STUDENT HANDOUT (JUL 2004)

OUTLINE

1. EARLY INVOLVEMENT

a. The country of Vietnam was one of three countries (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) colonized by France and was known as Indochina. With the outbreak of World War II the Japanese took over the entire region. With the Japanese defeated, the Super Powers decided to hold a conference to discuss the restoration of peace in Indochina (Geneva Conference). However the fall of the French rule would take place before the meeting could be held.

b. The French had established a stronghold in northern Vietnam, into which they ultimately put some 15,000 of their best troops. This stronghold was known as Dien Bien Phu. The Vietnamese then proceeded to besiege the stronghold. After the fall of Dien Bien Phu a cease fire was finally reached and the country of Vietnam was split in two, pending internationally supervised elections. Even though the elections took place to elect one leader for the entire country of Vietnam the stage was set for war. North Vietnam was ruled by Ho Chi Minh and South Vietnam was ruled by President Boa Dai.

c. The U.S. would at times fight different groups of individuals in Vietnam. The main groups we will talk about are the Viet Cong (V.C.) who were the communist guerilla fighters, and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). our Vietnamese allies were known as the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

d. As early as 1952, Americans were involved in South Vietnam. This involvement was strictly economic. On August 2, 1954, Lt.Col. Victor J. Croizat, USMC arrived in Vietnam to be assigned to the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). Their mission was to train the Vietnamese Marine Corps. This was the beginning of the Marines involvement in Vietnam. In 1962 a Marine helicopter squadron was ordered into Vietnam with the mission to support the Vietnamese in their struggle against the Viet Cong. The build up had begin and by 1964 there were approximately 16,000 Americans in Vietnam, in both advisory and support positions.

e. On August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox, was fired upon by North Vietnamese PT boats. This became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. During this time, the Viet Cong were causing even more chaos and destruction. In November of 1964, the Viet Cong attacked the Bien Hoa base leaving five Americans dead and 76 wounded. On Christmas Eve to more Americans were killed and 96 wounded as the American's Officers' Quarters in Saigon were bombed. After each of these attacks bombing raids were launched by the Americans on North Vietnam in retaliation. On February 7, 1965, the American outpost at Pleiku was attacked; eight Americans were killed and 126 wounded.

f. As a result of these incident the U.S. passed a resolution known as the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" authorizing the president to "Take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent aggression." President Johnson then ordered an increase in air strikes against the North Vietnamese. The purpose of these strikes was not just retaliation but to cut off communist support from the North. The next Viet Cong attacks was at the hotel in Oui Nhon, killing 23 Americans and wounding 21 others. As a result more air strikes were launched, this time deep into North Vietnam. We entered Vietnam to train their military and stop the spread of communism. As time went on, we became more involved in the war and began shouldering a larger share of the fighting.

g. Since air strikes were going deeper into North Vietnam, American aircraft were launched from the air base at Da Nang. It was feared the Viet Cong would attack this air base, so the Marine Corps was called in to protect it.

h. On March 8, 1965, the Ninth Expeditionary Brigade landed. The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines made an amphibious landing ten miles east of Da Nang while the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines landed by C-130 aircraft. The Marines came prepared to do their job. Scores of men and equipment were utilized. This combined force would have the mission of defending the Da Nang Air Base until May of 1965. The Ninth Marine Expeditionary Brigade became the first Marine Corps ground unit in Vietnam.

2. FROM DEFENSIVE TO OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS

a. During the period of May 1965, there were two conflicting strategies on how to conduct the war. The first of these was the Army's search and destroy missions against the Viet Cong. This could be accomplished by increasing American Forces in Vietnam and by relying on our mobility. The second was the Marine strategy, labeled the "INK BLOT" strategy, said we should first establish coastal enclaves such as Da Nang and then gradually reach out in carefully conducted "clear and hold" operations.

b. One of the most effective tactics the Marines used in winning the trust of the Vietnamese people was the Combined Action Platoon (CAP). CAP's consisted of a South Vietnamese Popular Forces platoon of 38 men combined with a U.S. Marine rifle squad and a medical corpsman. The CAP was an enlarged platoon which was responsible for the security of a single village. WIth security provided twenty-four hours a day, the villagers were much more likely to cooperate with CAP's than with the Viet Cong. Because the CAP's lived in the villages, the villagers gained confidence in the CAP's fighting ability and comfort in the knowledge that their village was truly secure.

