Mission – April 1967

S-3 Operations and Training

  1. General Summary of Operation
  2. During the period 2-30 April 1967, the Battalion was OPCON to three different commands:

(1)               3rd Marine Division (Fwd) (020800H to 091400H) and (091707 to 192400H)

(2)               3rd Marines (020200H to 020800H) and (091400H to 091707H)

(3)               9th Marines (200001H to end of period)

  1.            All operations during this period were conducted in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Viet Nam.  Worthy of note were the following activities which occurred on the dates indicated:

April

2               The Battalion terminated Operation Beacon Hill I at 020200H, chopping OPCON to the 3rd Marine Regiment from the Special Landing Force.  At 020800H, OPCON was chopped to the 3rd Marines Division (fwd) and the Battalion directed to proceed to the Dong Ha Combat Base.

4                The 3rd Marine Division (Fwd) directed this command to relieve the 3rd Battalion 4th Marines as the Dong Ha Base Defense Battalion.

6-7            The 3rd Marine Division (Fwd) directed this Command Group A and two rifle companies conduct search and destroy operations in the area southwest of Quang Tri City from the vicinity of coordinates YD 270520 to YD 300560.  Command Group B retained the Base Defense Mission.

8-9            Command Group A and two rifle companies were again employed by the 3rd Marine Division (fwd), this time providing control, coordination, and security for the movement of a motor convoy composed primarily of a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion’s Equipment from Dong Ha Combat Base to the ARVN Camp at Con Thien.

12-30        The Battalion commenced construction of a 200-meter-wide barrier strip from Gio Linh to Con Thien utilizing earth moving equipment of the 11th Engineers and the 104 ARVN Engineer Battalion.

19             The Battalion was relieved of the responsibility as Dong Ha Base Defense Battalion by the 1st Battalion 9th Marines.

  1. During the full period of this report, one rifle company was under the OPCON of the 12th Marines, providing infantry assistance to the security of the composite Artillery Battalion Position at Gio Linh.  Initially, Company A was assigned to this role, but it was subsequently relieved by Company B.
  2.         The Dong Ha Combat Base defense role required the establishment of Command Group B with an FSCC capability and necessary communications equipment and personnel to coordinate the activities of the five Sector Commanders, who supervised and staffed their assigned sectors of the base defense perimeter.  In addition, it dictated the employment of one Rifle Company at the POL Facility located at the mouth of the Cau Viet River.  One platoon (reinforced) was assigned to the Cam Lo Bridge in Cam Lo District, with one platoon standing by as ‘Sparrow Hawk’, and one squad being assigned to the security of the Cam Lo District Headquarters.  This mission further placed the Combined Action Company P under the Battalion’s OPCON.
  3. Training
  4.             M-16 rifles were issued during this reporting period.  Personnel FAM-fired and set their battle sights prior to turning in their M-14’s.
  5.             Schools attended were 3rd Marines Division Psychological Warfare School, Da Nang – 1, SNCO Com – Crypto School, Flt Activities, Yokosuka, Japan – 1 Officer.
  6. No other training was conducted during the month due to operational commitments.

This page last corrected 26 August 2011