See also: Which 2/5 companies took part in each operation — Companies E, F, G, H and H&S at a glance.
| 2nd BATTALION, 5th MARINES — 1st MARINE DIVISION | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIETNAM WAR OPERATIONS | 1966 – 1971 | Arranged in Chronological Date Sequence | 59 Total Operations | |||||||||||
| Name of Operation | Mission Purpose / Objective | Dates of Operation | Locations / Cities | USMC Units Involved | Mission Results | USMC KIA | USMC Wounded | Enemy KIA | Enemy Wounded | TAOR (Tactical Area of Responsibility) | Notes / Source References |
| Operation Utah | Search and destroy operation to locate and engage the North Vietnamese 21st Regiment in the Quang Ngai area. Marines and ARVN forces air- assaulted into the area to destroy enemy forces threatening provincial towns. This was the Marines' first major contact with North Vietnamese Army regulars. | 4–7 March 1966 | Northwest of Quang Ngai City; Binh Son District; Quang Ngai Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Marine battalions in Utah were 2/7 (primary assault), 3/1, 2/4 and 1/7 with the ARVN 2d Division. 2/5 was still training at Camp Schwab, Okinawa; it did not reach Vietnam until April 1966. | Operation as a whole: the North Vietnamese 21st Regiment suffered heavy casualties and withdrew. H Company had no part in the operation. | H Company: none – not in Vietnam. Whole operation: 98 (all USMC forces; previously recorded figure) | H Company: none. Whole operation: 278 (all USMC forces; previously recorded figure) | Whole operation: approximately 600 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Quang Ngai Province, I Corps; approximately 25 km northwest of Quang Ngai City | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously stated that H Company, 2/5 took part in a supporting role. The 2/5 Command Chronology for 23 February – 5 April 1966 places the battalion at Camp Schwab, Okinawa for the whole period. Hotel Company landed at Chu Lai on 13 April 1966, five weeks after Utah ended. Shulimson's official account of Utah (chapter 7) names 2/7, 3/1, 2/4 and 1/7 and never mentions 2/5. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, 23 February – 5 April 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048067); Jack Shulimson, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 (HQMC, 1982), ch. 7. |
| Operation Wyoming | Search and destroy mission in the northwestern portion of Ly Tin District, Quang Tin Province, northwest of Chu Lai, under 1st Marines Operation Order 327-66. 2/5's first operation in Vietnam. | 260730H April 1966 – 011922H May 1966 (2/5 after action report) | Northwestern Ly Tin District, Quang Tin Province; Landing Zone Eagle; Hill 69 complex, Chu Lai TAOR | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol R.H. Uskurait) with Company E (-)(Rein) (Capt J.L. Cooper) and Company F (Rein) (1stLt G.E. Burgett); 3d Platoon, Company E as battalion reserve (2ndLt T.J. Ebbert); controlling HQ 1st Marines. Supported by 1st Battalion, 11th Marines. | Companies E and F were lifted by helicopter from Hill 69 into LZ Eagle on 26 April and conducted detailed search and destroy sweeps without major initial contact. Scattered small-arms contacts on 30 April as the battalion moved to the truck point; last elements returned to the Hill 69 complex on 1 May. Heat casualties were significant. One VC suspect captured. | 2/5 total: 1 KIA and 1 died of wounds. H Company: none – not engaged. | 2/5 total: 17 WIA. H Company: none. | Enemy losses reported only as probable/possible; 1 VC suspect captured | Unknown | Quang Tin Province, I Corps; northwest of Chu Lai | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. 2/5 did take part, but only with Companies E and F. The 2/5 Command Chronology for 8–30 April 1966 states: "A detachment from H&S Co, Co 'E', and Co 'F' participated." The combat after action report (in the May 1966 chronology) lists the same task organization. Hotel Company had taken over its sector of the Chu Lai TAOR on 14 April 1966 and stayed there. Corrected dates: the operation ran to 1 May 1966, not 30 April. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, April 1966 and May 1966, the latter including the Combat After Action Report for Wyoming dated 9 May 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048068 and 1201048069). |
| Operation Apache | Heliborne assault into a landing zone in the Quan Ly Tin area, seizure of Objective Cobra, establishment of a battalion combat base, and extensive search and destroy operations throughout the TAOR. Reconnaissance units were inserted first by helicopter into landing zones Canary, Sparrow and Robin to set up observation posts. Enemy expected: the 1st VC Regiment (32nd) and the Ly Tin and Ky Chanh guerrilla companies, estimated at 120 men in the local company and 250 in the battalion. | 090600H – 122000H June 1966. 2/5 Operation Order 305-66 was issued on 1 June 1966; the initial briefing was held on 5 June and a second on 7 June. | Quan Ly Tin (Ly Tin District), Quang Tin Province; Phu Duc (4); Ngoc Nha (4); Ky Chanh; the Hill 68 complex; Hill 130; Tam Ky. Launched from and returned to the Hill 69 combat base; Company B, 1/5 was lifted out to Hill 54. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Controlling headquarters: 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol Walter Moore) with Company E (Rein) (Capt J. L. Cooper) and Company F (Rein) (1stLt G. S. Burgett). Attached: a detachment of H&S Company; a helicopter support team of the 1st Shore Party Battalion; a platoon of Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion; engineer squads of the 1st Engineer Battalion; Battery E and the 4.2-inch mortar battery of 2/11; Battery L, 4/11; Company A (-), 1st Tank Battalion; Tam Ky Popular Forces squads; S-2 scouts, interpreters, tank liaison, 81mm mortar sections and sniper teams of the 5th Marines (two teams with Company E and three with Company F). Battalion reserve: Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. | 9 Jun: the battalion lifted from Hill 69 (BT 468073) into LZ Cobra. Company E landed about 1,000 metres east of the scheduled zone at 0645, Command Group Bravo at 0715, Company F at 0740; all units were in by 0745 with no enemy contact. At 1020 the battalion assaulted toward Phu Duc (4) from the Hill 68 complex against long-range sniper fire; the sweep of the village produced 4 VC killed, 4 wounded and 4 captured. Company B, 1/5 was lifted in as reserve at 1230 and a Popular Forces platoon flew in from Tam Ky at 1400 and was split among the companies. | None. The after action report records 0 killed and 0 died of wounds. | 3 WIA. Four medical evacuation requests were made, with an average helicopter reaction time of 30 minutes; casualties were mostly heat exhaustion treated in the field, with shrapnel wounds evacuated to 1st Medical Battalion. Four Marines were evacuated for illness on 11 June. | 24 VC KIA confirmed and 41 possible | 24 VC WIA possible; 13 VC captured (VCC) and 13 VC suspects (VCS). Captured: 7 tons of rice, 25 pounds of documents, assorted uniforms, a hand grenade, 60 rounds of submachine gun ammunition and a training notebook with map symbols. | 2/5 TAOR, Chu Lai, Quang Tin Province (Ly Tin District) | CREATED 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 FROM PRIMARY SOURCES. CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT TAKE PART, AND APACHE WAS NOT HOTEL COMPANY'S FIRST OPERATION. It was requested as Hotel Company's first operation of 1966; the Combat Operation After Action Report does not support that. Its task organization lists only Company E (Rein) under Capt Cooper and Company F (Rein) under 1stLt Burgett as the manoeuvre companies, with Company B, 1/5 as battalion reserve, and no entry in the four-day sequence of events names Company H. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, June 1966, including the Combat Operation After Action Report for Operation Apache dated 22 June 1966, 2/5 Operation Order 305-66 and Frag Orders 7-66, 14-66 and 15-66 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201…. |
| Operation Kansas | Reconnaissance-in-force in the Que Son Valley between Tam Ky and Hiep Duc after reports that the North Vietnamese 2d (620th) Division had entered the valley. Planned as an eight-battalion Marine-ARVN operation. When the Vietnamese Marine battalions were withdrawn, it was cut back to a reconnaissance effort supported by artillery, with infantry ready to exploit. | 17–22 June 1966 (official dates). The reconnaissance phase began 13 June; recon teams and artillery stayed in the area until 27–28 June. | Tam Ky; Hiep Duc; Nui Loc Son; Nui Vu (Hill 488); Hill 555; Thang Binh; Hill 29; Tien Phuoc Special Forces Camp; Quang Tin and Quang Nam Provinces | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Task Force X-Ray (BGen William A. Stiles); 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (LtCol Arthur J. Sullivan); 1st Force Reconnaissance Company; Company C, 1/5 (relief of Howard's platoon); Company E, 2/5 (B-52 strike exploitation, 21 June); 3/1 (artillery security); 4/11, 4/12 and 2/11 artillery. | SSgt Jimmie L. Howard's 18-man reconnaissance platoon held Nui Vu (Hill 488) against a North Vietnamese battalion on the night of 15–16 June (Medal of Honor). Company C, 1/5 relieved the hill at dawn on 16 June; 42 enemy dead were counted. On 21 June, Company E, 2/5 was landed by helicopter about 3,500 meters east of Hiep Duc to exploit a B-52 Arc Light strike. It met minor resistance near the landing zone and was lifted out by 1015. Infantry participation was otherwise limited. | Whole operation: 15 US KIA (previously recorded figure). Company C, 1/5 at Nui Vu: 2 KIA. H Company: none. | Whole operation: 32 US WIA (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | 85 confirmed (previously recorded figure); 42 enemy dead at Nui Vu | Unknown | Que Son Valley, Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE; Company E, 2/5 did. Shulimson's official account confirms that the only 2/5 involvement was Company E's heliborne exploitation of the B-52 strike on 21 June 1966. The 2/5 Command Chronology for June 1966 records the same insertion. It places Hotel Company in the Chu Lai TAOR, ending the month on Hill 35 providing security for the 5th Marines CP. Corrected dates: the official operation dates are 17–22 June 1966. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, June 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048070); Jack Shulimson, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 (HQMC, 1982), ch. 8, pp. 131–136. |
| Operation Hastings (Lam Son 289) | Counter the North Vietnamese 324B Division's crossing of the DMZ into northern Quang Tri Province. Task Force Delta (BGen Lowell E. English) was formed to find and destroy the division. | 15 July – 3 August 1966 | Quang Tri Province, south of the DMZ; Ngan River valley; Rockpile area; Dong Ha vicinity | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Task Force Delta battalions: 2/4, 2/1, 3/4, 3/5 (after Deckhouse II), 2/9, 1/3 and 1/1, with the ARVN 1st Division and airborne task force. 2/5 is not among them. | The North Vietnamese 324B Division was badly hurt and pushed back across the DMZ. The operation confirmed large-scale North Vietnamese infiltration and was followed by Operation Prairie. | Whole operation: 126 (all USMC forces; previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 448 (all USMC forces; previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Approximately 700+ (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Northern I Corps, Quang Tri Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously listed "elements of 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines in supporting roles" and said H/2/5 "supported in operational area." Both are wrong. Shulimson's official account of Hastings names 2/4, 2/1, 3/4, 3/5, 2/9, 1/3 and 1/1, and never 2/5; 3/5 was the only 5th Marines battalion engaged. The 2/5 Command Chronology for July 1966 places Hotel Company on Hill 35 (BT 435079) in the Chu Lai TAOR, 250 miles south, for the whole month. 2/5's only DMZ service was in Operation Prairie, from 30 September 1966. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, July 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048071); Jack Shulimson, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 (HQMC, 1982). |
| Operation Deckhouse II | Amphibious assault by the Seventh Fleet Special Landing Force, reported separately from Operation Hastings. It landed on the coast east of the Hastings area. Once ashore, BLT 3/5 was to join Task Force Delta inland. | 16–18 July 1966 | Blue Beach, 2,500 meters north of the mouth of the Cua Viet River; about eight miles northeast of Dong Ha; Quang Tri Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Special Landing Force BLT 3/5 (LtCol Edward J. Bronars), Companies I and K in the initial landing, with HMM-363 (LtCol James D. McGough). 2/5 was not involved. | Companies I and K of BLT 3/5 landed with ease at 0630 on 16 July. The operation was terminated after the SLF was firmly ashore, and BLT 3/5 joined Task Force Delta in Operation Hastings. | Minimal (specific figures not available). H Company: none. | Minimal (specific figures not available). H Company: none. | Unknown | Unknown | Northern coastal Quang Tri Province, near the Cua Viet River | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 was involved in a supporting capacity and listed "elements of 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines." Both statements are wrong. Deckhouse II was a 3/5 Special Landing Force operation. The 2/5 Command Chronology for July 1966 places Hotel Company's CP at BT 435079 (Hill 35) in the Chu Lai TAOR throughout the month. It records daily patrols there and does not mention Deckhouse II or Hastings. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, July 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048071); Jack Shulimson, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 (HQMC, 1982). |
