3rd Battalion, 26th Marines | |
---|---|
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Infantry regiment |
Role | Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver |
Size | 1,000 |
Part of | Inactive |
Engagements | World War II |
The 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines (3/26) is an inactive infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They were part of the 26th Marine Regiment and 5th Marine Division and fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. They were activated again for the Vietnam War but were deactivated after the war and remain inactive today.
On 1 March 1966 the 26th Marine Regiment was activated at Camp Pendleton initiating the formation of the 5th Marine Division. [1] : 357 The battalion was deployed from the United States to Okinawa in October 1966. [1] : 285 From 4 October until 10 December the battalion formed the battalion landing team (BLT) of the Special Landing Force. [1] : 350 On 11 December the battalion arrived in South Vietnam. [1] : 346 On 17 December the battalion moved by road from Dong Ha Combat Base into the Co Bi-Thanh Tan corridor where they initiated Operation Chinook. [1] : 244
In mid-May 1967, following the conclusion of The Hill Fights, the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines took over responsibility for the area around Khe Sanh Combat Base from the 3rd Marines as Operation Crockett and the battalion was subsequently deployed to support them on 13 June. [2] : 61 [3] : 47 The 26th Marines conducted Operation Ardmore a search and destroy mission in the Khe Sanh area from 17 July-31 October 1967. At the conclusion of Operation Ardmore the Marines commenced Operation Scotland, the defense of Khe Sanh Combat Base and search and destroy missions against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) infiltration. [2] : 62 The battalion participated in Operation Kingfisher around Con Thien from 7–11 September 1967. [3] : 132 In early November the battalion provided security at Camp Evans. [2] : 78 They were relieved by the 1st Battalion 9th Marines on 22 November and then conducted small-unit patrols and company-size sweeps with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces in the CoBi-Thanh Tan area. [2] : 79 On 13 December the battalion redeployed by air to Khe Sanh, they conducted a four-day sweep of a ridge line west of the combat base, then settled into new positions. Companies I and K occupied Hills 881 South and 861, respectively and Company L joined the 1/26th at the combat base proper. [2] : 64
From 21 January 1968 the 26th Marines were under siege at Khe Sanh until the conclusion of Operation Pegasus on 14 April 1968 and were replaced by the 1st Marines on 15 April 1968 with the battalion flying to Quang Tri Combat Base. [2] : 289 The 26th Marines was transferred from the operational control of the 3rd Marine Division to the 1st Marine Division on 18 May 1968. [2] : 716 The battalion and 1/26th Marines participated in Operation Mameluke Thrust from 18 May until 20 July 1968 when they went Phu Bai Combat Base to relieve the 5th Marine Regiment conducting Operation Houston. [2] : 338–7 On the conclusion of Operation Houston on 12 September the 26th Marines were moved south to the Da Nang TAOR. [2] : 414 The battalion participated in Operation Meade River from 20 November to 9 December 1968. [2] : 427
From 12 January to 7 February 1969 the battalion operating as BLT 3/26 conducted Operation Bold Mariner with BLT 2/26. [4] : 301–3 BLT 3/26 then joined Operation Taylor Common on 10 February until they were relieved on 20 March and went to An Hoa Combat Base for rehabilitation. [4] : 303 The battalion fought in Operation Oklahoma Hills from 31 March to 29 May 1969. [4] : 103–16 From 4 May until 10 June they returned to sea for BLT duty. [4] : 303 On 21 September the 5th Marine Division was deactivated however the 26th Marines were assigned to the 1st Marine Division. [4] : 356
At the beginning of 1970 the 26th Marines were responsible for the defense of the northern and western approaches to Da Nang. [5] : 27–8 Battalion companies protected the Nam O Bridge, where Route 1 crosses the Cu De River and held positions on Hills 190 and 124 and Outpost Reno. [5] : 32 As part of Operation Keystone Bluejay the regiment stood down for deactivation in late February to early March with the 1st Marines taking over most of their tactical area of responsibility. [5] : 28 On 1 March, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines relieved the battalion. [5] : 36 From 11 to 19 March 1970 the 26th Marine Regiment redeployed from South Vietnam and was inactivated. [5] : 15
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. The main US forces defending Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSCB) were two regiments of the United States Marine Corps supported by elements from the United States Army and the United States Air Force (USAF), as well as a small number of Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops. These were pitted against two to three divisional-size elements of the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN).
