operation report information
for 5 ARVN REG
6 ARVN REG
HMM-361
HMM-161

For date 651209


5 ARVN REG was a Vietnamese Army unit
6 ARVN REG was a Vietnamese Army unit
HMM-361 was a US Marine Corps unit
HMM-161 was a US Marine Corps unit
Primary service involved, Vietnamese Army
Operation LIEN KET-18
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Thang Binh
Description: The offical USMC history states that on the second day of LIEN KET-18, at 0645, the 60th and 80th VC Battalions attacked 1/5th ARVN Regiment and the ARVN Regimental command group. All their positions were overrun and the Regimental commander was killed. About the same time, another VC battalion attacked the 1/6th ARVN position to the northeast but that unit managed to hold its ground. TF DELTA decided to commit Marines into this battle rather than conduct an assault near Que Son which was the planned start of HARVEST MOON. At 1000, UH-34Ds from HMM-161 and HMM-361 lifted the 2/7th Marines from Tam Ky into a zone 5 1/2 miles west of the ARVN troops. The battalion met little resistance as it moved 2,500 meters toward the ARVNs. During the afternoon, the 3/3d Marines was landed 1 1/2 miles southeast of the 1/5th ARVNs and moved to link up with the shattered remains from that ARVN unit. HMM-261 from the SLC on the Valley Forge did this lift at 1400. Co L/3/3 Marines pushed toward Hill 43, about 1 1/2 miles from the LZ and ran into a force of about 200 VC. The battle raged into the evening with the help of Marine air and artillery. They killed about 75 VC at a cost of 11 Marine KIAs and 17 WIA. The VC broke contact at nightfall. The next morning the Marines took Hill 43 and found about 40 ARVN.

The source for this information was USMC H65 P:104+

Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org

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Last updated 02/06/2000

Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023