| Operation Prairie (Prairie I) | Prevent the North Vietnamese Army 324B Division from crossing the DMZ and establishing a major base area in northern Quang Tri Province. 2/5 was rushed north from Chu Lai when late-September intelligence predicted a multi-division NVA offensive across the DMZ. | 3 August 1966 – 31 January 1967 (whole operation). H Company, 2/5 in the operation: 30 September – 23 November 1966 | Quang Tri Province, immediately south of the DMZ; Dong Ha; Con Thien; Cam Lo District; Gio Linh; Leatherneck Square (bounded by Con Thien, Gio Linh, Dong Ha and Cam Lo). Departure point: Hill 69, Chu Lai TAOR. | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED – advance party that led the battalion north); 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (-) with Companies F, G and H (Company E remained at Hill 69); 4th Marines (Col Cereghino); Task Force Delta / 3d Marine Division (Forward) under BGen Lowell E. English; 1/4, 3/4, 3/7, 1/3, 2/9; 12th Marines artillery. | 30 Sep 1966: H Company and Bravo Command Group left Hill 69 at 0530H, were airlifted from Chu Lai and reached Dong Ha at 0900H to set up the battalion support base; the rest of 2/5 followed that night. 12–14 Oct: H Company in heavy contact with NVA units – 16 NVA confirmed killed and 6 weapons captured on 14 Oct. 17 Oct: Battalion CP Group ambushed; H Company swept southwest with tanks. Late Oct: 2/5 took over Con Thien from the ARVN. The NVA did not establish its base area south of the DMZ; the expected offensive never came. | H Company: 1 KIA (12 Oct) and 2 KIA (14 Oct) documented. 2/5 for October 1966: 22 KIA plus 2 died of wounds. Whole operation: about 200 (Shulimson) to 226 Marines killed. | H Company: 3 WIA (12 Oct) and 5 WIA (14 Oct) documented. 2/5 for October 1966: 137 WIA. Whole operation: well over 1,000 (1,159 commonly cited). | H Company: 8 NVA confirmed, rising to 16 confirmed, on 14 Oct. 2/5 for October 1966: about 89 confirmed. Whole operation: 1,397 claimed. | Unknown | Operation Prairie TAOR, eastern half (4th Marines), Quang Tri Province; 4th Marines AO extending about 5,000 metres east of Con Thien; Leatherneck Square. 2/5 remained OPCON 3d Marine Division, 4th Marines through October 1966. | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. The 2/5 Command Chronology for October 1966 (Texas Tech item 1201048074) records H Company as the advance party: “At 300530H Sept 1966 an advanced party consisting of Co. ‘H’ and Bravo Command Group departed Hill 69.” CORRECTION: the departure point was Hill 69, not Hill 65 (confirmed by 1stLt James J. Kirschke, who commanded H Company at the time). The official history (Shulimson, p. 198) mentions only “some probes in mid-October”; the battalion’s own record shows sustained fighting on 12– 14 October. COMMAND. H Company: 1stLt J. J. Kirschke, 1–8 October 1966; Capt J. A. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, October and December 1966 (Texas Tech Vietnam Archive items 1201048074 and 1201048075; originals at National Archives, RG 127); Jack Shulimson, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 (HQMC, 1982), ch. |
| Operation Colorado (Lien Ket 52) | Search and destroy PAVN 2nd Division in Que Son Valley; combined US-ARVN operation to clear Hiep Duc District. | 6–22 Aug 1966 | Hiep Duc District; Que Son Valley; Quang Nam Province; ~55 km south of Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 Marines; 1/5 and 3/5 Marines; ARVN 2nd Division; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | PAVN 2nd Division suffered significant casualties and temporarily withdrew. Rice caches and equipment destroyed. | 99 (all USMC) | 212 (all USMC) | 283 PAVN | Unknown | Que Son Valley; Hiep Duc District; Quang Nam Province; ~55 km SSW of Da Nang | H/2/5 participated as part of regimental ops. Source doc confirms 2/5 Marines task org. Sources: Marine Corps History Division. |
| Operation Napa (Lien Ket 56) | Regimental search and destroy operation in Tam Ky District with ARVN forces, following Operation Colorado. | D-Day 5 September 1966; units moved to Tam Ky 4 September; terminated 151200H September 1966 (5th Marines after action report) | Quang Tin Province, Tam Ky District; regimental forward CP at Tam Ky; Cam Khe (1) | H Company, 2/5 took part with ONE PLATOON. 5th Marines (Col C.F. Widdecke), controlling, with ARVN 2d Division elements. Units: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (area one, north); 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol E.J. Bronars; Companies I, K and L; areas two, three and four); Company G (-)(Rein), 2/5 (Capt J.M. Gruner) with one platoon of Company H attached, under 5th Marines control as regimental reserve and security for the regimental CP and the 2/11 artillery at Tam Ky; 2/11 (-) and 4/11 artillery; a platoon of Ontos from Company B, 1st Anti-Tank Battalion; 1st Reconnaissance Battalion platoons; engineers and scout dogs. | 5th Marines received the initiating directive at 1850 on 3 September and issued Frag Order 12-66 (El Paso) the same day; 1st Marine Division ordered "Execute El Paso, D-Day 5 Sept." 4 Sep: all units moved to Tam Ky (BT 292229). The Company G / H platoon reserve left Hill 69 at 1400 and reached Tam Ky at 1520. 5 Sep (D-Day): 1st Battalion moved into area one; its companies were probed that night by two main-force squads. 6 Sep: a reconnaissance platoon was inserted on Hill 253 (BT 183205). 7 Sep: 1st Battalion and the regimental HQ (-) returned to Chu Lai. 8–13 Sep: 3rd Battalion searched areas two, three and four against local-force VC firing from tree lines at long range. | 7 KIA (5th Marines, whole operation). Company G, 2/5 with the attached H Company platoon: 1 KIA. | 51 WIA and 52 non-battle casualties (whole operation). Company G, 2/5 with the H Company platoon: 3 WIA. | 20 VC KIA confirmed, 46 VC KIA probable | 8 VC WIA confirmed, 18 probable; 61 VC captured and 56 VC suspects detained | Quang Tin Province, Tam Ky District | PARTIALLY CONFIRMED: ONE H COMPANY PLATOON. This file previously said 2/5 was not listed. The 5th Marines Command Chronology for September 1966 settles it: "OPERATION NAPA was conducted with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Regiment in conjunction with ARVN forces from 5 September to 15 September 1966." The attached after action report assigns "Co G (-)(Rein) w/1 Plt Co H" as regimental reserve and security at Tam Ky. The 2/5 Command Chronology for September 1966 survives only as two unreadable pages, so the regimental record is the source. Primary source: 5th Marines Command Chronology, September 1966, including the Napa after action report (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201046139). |
| Operation El Paso | Coordinated search and destroy operation with elements of the ARVN 2d Division in the Tam Ky area (5th Marines Frag Orders 12-66, 13-66 and 14- 66; 1st Marine Division Frag Order 15-66, "Operation El Paso"). Enemy expected: elements of the 21st NVA Regiment, the 70th VC Battalion, the 72nd VC Main Force Battalion and two local companies (C/16 and K-52). | D-Day 5 September 1966. Units moved to Tam Ky on 4 September; the operation terminated at 151200H September 1966 (5th Marines after action report). | Tam Ky District, Quang Tin Province; regimental CP and logistic support area at Tam Ky; areas one to four west of Tam Ky; Thon Bon and Qui Xuan hamlets; Hill 26; Hill 253 | H Company, 2/5 took part with ONE PLATOON. 5th Marines (Col C.F. Widdecke), controlling, with ARVN 2d Division elements. Units: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (area one, north); 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol E.J. Bronars; Companies I, K and L; areas two, three and four); Company G (-)(Rein), 2/5 (Capt J.M. Gruner) with one platoon of Company H attached, under 5th Marines control as regimental reserve and security for the regimental CP and the 2/11 artillery at Tam Ky; 2/11 (-) and 4/11 artillery; a platoon of Ontos from Company B, 1st Anti-Tank Battalion; 1st Reconnaissance Battalion platoons; engineers and scout dogs. | 5th Marines received the initiating directive at 1850 on 3 September and issued Frag Order 12-66 (El Paso) the same day; 1st Marine Division ordered "Execute El Paso, D-Day 5 Sept." 4 Sep: all units moved to Tam Ky (BT 292229). The Company G / H platoon reserve left Hill 69 at 1400 and reached Tam Ky at 1520. 5 Sep (D-Day): 1st Battalion moved into area one; its companies were probed that night by two main-force squads. 6 Sep: a reconnaissance platoon was inserted on Hill 253 (BT 183205). 7 Sep: 1st Battalion and the regimental HQ (-) returned to Chu Lai. 8–13 Sep: 3rd Battalion searched areas two, three and four against local-force VC firing from tree lines at long range. | 7 KIA (5th Marines, whole operation). Company G, 2/5 with the attached H Company platoon: 1 KIA. | 51 WIA and 52 non-battle casualties (5th Marines, whole operation). Company G, 2/5 with the H Company platoon: 3 WIA. | 20 VC KIA confirmed, 46 VC KIA probable (5th Marines, whole operation) | 8 VC WIA confirmed, 18 probable; 61 VC captured (VCC) and 56 VC suspects detained; 7 weapons captured by 3/5 | Tam Ky area, Quang Tin Province | SAME OPERATION AS NAPA (LIEN KET 56), which it was originally designated. H COMPANY TOOK PART WITH ONE PLATOON. EL PASO AND NAPA ARE THE SAME OPERATION. The 5th Marines Combat After Action Report (September 1966 chronology) states: "Operation Napa originally designated El Paso, was conceived approximately one week prior to instigation. At 031850H 5th Marines received the initiating directive and issued Frag Order 12-66 the same day." The 1st Marine Division message ordering it, filed in the same chronology, is headed "Frag O 15-66 – Operation El Paso" and reads "Execute El Paso, D-Day 5 Sept." The 3/5 chronology lists Frag Order 12-66 as "El Paso" and 13-66 as "Napa. Primary source: 5th Marines Command Chronology, September 1966, including the regimental Combat After Action Report, 1st Marine Division Frag Order 15-66 (Operation El Paso), the Company G, 2/5 Combat Operation After Action Report dated 21 September 1966,…. |
| Operation Monterey | 5th Marines search and destroy operation (5th Marines Frag Order 15-66, 272355Z Sep 66; 1/5 Operation Order 1-66) in the Suoi Cau Chau and Suoi Giang / Song Ba Ky valleys along the Tam Ky – Tien Phuoc road, against suspected battalions of the North Vietnamese 21st Regiment (620th Division) and local VC companies. It was cut short when 1st Marine Division Frag Order 25-66 sent 2/5 north to reinforce northern I Corps, and 5th Marines battalions were needed to cover 2/5's area. | 290630H – 301150H September 1966 (1/5 after action report); the 5th Marines chronology records termination at 300600H. It was ended by 1st Marine Division message 291514Z September. | Tam Ky – Tien Phuoc road; Suoi Cau Chau and Suoi Giang / Song Ba Ky valleys; Hill 94; Quang Tin Province. Staged from Hill 54. Map sheets 6757 IV Phu Nam, 6739 IV Tra Bong, 6639 I Tien Phuoc, 6640 II Tam Ky. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part; neither did 2/5. 5th Marines (Col C.F. Widdecke). 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol E.R. Watson): Company C (Capt H.B. Darling), Company D, 81mm platoon, attached engineers, scout dogs and ARVN interpreters. Attached from 3/5: Company K (Capt R.E. Maresco) in the sweep and Company L as security for Battery E, 2/11 (direct support); Company M covered the 1/5 TAOR. Battery L, 4/11 in general support; four H-34s at Hill 54; A-4s and UH-1Es on call. | 29 Sep: at 0630 Company L 3/5 and Battery E 2/11 moved by truck convoy to BT 301189. At 0810 Companies C, D and K moved by truck to BT 291201 and at 0900 began searching along the Tam Ky – Tien Phuoc road. Company D destroyed a tunnel at 1045, and the lead elements reached BT 261188 and BT 258188 with no contact. At 1445 Company C took sniper fire from a hut near BT 237168; it returned fire with 81mm mortars and small arms and found a blood trail. Night defensive positions were set at 1630. 30 Sep: at 0810 all units moved back to the pickup point, then trucked back to Hill 54, securing from the operation at 1150. | None reported | None reported | 1 VC WIA (probable) | 1 VC WIA probable; 1 VC suspect detained and sent to the 12th Division Tactical Area at Quang Ngai | 5th Marines area west of Tam Ky; Quang Tin Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY AND 2/5 DID NOT PARTICIPATE. An earlier version of this file said 2/5 was part of the plan. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines Combat Operation After Action Report for Monterey (2 October 1966) and the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines chronology for September 1966 show otherwise. Monterey was carried out by 1/5 with Companies K and L of 3/5 attached; no 2/5 unit took part. The 5th Marines chronology connects the operation to 2/5 only because it was cut short: "The short time involved resulted from the requirement to chop the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines to 3rd Marine Division. Primary source: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines Command Chronology, September 1966, including the Combat Operation After Action Report for Monterey dated 2 October 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048007); 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Command…. |