The 3rd Marine Division is an division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler and Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1stMAW) and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group forms the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The division was first formed during World War II and saw four years of continuous combat in the Vietnam War. Today, elements of the 3rd Marine Division are continuously forward deployed and forward postured to carry out the US Government's mission of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific in conjunction with its sister services.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 (HMH-361) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Flying Tigers", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (VMM-163) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport tiltrotors. The squadron, known as "Evil Eyes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The 27th Marine Regiment is an inactivated infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. They fought during the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and again for a short time during the Vietnam War.
The 26th Marine Regiment is an inactivated infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. The 26th Marines were activated in 1944 and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II and were activated again on 1 March 1966, and fought in the Battle of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War.
Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) used during the Vietnam War.
Hill 55 is a hill 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southwest of Da Nang, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The hill is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northeast of the confluence of the Yen, Ai Nghia, and La Tho Rivers and was a United States Marine Corps base during the Vietnam War.
Operation Delaware/Operation Lam Son 216 was a joint military operation launched during the Vietnam War. It began on 19 April 1968, with troops from the United States and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) moving into the A Sầu Valley. The A Sầu Valley was a vital corridor for moving military supplies coming from the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was used by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) as a staging area for numerous attacks in northern I Corps. Other than small, special operations reconnaissance patrols, American and South Vietnamese forces had not been present in the region since the Battle of A Shau in March 1966, when a U.S. Special Forces camp located there was overrun.
The 304 Division is an infantry division of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). It was established in January 1950 at Thanh Hoa.
Operation Robin was a U.S. Marine Corps operation that took place southeast of Khe Sanh, Quảng Trị Province from 2–19 June 1968.
Operation Lancaster was a U.S. Marine Corps operation that took place in northern Quảng Trị Province from November 1967 to January 20, 1968.
The 1st Battalion, 26th Marines (1/26) is an inactive infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They were part of the 26th Marine Regiment and 5th Marine Division and fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. They were activated again for the Vietnam War but were deactivated after the war and remain inactive today.
The 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines (2/26) is an inactive infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They were part of the 26th Marine Regiment and 5th Marine Division and fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. They were activated again for the Vietnam War but were deactivated after the war and remain inactive today.
Operation Lancaster II was a U.S. Marine Corps security operation that took place in northern Quảng Trị Province from 20 January to 23 November 1968 during the Vietnam War. The operation followed on directly from Operation Lancaster. The Marines patrolled aggressively. The response of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) was mixed; Prolonged lulls alternated with fierce fighting. Broadly the Marines felt that they were successful in maintaining the supply route to Ca Lu, at the terminus of Route 9, and in, at least intermittently, disrupting PAVN communications.
Operation Neosho was a security operation in northern Thừa Thiên Province, South Vietnam from 1 November 1967 to 25 January 1968.
Operation Scotland II was a U.S. Marine Corps security operation that took place in northwest Quảng Trị Province from 15 April 1968 to 28 February 1969.
Operation Utah Mesa was a United States Marine Corps, United States Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) operation in northwest Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam from 12 June to 6 July 1969.
David Edward Lownds was a United States Marine Corps colonel who served in the Vietnam War, notably as ground commander at Khe Sanh Combat Base during the Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968.
Operation Crockett was an operation during the Vietnam War conducted by the United States Marine Corps against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces around Khe Sanh Combat Base in northwest Quảng Trị Province that took place from 13 May to 16 July 1967. The PAVN tested U.S. defenses, forcing the Marines to deploy additional forces to the area, following which the PAVN disengaged but did not withdraw from the area. The operation resulted in 111 PAVN killed and one captured for Marine losses of 34 killed. The operation was immediately followed by Operation Ardmore, an ongoing security operation.