Tây Ninh is a province in the Southeast region of Vietnam on the border with Cambodia. Its capital is the town of Tây Ninh. The Cao Đài religion originated in Tây Ninh. It is the birthplace of Trình Minh Thế, a nationalist and military leader during the end of the First Indochina War (1946-1954). Tây Ninh Combat Base was established in 1966 approximately 5 km west of the city of Tây Ninh. On 21 June 1969, after two days of shelling, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) attacked the base and Tây Ninh City but were repulsed, suffering 194 dead for the loss of 10 Americans. In April 1970 the base was used as a staging area for U.S. units participating in the Cambodian Campaign for attacks west into the Parrot’s Beak and north into the Fish Hook, border regions with Cambodia. The base was handed over to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in September 1970. After the Fall of Saigon, the base came under the control of the PAVN.
