“Sand and Steel” is a U.S. Marine Corps special film report from circa 1965. It highlights the construction of the Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam, and features the United States Seventh Fleet, the Seabees of the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Ten, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.

The film opens with an aerial of an American fighter bomber attacking a communist installation in Vietnam (0:19). It drops a bomb on the ground below and fires again. An explosion is seen in the distance. The fighter jet was designed for air support and is capable of delivering bombs, rockets, and guided missiles. It slowly descends closer to the surface in order to get an accurate shot, fires again, then ascends to safety.

A fighter bomber is seen flying overhead (2:12), then a quick cut to a series of landings at the Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam. The field was built primarily for Marine support aircraft, and each piece is portable.

Viewers see scenes of various Marines and workers on the airstrip. A traffic navigator directs an incoming jet (2:42). A pilot is seen in the cockpit (2:47). Two men sit inside the control tower (2:59). A worker directs a truck as it descends from the cargo hold. A plane takes off from the runway and flies overhead.

The film cuts to a desolate sandy field covered in brush (3:30). This is the site where Chu Lai airstrip was built. Marines step onto the shore in South Vietnam, unloading equipment (3:48). They head into the brush and scout the land, hoping to find enough space to seize and defend in order to create the airfield. A Marine looks out of his binoculars (4:20).

Marines arrive to the site in helicopters (4:24). They land and quickly deboard, weapons and gear in hand, before the helicopter takes off. They survey the terrain (4:58). The Navy Seabees begin work on the airfield, using earthmovers to level the land (5:07). The earthmovers struggle in the sand, getting stuck. The Seabees interlock aluminum plank matting (AM-2) that each weigh 144 pounds (5:42). A Seabee pounds the matting into place (5:50).

Marines walk in formation, patrolling the area surrounding the developing airfield (6:12). They walk towards a hut and investigate (6:25). They speak with a group of local villagers, who assist them in pointing out the hiding spots of the Viet Cong guerilla fighters (6:35). The Marines examine medical stores, caches of food and other supplies. They flip through a Communist propaganda pamphlet. Guerilla fighters sit in the sand, while a Marine guards them with an M14 rifle in hand (6:58).

Marines patrol through tall brush (7:09). They take a break to rest, eat, hydrate, and cool down. Shortly after, they grab their weapons and pursue the enemy, running through the brush.

Back on the shore, the Seabees continue to level the field (8:23). They adjust the interlocking panels until they fit into place. Various workers continue to construct the airfield. Two men sit atop a truck (9:32). Two others sit inside the control tower (9:46). Viewers see a series of Skyhawk jets landing on the airstrip, and a close-up of a Skyhawk taxiing on the runway, the pilot visible in the cockpit (10:33).

The ground crew guides the Skyhawks and prepares to refuel and arm them (10:43 ). Various scenes follow of work on the air base. Equipment is unloaded from a cargo plane (11:46). Viewers see a close-up of barrels of jet fuel. Two men transport air-to-ground rockets along the field. Another cleans 20mm shells for aircraft cannons (12:00). Viewers see a close-up of food rations and containers of water.

The film cuts to a group of armed Marines (12:15). They engage in various recreational activities. One Marine relaxes in the shade of a makeshift shelter, smoking a cigarette. Another rinses off in a shower, and a third writes letters back home. A Marine sits among letters and care packages (12:43), while another works on a money order to send home. Marines engage in personal grooming. They are seen washing their socks in a bucket, getting their hair cut, brushing their teeth, and shaving.

Marines carry their gear as they patrol (13:15). One observes the terrain below from a lookout point, while others wait in the heat in foxholes. A group of Marines gather in prayer, kneeling on one knee (14:00). One shakes hands with a young girl as he is surrounded by Vietnamese children (14:13). The film closes with a final shot of Chu Lai Air Base as a plane takes off.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com