joint operation INDIANA/LIEN KET 30 information
for 7 MARINES
From date 660328 to 660330
7 MARINES was a US Marine Corps unit
Operation INDIANA
South Vietnam
Location, Quang Ngai
Description: Operation INDIANA/LIEN KET 30 began as an epilogue to TEXAS/LIEN KET 28. One of the ARVN battalions had stayed in the area of operation near the hamlet of Lam Loc (1) repulsed several enemy attacks. The 7th Marines and the ARVN 5th Regiment from the 2d ARVN Div inserted battalions to the northwest of Lam Loc (1) and contact was made. At the end of the operation, the Marines killed 69 which the ARVN another 100. The Marines lost 11 KIA and 45 WIA. MAG-36 provided the helicopter support for these operations.
This "official" report is disputed as follows:
I was the company commander of Charley company 1st Bn-7th Marines on Operation Indiana. The whole battle was exclusively fought between a NVA Heavy weapons battalion of the 1st NVA Regt and Charley company and occurred from approximately 1530 hours on 28 March 66 until approximately 1830 hours. All of the heavy fighting had ceased by 1830 hours although, the heavy machine gun fire of the NVA would not allow our helicopters to extract our wounded til much later.
I note you ascribe 100 NVA dispatched by the ARVN units. The ARVN unit didn't arrive until 2000 hrs that night and then they would not even venture into the village below us to help us with our wounded. The ARVN never fired a shot in anger and didn't kill a "freaking" soul during Indiana. I called in eleven air strikes and directed my artillery F.O. to drop some 2000 rounds of artillery on the enemy positions.
All the killing on Indiana was done by the Marines of "Suicide" Charley and it's supporting arms.
Ben Goodwyn former Capt USMC
Commanding "C" company 1st Bn-7th Marines
05/65-07/66
The source for this information was Rand, USMC H 1966, P 127-128, 131
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
Return to panel index
Return to Helicopter Pilot KIA index
Return to VHPA Home Page
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023