c. On July 1, 1965, a Vet Cong demolition squad infiltrated the air base at Da Nang and damaged several airplanes. This attack made it clear that Marines would have to expand their security area to prevent further enemy activity near the base. With the arrival of Regimental Landing Team (RLT) -7 at Chu Lai, plans for the first offensive operations were started.

d. In late July of 1965, information was received indicating that the 1st Viet Cong Regiment, some 2,000 strong, was located just 15 miles from Chu Lai. Acting on this information, the Marines began planning the first regimental size operation since the Korean War. U.S. forces were made up of RLT-7 plus the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines.

e. On August 18, 1965, Operation Starlight was launched a three pronged attack. An amphibious assault from from the southeast. A heliborne assault was launched from the west and units on land attacked from the north. The 1st Viet Cong Regiment was trapped on the Van Ton Peninsula, and by August 24 almost 1,000 Viet Cong were killed. Operation Starlight was a huge success. Not only had the 1st Viet Cong Regiment been destroyed as an effective unit, but the Viet Cong had been beaten in a standup fight. The significance of Operation Starlight was the that the Marines dealt the Viet Cong their first major defeat of the war and denied the Viet Cong their sanctuaries along the coast.

f. Quang Tri Province bordered the demilitarized (D.M.Z.) and was one of the key objectives of the North Vietnamese ARmy (NVA) in 1867. Northwest of Khe Sahn was a group of Hills, 881 North and 881 South, that overlooked the base and cold be used by the NVA to launch mortar and rocket attacks. Understanding the enemy intent and the advantage of holding the hills, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 3rd Marine Regiment moved to push the NVA off the high ground. This engagement, later referred to as the "hill fights", cost the NVA 940 well trained troops/ Success in the defense of this province was due to the establishment of the Khe Sahn Combat Base manned by a reinforced rifle company and a recon company. One NVA Regiment occupied these hills and their objective was to hold them while a second regiment attacked Khe Sahn. The significance of this battle, which took place on Hills 881 North and South, was that the Marines denied the NVA control of Quang Tri Province to include the Ho Chi Minh Trail and at the same time enhanced the security of Khe Sahn.

g. Again, Khe Sahn came under siege by three NVA DIvision during January 20 to April 6, 1968. The NVA were determined to overrun and destroy this combat base once and for all. For two and a half months, Khe Sahn remained under siege. They cut off all land routes to the beleaguered base. Once again, the Marines denied the NVA control of Khe Sahn. Marine aircraft flew daily missions to provide close air support. Additionally, Marine Air flew missions to re-supply the defenders. In February, the 26th Marines were activated and sent to relieve Khe Sahn. In addition, elements of the Army's 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne were used to relieve pressure at Khe Sahn by landing at Phu Bai and Chu Lai. By the middle of March, it was all over. The NVA had not gained the popular support they expected. The American presence was unshaken and the Vietnamese Armed Forces, though initially performing well, were unable to take control of Khe Sahn. The NVA had no battlefield victories, held no new territory and had used up the equipment of three divisions. Seventy-four days after the initial assault on Khe Sahn, all that remained were mop up operations. The NVA used over 35,000 troops in the offensive and lost. The assault was a disaster. The significance of the Battle of Khe Sahn was that it denied the NVA access to the northern most provinces of South Vietnam and the Marines successfully defended this strategic combat base during a 77-day siege by the NVA regulars.

h. Saigon, Hue, Khe Sahn, and Da Nang. THe NVA hoped to take these cities, cause massive destruction, and seize control of the government.

3. 1968 TET OFFENSIVE

a. The NVA once again met with disaster. During the Vietnamese holiday of Tet in January of 1968, Communist forces launched a surprise offensive by infiltrating large numbers of their troops into the major population centers of South Vietnam. A near division-size unit of NVA troops occupied the city of Hue and the Citadel. Marines fought in built-up areas for the first time since the Korean War, foregoing the application of heavy arms to minimize civilian casualties. Fighting was house-to-house, with progress measured by yards. The city was secured on February 25, 1968. (MCCS .02.02i)

b. Tet related battles continued for four more months, but the communists had suffered a stunning defeat and had lost more than 80,000 precious NVA regulars. The significance of the 1968 TET Offensive was that the NVA was defeated in their attempt to capture major South Vietnamese cities. Nonetheless, they provoked a political crisis in the United States that changed the Vietnam War. General Westmoreland requested 206,000 more troops in order to mount a massive counter offensive. The Johnson administration chose instead to begin truce talks with the communists. At this time the overall American opinion was against any further troop build-up in Vietnam (MCCS .02.02i)