| Operation Monterey II | Described on Wikipedia as a 1/5 and 2/5 security operation in Quang Tin Province. The only contemporary use of the name found is a recommendation: on 2 October 1966 the 1/5 commander, LtCol E.R. Watson, closed his Monterey after action report by recommending "that Operation Monterey II be conducted in the near future." His reasoning was that contact with local and main force enemy units would have come had Monterey not been cut short. | Listed on Wikipedia as 30 September – 2 October 1966. No record of the operation being carried out was found in the 5th Marines, 1/5, 2/5 or 3/5 chronologies for October 1966. | Presumably the same objective area as Monterey: Tam Ky – Tien Phuoc road and the Suoi Cau Chau / Suoi Giang / Song Ba Ky valleys, Quang Tin Province (not confirmed) | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part; neither did 2/5. On 30 September 1966 2/5 (-) with Companies F, G and H flew from Chu Lai to Dong Ha, arriving at 2330, and on 1 October came under Task Force Delta in Operation Prairie. Company E stayed at Hill 69 and came under 3/5 control on 9 October. 1/5's own October 1966 chronology places the battalion on Hill 54 controlling its TAOR, with its only named operation that month being Dover (19–30 October, with the 6th ARVN Regiment). | No results recorded. The 5th Marines, 1/5 and 3/5 chronologies for October 1966 do not mention a Monterey II. If it took place, it was a small unrecorded action; otherwise the Wikipedia entry reflects a planned or recommended operation that was never carried out. | None recorded | None recorded | None recorded | Unknown | 5th Marines area west of Tam Ky; Quang Tin Province (not confirmed) | H COMPANY AND 2/5 DID NOT PARTICIPATE; EXECUTION NOT CONFIRMED. This is a new file. Monterey II appears in Wikipedia's list of operations, which gives 30 September – 2 October 1966 and names 1/5 and 2/5. The primary records don't support it. (1) 2/5 was flying to Dong Ha on 30 September and was in Operation Prairie from 1 October; its October 1966 chronology does not mention Monterey II. (2) The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines only recommended a Monterey II, in its 2 October 1966 after action report. Its October 1966 chronology, which lists its activities including Operation Dover, does not record one. Primary source: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines Command Chronologies, September 1966 (Monterey after action report, 2 October 1966) and October 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048007 and 1201048008); 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Command Chro…. |
| Operation Dover | Search and destroy operation in Quang Tin Province (previously recorded description). | 18–30 October 1966 (previously recorded dates; not found in the 5th Marines or 2/5 chronologies) | Quang Tin Province; I Corps Tactical Zone | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 2/5 (-) with Companies F, G and H was on the DMZ in Operation Prairie for the whole of October 1966, under the 4th Marines and 3d Marine Division. Previously recorded participant: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. | Specific results not available. H Company was at Dong Ha and Con Thien at the time. | H Company: none in Dover. Whole operation: not available. | H Company: none in Dover. Whole operation: not available. | Not Available | Unknown | Quang Tin Province, I Corps | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. On these dates Hotel Company was 250 miles north in Operation Prairie. It led 2/5 to Dong Ha on 30 September 1966, was in heavy contact on 12–14 October, and 2/5 took over Con Thien in late October. The 2/5 Command Chronology for October 1966 records the battalion under 3d Marine Division and 4th Marines control all month. Neither the 5th Marines chronology for October 1966 nor 2/5's own chronology mentions an Operation Dover. See Operation_Prairie_I.docx. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, October 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048074); 5th Marines Command Chronology, October 1966 (item 1201046140). |
| Operation Mississippi | Reconnaissance in force and search and destroy operation under the 9th Marines (Operation Orders 124-66 and 125-66; 2/5 Frag Order 30-66). 2/5 was to land by helicopter in the Que Son District objective area, attack west through the mountain pass to the eastern end of Antenna Valley, and find, capture or destroy enemy forces, supplies, equipment and documents. It was also to be ready to withdraw by helicopter or on foot. | 291000H November – 071730H December 1966 (D-Day was set for 25 November and postponed each day by weather until 29 November) | Que Son and Duc Duc districts, Quang Nam Province; the mountain pass into eastern Antenna Valley; Dai Phong (1) hamlet; Son Phu (1) hamlet; Hill 90 | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED. Controlling HQ: 9th Marines. 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol W.C. Airheart): Company F (Rein) (Capt G.S. Burgett), Company G (Rein) (Capt J.M. Gruner), Company H (Rein) (Capt J.J. Doherty). Attached: H&S Company (-), detachments of the 3d Shore Party and 3d Engineer Battalions, scout dogs, interrogator-translator and counterintelligence teams. Battery E, 2/11 in direct support; Battery F, 2/12 reinforcing. Company E stayed at An Hoa. | 29 Nov: the battalion was lifted from An Hoa into the objective area under sniper fire; one Marine hit in the helicopter later died of wounds. Company G was pinned by a reinforced VC platoon with two .50-caliber machine guns until air strikes silenced one gun (2 | , 4 WIA, 3 VC KIA). That night Companies G and H held the trail line west of the landing zone. 30 Nov – 3 Dec: the battalion pushed west through the pass, which was lined with fighting holes about every 20 meters. H Company set up at AT 933376 and ran patrol sweeps. About 200 civilians asked to be relocated. H Company's position at AT 915387 took automatic-weapons fire from an estimated VC squad; it moved on the enemy under 81mm fire and the VC fled. 4 Dec: the command group with Companies F and H searched for a VC rice store, took sniper fire near AT 914388, and found rice in five bins at AT 930402. Heavy rain and immersion foot slowed the bagging and helicopter lift of the rice. 7 Dec: the battalion returned to An Hoa and at 1730 came under 1st Marine Division control. USMC KIA 2 KIA (Company G, 29 Nov) and 1 died of wounds; the after action report's casualty table is partly illegible | Partly illegible in the after action report (Company G alone had 4 WIA on 29 Nov). 49 non-battle casualties, mostly immersion foot. | Partly illegible in the after action report; at least 4 VC killed in recorded contacts | Unknown. Captured: 50.6 tons of rice, grenades, mines and booby traps, uniforms, medical kits and documents. VC suspects and ralliers were detained for interrogation. | 9th Marines area; Que Son – Antenna Valley; Quang Nam Province. 2/5 had been assigned the An Hoa TAOR on 27 November 1966. | CONFIRMED H COMPANY PARTICIPATION. This is a new file, built from 2/5's Combat Operation After Action Report for Mississippi (14 December 1966), filed with the December 1966 Command Chronology. The report lists Company H (Rein) under Capt J. Doherty in the task organization, and its day-by-day narrative records H Company's positions and contacts. Mississippi was the battalion's first operation after the DMZ. The warning order reached 2/5 on 22 November 1966 while it was still at Dong Ha under the 4th Marines in Operation Prairie. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, December 1966, including the Combat Operation After Action Report for Operation Mississippi dated 14 December 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048075). |
| Operation Sutter | Search and destroy operation in Quang Tin Province (previously recorded description). | 30 November – 6 December 1966 (previously recorded dates; not found in the 5th Marines or 2/5 chronologies) | Quang Tin Province; I Corps Tactical Zone | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. On these dates 2/5 (-)(Rein) was in Operation Mississippi in the An Hoa – Antenna Valley area under 9th Marines control (291000H November – 071730H December 1966). Previously recorded participant in Sutter: 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. | Specific results not available. 2/5's own operation on these dates, Mississippi, recovered about 50 tons of VC rice and evacuated about 2,000 civilians. | H Company: none in Sutter. Whole operation: not available. | H Company: none in Sutter. Whole operation: not available. | Not Available | Unknown | Quang Tin Province, I Corps | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. After Operation Prairie, 2/5 began operating out of An Hoa on 22 November 1966 and was given operational control of the An Hoa TAOR on 27 November. The 2/5 Command Chronology for December 1966 records the battalion in Operation Mississippi from 291000H November to 071730H December 1966, the same dates as Sutter. Neither the 5th Marines chronologies for November–December 1966 nor 2/5's own chronology mention an Operation Sutter. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, December 1966 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048075); 5th Marines Command Chronologies, November and December 1966 (items 1201046141–1201046142). |
| Operation Lincoln | Search and destroy operation in Antenna Valley, in the southeastern part of the 2/5 TAOR, against a VC local force battalion and guerrillas. | 050530H – 091200H January 1967 (2/5 after action report; previously listed as 4–9 January) | Quang Duc Duc District; Antenna Valley; Quang Nam Province; staged from An Hoa; relay station at the Nong Son coal mine | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 2nd Battalion (-), 5th Marines (LtCol W.C. Airheart) with Company F (-) (Capt G.S. Burgett) and Company G (-) (Capt J.M. Gruner); Battery E, 2/11; engineer and scout teams. | Enemy contacts involved 1 to 20 men, mostly sniper fire; one ambush, when Company F received about 400 rounds at AT 865387. The valley was flooded and many hamlets deserted; one hamlet at AT 924369 had been destroyed. A large rice cache was found. Company F returned overland to Nong Son and Company G and the command group to An Hoa on 9 January. | Not stated for 2/5; light. H Company: none – not engaged. | 9 evacuated (all causes). H Company: none. | Small numbers (partly illegible in the after action report) | Unknown | 2/5 TAOR, An Hoa, Quang Nam Province; Antenna Valley | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. The Combat After Action Report for Lincoln (2/5 Command Chronology, January 1967) lists only Companies F and G under the battalion command group. Hotel Company, under Capt Jerome J. Doherty, was in the An Hoa TAOR, and its next operation was Tuscaloosa on 24 January. Corrected dates: 5–9 January 1967. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, January 1967, including the Combat After Action Report for Lincoln dated 12 January 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048076). |
| Operation Tuscaloosa | Search and destroy targeting VC B-20th Main Force Battalion HQ along Song Thu Bon River; assault VC HQ at Phu Loi village; destroy VC command infrastructure. | 24–28 Jan 1967 | Song Thu Bon River valley; ~24 km SW of Da Nang; Quang Nam Province; Phu Loi village area | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED primary assault); 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines; An Hoa Combat Base as staging area | H Company engaged in intense fighting on sandbar island in Song Thu Bon — 17 Marines KIA on island alone. VC B-20th Main Force Bn suffered significant casualties. Enemy HQ disrupted. | 17 KIA (H Company sandbar island — documented); full total not available | Significant (figures not in public records) | Significant VC casualties | Unknown | Song Thu Bon River valley; Arizona Territory; Quang Nam Province; An Hoa area | CONFIRMED H COMPANY. DATES CORRECTED: Source document confirms 24-28 Jan 1967 (previously recorded as 'Late 1967'). Documented in Culbertson, 'Operation Tuscaloosa'. Sources: hotel25vv.com; '2-5 Military Operations Vietnam'; Culbertson book. |
| Operation Independence | 9th Marines-controlled search and destroy operation to seal off and destroy enemy forces in the part of the 2/5 TAOR north of the Song Thu Bon. | 010000H – 090900H February 1967 | Duc Duc and Dai Loc districts, Quang Nam Province. The area was bounded north by the Song Vu Gia, east by the Song Thu Bon, and west by the 1st Marine Division TAOR boundary. Map sheets 6540 I and 6640 III– IV. | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED (blocking force). Controlling HQ: 9th Marines. 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol M.C. Jackson Jr.): Company E (Rein), Company F (-), Company H (-), Company A (Rein) 1/1, Company B (Rein) 1/1. 2/4 landed to the north and 1/5 blocked on the east bank. | 2/5 was inserted by helicopter south of the 2/4 landing zone and drove the enemy north into other Marine units, while CIDG blocked the west and 1/5 and the river blocked the east. H Company was not originally scheduled to take part. It was given the mission of blocking along the east bank of the Song Thu Bon with Company F (-), and from 2 February held that line with a platoon of Company F attached. At 2150H on 6 February, H Company's position at AT 905525 took heavy small-arms fire and rifle grenades. On 8 February its 3d Platoon was in contact with 7 VC at AT 800509. | Not legible in the after action report scan (low). H Company: not stated. | Not legible in the after action report scan. H Company: not stated. | Figures partly illegible; the after action report cites a high kill ratio | 21 WIA confirmed, 11 WIA probable; 52 detainees; 293 refugees | 2/5 TAOR north of the Song Thu Bon; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY PARTICIPATION. This file previously gave no detail. The Combat Operations After Action Report (2/5 Command Chronology, February 1967) lists Company H (-) in the task organization. It adds: "Although not initially scheduled to participate, Co H was later given the mission to block along the east bank of the Song Thu Bon in conjunction with Co F (-)." Independence was controlled by the 9th Marines. The 2/5 Command Chronology for February 1967 lists Capt R. W. Layer as Company H commander for 1–28 February 1967; Capt James A. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, February 1967, including the Combat Operations After Action Report for Independence dated February 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048079). |
