2RHPZ
07-08-2004, 04:02 AM
Battle of Chu Lai: the Main Force Viet Cong were poised for an attack on Chu Lai
in August 1965, but their plans were foiled in a "spoiling attack" by Marines in
what would be the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War - Deadliest Vietnam
Battles
Gen. Lewis W. "Silent Lew" Walt, commanding general of the III MAF (Marine
Amphibious Force), was in a quandary. Intelligence revealed that the 1st VC (Viet
Cong) Regiment was massing for an assault on the airfield at Chu Lai, South
Vietnam. Chu Lai, situated on the coast, was located in the southern I Corps
region of the country.
Walt discussed his options with his staff and finally decided to strike the
enemy in their stronghold on the Van Tuong Peninsula, approximately nine miles
south of Chu Lai itself. It was a daring plan since it would leave the airstrip
defenses weakened. Walt, however, felt the gamble was worth it.
Starlite is Born
Col. Oscar Peatross, 7th Marine Regiment commander, was in charge of the
operation, which was dubbed Starlite.
He opted for a two-****ged strike at the VC. He selected the 3rd Bn., 3rd
Marines, for the amphibious assault and 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, for the helicopter
strike. "The proposed battleground was mostly rolling country," Peatross later
wrote, "about three-quarters cultivated, and elsewhere there was thick scrub [spread]
from six to 100 feet ... and there were few rice paddies. The beaches were sandy,
with dunes in some places as far inland as 200 yards."
The 3rd would come ashore on Green Beach just north of the village of An Cuong
No. 1; the 4th would be choppered into three landing zones (LZs) named Red,
White and Blue.
Terrifying Moments
Just after 6 a.m. on Aug. 18, 1965, K Btry., 4th Bn., 12th Marines, fired the
opening salvo of the battle for Chu Lai. As the 155mm shells pounded VC
positions, the destroyers USS Orleck and Prichett, and the heavy cruiser USS
Galveston, let loose a barrage on the enemy. In addition, fighter aircraft from
Marine Air Groups (MAG) 11 and 12 dropped 18 tons of ordnance to soften the
enemy's bulwarks.
After the preparatory bombardment, the 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, made its way ashore
and quickly moved inland. As the village of An Cuong 1 was secured, I Company
set out to take An Cuong 2 and link up with the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines.
The "Magnificent Bastards" of the 2nd Battalion would find the going much
tougher than originally thought. E Company soon found itself fighting a well-entrenched
enemy on a ridgeline near the LZ. A forward observer spotted more than 100 VC
moving into the open.
He quickly called for a 107mm "Howtar"--a 4.2-inch mortar mounted on a 75mm
howitzer frame. The unique weapon was swung into action and within minutes more
than 90 VC soldiers were killed.
Meanwhile, UH-34Ds from Helicopter Marine Medium (HMM) Squadrons 261 and 361
began touching down on LZ Blue. As H Company Marines leaped from the aircraft,
the enemy hit them with withering fire from atop Hill 43, a small knoll
southeast of the LZ.
The first few moments were terrifying. A helicopter door gunner had his jaw torn
apart from enemy fire. One Marine was struck in the throat. Another stumbled and
fell with a huge wound in his stomach. "You just have to close your eyes and
drop down to the deck" said Capt. Howard Henry, a chopper pilot with HMM-361.
'All Hell Broke Loose'
Unknown to the Marines, H Company had landed atop the headquarters of the 60th
VC Battalion. 1st Lt. Homer Jenkins, company commander, quickly organized his
men to assault Hill 43 and eliminate the threat. Skyhawks and Phantoms from
Fighter Squadrons 513 and 342 hammered the hilltop as the infantrymen pushed
forward. Assisted by M-48 tanks, the Marines soon dislodged the VC from Hill 43.
While Hill 43 was being cleared, I Co., 3rd Bn., was inching its way toward An
Cuong 2. The hamlet consisted of 25-30 huts, fighting holes and camouflaged
trench lines connected by a system of interlocking tunnels.
As the Leathernecks moved cautiously into the village, a grenade killed Capt.
Bruce Webb, the company commander, instantly. He was posthumously awarded the
Navy Cross for his extraordinary heroism that day.
"I was there when Capt. Webb got killed," said Sgt. Dwight Layman. "A gook threw
a grenade into the command group. It also killed the radio operator. I
immediately grabbed an incendiary grenade and tossed it into the spider hole and
fried him. I was setting up LZs for the choppers to evacuate the wounded when a
round caught me in the back of the neck and went out through my shoulder. That
was it for me. My part in Starlite was over."
But before the riflemen could secure An Cuong 2, they were told to reinforce K
Company, which was engaged in a heavy firefight about 2,000 meters to the
northeast.
H Company was moving on An Cuong 2 to meet up with I Company. As they approached
the tiny village of Nam Yen 3, it was decided to bypass it and keep going.
