Vietnam War – Marine Corps Third Division Chronologies 1965–1969

Description

3rd Marine Division: Vietnam War Timeline & Key Figures

March 1965:

• The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, are the first Marines sent to Vietnam. Their initial mission is to protect the Da Nang Air Base.

May 6, 1965:

• The 3rd Marine Division officially opens the Marine Compound at the Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.

End of 1965:

• All regiments of the 3rd Marine Division (3rd Marines, 4th Marines, and 9th Marines) are on the ground in Vietnam.

July 1966:

• The 3rd Marine Division participates in its first major operation, Operation Hastings.

October 1966:

• The 3rd Marine Division participates in Operation Prairie.

September 1966 (Note on missing data):

• Reports from this month are missing from the “Marine Corps Third Division Command Chronologies.”

1967:

• Army leadership in Saigon advocates for the Marines to concentrate on large-unit search and destroy operations.
• The 3rd Marine Division’s mission is split:
• Fighting against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to the north.
• Conducting counterinsurgency operations against the Viet Cong in villages to the south.
• The Division is involved in multiple operations throughout the year, including Operation Prairie III, Operation Prairie IV, Operation Hickory I, Operation Cimarron, Operation Buffalo, Operation Kingfisher, and Operation Kentucky.

November 14, 1967:

• Major General Bruno Hochmuth, the commander of the 3rd Marine Division, is killed in a helicopter crash northwest of Huế.

Early 1968:

• The 3rd Marine Division continues its involvement in operations like those from 1967.

1968 Tet Offensive:

• The 3rd Marine Division conducts operations along the DMZ.
• The Division fights in the Battle of Huế.

November 1969:

• The 3rd Marine Division departs South Vietnam.
• The Division relocates to Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan.

Cast of Characters

• Major General Bruno Hochmuth:Bio: He served as the commander of the 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War. He was tragically killed in a helicopter crash northwest of Huế on November 14, 1967.

Groups/Organizations Mentioned:

• U.S. Marine Corps Third Division:Bio: A division of the United States Marine Corps, first formed during World War II. It saw four years of continuous combat in the Vietnam War, suffering 6,869 men killed in action. It was the first Marine division to open a compound in Vietnam and played a crucial role in various operations, particularly along the DMZ and in the Battle of Huế. Currently based at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan.
• 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade:Bio: This specific Marine unit was the first group of Marines sent to Vietnam in March 1965, tasked with protecting the Da Nang Air Base.
• III Marine Amphibious Force:Bio: The larger command under which the U.S. Marine Corps, including the 3rd Marine Division, operated, providing ground, air, supply, and logistic support in the Vietnam War for over two decades.
• North Vietnamese Army (NVA):Bio: The regular army of North Vietnam, against whom the 3rd Marine Division fought, particularly along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
• Viet Cong:Bio: A South Vietnamese political organization with its own army, the People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF), that fought against the United States and South Vietnamese governments. The 3rd Marine Division engaged in counterinsurgency operations against them in villages in the south.
• Army Leadership (in Saigon):Bio: Refers to the command structure of the U.S. Army in South Vietnam, which advocated for a focus on large-unit search and destroy operations for the Marines in 1967.