| Operation Prairie II | Continue offensive operations to eliminate PAVN forces south of the DMZ following Prairie I. Maintain pressure on PAVN 324B Division and prevent reconsolidation of enemy forces in Leatherneck Square area. | 1 February – 18 March 1967 | Prairie II: Quang Tri Province; Con Thien; Gio Linh; DMZ southern buffer zone; Leatherneck Square. H Company, 2/5 at the same time: An Hoa Combat Base and the Thu Bon River valley, Quang Nam Province. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Prairie II was a 3d Marine Division operation in Quang Tri Province. 2/5 had left the DMZ in November 1966 and was under 1st Marine Division control at An Hoa, Quang Nam Province, throughout this period. | H Company was at An Hoa, about 280 km south, not in this operation. During these dates 2/5 fought Operation Independence (1–9 Feb 1967) and Operation Lanoke (late Feb), and conducted Operation New Castle, County Fair and river raids in March; H Company made an amphibious raid with tanks and LVTP-5s from An Hoa on Giang Hoa (2), AT 890520. Operation as a whole (3d Marine Division): Continued attrition of PAVN forces. Marines maintained forward positions at Con Thien and Gio Linh under heavy artillery fire. Enemy infiltration continued despite Marine operations. Confirmed ongoing PAVN presence and determination to contest northern I Corps. | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 93 (all USMC forces) | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 483 (all USMC forces) | Whole operation: 694 | Unknown | Prairie II: northern I Corps, Quang Tri Province; DMZ area; Leatherneck Square. H Company, 2/5: 2/5 An Hoa TAOR, Quang Nam Province. | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously stated that H/2/5 “continued rotation through DMZ operational area.” That is wrong. 2/5’s only service on the DMZ was in Operation Prairie (Prairie I), 30 September – 23 November 1966. The February and March 1967 command chronologies place the battalion at An Hoa for both months. |
| Operation Stone | Search and destroy operation against the R-20 Main Force Battalion on and near Go Noi Island, west of Hoi An (previously recorded description). | 11–22 February 1967 (previously recorded dates) | Go Noi Island area; west of Hoi An; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. The only 2/5 unit was Company G, placed under another battalion's operational control at 0700 on 12 February 1967 (the chronology scan reads "2/4"). Previously recorded battalions: 1/1, 2/1 and 1/26. | Previously recorded results: by 12 February, 68 VC confirmed killed, 25 prisoners and 17 weapons captured. H Company remained in the An Hoa TAOR. | Whole operation: 9 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 76 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | 68 VC confirmed (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Go Noi Island area; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. The 2/5 Command Chronology for February 1967 records only that "At 120700H Co G reported OPCON to 2/4 [scan reading] for Operation Stone." No other 2/5 company is mentioned in connection with Stone. During these dates Hotel Company was in the An Hoa TAOR after Operation Independence, and it took part in Operation Lanoke at the end of the month. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, February 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048079). |
| Operation Lanoke | Search and destroy operation astride Liberty Road to destroy or capture enemy forces and equipment, so that movement between Phu Loc (6) and An Hoa Combat Base would be unhampered. | D-Day 26 February 1967, H-Hour 0700 (Frag Order 03-67 issued at An Hoa 241800H February 1967); previously listed as 25–28 February | Liberty Road between Phu Loc (6) and An Hoa Combat Base; Song Thu Bon; Duc Duc and Duy Xuyen districts; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED. 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol M.C. Jackson Jr.). Two LVTP-5s each were attached to Company G and Company H; a tank section and platoon were in support; H&S Company took over the rifle companies' sectors of the An Hoa perimeter. One company swept west of Liberty Road to the Song Thu Bon, one swept east then north, and one blocked from My Loc (2) and Phu Loc (6). | Security of Liberty Road was re-established so convoys could run to An Hoa and Vietnamese civilian engineers could reopen the road south to Nong Son. The chronology's narrative and journal scans are too poor to give results. | Not legible in the chronology scan | Not legible in the chronology scan | Not legible in the chronology scan | Unknown | 2/5 An Hoa TAOR; Liberty Road corridor; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY PARTICIPATION (maneuver company with LVTs). Frag Order 03-67 (LANOKE), filed with the 2/5 Command Chronology for February 1967, sets D-Day as 26 February 1967 and attaches LVTP-5 amphibian tractors to Companies G and H. The operation reopened Liberty Road, the only land route into An Hoa. Hotel Company's commander in February 1967 was Capt James A. Graham. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, February 1967, including Frag Order 03-67 (Lanoke) and its operation overlay (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048079). |
| Operation Prairie III | Continue clearance of PAVN forces from the Leatherneck Square area; disrupt enemy operations between Con Thien and the DMZ; maintain Marine forward operating positions despite heavy PAVN artillery and mortar fire. | 19 March – 19 April 1967 (previously listed as beginning 18 March, which was the last day of Prairie II) | Prairie III: Quang Tri Province; Con Thien vicinity; Leatherneck Square; DMZ area. H Company, 2/5 at the same time: An Hoa and the Nong Son outpost, Quang Nam Province. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Prairie III was a 3d Marine Division operation in Quang Tri Province. The 5th Marines was not part of it. 2/5 was under 1st Marine Division control at An Hoa, Quang Nam Province. | H Company was at An Hoa, not in this operation. From about 1 April 1967 H Company held the Nong Son outpost in the 2/5 TAOR, while the battalion conducted Operation Dixie (7–10 April 1967). Operation as a whole (3d Marine Division): 252 PAVN killed, 4 captured, 128 weapons seized. Marines held forward positions under intense pressure. Confirmed PAVN determination to sustain operations in northern I Corps regardless of casualties. | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 56 (all USMC forces) | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 530 (all USMC forces) | Whole operation: 252 | Unknown | Prairie III: Leatherneck Square, Quang Tri Province; Con Thien area; DMZ buffer zone. H Company, 2/5: 2/5 An Hoa TAOR (Nong Son outpost), Quang Nam Province. | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously listed “elements of 5th Marine Regiment including H Company, 2/5 Marines.” That is wrong. The March and April 1967 command chronologies record 2/5 at An Hoa for both months. Dates corrected: Prairie III began 19 March 1967. |
| Operation New Castle | Search and destroy operation across the Song Thu Bon into the Hanh Tay area. A Company F amphibious raid into Hanh Tay (2) on 20 March was mounted beforehand to mislead the enemy about 2/5's plans. | 220630H – 25 March 1967 (2/5 Command Chronology; previously listed as 21–25 March). Preceded by a deception raid on 20 March. | Hanh Tay (1) and (2), west bank of the Song Thu Bon; Duc Duc District; Quang Nam Province | 2/5 with Companies E and F in the field (Companies E, F and H are named in the narrative); LVTP-5s and LVTE-1s; 1st Marine Division air support; Battery E, 2/11 at An Hoa; UH-1E gunships. See the notes on H Company's role. | Units on New Castle fought NVA/VC troops at close quarters from 23 to 25 March 1967. Five flights of fixed-wing aircraft and UH-1E gunships gave close support, and airborne observers controlled strikes as 2/5 crossed back over the Song Thu Bon. The operation was recorded at 79 enemy KIA confirmed. An official photograph dated 26 March 1967 shows Company F crossing the river by LVT. | Not stated separately in the chronology scan | Not stated separately in the chronology scan | 79 KIA confirmed (chronology statistics for New Castle) | Unknown | West bank of the Song Thu Bon; 2/5 An Hoa TAOR; Quang Nam Province | H COMPANY ROLE UNCERTAIN. The March 1967 chronology's narrative says "Companies E, F and H continued Operation New Castle until its termination." However, its day-by-day activity list for 24 March shows H Company's patrols around its Phu Loc (6) outpost while "E and F continue with Operation Newcastle." H Company held Phu Loc (6) from 16 to 30 March. The likeliest reading is that H Company supported the operation from Phu Loc (6) rather than crossing with the assault companies. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, March 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048081); USMC official photograph, 26 March 1967. |
| Operation Dixie | Search and destroy operation (2/5 Operation Order 09-67) in the eastern part of the 2/5 TAOR, a heavily mined area south of the Song Thu Bon. | 071000H – 101600H April 1967 | Duy Xuyen and Dien Ban districts, Quang Nam Province. The area was bounded north by the Song Thu Bon, west by north-south grid line 92, south by east-west grid line 48, and east by the eastern limit of the 2/5 TAOR. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol M.C. Jackson Jr.): Company F (Rein) (Capt J.A. Graham), Company G (Rein) (Capt R.W. Marsden), H&S Company (-) (Capt M.A. Litwin), and a Sparrow Hawk platoon from Company E (GySgt J.L. White); tanks and engineers. | Companies F and G attacked through fortified, mined hamlets; engineers cleared paths for the armor and destroyed many mines in place. Most Marine casualties came from mines and booby traps. The battalion commander recommended no further operations in the area until a mine and booby-trap program had been evaluated. | Not stated in the after action report results section | 49 WIA evacuated and 5 WIA not evacuated (54 total; battalion) | 8 KIA confirmed, 43 KIA probable; 1 POW | Unknown | Eastern 2/5 TAOR; Duy Xuyen and Dien Ban districts; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. The Combat After Action Report for Dixie (2/5 Command Chronology, April 1967) lists Companies F and G, H&S Company and a Company E Sparrow Hawk platoon. It does not list Company H. From 1 April 1967 Hotel Company held the Nong Son outpost in the far southwest of the TAOR. It stayed there through April and May. The report also shows that Capt James A. Graham was commanding Company F by April 1967. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, April 1967, including the Combat After Action Report for Dixie dated 15 April 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048083). |
| Operation Prairie IV | Two-regiment search and destroy operation to clear PAVN forces from Leatherneck Square; reinforce Con Thien; counter growing enemy threat to Marine strong points along the DMZ. | 20 April – 17 May 1967 | Prairie IV: Leatherneck Square; Con Thien region; Gio Linh; Quang Tri Province; DMZ vicinity. H Company, 2/5 at the same time: Nong Son outpost and An Hoa area, Quang Nam Province. | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Prairie IV was a 3d Marine Division operation in Quang Tri Province. The 5th Marines was not part of it; in this period it was committed to Operation Union in Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. 2/5 remained at An Hoa under 1st Marine Division control. | H Company was at the Nong Son outpost in the 2/5 An Hoa TAOR, not in this operation. On 21–22 April 1967 it conducted a two-day search and destroy operation through a fortified VC village at AT 792352; later in April it found and sealed caves in the Nong Son area. It remained at Nong Son during Operation Union in May. Operation as a whole (3d Marine Division): 505 PAVN killed, 9 captured. Heavy USMC casualties in intense fighting. Operation highlighted growing enemy capability to mass forces and employ heavy weapons against Marine positions. Con Thien remained a contested position. | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 164 (all USMC forces) | H Company: none – not engaged in this operation. Whole operation: 1,240 (all USMC forces) | Whole operation: 505 | Unknown | Prairie IV: Leatherneck Square, northern Quang Tri Province; Con Thien strongpoint; DMZ area. H Company, 2/5: 2/5 An Hoa TAOR (Nong Son outpost), Quang Nam Province. | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously stated that “H/2/5 Marines participated in this two-regiment operation” and listed the 5th Marines among its units. Both are wrong. The April and May 1967 command chronologies record 2/5 at An Hoa for both months. |
| Operation Beaver Cage | Special Landing Force Alpha's part in Operation Union (Union I) in the Que Son Basin, against North Vietnamese 2d Division units. | 28 April – 12 May 1967 | Que Son Basin; Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. SLF Alpha (Col James A. Gallo Jr.): BLT 1/3 (LtCol Peter A. Wickwire) and HMM-263, in coordination with the 5th Marines (1/5 and 3/5). Telfer states that during Union the 2/5 guarded the An Hoa industrial complex under 1st Marine Division control. | BLT 1/3 fought 16 days of continuous operations; in one day-long action Companies B and C killed 86 enemy. SLF Alpha units re-embarked on 12 May. | 55 (BLT 1/3). H Company: none. | 151 (BLT 1/3). H Company: none. | 181 VC (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Que Son Basin; Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 was involved in "coordinated regimental operations." It was not. Telfer's official history states that during Operation Union "the 2d Battalion [5th Marines] guarded the industrial complex at An Hoa." The 2/5 Command Chronologies for April and May 1967 place Hotel Company at the Nong Son outpost for both months. The 55 killed and 151 wounded were BLT 1/3's casualties. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, April and May 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048083 and 1201048086); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. |
| Operation Union I | Search and destroy operation against North Vietnamese 2d Division units (3d and 21st NVA Regiments, 3d VC Regiment) that had returned to the Que Son Basin. | Began 21 April 1967 (Telfer); SLF phase (Beaver Cage) 28 April – 12 May; previously listed as 1–16 May 1967 | Que Son Basin; Nui Loc Son; Hill 110; Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 5th Marines (Col Kenneth J. Houghton): 1/5 (LtCol Peter L. Hilgartner) and 3/5, with 1/3 (SLF Alpha, as Beaver Cage). The only 2/5 unit detached was Company E, under 1/1 operational control 15–17 May 1967. | Heavy fighting, including the battle of Hill 110 on 10 May 1967 (1/5 and 1/3). H Company held Nong Son throughout: on 21–22 April it swept a fortified VC village at AT 792352, and later in April it found and sealed large caves in the Nong Son area. | Whole Union I and II: 110 (previously recorded combined figure). H Company: none in Union. | Whole Union I and II: 473 (previously recorded combined figure). H Company: none in Union. | Approximately 865, Union I and II combined (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Que Son Basin; Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 took part as part of 5th Marines operations in the valley. Telfer's official history states that during Operation Union "the 2d Battalion guarded the industrial complex at An Hoa in the Da Nang TAOR under the operational control of the Commanding General, 1st Marine Division." The 2/5 Command Chronologies place Hotel Company at the Nong Son outpost for all of April and May 1967. Corrected dates: Union began 21 April 1967. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, April and May 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048083 and 1201048086); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. |