4. OPERATION DEWEY CANYON

a. The Marines found themselves involved in a joint operation with South Vietnamese troops. Intelligence discovered that the NVA and the VC had built up a well-stocked jungle base with a number of artillery pieces. From January 22 until March 18, 1969, Operation Dewey Canyon was conducted. This was a multi-battalion operation involving the 9th Marines and two battalions of the Vietnamese 1st Army Division. The success of the operations was largely due to the work of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. The ground units involved had to be transported and supplied by air. The work of the Marine Air-Ground Team proved to be very effective in his operation. The success was staggering. In addition to killing 1,614 of the enemy the Marines and Vietnamese Army captured 829,146 rounds of ammunition, 1,559 weapons, 91 vehicles, 110 tons of rice, 2 tons of salt, 2 major headquarters and one major communications center. American losses were 130 killed and 932 wounded, but we had now gained control of the A Shau Valley. This operation proved to be the most effective Marine Air-Ground Team operation of the Vietnam War.

5. WITHDRAWAL OF MARINE UNITS/POST VIETNAM OPERATIONS

a. In April of 1975 the Communist forces in Cambodia, (Khmer Rouge) routed the National Government's troops and moved on the capital of Phnom Penh. It became apparent that American civilians were in danger. A call for the evacuation of all Americans was made and Marines aboard helicopters moved in to complete the evacuation. As Marines secured several landing zones, civilians boarded the helicopters waiting to ferry them to ships at sea. In two hours the Marines had evacuated several hundred civilians and left Phnom Penh to the oncoming Communists. This operation was named "Eagle Pull."

b. Operation "Frequent Wind" would prove to be a much more complex operation than "Eagle Pull" because much larger numbers were involved. The Ninth Marine Amphibious Brigade had been waiting off the coast of Vietnam for several days. The evacuation had been going on for several days with Marines acting as security elements. However, on April 30, large numbers of Americans and Vietnamese still remained to be evacuated. Over the next 20 hours Marine helicopters would fly over 600 sorties evacuating almost 7,000 people from Saigon. While the evacuation was going on, Marine ground units provided security. The operation was a complete success. Four Marines lost their lives in the operation, they would be the last Marines to die in Vietnam.

c. At 1130 on May 12, 1975, the S.S. Mayaguez, a privately owned merchant ship, was seized in international waters off the coast of Cambodia by a communist patrol boat. Less than three days after her seizure, diplomatic pressure for her release failed and two Marine battalions moved in to take the ship back. Marines of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines were to board the ship itself while Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines would secure the island of Koh Tang. The ship was boarded and taken out to sea without incident; however, the Marines ashore on Koh Tang encountered stiff resistance. After the Marines had boarded the ship the crew was released from another island. By noon of May 15, both ship and crew were safe. The Marines on Koh Tang were picked up and the operation secured. Eleven Marines lost their lives and nine helicopters were shot down resulting in the loss of several Airmen and Navy corpsmen.

d. On July 2, 1976, North and South Vietnam were declared united as the "Socialist Republic of Vietnam" with Hanoi as its capital.

6. MARINE SCOUT SNIPER PROGRAM

a. Throughout the history of the Marine Corps, an often times overlooked and forgotten asset to our strength in combat has been the role of the U.S. Marine Corps Sniper. Since it's early inception during the Revolutionary War, the Sniper has been an extremely effective weapon in combat, but has never received it's appropriate recognition until the undeniable success that they achieved during the Vietnam War. One of the most successful snipers of all time was Gy.Sgt. Carlos Hathcock. With 93 confirmed kills, and the longest from over 2,500 yards, Gy.Sgt. Carlos Hathcock was legendary in the sniper community. In 1966, during a period of 3 days, he killed and entire company of NVA troops, one by one. The NVA, convinced that they were being attacked by dozens of U.S. troops, hastily gathered their remaining units and retreated. Gy.Sgt. Carlos Hathcock later received the silver star for his bravery during the Vietnam War. During 1970, Gy.Sgt. Hathcock was instrumental in the development of the Marine Scout Sniper Program, a full-time Military Occupational Specialty, which was designed to train and instruct Marines on the skills necessary to become s Marine Scout Sniper.

REFERENCE

1. Marine Corps Values: A User's Guide for Discussion Leaders       MCRP 6-11Bw/Ch1