Catapult Crew Prepares Skyhawk for Launch, June 3, 1968.

“Cat Shot: Members of Marine Aircraft Group 12 [MAG-12] catapult crew at the Chu Lai Air Base position a Skyhawk aircraft for launch. The catapult was employed to launch bomb-loaded attack aircraft from the short aluminum mat runway of Marine expeditionary air field at Chu Lai. Now that Chu Lai has a 10,000 foot runway, the expeditionary catapult and aluminum mat runway is maintained only for emergency operations (official USMC photo by 1st Lieutenant Joe Collins).”

From the Jonathan Abel Collection (COLL/3611), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections.

The Chu Lai Air Base was used from 1965-1972 by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army.