| Operation Union II | Destroy the 3d and 21st NVA Regiments, which were moving back into the Que Son Basin, with the 6th ARVN Regiment and 1st ARVN Ranger Group (ARVN Lien Ket 106). | 26 May – 5 June 1967 (whole operation). 2/5 participation: Company F from 27 May; battalion command group and Company E, 2–4 June. | Nui Loc Son Basin; Que Son Valley; Vinh Huy village complex (Objective Foxtrot); Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 5th Marines (Col Kenneth J. Houghton): 1/5 (LtCol Peter L. Hilgartner) and 3/5 (LtCol Esslinger, later LtCol Charles B. Webster). On 2 June the division reserve was committed: 2/5 (LtCol Mallett C. Jackson Jr.) with its own Company E, Company D 1/7 and Company E 2/7, inserted northeast of the enemy to drive into the NVA left flank. Company F, 2/5 (Capt James A. Graham) was attached to 1/5 from 27 May. | 26 May: 3/5 landed at LZ Eagle under heavy fire; 118 NVA dead; 3/5 lost 38 killed and 82 wounded. 2 June: at Vinh Huy, Company F, 2/5 was pinned in an open paddy. Capt Graham led an assault on one machine gun, then stayed behind with a wounded Marine and was killed (Medal of Honor). 2/5's commitment on 2 June relieved the pressure; Col Hilgartner said it "saved the day." | Whole operation: 110 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 241 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | 701 (previously recorded figure). 2/5's share: 18 KIA confirmed (2/5 June 1967 statistics). | Unknown | Southern Que Son Valley / Nui Loc Son Basin | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said Companies E and H, 2/5 were inserted to hit the NVA left flank. Telfer's official history names the three companies with 2/5 on 2 June 1967 as "his own Company E; Company D from the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines; and Company E, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines." The 2/5 Command Chronology for May 1967 records that on 27 May "Company F chopped OPCON to 1/5 in conjunction with Operation Union (2). Company H remained at the Nong Son Combat Base." The June chronology says Company E, Company F and the command group took part on 3–4 June. Capt James A. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, May and June 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048086 and 1201048089); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. |
| Operation Arizona | 7th Marines search and destroy operation (7th Marines Operation Order; 2/5 Operation Order 20-67). 2/5 held blocking positions on the southeast bank of the Song Thu Bon, then crossed the river and swept its zone to capture or destroy enemy forces and equipment. | 140800H – 181915H June 1967 (2/5 participation; the S-2 lists the operation as 15–19 June); previously listed as 13–26 June | Duc Duc and Dai Loc districts, Quang Nam Province. 2/5's area was the northeastern part of Dai Loc District within the operation area, along the Song Thu Bon; Phu Da (1). | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED. Controlling HQ: 7th Marines (Col C.C. Crossfield). 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol M.C. Jackson Jr.): Company E (Rein) (Capt P.J. Blessing), Company H (Rein) (Capt R.W. Layer Jr.), provisional platoon of H&S Company (Capt K.A. Magyar), 3d Platoon Company A 3d Amtrac Battalion, Ontos and Army searchlight jeeps. Company F, 2/5 was attached to 3/7. | On the night of 13 June, H Company left An Hoa one platoon at a time to occupy regimental blocking positions 13–15 on the east bank of the Song Thu Bon. It then moved along the bank to the crossing site, with Company E following. Contact was light. H Company made one emergency and one priority medevac (7 Marines evacuated) and needed two resupply runs. | Not stated (light contact) | H Company: 7 Marines medevaced (wounded, injured and heat). Battalion total not stated. | 2 VC KIA confirmed; 3 VC POWs | Unknown; 33 detainees and 14 refugees | Duc Duc / Dai Loc districts along the Song Thu Bon, Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY PARTICIPATION. The 2/5 Command Chronology for June 1967 records that "On 14 June, Company E, Company H and Command Group chopped OPCON to the 7th Marines for Operation Arizona and remained under the 7th Marines control until 18 June." The attached Combat After Action Report (21 June 1967) lists Company H (Rein) under Capt R.W. Layer Jr. Corrected dates: 2/5 took part 14–18 June 1967. Arizona was a 7th Marines operation, not a 5th Marines one. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, June 1967, including the Combat After Action Report for Arizona dated 21 June 1967 and 2/5 Operation Order 20-67 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048089). |
| Operation Calhoun | 1st Marine Division search and destroy operation (2/5 Operation Order 22- 67) against enemy Base Area 116, south of Nong Son, where battalion-size enemy units were reported to be building a base area. | 250600H – 291900H June 1967 (2/5 after action report; previously listed as 25 June – 1 July) | Duc Duc District, Quang Nam Province; northwestern sector of the division area of operations; Base Area 116, south of Nong Son (vicinity ZC 1835) | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Controlling HQ: 1st Marine Division (MajGen D.J. Robertson). 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol M.C. Jackson Jr.): Company F (Rein), Company G (Rein) (Capt R.W. Marsden), 6th Platoon 1st Force Reconnaissance Battalion, artillery forward observer teams from Battery E 2/11, and 5th Marines scout-sniper teams. | The battalion attacked into Base Area 116. The S-2 recorded light enemy contact. Company E took over the Nong Son Combat Base on 23 June so that F and G could be committed. The Special Landing Force operation Beacon Torch/Calhoun (BLT 2/3, 18 June – 2 July) was a separate SLF action. | Not stated (light) | Not stated | 2 KIA confirmed (2/5 statistics for Calhoun) | Unknown | Duc Duc District; Base Area 116; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. The 2/5 Command Chronology for June 1967 records: "On 25 June, Company F, Company G and Command Group commenced Operation Calhoun." The attached Combat After Action Report (4 July 1967) lists only Companies F and G. Hotel Company had just come out of Operation Arizona (14–18 June). The earlier note linking 2/5's Calhoun to Beacon Torch/Calhoun mixed in a separate Special Landing Force operation by BLT 2/3. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, June 1967, including the Combat After Action Report for Calhoun dated 4 July 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048089); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. |
| Operation Pike | 1st Marines box-and-sweep operation against VC around Hoi An. | Early August 1967 (Telfer); previously listed as 1–3 August (the broader operation is often given as 1–18 August) | Hoi An area; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 1st Marines (Col Herbert E. Ing): 1/1 (LtCol George E. Petro) and 3/5 (LtCol Charles B. Webster). 2/5 is not listed. | Previously recorded results: about 100 enemy killed, 4 captured and 54 detained over the broader operation period. | Whole operation: 8 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 60 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Approximately 100 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Hoi An area; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY AND 2/5 DID NOT PARTICIPATE. Telfer's official history describes Pike as a 1st Marines operation carried out by 1/1 and 3/5. Neither the 2/5 Command Chronology for July 1967 nor the one for August 1967 mentions Pike. The August chronology places Hotel Company around the Nong Son outpost, south of An Hoa. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, July and August 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048090 and 1201048091); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. |
| Operation Swift (Lam Son 289-B) | Relieve Marine companies under heavy North Vietnamese attack near Dong Son and pursue and destroy North Vietnamese 2d Division units in the Que Son Valley. | 4–15 September 1967 | Que Son Valley; Dong Son (2); Chau Lam (1); Hill 43; Que Son District; Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED (attached). 5th Marines: 1/5 and 3/5 were the main battalions. Company H, 2/5 (Capt Gene W. Bowers) was placed under 5th Marines operational control for Swift and served under 3/5; Company M, 3/5 reinforced it on 10 September. | 10 September: northeast of Hill 43, H Company found a village fortified with bunkers, trenches and wire, empty except for women and children, and moved on. While it was being resupplied, its 3d Platoon (2ndLt Allan J. Herman) walked back into the village. A reinforced North Vietnamese company had reoccupied it and opened fire with .50-caliber machine guns and 60mm mortars; Lt Herman was killed trying to rescue a wounded Marine. Capt Bowers sent the 2d Platoon to the left to cut off the enemy's escape and led the 1st Platoon forward. Artillery, gunships, air strikes and tear gas were brought in, and H Company and Company M, 3/5 assaulted and took the village. | H Company, 10 September: 9 Marines killed, 6 of them in the rice paddies in front of the enemy positions. Whole operation: 127 (previously recorded figure). | Whole operation: 362 (previously recorded figure). H Company: not stated. | H Company action, 10 September: 40 NVA dead counted. Whole operation: approximately 600 (previously recorded figure). | Unknown | Que Son Valley, Quang Tin / Quang Nam Provinces | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT (not merely supporting). This file previously described H Company's role as supporting or follow-on. The 2/5 Command Chronology for September 1967 records: "Company H was chopped to OpCon of 5th Marines for participation in Operation Swift... On several occasions Company H engaged in close combat with crack NVA forces and inflicted maximum enemy casualties." Telfer's official history gives the 10 September fight northeast of Hill 43 in detail. Capt Gene W. Bowers commanded Hotel Company for the whole of September 1967 (September roster: Capt G.W. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, September 1967 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048092); Gary L. Telfer, Lane Rogers and V. Keith Fleming Jr., U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese, 1967 (HQMC, 1984), pp. 117–118. |
| Operation Shelbyville | Company H, 2/5 was ordered by the Commanding Officer, 2/5 to move into blocking positions in support of Operation Shelbyville. The chronology does not name the unit conducting the sweep or the headquarters controlling the operation. | 26–29 September 1967 (the dates Company H, 2/5 was committed; the 2/5 Command Chronology records only the battalion’s part, not the start and end of the operation as a whole). | Grid squares AT9653 and AT9652, east of the An Hoa Combat Base and north of the Phu Loc (6) position, Duc Duc District, Quang Nam Province, I Corps. | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED (blocking force). 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol G.C. McNaughton); Company H (Capt G.W. Bowers). The chronology names no other 2/5 company in this operation. | On 26 September Company H was ordered to move to the vicinity of grid squares AT9653 and AT9652 to act as a blocking force. While moving into position at AT 953525 the company came under an estimated 20 rounds of automatic fire from an unknown number of Viet Cong at AT 957525 and AT 957526. While manoeuvring toward the enemy the company tripped two booby traps of an estimated 105mm size. Forced to curtail its movement, the company pursued the enemy by fire while medical evacuations were called in, and the enemy broke contact while the evacuation was being completed. Company H remained in blocking positions until 29 September. | 2 killed (Company H, 26 September 1967). | 7 wounded and evacuated (Company H, 26 September 1967). | 2 Viet Cong killed, probable. | Not recorded. | Quang Nam Province, I Corps; the An Hoa – Phu Loc (6) area of the 2/5 TAOR. | This operation had no file in this series until now. It is a genuine Hotel Company action: the September 1967 chronology records twice that Company H took part in Operation Shelbyville as a blocking force, and it cost the company 2 killed and 7 wounded on 26 September. CAUTION ON SCOPE: the 2/5 chronology documents only 2/5’s own part. It does not say which headquarters ran Shelbyville, which unit it supported, how long the operation lasted outside 26–29 September, or what the overall results were. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, September 1967, Part II narrative paragraph 12 and the significant events entry for 26 September (S:\Hotel25\Hotel25\Combat Operations\Battalion Chronologies\1967\1967September-2- 5CommandChronology.pdf). |
