Marble Mountain Air Facility Marble Mountain Air Facility ( MMAF ) was an aviation facility used primarily by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War . It was a helicopter facility that was constructed in August 1965 and served as home to Marine Aircraft Group 16 , the 5th Special Forces Group and an assortment of other squadrons until May 1971 . It was controlled by the United States Army from May 1971 through August 1972 and finally by the South Vietnamese Air Force from August 29 , 1972 through March 29 , 1975 when it fell to the North Vietnamese Army . It was located in Quang Nam Province southeast of Da Nang Air Base on a strip of beach between China Beach and the Marble Mountains . History . On July 28 , 1965 , President Lyndon B . Johnson announced that the U . S . would increase the number of its forces in South Vietnam from 75 , 000 to 125 , 000 . Shortly thereafter the Joint Chiefs of Staff dispatched Marine Aircraft Group 16 ( MAG 16 ) to Vietnam on top of the three Marine helicopter squadrons already there . This rapid build - up of helicopters and other aircraft from the United States Air Force at Da Nang saturated the base and had the leaders of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing ( I MAW ) quickly looking for an alternate site for their helicopter squadrons . The Marines ultimately chose a stretch of sandy beach on the South China Sea that was about five miles southeast of Da Nang and just north of a series of red marble mountains for their first helicopter facility . American military construction units were overtasked at the time so the initial construction of the field was done by Raymond , Morrison - Knudson / Brown , Root & Jones ( RMK - BRJ ) . By the end of August 1965 , they had completed a 2000 ft runway and on August 26 , MAG 16 officially moved in . A week later Military Assistance Command , Vietnam ( MACV ) would approve the name " Marble Mountain Air Facility . " On the evening of 27 – 28 October approximately 90 Viet Cong attacked MMAF . They attacked under the cover of 60mm mortar fire using four demolition teams armed with bangalore torpedo es and hand grenade s . They were able to reach the MAG 16 ramp destroying 19 aircraft and damaging another 35 . VMO - 2 took the brunt of the attack with thirteen of its UH - 1E Hueys destroyed leaving the squadron with only four serviceable aircraft . The attack left two Marines and one Navy Corpsman killed in action with another 91 wounded in action . Forty - one enemy were killed during the battle along with four wounded that were taken prisoner . MMAF also saw the arrival of the first CH - 46 Sea Knight helicopters in Vietnam when HMM - 164 arrived on 8 March 1966 with twenty - seven aircraft from the USS Valley Forge ( LPH - 8 ) . On 31 January 1968 , on the first day of the Tet Offensive , MMAF received twenty - nine incoming enemy 122mm rockets resulting in one minor injury and minor damage to one CH - 53A Sea Stallion and substantial damage to another four CH - 53As . Ten CH - 46As and eight UH - 34Ds also received limited damage . Four VMO - 2 UH - 1E Hueys armed helicopters were launched in defense of MMAF and engaged enemy units . Beginning in 1969 the United States began to draw down its forces in Vietnam and by mid - October all remaining Marine helicopter squadrons were consolidated at MMAF . On 1 June 1971 Marble Mountain Air Facility was turned over to the United States Army . In February 1971 the 11th Aviation Group was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade and redeployed to Marble Mountain . In August 1972 the Group departed Marble Mountain Army Airfield and resettled at Da Nang Air Base . According to William Broyles , Jr . ' s " Brothers in Arms " , the Marble Mountains contained a hospital for the Vietcong , probably within earshot of the air field and China Beach . He describes the enemy as having been so " certain of our ignorance . . . . that he had hidden his hospital in plain sight " . Squadrons based at Marble Mountain . The following is an incomplete list of squadrons that were stationed at MMAF during the Vietnam War and the times that they were their : The 282nd AHC Assault Helicopter Company / Black Cats / Alley Cats served at Marble Mountain until approx Dec 1971 I came home in mid December having served with the 282nd AHC . Shortly later the company was disbanded .