Operation Keystone Cardinal

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Operation Keystone Cardinal was the withdrawal of the 3rd Marine Division from South Vietnam, taking place from 30 September to 27 November 1969.

Contents

Background

Following the withdrawal of the 9th Marine Regiment from South Vietnam in Operation Keystone Eagle, planning began for the withdrawal of the remaining units of 3rd Marine Division in line with the plans prepared by MACV. [1]

Operation

The Keystone Cardinal redeployments took place as follows: [1] :167–8

Departure DateUnitStrengthDestination
30 September 1969Detachment, Headquarters, III Marine Amphibious Force 70 Camp Pendleton
30 September 1969OOCNE724Camp Pendleton
2 October 1969Company B, 3rd Engineer Battalion 159Camp Pendleton
2 October 1969Company C, 3rd Medical Battalion24Camp Pendleton
2 October 1969 1st Battalion, 12th Marines 662Camp Pendleton
2 October 1969Company B, 3rd Shore Party Battalion 82Camp Pendleton
2 October 1969Company B, 9th Motor Transport Battalion 91Camp Pendleton
4 October 19693rd Bridge Company102Camp Pendleton
4 October 1969Detachment, 11th Engineer Battalion 622Camp Pendleton
4 October 1969Company B, 3rd Motor Transport Battalion 68Camp Pendleton
4 October 1969Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion 143Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines 1166Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines 1166Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines 91Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment 61Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters, 3rd Marine Division436Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines 150Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Regiment 24Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Force Logistics Command (FLC)400Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 7th Communication Battalion 193Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines 118Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines 118Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment 100Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, 1st Special Security Communications Team (SSCT)4Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969OOCNE14Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969OOCNE123Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, VMO-6 8Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, HMM-164 8Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Marine Air Base Squadron 36 (MABS-36)89Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters & Maintenance Squadron 36 (H&MS-36)164Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Marine Air Base Squadron 11 (MABS-11)20Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Marine Air Base Squadron 12 (MABS-12)20Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Marine Air Base Squadron 13 (MABS-13)20Camp Pendleton
6 October 1969Detachment, Marine Air Base Squadron 16 (MABS-16)22Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Regiment230Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines 1166Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969Detachment, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines 118Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969 HMM-265 249Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969 VMA-533 304Camp Pendleton
7 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters & Maintenance Squadron 12 (H&MS-12)69Japan
20 October 19697th Communication Battalion190 Okinawa
20 October 19693rd Motor Transport Battalion20Okinawa
20 October 1969Platoon, 3rd Bridge Company21Okinawa
20 October 1969Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment100Okinawa
20 October 1969HMM-164258Okinawa
20 October 1969 HMH-462 233Okinawa
22 October 19691st Battalion, 4th Marines1048Okinawa
22 October 1969Detachment, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division200Okinawa
22 October 1969VMO-6234Okinawa
22 October 1969Detachment, VMO-632Okinawa
23 October 1969Battery G, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines133Okinawa
23 October 19693rd Engineer Battalion341Okinawa
23 October 1969 3rd Tank Battalion 345Okinawa
3 November 196915th CIT16Okinawa
3 November 1969Detachment, H&HS-18 18Japan
4 November 19699th Motor Transport Battalion88Okinawa
5 November 19693rd Battalion, 12th Marines328Okinawa
5 November 196917th Interrogator Translator Team (ITT)11Okinawa
5 November 196911th ITT6Okinawa
5 November 19699th ITT6Okinawa
6 November 1969Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment130Okinawa
6 November 1969Company B, 3rd Tank Battalion140Okinawa
7 November 1969H&MS-36324Okinawa
8 November 19691st SSCT6Okinawa
8 November 1969Detachment, MASS-2 39Okinawa
9 November 19692nd Battalion, 4th Marines1048Okinawa
9 November 1969Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division308Okinawa
9 November 1969Detachment, Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment83Okinawa
10 November 1969Battery K, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines100Okinawa
10 November 19693rd Shore Party Battalion228Okinawa
19 November 19694th Battalion, 12th Marines152Okinawa
20 November 19693rd Battalion, 4th Marines1048Okinawa
21 November 196911th Engineer Battalion103Okinawa
22 November 1969Company C, 9th Motor Transport Battalion83Okinawa
23 November 1969MABS-36318Okinawa
23 November 1969MASS-2123Japan
24 November 1969Detachment, MABS-3687Japan
24 November 1969Detachment, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division200Okinawa
24 November 1969 3rd Medical Battalion 86Okinawa
24 November 19693rd Dental Company3Okinawa
24 November 19697th ITT11Okinawa
27 November 1969Battery H, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines110Okinawa

Aftermath

Operation Keystone Cardinal concluded on 27 November 1969. [1] :168

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps .

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Charles (1988). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. pp.  166-9. ISBN   978-1494287627.