| Operation Golden Fleece | Protect Vietnamese farmers bringing in the rice harvest and deny the crop to the Viet Cong. | 30 September 1967 is the only date on which the 2/5 Command Chronology records the battalion taking part. Golden Fleece was not a single operation: III MAF used the name repeatedly from 1965 onward for rice-harvest protection operations across I Corps. | Phu Da (1) area, Duc Duc District, Quang Nam Province, I Corps. | H Company, 2/5 is NOT recorded as taking part. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol G.C. McNaughton) with Company E and Company G. | Company E and Company G participated in Golden Fleece operations in the Phu Da (1) area on 30 September 1967. While protecting the Vietnamese farmers, squad-sized units conducted extensive “hole finding” operations. The chronology records no casualties on either side for this activity. | None recorded for this activity. | None recorded for this activity. | None recorded for this activity. | None recorded for this activity. | Quang Nam Province, I Corps; the An Hoa area of the 2/5 TAOR. | This file exists because Companies E and G are named in a Golden Fleece operation and the series had no file for it. CAUTION ON SCOPE: this is the only Golden Fleece entry found in any 2/5 command chronology from 1966 to February 1971, and it is a single sentence covering a single day. Golden Fleece was a recurring III MAF rice-protection effort rather than one discrete operation, so 2/5 may well have taken part on other occasions that its chronologies record under other wording, such as “rice harvest security”. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, September 1967, Part II narrative paragraph 13 (S:\Hotel25\Hotel25\Combat Operations\Battalion Chronologies\1967\1967September-2-5CommandChronology.pdf). |
| Operation Essex | Search and destroy in Antenna Valley (Hiep Duc District south of An Hoa) as continuation of Op Swift. Push PAVN/VC into US Army Op Wheeler/Wallowa; locate and destroy PAVN units. | 6–17 Nov 1967 | Antenna Valley; Hiep Duc District; south of An Hoa Combat Base; Quang Nam Province | 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (PRIMARY UNIT — CONFIRMED); H Company, 2/5 Marines; 5th Marine Regiment | H Company ambushed near Ap Bon 2 on 6 Nov; 2nd Platoon also ambushed. Captured PAVN officer cadet revealed PAVN battalion HQ in village. Bombing destroyed HQ; bn commander and 60+ soldiers killed. 16 Marines KIA during 6-10 Nov fighting. | 16 Marines KIA (H Company bore significant share) | Not specified in public records | 60+ confirmed (PAVN bn HQ destroyed); additional from engagements | Unknown | Antenna Valley; Hiep Duc District; south of An Hoa FSB; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. H Company ambushed 6 Nov at Ap Bon 2. Captured officer cadet intelligence led to destruction of PAVN battalion HQ. Sources: Military-History Fandom — Op Essex; combatwife.net; USMC Command Chronologies. |
| Operation Auburn | 5th Marines spoiling attack on Go Noi Island against the R-20th and V-25th local force battalions, in coordination with ARVN battalions sweeping Route 537 and 1st Cavalry Division units to the south. | 28 December 1967 – 3 January 1968 (whole operation). 2/5 companies took part 29–30 December 1967. | Go Noi Island; LZ Hawk; Bao An Dong; Quang Nam Province, about 25 km south of Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 5th Marines (Col Robert D. Bohn); field command LtCol William K. Rockey (3/5). Initial force of four companies: Company E 2/3 (Capt Ian J. Cahill, Australian Army), Company I 3/5, and Companies E and G of 2/5, which were placed under 3/5 control. The 2/5 command group went to LZ Hawk. Supported by 2/11 and MAG-16. | 28 Dec: Company E, 2/3 landed at LZ Hawk at 0904 under fire and ran into a fortified hamlet in Bao An Dong. 29–30 Dec: Companies E and G of 2/5 took their objective and secured the regimental CP near LZ Hawk. At 1500 on 30 December the 2/5 CP returned to An Hoa and secured from Auburn, leaving E and G under 3/5. | Whole operation: 23 (previously recorded figure). 2/5 portion: 3 WIA evacuated, 1 minor; no KIA stated. | Whole operation: 60 (previously recorded figure) | Whole operation: 37 (previously recorded figure). 2/5 portion: 6 VC KIA probable, 2 detainees. | Unknown | Go Noi Island; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. 2/5 did take part, but with Companies E and G only. The 2/5 Command Chronology for December 1967 records Companies E and G placed under 5th Marines and 3/5 control for Auburn on 29–30 December, while the command group went out and returned. The January 1968 chronology records the command group moving from LZ Hawk back to An Hoa at 301500H. Hotel Company was at An Hoa: on 28 December an H Company Marine set off a booby trap near the base, wounding two. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, December 1967 and January 1968 (Part 2) (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048096 and 1201048098); Jack Shulimson et al., U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Defining Year, 1968 (HQMC, 1997), ch. 6, pp. |
| Operation Hue City (Battle of Hue) | Retake Hue City from NVA/VC forces that seized it during Tet Offensive; clear southern Hue (New City); protect MACV compound. Most violent urban combat of Vietnam War. Official USMC designation: Operation Hue City. | 1 Feb – 2 Mar 1968 | Hue City; Thua Thien Province; MACV Compound; southern Hue (New City); Highway 1; Perfume River | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED primary assault; CO: Capt Ron Christmas); F Company, 2/5 Marines; 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines; 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; 1st Marines | Southern Hue cleared. H Company fought through enemy ambush to relieve MACV. F Company helo-inserted into southern Hue. House-to-house urban combat. Hue fully secured 2 March. Over 5,000 NVA/VC killed in area. | 147 USMC KIA (operation total; H Company bore significant share) | 857 USMC WIA (operation total) | ~5,000 NVA/VC (Hue area) | Unknown | Hue City; Thua Thien Province; southern sector (New City) south of Perfume River | CONFIRMED MAJOR H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. Capt Ron Christmas commanded H Company. H Company fought through ambushes to relieve MACV. Official USMC designation is 'Operation Hue City.' Sources: Marine Corps History Division; Eric Hammel, 'Fire in the Streets'; Wikipedia. A one-page summary of this operation is also available: Operation Hue City — Summary. |
| Operation Houston | Reopen and secure Route 1 between Da Nang and Phu Bai closed since Tet Offensive. PAVN/VC had destroyed 20 bridges and 26 culverts. Task Force X-Ray (built around 5th Marines) tasked to clear and hold critical highway. | 26 Feb – 12 Sep 1968 | Thua Thien Province; Route 1 corridor Da Nang to Phu Bai; Phu Loc District; Hai Van Pass sector | 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (CONFIRMED); 1/5 Marines; 3/5 Marines; 2/3 Marines; Task Force X-Ray (HQ: 1st Marine Division); Commander: Col Robert D. Bohn, 5th Marines | Route 1 successfully reopened and kept open between Da Nang and Phu Bai for duration of operation. Road remained operational through end of 1968. 26th Marines assumed responsibility 12 September. | 117 Marines KIA (full operation) | Not Available in public records | 702 VC/PAVN | 29 captured | Thua Thien Province; Route 1 corridor; Da Nang to Phu Bai; Hai Van Pass | CONFIRMED 2/5 Marines operation. Six-month highway security operation. Multiple 5th Marine battalions rotated through. Sources: Wikipedia — Operation Houston; Marine Corps Operations in Vietnam 1968 (USNI Proceedings). |
| Operation Baxter Garden (Lam Son) | Harvest security and S&D operation 8 km east of Hue on Phu Thu peninsula. Protect civilian rice harvest from VC appropriation; search for and destroy PAVN/VC forces in Thua Thien Province east of Hue. | 19–26 Apr 1968 | Phu Thu peninsula; 8 km east of Hue; Thua Thien Province; I Corps | 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (CONFIRMED); 2 ARVN Battalions in support | 55 PAVN/VC killed. 13 Marines killed. Harvest security objectives achieved. Part of spring 1968 follow-up operations after Battle of Hue. | 13 Marines KIA | Not Available in public records | 55 PAVN/VC | Unknown | Phu Thu peninsula; 8 km east of Hue; Thua Thien Province | CONFIRMED 2/5 Marines operation. 2/5 Marines accompanied by 2 ARVN battalions. Part of spring 1968 Thua Thien Province follow-up ops. Sources: 1968 in the Vietnam War — Wikipedia; USMC Command Chronologies. |
| Operation Allen Brook | Sweep and clear Go Noi Island and nearby areas south of Da Nang of VC and North Vietnamese forces; later land clearing to deny the enemy the island. | 4 May – 24 August 1968 | Go Noi Island; Le Nam (1); Bac Dong Ban; Quang Nam Province, about 25 km south of Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Units named in Shulimson's account include BLT 2/7, 3/7, 1/26, 3/27 and 2/27, under the 7th and 27th Marines. 2/5 was in Operation Houston in Thua Thien Province until late July 1968. | Previously recorded results: 917 enemy killed and 11 captured; enemy units displaced from Go Noi Island but returned after the Marines withdrew. | Whole operation: 172 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 1,124 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | 917 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Go Noi Island area; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 "rotated through Go Noi Island and Dodge City" during Allen Brook. The 2/5 Command Chronologies place the battalion in Thua Thien Province for all of May, June and most of July 1968: at Cao Doi from 1 to 16 May, then Phu Gia, on Route 1 security in Operation Houston. 2/5 entered the Go Noi – An Hoa area on 28 July 1968 in Operation Mameluke Thrust. The "Companies E, F and H" mortared on Go Noi on 23 June 1968 in Shulimson's account belonged to 2/27, not 2/5. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, May–July 1968 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048103– 1201048105); Jack Shulimson et al., U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Defining Year, 1968 (HQMC, 1997). |
| Operation Mameluke Thrust | Spoiling attack and S&D in Happy Valley and Arizona Territory SW of Da Nang; disrupt PAVN plans for second Tet-style offensive; destroy enemy base camps and logistics. | 19 May – 23 Oct 1968 | Happy Valley; Arizona Territory; Quang Nam Province; An Hoa area; SW Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 Marines; 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 5th Marines; 1st Marine Division; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | 2,728 PAVN killed, 47 captured. Major disruption of PAVN offensive plans. Significant supply caches destroyed. | 269 (all USMC) | 1,730 (all USMC) | 2,728 PAVN | Unknown | Happy Valley and Arizona Territory; western Quang Nam Province; An Hoa area; Charlie Ridge | Extended 5-month operation. H/2/5 operated from An Hoa Combat Base throughout this period. Sources: Marine Corps History Division. |
| Operation Sussex Bay | 1st Marine Division operation to block the withdrawal of North Vietnamese and VC forces from the Da Nang area after their failed August 1968 offensive, and destroy them in detail as they tried to reach Go Noi Island. | 29 August – 9 September 1968 (H-hour 0900, 29 August) | Go Noi Island; Song Ky Lam; Dodge City; National Railroad; Liberty Bridge; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED. 5th and 7th Marines with ARVN 21st and 37th Ranger Battalions and Korean Marines. 3/5 blocked the western half of Go Noi Island along the Song Ky Lam; 2/5 (LtCol James W. Stemple) swept the eastern half. 3/7 held a line west of the railroad; Korean Marines blocked along the Co Ca stream. | 30 Aug, just after midnight: H Company ambushed about 30 North Vietnamese fording the Song Ky Lam toward Go Noi Island; 29 enemy dead were found at first light, with no Marine casualties. 31 Aug, 2000: H Company ambushed a second group of about 30 NVA crossing the river in boats; under 81mm illumination it sank both boats with small-arms fire. 5–6 Sep: Typhoon Bess struck while 2/5 was at the far east end of the island. The battalion was lifted out by helicopter on 6 September except H Company, which was to stay under 5th Marines control and sweep back to Liberty Bridge. LtCol Stemple had H Company lifted out after one of its Marines drowned. | H Company: 1 Marine drowned during Typhoon Bess (6 Sep); no casualties in the 30 August ambush. Whole operation: not available. | Not Available | H Company, 30 Aug: 29 NVA dead; 31 Aug: two boatloads sunk. Whole operation: not available (ARVN Rangers reported more than 80 NVA dead on 31 Aug). | Unknown | Go Noi Island and Song Ky Lam; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. CORRECTION: this file previously described Sussex Bay as a vehicle recovery operation. Shulimson's official history shows it was a blocking operation against enemy forces withdrawing after the August 1968 attacks on Da Nang. H Company's two night ambushes on the Song Ky Lam (29 NVA dead on 30 August, and two boats sunk on 31 August) are among its best-documented actions. The recovery of the tanks and amtracs left on Go Noi during Typhoon Bess came afterward. The 1st Marine Division ended the operation on 9 September because of the typhoon. Primary source: Jack Shulimson et al., U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Defining Year, 1968 (HQMC, 1997), pp. 381–384 (citing 1st MarDiv and 5th Marines records); 2/5 Command Chronology, September 1968 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048107). |