Without warning, the company was struck with intense automatic weapons fire. An
open area between the villages was strewn with spider holes and machine gun
nests hidden in grass huts.
"As we came nearer, snipers opened up and then all of a sudden all hell broke
loose," remarked Sgt. Victor Nunez of Weapons Platoon. "It seemed a whole damned
division of VC was out there waiting for us. Those bastards had us zeroed in [with]
machine guns, mortars, recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. I saw a
lot of our guys get hit ... our company Gunny was killed also."
Pfc. Paul Meeters was serving with the Anti-Tank Plt., H & S Co., 3rd. Bn., 7th
Marines, when he was called off a helicopter carrier to engage the enemy. He
remembers "almost buying the farm" at Van Tang. "We went into the village and
received fire from the huts, but as we cleared each hut, fire came from behind
us. We later learned the ville was honeycombed with tunnels."
Fierce Fighting
As medevac choppers tried desperately to land, Lance Cpl. Joe Paul, a "baby
faced" 19-year-old fire team leader, positioned himself between the helicopters
and the enemy. As he laid down covering fire, wounded Marines were placed aboard
the aircraft for evacuation. Unfortunately, Paul was struck several times and
died. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
The fighting was fierce. Lance Cpl. Ernie Wallace saw enemy soldiers hidden
behind hedgerows. He screamed: "Start killing trees? He began delivering
accurate fire at the treeline nearby, killing some 25 VC in the process. His
keen observation saved the lives of his fellow Marines. He, too, was awarded a
Navy Cross.
Cpl. Robert O'Malley of I Company eliminated an enemy position and was a source
of inspiration to his fellow Leathernecks. Although wounded three times, he
would not permit himself to be evacuated until all of his squad was aboard the
helicopter. He and Paul were the first Marines to be awarded the Medal of Honor
for Vietnam.
Squeezing the Vice
Soon, elements from the 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, were landing to reinforce the
assault battalions. As the additional rifle companies came ashore, the enemy
quickly departed the area. Starlite, though, would last another five days as the
riflemen combed the area, eliminating VC spider holes they encountered. The
Marine units pushed eastward to "squeeze the vise" around the VC and drive them
toward the sea.
In the end, 614 VC were confirmed killed. The Marines also took nine prisoners
and confiscated 109 assorted weapons. The Leathernecks sustained 45 dead and 203
wounded.
By all counts, Starlite was a success. The Marines had thwarted a major attack
against Chu Lai. But despite their battering, the tenacious 1st VC Regiment
would return to fight another day.
in August 1965, but their plans were foiled in a "spoiling attack" by Marines in
what would be the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War - Deadliest Vietnam
Battles
Gen. Lewis W. "Silent Lew" Walt, commanding general of the III MAF (Marine
Amphibious Force), was in a quandary. Intelligence revealed that the 1st VC (Viet
Cong) Regiment was massing for an assault on the airfield at Chu Lai, South
Vietnam. Chu Lai, situated on the coast, was located in the southern I Corps
region of the country.
Walt discussed his options with his staff and finally decided to strike the
enemy in their stronghold on the Van Tuong Peninsula, approximately nine miles
south of Chu Lai itself. It was a daring plan since it would leave the airstrip
defenses weakened. Walt, however, felt the gamble was worth it.
Starlite is Born
Col. Oscar Peatross, 7th Marine Regiment commander, was in charge of the
operation, which was dubbed Starlite.
He opted for a two-****ged strike at the VC. He selected the 3rd Bn., 3rd
Marines, for the amphibious assault and 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, for the helicopter
strike. "The proposed battleground was mostly rolling country," Peatross later
wrote, "about three-quarters cultivated, and elsewhere there was thick scrub [spread]
from six to 100 feet ... and there were few rice paddies. The beaches were sandy,
with dunes in some places as far inland as 200 yards."
The 3rd would come ashore on Green Beach just north of the village of An Cuong
No. 1; the 4th would be choppered into three landing zones (LZs) named Red,
White and Blue.
Terrifying Moments
Just after 6 a.m. on Aug. 18, 1965, K Btry., 4th Bn., 12th Marines, fired the
opening salvo of the battle for Chu Lai. As the 155mm shells pounded VC
positions, the destroyers USS Orleck and Prichett, and the heavy cruiser USS
Galveston, let loose a barrage on the enemy. In addition, fighter aircraft from
Marine Air Groups (MAG) 11 and 12 dropped 18 tons of ordnance to soften the
enemy's bulwarks.
After the preparatory bombardment, the 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, made its way ashore
and quickly moved inland. As the village of An Cuong 1 was secured, I Company
set out to take An Cuong 2 and link up with the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines.
The "Magnificent Bastards" of the 2nd Battalion would find the going much
tougher than originally thought. E Company soon found itself fighting a well-entrenched
enemy on a ridgeline near the LZ. A forward observer spotted more than 100 VC
moving into the open.
