the water as well as on the nearby Xuan Duong Mountain.

Another villager cited that he did not go to school on the day (8-March-1965) but went to the beach to pick fruits from wild trees growing on the coast. He saw Big-Mouth Ships landing near the French Tranchee Blockhouse and several small amphibious vehicles making landfall queuing on the beach. At noon, the troops set up tents on the cemetery with several armor vehicles and amphibious vehicles transporting military equipment and materiel to the shore. The French Blockhouse was removed when the coastal road was built.

That day, the US troops with the total of nearly 6,000 personnel comprised of the 9th Marine Regiment regimental headquarters (company-sized) and three battalion landing teams (BLT, Marine expeditionary unit). Shortly after arrival, the US troops had a series of buildups and engagements in several places in South Vietnam. As the war intensified, several hundreds US servicemen were deployed to South Vietnam.

It is worth noting that on 30-August-1858 Da Nang was also chosen to be attacked by the the alliance of French-Spanish troops. Though they failed in the first attempts at Da Nang but the French split the force and part moved to attack Vung Tau (10-February-1859), Can Gio (11-February-1859) and managed to arrive by the Saigon River on 15-February-1859. On 16-February-1859 French artillery opened fire on the Saigon-Gia Dinh Citadel driving the defenders away. On 17-February-1859 The French and their warships managed to capture Saigon- Gia Dinh. The troops marched on the road later named Citadelle (Ton Duc Thang Street now).

The Nam O Beach (Red Beach 2) viewed from the Nam O Bridge

The Hoang Sa Islands (Paracel Archipelago) is under the administration of Da Nang City. But the islands were attacked and invaded by Chinese troops on 19-January-1974 and remain under Chinese occupation since then. The invasion took place when war was raging in inland Vietnam.

Paradissa with knowledgeable specialist tour guides offers historical tours and battlefield tours in Vietnam.