| Operation Maui Peak | Relieve the North Vietnamese pressure on the Thuong Duc Special Forces Camp. 2/5 (-) occupied Fire Support Base Hill 52, then attacked west along Route 4 in a diversionary attack that became a major fight with the 1st Battalion, 141st NVA Regiment. | 060600H – 191800H October 1968 (2/5 after action report). 2/5 (-) was under 7th Marines control 1–19 October. | Thuong Duc District, Quang Nam Province; Route 4; Hill 52; Hill 65; Song Vu Gia; LZ Sparrow | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 7th Marines (Col Herbert L. Beckington). 2nd Battalion (-)(Rein), 5th Marines (LtCol James W. Stemple): H&S Company, Company E 2/5 (Capt J.A. Woggon Jr.), Company G 2/5 (Capt R.J. Poole), Company A 1/5 (Capt R.L. Cody; 1stLt S.A. Nelson from 8 Oct), Company L 3/7 (Capt G. Oberndorfer, from 9 Oct). Also 3/5, BLT 2/7 and 1/1; 3/11, 2/11 and Army 175mm guns; B-52 and tactical air. | 6 Oct: Company G took a hill at ZC 198559 on its third assault (2 KIA, 16 WIA, 9 NVA KIA). 7 Oct: Company A (1/5) was repulsed from an entrenched hill (12 WIA; 42 NVA reported killed). 8 Oct: Company E, with four tanks, took the hill at ZC 190561 (1 KIA, 9 WIA, 37 NVA dead). 12 Oct, 0400: after about 40 rounds of 82mm fire, an NVA company attacked Company E's night position; Company E held with more than 1,000 rounds of artillery, air strikes and AC-47 gunships, losing 8 killed and 20 wounded against 46 NVA killed and 1 captured. On 14 October a BLT 2/7 company entered the Thuong Duc camp, lifting the siege. | Whole operation: 28 (previously recorded figure). Company E, 2/5, 12 Oct: 8 KIA. H Company: none. | Whole operation: 143 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 202 (previously recorded figure); 46 in the 12 October attack on Company E | Unknown; 1 POW (12 Oct) | Thuong Duc corridor along Route 4; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE, AND CAPT DREZ WAS NOT H COMPANY'S COMMANDER. The 2/5 Combat After Action Report for Maui Peak (25 October 1968) lists H&S Company, Companies E and G of 2/5, Company A 1/5 and Company L 3/7. It does not list Company H. The 12 October 1968 pre-dawn attack (8 Marines killed, 46 NVA killed) was on Company E, not Company H. The 2/5 Command Chronology for October 1968 shows Capt Ronald J. Drez as S-3A (assistant operations officer) from 1 to 29 October. He took command of Company H on 30 October 1968, after the operation. Capt P.A. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, October 1968, including the Combat After Action Report for Maui Peak dated 25 October 1968 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048108); Jack Shulimson et al., U.S. |
| Operation Henderson Hill | Investigate and interdict PAVN 90th Regiment infiltration routes; clear Happy Valley and Arizona Territory; respond to intelligence on major enemy offensive preparations. | 23 Oct – 6 Dec 1968 | Happy Valley; Arizona Territory; An Hoa sector; Go Noi Island periphery; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED); 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 5th Marines; 1st Marine Division; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | 700 PAVN/VC killed, 94 captured, 41 individual + 5 crew-served weapons seized. 2/5 Marines landed by nightfall 23 Oct. Discovery of 24-page 'Winter-Spring 1968-9 Campaign' enemy strategy document — major intelligence find. | 35 (all USMC) | Not Available in public records | 700 PAVN/VC | Unknown | Happy Valley and Arizona Territory; An Hoa area; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED 2/5 Marines operation. Discovery of 24-page enemy campaign planning document was significant intelligence find. Sources: USMC Command Chronologies; Marine Corps History Division. |
| Operation Meade River | Massive cordon and search against VC/PAVN stronghold in Dodge City. Seven Marine battalions to cordon 36 sq km and systematically search and destroy all enemy forces inside. | 20 Nov – 9 Dec 1968 | Dodge City area; 36 sq km cordon; Quang Nam Province; ~12 km south of Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED); 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 5th Marines; 2/26 Marines; 7 Marine battalions total; Op Commander: Col Robert G. Lauffer; Capt Ron Drez (2/5) Bronze Star | 1,023 PAVN/VC killed, 123 captured — largest single-op enemy kill count of 1968. 2/5 and 2/26 held northern boundary from Hwy 1; heavy enemy contact at 1445 hrs. Dodge City temporarily cleared. | 108 (all USMC) | 510 (all USMC) | 1,023 PAVN/VC | Unknown | Dodge City area; S Quang Nam Province; 36 sq km cordon south of Da Nang | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. Largest cordon op of Vietnam War. Capt Ron Drez received Bronze Star. 2/5 and 2/26 held northern boundary; heavy contact 1445 hrs documented. Sources: USMC Command Chronologies. |
| Operation Taylor Common | Search and destroy Base Area 112 — major PAVN/VC base supporting 21st Regiment, 68B Rocket Regt, 141st Regt, and command units. Task Force Yankee formed to secure An Hoa Basin and construct FSBs to project power west. Medal of Honor: LCpl William R. Prom. | 6 Dec 1968 – 8 Mar 1969 | An Hoa Basin; Base Area 112; Arizona Territory; SW Quang Nam Province; mountain FSBs west of An Hoa | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED; CO: Capt Ron Drez; committed 13 Dec 1968); Task Force Yankee (5th Marine Regiment); 1/3, 3/3 Marines; 2nd Bn, 5th Marines; ARVN 1st Ranger Group; Kilo Battery, 4/13 Marines (155mm SP Artillery) | Base Area 112 successfully destroyed. 1,398 PAVN killed, 29 POW, FSBs constructed. Hotel Company earned Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and Presidential Unit Citation. LCpl William R. Prom awarded Medal of Honor. | 151 Marines KIA (per source doc); also reported as 183 (USMC) from other records | 1,324 WIA (per source doc); also reported as 1,487 from other records | 1,398 PAVN | Unknown | Base Area 112 and surrounding mountains SW of An Hoa; Arizona Territory; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED MAJOR H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. Capt Ron Drez commanded H Company; committed 13 Dec 1968. Hotel Company earned Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and PUC. Medal of Honor: LCpl William R. Prom. Sources: Wikipedia — Op Taylor Common; hotel25vv.com; '2-5 Military Operations Vietnam'. |
| Operation Oklahoma Hills | Clear North Vietnamese base camps and infiltration routes in the Charlie Ridge and Happy Valley areas southwest of Da Nang (previously recorded description). | 31 March – 29 May 1969 | Charlie Ridge; Happy Valley; southwestern Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 7th Marines (Col Robert L. Nichols) with its own battalions, 3/26 (LtCol Edward W. Snelling) and the 51st ARVN Regiment. 2/5 is not among them. | Previously recorded results: 589 NVA killed; base camps and caches destroyed. At the same time H Company was in the Arizona Territory with 2/5 on Operation Muskogee Meadow (7–20 April) and search and clear operations (May). | Whole operation: 44 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Whole operation: 439 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | 589 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Charlie Ridge and Happy Valley; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 took part in a supporting role. Smith's official history names the 7th Marines, 3/26 and the 51st ARVN Regiment. The only link to 2/5 is that 2/5 relieved BLT 3/26 in the Arizona on 20 March 1969, before 3/26 went into Oklahoma Hills. The 2/5 Command Chronologies for April and May 1969 place the battalion in the Arizona Territory (Duc Duc District) for both months, then on Liberty Bridge security from 22 May. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, April and May 1969 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048114 and 1201048115); Charles R. Smith, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown, 1969 (HQMC, 1988). |
| Operation Muskogee Meadow | Clear and search in Arizona Territory and An Hoa Basin by 5th Marines to engage PAVN/VC forces. Part of ongoing ops to deny enemy use of the An Hoa Basin during Vietnamization. | 6–20 Apr 1969 | Arizona Territory; An Hoa Basin; Quang Nam Province; SW of Da Nang | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED); 2nd Bn, 5th Marines; 3rd Bn, 5th Marines (Lima Company documented); 1st Marine Division; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | 162 PAVN/VC killed. 16 Marines KIA. Successful S&D with significant enemy casualties. Capt Ron Drez earned Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and Presidential Unit Citation for Taylor Common and Muskogee Meadow. | 16 Marines KIA | Not Available in public records | 162 PAVN/VC | Unknown | Arizona Territory and An Hoa Basin; Quang Nam Province; SW of Da Nang | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. DATES CORRECTED: Source doc confirms 6-20 April 1969. Capt Ron Drez earned Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and PUC for Taylor Common AND Muskogee Meadow. Sources: hotel25vv.com; limathreefive.org; '2-5 Military Operations Vietnam'. |
| Operation Pipestone Canyon | 1st Marines operation to clear and deny Go Noi Island and the Dodge City area. | 26 May – 7 November 1969 | Go Noi Island; Dodge City; Liberty Bridge; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 was NOT a maneuver unit. 1st Marines with 1/1, 3/1 and 3/5 (from Liberty Bridge), Korean Marines and ARVN units. 2/5 (LtCol James H. Higgins) was not a participating battalion. From 22 May 1969 it secured Liberty Bridge and the main supply route from Phu Loc (6) to An Hoa. | Previously recorded results: 852 enemy killed and 58 captured; Go Noi Island defoliated and bulldozed. 2/5's own June 1969 chronology records two companies securing Liberty Bridge and Liberty Road north, with very little enemy contact. In July 2/5 prepared for Operation Durham Peak. | Whole operation: 71 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none in the operation. | Not Available | 852 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Go Noi Island and Dodge City; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: 2/5 AND H COMPANY WERE NOT PIPESTONE CANYON MANEUVER UNITS. This file previously called 2/5's participation "confirmed." Smith's official history does not list 2/5 among the Pipestone Canyon forces. The 2/5 Command Chronologies for May–July 1969 show the battalion on Liberty Bridge and Liberty Road security next to the operation area. PFC Dan Bullock (Company F, 2/5), believed to be the youngest American killed in the war at 15, died on the night of 7 June 1969. The June 1969 chronology records about 15 enemy seen in the wire at Phu Loc (6) that night. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, May, June and July 1969 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048115–1201048117); Charles R. Smith, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown, 1969 (HQMC, 1988). |
| Operation Forsyth Grove | 5th Marines cordon and search operation. A two-kilometer-square objective in the northern Arizona Territory was sealed off at night by three battalions, then searched to deny the local Viet Cong the use of a natural sanctuary. | 010800H – 032400H July 1969 (5th Marines Command Chronology). Units moved into blocking positions during the night of 30 June – 1 July. | Northern Arizona Territory, between the Song Vu Gia and the Song Thu Bon; Duc Duc / Dai Loc districts; Quang Nam Province | H Company role NOT IDENTIFIED. 5th Marines (Col William J. Zaro): 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol William E. Riley Jr.) blocking from the south; 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (LtCol James H. Higgins) blocking from the east; 1st Battalion, 7th Marines (LtCol John A. Dowd, reinforced by a company of 3/7), fording the Song Vu Gia from the north to close the cordon; artillery of the 11th Marines. The legible 2/5 journal entries name Companies E, F and G. | During the night Riley's 1/5 moved into blocking positions on the south, coming up from the southern Arizona. 2/5 made a covert crossing of the Song Thu Bon and took blocking positions on the east. Before sunrise on 1 July, 1/7 forded the Song Vu Gia and closed the trap. The search met only token resistance. On 1 July a Company F, 2/5 platoon moving into position at AT 891554 took fire from two VC/NVA, assaulted, and killed two. Detainees and hidden food were found during the sweeps. The 5th Marines reported that the local Viet Cong were again "denied the use and exploitation of a natural sanctuary. | Not stated for the operation (2/5 lost 5 KIA in all of July 1969) | Not stated for the operation | Not stated for the whole operation; at least 2 by Company F, 2/5 on 1 July | Unknown; detainees taken | Northern Arizona Territory; Quang Nam Province | 2/5 PARTICIPATION CONFIRMED; H COMPANY'S ROLE NOT IDENTIFIED. This is a new file. Smith's official history names 1/5, 2/5 and 1/7 in Forsyth Grove. The 5th Marines Command Chronology for July 1969 dates it from 0800 on 1 July to 2400 on 3 July. The 2/5 Command Chronology for July 1969 contains an S-3 "FORSYTH GROVE Journal" for 1–3 July, but the scan is badly degraded. Its legible entries name Companies E, F and G, and no entry clearly names Company H, which may have stayed on Liberty Bridge or Road security. RELATED CORRECTION (DURHAM PEAK). Primary source: 5th Marines Command Chronology, July 1969 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201047014); 2/5 Command Chronology, July 1969, including the Forsyth Grove S-3 journal (item 1201048117); 2/1 Command Chronology, July 1969 (item 1201021…. |
| Operation Durham Peak | Search and destroy PAVN units (90th Regiment, 368B Rocket Regiment) that fled Dodge City/Go Noi Island into Que Son Mountains. Locate and engage enemy in Antenna Valley ~10 km south of An Hoa. | 20 Jul – 13 Aug 1969 | Que Son Mountains; Antenna Valley; ~10 km south of An Hoa Combat Base; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED; CO: Capt Ron Drez; committed 31 Jul); 2nd Bn, 5th Marines; 3/5 Marines; 2/1 Marines; 1/7 Marines; USS Boston naval gunfire; 105mm howitzers; CH-46 helicopter support | Limited contact during patrolling. Major engagement 12 Aug by 1/7 Marines. 255 PAVN killed. H Company platoon took heavy sniper fire moving up ridge finger to Hill 845 on 25 Jul. H Company found only sick NVA stragglers. Operation terminated 13 Aug. | 20 (primarily 1/7 Marines, 12 Aug engagement) | 100 evacuated (all USMC) | 255 PAVN | Unknown | Que Son Mountains and Antenna Valley; ~10 km south of An Hoa FSB; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY ENGAGEMENT. YEAR CORRECTED: Source document confirms 1969 (previously recorded as 1968). Capt Ron Drez commanded H Company; committed 31 Jul. Sources: 1stbn4thmarines.net; '2-5 Military Operations Vietnam'; USMC Command Chronologies. |