He quickly called for a 107mm "Howtar"--a 4.2-inch mortar mounted on a 75mm
howitzer frame. The unique weapon was swung into action and within minutes more
than 90 VC soldiers were killed.
Meanwhile, UH-34Ds from Helicopter Marine Medium (HMM) Squadrons 261 and 361
began touching down on LZ Blue. As H Company Marines leaped from the aircraft,
the enemy hit them with withering fire from atop Hill 43, a small knoll
southeast of the LZ.
The first few moments were terrifying. A helicopter door gunner had his jaw torn
apart from enemy fire. One Marine was struck in the throat. Another stumbled and
fell with a huge wound in his stomach. "You just have to close your eyes and
drop down to the deck" said Capt. Howard Henry, a chopper pilot with HMM-361.
'All Hell Broke Loose'
Unknown to the Marines, H Company had landed atop the headquarters of the 60th
VC Battalion. 1st Lt. Homer Jenkins, company commander, quickly organized his
men to assault Hill 43 and eliminate the threat. Skyhawks and Phantoms from
Fighter Squadrons 513 and 342 hammered the hilltop as the infantrymen pushed
forward. Assisted by M-48 tanks, the Marines soon dislodged the VC from Hill 43.
While Hill 43 was being cleared, I Co., 3rd Bn., was inching its way toward An
Cuong 2. The hamlet consisted of 25-30 huts, fighting holes and camouflaged
trench lines connected by a system of interlocking tunnels.
As the Leathernecks moved cautiously into the village, a grenade killed Capt.
Bruce Webb, the company commander, instantly. He was posthumously awarded the
Navy Cross for his extraordinary heroism that day.
"I was there when Capt. Webb got killed," said Sgt. Dwight Layman. "A gook threw
a grenade into the command group. It also killed the radio operator. I
immediately grabbed an incendiary grenade and tossed it into the spider hole and
fried him. I was setting up LZs for the choppers to evacuate the wounded when a
round caught me in the back of the neck and went out through my shoulder. That
was it for me. My part in Starlite was over."
But before the riflemen could secure An Cuong 2, they were told to reinforce K
Company, which was engaged in a heavy firefight about 2,000 meters to the
northeast.
H Company was moving on An Cuong 2 to meet up with I Company. As they approached
the tiny village of Nam Yen 3, it was decided to bypass it and keep going.
Without warning, the company was struck with intense automatic weapons fire. An
open area between the villages was strewn with spider holes and machine gun
nests hidden in grass huts.
"As we came nearer, snipers opened up and then all of a sudden all hell broke
loose," remarked Sgt. Victor Nunez of Weapons Platoon. "It seemed a whole damned
division of VC was out there waiting for us. Those bastards had us zeroed in [with]
machine guns, mortars, recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. I saw a
lot of our guys get hit ... our company Gunny was killed also."
Pfc. Paul Meeters was serving with the Anti-Tank Plt., H & S Co., 3rd. Bn., 7th
Marines, when he was called off a helicopter carrier to engage the enemy. He
remembers "almost buying the farm" at Van Tang. "We went into the village and
received fire from the huts, but as we cleared each hut, fire came from behind
us. We later learned the ville was honeycombed with tunnels."
Fierce Fighting
As medevac choppers tried desperately to land, Lance Cpl. Joe Paul, a "baby
faced" 19-year-old fire team leader, positioned himself between the helicopters
and the enemy. As he laid down covering fire, wounded Marines were placed aboard
the aircraft for evacuation. Unfortunately, Paul was struck several times and
died. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
The fighting was fierce. Lance Cpl. Ernie Wallace saw enemy soldiers hidden
behind hedgerows. He screamed: "Start killing trees? He began delivering
accurate fire at the treeline nearby, killing some 25 VC in the process. His
keen observation saved the lives of his fellow Marines. He, too, was awarded a
Navy Cross.
Cpl. Robert O'Malley of I Company eliminated an enemy position and was a source
of inspiration to his fellow Leathernecks. Although wounded three times, he
would not permit himself to be evacuated until all of his squad was aboard the
helicopter. He and Paul were the first Marines to be awarded the Medal of Honor
for Vietnam.
Squeezing the Vice
Soon, elements from the 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, were landing to reinforce the
assault battalions. As the additional rifle companies came ashore, the enemy
quickly departed the area. Starlite, though, would last another five days as the
riflemen combed the area, eliminating VC spider holes they encountered. The
Marine units pushed eastward to "squeeze the vise" around the VC and drive them
toward the sea.
In the end, 614 VC were confirmed killed. The Marines also took nine prisoners
and confiscated 109 assorted weapons. The Leathernecks sustained 45 dead and 203
wounded.
By all counts, Starlite was a success. The Marines had thwarted a major attack
against Chu Lai. But despite their battering, the tenacious 1st VC Regiment
would return to fight another day.