| Operation Pickens Forest | 7th Marines operation (the 1st Marine Division's first of 1970 outside its regular TAOR) into the southeastern part of Base Area 112, part of the allied summer offensive against Base Areas 112 and 127. | 16 July – 24 August 1970 | Southeastern Base Area 112, straddling the Thu Bon River about nine miles southwest of An Hoa; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 7th Marines (Col Edmund G. Derning): 1/7 and 2/7, with Quang Da Special Zone ARVN forces working farther west. The 5th Marines' named operations that summer were Barren Green and Lyon Valley. | Previously recorded results: 99 enemy killed; supply caches and fortifications destroyed. During these dates H Company was in the An Hoa Basin and then in Operation Lyon Valley (16–24 August). | Whole operation: 4 (previously recorded figure). H Company: none. | Not Available | 99 (previously recorded figure) | Unknown | Base Area 112, southwest of An Hoa; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously said H/2/5 took part in a supporting role. Cosmas and Murray's official history describes Pickens Forest as a 7th Marines operation with 1/7 and 2/7. The 2/5 Command Chronologies for July and August 1970 do not mention Pickens Forest. They record 2/5 on Liberty Road and An Hoa Basin security, in Barren Green (Companies F and G) and in Lyon Valley (Companies F and H). Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, July and August 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201048129 and 1201048130); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. |
| Operation Barren Green | Deny the North Vietnamese 38th Regiment the ripened corn in the VC- controlled My Hiep area. 5th Marines' first named operation of 1970. | 24–27 July 1970. A preliminary harvest-security effort was made on 15–16 July. 2/5 companies took part 24–25 July. | My Hiep area, just south of the Song Vu Gia, northern Arizona Territory; Dai Loc District; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. 5th Marines: companies of 2/5 and 3/5 with a platoon of Company C, 1st Tank Battalion. 2/5's jump command post controlled Company F, Company G and Company I (3/5) in the first phase; 3/5 controlled the second phase. | 15–16 Jul (preliminary): a reinforced 3/5 platoon and Dai Loc Regional Forces protected civilians harvesting 30 tons of corn, until sniper fire and booby traps killed 3 PFs and wounded 8 RFs, 5 civilians and 12 Marines. 24–25 Jul: at first light Companies F, G and I were landed by helicopter in three zones around My Hiep for a cordon and search; the enemy appeared to have been forewarned. A reconnaissance team ambushed NVA carrying corn out of the area and killed 7. Second phase: 3/5 destroyed the standing corn, much of it crushed by tanks. | Not stated | 12 Marines wounded on 15–16 July (preliminary phase) | 18 NVA and VC killed | Unknown; 3 prisoners, 4 weapons, about 10,000 lb of corn destroyed | Northern Arizona Territory south of the Song Vu Gia; Dai Loc District; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE. 2/5 did take part. The 2/5 Command Chronology for July 1970 records that on 24–25 July "2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (-)(Rein) participated in operation Barren Green. Maneuver elements... consisting of Company Fox, Company Golf and Company India were controlled by the Battalion jump Command Post." Company H is not listed. In July 1970 Hotel Company (1stLt L.C. Villalobos) was on Liberty Road and An Hoa Basin security; a 250-lb bomb landed outside its perimeter on 13 July without casualties. Cosmas and Murray's official history gives the operation-level figures. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, July 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048129); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and Redeployment, 1970-1971 (HQMC, 1986), pp. 82–83. |
| Operation Lyon Valley | 5th Marines' second named operation of summer 1970: stop food moving from the northern Arizona to the 38th NVA Regiment's mountain base areas by blocking trails and destroying camps and caches in the mountains on the southwest edge of the Arizona. | 16–24 August 1970 (Cosmas and Murray; previously listed as 27 July – 24 August) | Mountains southwest of the Arizona Territory; southwestern Arizona; An Hoa; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 CONFIRMED (assault company). 5th Marines. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines command group with Company F and Company H (Capt John W. Moffett from 13 August 1970); Company L, 3/5 under 2/5 control 16–22 August as a screening force. | 16 Aug: Companies F and H and the battalion command group were landed by helicopter into mountain landing zones and pushed northeast along the trails toward Company L, which screened the northern face of the mountains. The trails showed heavy use; the companies found bunkers, fighting holes, rocket-launching sites and antiaircraft positions, including a captured 12.7mm machine gun. Company F killed 3 NVA in two small firefights. 22 Aug: F and H reached the northern foot of the mountains and flew back to An Hoa. | None (no Marine combat casualties) | None from combat; 11 Marines incapacitated by heat stroke and accidents | 5 enemy killed | Unknown; 1 prisoner, 13 base camps destroyed, 2 weapons and over 3 tons of food captured | Mountains southwest of the Arizona Territory; Quang Nam Province | CONFIRMED H COMPANY PARTICIPATION. Cosmas and Murray's official history states that "On 16 August, Companies F and H of the 2d Battalion with a battalion command group were inserted by helicopter into mountain landing zones." The 2/5 Command Chronology for August 1970 records the operation "in the Southern Arizona mountains with noteworthy results." The August roster lists 1stLt L.C. Villalobos commanding H Company 1–12 August and Capt John W. Moffett from 13 August 1970. Corrected dates: 16–24 August 1970. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, August 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201048130); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and Redeployment, 1970-1971 (HQMC, 1986), p. 83. |
| Operation Imperial Lake | Final major operation of 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. Maintain pressure on NVA in Que Son District while supporting Vietnamization; provide security for ARVN assuming primary combat role; conduct small-unit patrols. | 1 Sep 1970 – 7 May 1971 | Que Son District; Quang Nam Province; LZ Baldy; LZ Rainbow (formerly LZ Vulture); An Hoa Combat Base | H Company, 2/5 Marines (CONFIRMED); 5th Marine Regiment; 7th Marines (thru Sep 1970); ARVN 51st Regiment; 6-man patrol teams with QRF at LZ Baldy; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing | 296 PAVN/VC killed, 106 captured. Small-unit patrol tactics. An Hoa handed to ARVN 1/51 on 15 Oct 1970. 2/5 Marines stood down ~3 Mar 1971. H Company among last units to depart An Hoa. Final Vietnam operation for 1st Marine Division. | 22 (20 Marines + 2 Navy Corpsmen by Dec 1970) | Not Available in public records | 296 PAVN/VC | Unknown | Que Son District; Quang Nam Province; LZ Baldy area; An Hoa sector | FINAL OPERATION. H Company, 2/5 Marines departed An Hoa early 1971. Participated in dismantling of An Hoa. 2/5 Marines stood down ~3 March 1971 after 5+ years of continuous Vietnam service. Sources: USMC Command Chronologies; hotel25vv.com. |
| Operation Catawba Falls | A large artillery diversion into Base Area 112 to keep the enemy off balance while the 5th Marines moved out of An Hoa and the Vu Gia valley and the 7th Marines redeployed. It began as a 5th Marines plan (Col Clark V. Judge) for a two-battalion infantry operation against the 38th NVA Regiment headquarters; the infantry sweep was kept only as a ruse. | 18 September – noon 21 September 1970 (Fire Support Base Dagger occupied from 26 August; guns lifted in 17 September) | Fire Support Base Dagger, on Ban Co (1,031 m), about 10 miles west of An Hoa; Base Area 112; Hill 65; An Hoa; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Phase I was run by the 11th Marines under direct control of MajGen Charles F. Widdecke, commanding the 1st Marine Division; 2d Battalion, 11th Marines (Maj George W. Ryhanych) with a composite battery of 105mm and 155mm howitzers and 4.2-inch mortars on FSB Dagger; 1st 175mm Gun Battery at An Hoa and an Army 175mm platoon (2/92d Artillery) on Hill 65; 3d Platoon, Company I, 3/5 as firebase security; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. | 76 helicopter lifts moved guns, crews and ammunition to Dagger on 17 September. From dawn on 18 September to noon on 21 September the batteries fired more than 11,500 rounds at 160 intelligence targets, pausing for 1st MAW jets, which dropped 141 tons of bombs. Intelligence later estimated casualties to several enemy units. | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available (intelligence estimates only) | Unknown | Base Area 112, west of An Hoa; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY AND 2/5 WERE NOT PARTICIPANTS. This file previously listed 2/5 among the units. Cosmas and Murray's official history shows Catawba Falls as an artillery attack run by the 11th Marines. Marine rifle companies made no real heliborne assaults; the infantry phase existed only to deceive the enemy, and the only infantry present was a 3/5 security platoon on FSB Dagger. At the time 2/5 was moving from An Hoa to LZ Baldy. Its elements displaced to Baldy on 20 September 1970, according to the September 1970 chronology. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, September 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201049001); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and Redeployment, 1970-1971 (HQMC, 1986), pp. 97–100. |
| Operation Tolare I | U.S.–South Vietnamese–South Korean operation, coordinated by the Quang Nam Province Chief, to head off a predicted wave of enemy attacks in the populated area between Hill 55 and the Que Son Mountains. | 2–15 October 1970 (Task Force Saint CP opened 2 October; operations began 3 October) | North and east of LZ Baldy; the lowlands between Hill 55 and the Que Son Mountains; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. The 5th Marines commanded all American troops, but because its battalions were fully committed, the maneuver force was Task Force Saint (LtCol C.E. Saint, USA) from the Americal Division's 196th Brigade: 2d Battalion 1st Infantry, 1st Squadron (- ) 1st Armored Cavalry, an air cavalry troop, and a 105mm platoon of 3/82d Artillery. The only 2/5 element involved was the Company G combined unit pacification (CUPP) Marines who guided the Army units. | The Army troops blanketed the countryside with small-unit patrols and ambushes, using the air cavalry troop as a quick reaction force. The operation succeeded in forestalling the expected attacks, and Task Force Saint returned to the Americal Division area on 15 October. | None stated (Army task force: 19 wounded) | Army task force: 19 wounded | 30 NVA and VC killed | Unknown; 21 suspected VC detained | Lowlands north and east of LZ Baldy; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE, AND THE CORRECT NAME IS "TULARE FALLS I." Cosmas and Murray's official history identifies this as Operation Tulare Falls I, an Army task force operation under 5th Marines control, guided by Company G, 2/5's CUPP Marines. H Company, 2/5 was then committed to Operation Imperial Lake in the Que Son Mountains; from 21 October its platoons served as quick reaction forces near FSB Rainbow. The file name is unchanged so existing links still work. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronology, October 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive item 1201049002); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Vietnamization and Redeployment, 1970-1971 (HQMC, 1986), pp. 116–118. |
| Operation Noble Canyon | 3/5's only named operation of the fall-winter campaign: clear enemy troops from the cave-riddled area around Hill 441, long used by the NVA and VC as an assembly area for attacks into the Que Son Valley and toward Hiep Duc. | 23 October – 3 November 1970 (previously listed as 22 October – 3 November) | Hill 441, about four miles south of Fire Support Base Ross; Que Son Valley; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines only. | Bad weather cancelled the planned helicopter lift, so Company L marched into the area on 23 October and searched it until 3 November despite the late-October storms. Contacts were light and scattered; no large enemy units or supply caches were found. | None (Company L, 3/5) | 8 (Company L, 3/5) | 4 | Unknown; 1 VC suspect detained | Hill 441 area south of FSB Ross; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY AND 2/5 DID NOT PARTICIPATE. This file previously listed 2/5. Cosmas and Murray's official history identifies Noble Canyon as a 3/5 operation carried out by Company L alone. During those dates H Company, 2/5 was in the Que Son Mountains on Operation Imperial Lake. Its 2d Platoon found an abandoned battalion-size enemy base camp on 26 October 1970, and it was short of rations during Tropical Storm Kate. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, October and November 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201049002 and 1201049003); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. |
| Operation Tolare II | Follow-on to Tulare Falls I, planned jointly by the 1st Marine Division and the Americal Division, to keep enemy forces out of the populated lowlands around the northeastern foothills of the Que Son Mountains. | 27 October – 30 November 1970 (Task Force Burnett CP set up at LZ Baldy 27–31 October; patrolling until 30 November); previously listed as the single date 27 October 1970 | Northeastern foothills of the Que Son Mountains; LZ Baldy area; Quang Nam Province | H Company, 2/5 did NOT take part. Task Force Burnett (the Army units of the former Task Force Saint, Americal Division 196th Brigade) under 5th Marines operational control, guided by 2/5's Company G CUPP Marines. | The Army force used the same tactics as in Tulare Falls I: saturation patrolling and ambushes, with air cavalry as a quick reaction force. | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available | Unknown | Northeastern Que Son foothills; Quang Nam Province | CORRECTION: H COMPANY DID NOT PARTICIPATE; CORRECT NAME AND DATES. Cosmas and Murray's official history identifies this as Operation Tulare Falls II, an Army task force operation under 5th Marines control from 27–31 October to 30 November 1970. During that period H Company, 2/5 was in Operation Imperial Lake in the Que Son Mountains. The file name is unchanged so existing links still work. Primary source: 2/5 Command Chronologies, October and November 1970 (Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive items 1201049002 and 1201049003); Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray, U.S. |