Operation Oregon

Operation Oregon Part of Vietnam War Date 19–23 March 1966 Location Thừa Thiên Province, South Vietnam 16°40′06″N 107°23′40″E / 16.66833°N 107.39444°E / 16.66833; 107.39444 Result U.S. victory Belligerents  United States Viet Cong Commanders and leaders BG Lowell English LCOL Ralph Sullivan Strength 1st Battalion 4th Marines 2nd Battalion 1st Marines 802nd Battalion Casualties and losses 11 killed, 45 wounded 48 killed, 8 captured

Military engagements of the Vietnam War Guerrilla phase Laos Chopper Sunrise 1st Ap Bac Go Cong Hiep Hoa 34A Long Dinh Kien Long Quyet Thang 202 Bien Hoa Airbase USNS Card Nam Dong An Lao Binh Gia Camp Holloway Song Be Ba Gia Dong Xoai Ka Nak Deo Nhong American intervention Nui Thanh Chu Lai Starlite Piranha An Ninh Plei Me Marble Mountain Minh Thanh Hump Dong Duong Cam Khe Gang Toi 1st Bau Bang Ia Drang Crimp Masher/White Wing Suoi Bong Trang Kim Son Valley New York Utah A Shau Oregon Texas Ha Vy Birmingham Xa Cam My Hawthorne Hill 488 1st Dong Ha Wahiawa Hastings Minh Thanh Road Prairie Colorado Duc Co Long Tan Attleboro Bong Son Tan Son Nhut airbase Lam Son II Firebase Bird SS Baton Rouge Victory Paul Revere IV Deckhouse V Cedar Falls Tuscaloosa Desoto Tra Binh Dong Bribie Junction City (1st Prek Klok 2nd Prek Klok Ap Gu Suoi Tre 2nd Bau Bang) Francis Marion Beaver Cage Union The Hill Fights 1st Con Thien Malheur I and Malheur II Baker Nine Days in May Union II Vinh Huy Concordia Buffalo 2nd Con Thien Hong Kil Dong Suoi Chau Pha Swift Dong Son Wheeler/Wallowa 3rd Con Thien Medina Ong Thanh 1st Loc Ninh Kingfisher Kentucky Lancaster 1st Dak To Tam Quan Thom Tham Khe Phoenix Vuon Dieu - Bau Nau Auburn 1968 New Year's Day Battle of 1968 Khe Sanh Coburg Tet Offensive 1st Saigon Hue 1st Quảng Trị Ban Houei Sane Lang Vei Lima Site 85 My Lai Massacre Pegasus Toan Thang I Scotland II Delaware 2nd Dong Ha Allen Brook May '68 Kham Duc Coral–Balmoral Mameluke Thrust Robin Duc Lap Maui Peak Meade River Speedy Express Drawdown 1969–71 Bold Mariner Dewey Canyon Taylor Common 2nd Tet Purple Martin Massachusetts Striker Maine Crag Montana Mauler Oklahoma Hills Virginia Ridge Apache Snow Hamburger Hill Twinkletoes Binh Ba Bu Prang Texas Star Chicago Peak FSB Ripcord 1st Cambodia Kompong Speu Prey Veng 2nd Cambodia Snuol Tailwind Jefferson Glenn Hat Dich Lam Son 719 Son Tay Raid Chenla I Chenla II FSB Mary Ann Long Khanh Nui Le Easter Offensive 2nd Quang Trị 3rd Quang Trị 2nd Loc Ninh An Lộc 3rd Dong Ha 2nd Dak To Kontum Thunderhead Post-Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Cửa Việt Ap Da Bien Svay Rieng Iron Triangle Thượng Đức Spring '75 Phuoc Long Ban Me Thuot Hue–Da Nang Phan Rang Xuân Lộc Newport Bridge Rach Chiec Bridge 2nd Saigon Air operations Farm Gate Chopper Ranch Hand Pierce Arrow Barrel Roll Pony Express Flaming Dart Iron Hand Rolling Thunder Steel Tiger Arc Light Tiger Hound Shed Light Thanh Hoa Bolo Popeye Yen Vien Niagara Niagara II 1st Do Luong 2nd Do Luong Igloo White Giant Lance Commando Hunt Menu Patio Freedom Deal Linebacker I Enhance Plus Linebacker II Homecoming Tan Son Nhut Air Base Babylift New Life Eagle Pull Frequent Wind Naval operations Yankee & Dixie Stations Gulf of Tonkin Market Time Vung Ro Bay Game Warden Double Eagle PIRAZ Sea Dragon Deckhouse Five Bo De River, Nha Trang, Tha Cau River Sealords Hai Phong Harbor Đồng Hới Pocket Money Custom Tailor End Sweep Paracel Islands East Sea Mayaguez incident

Operation Oregon was a US Marine Corps operation that took place on the Street Without Joy approximately 36km northwest of Huế, lasting from 19 to 23 March 1966.

Prelude

On 17 March the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 1st Division had killed more than 50 soldiers of the Viet Cong 804th Ballation in the area south of the district capital of Phong Điền. The ARVN command requested the Marines to mount an operation 8km north of Phong Điền. The operation plan called for Companies A and B of the 1st Battalion 4th Marines to be landed by helicopters north and south of Route 597 and then move 4km southeast to sweep the hamlets of Ap Phu An and Ap Tay Hoang which were believed to be held by the Viet Cong 802nd Battalion. The 2nd Battalion 1st Marines would reinforce if the enemy was engaged. The operation was supposed to be launched on 19 March but bad weather forced a postponement to 20 March^[1]

Operation

20 March

The landing of the 1/4 Marines was delayed for 4 hours due to fog, by 10:15 the helicopters of HMM-163 were over the landing zones but were met with anti-aircraft fire. Due to low cloud air support was unavailable, but artillery fire from the 4th Battalion 12th Marines at Phong Điền softened up the landing zones and the Marines started landing by 12:55. As the Marines began to move out from Landing Zone Robin Company B moved into a minefield around the hamlet of Ap Chinh An 800km from Landing Zone Robin wounding 1 Marine. The Marines attempted to take the hamlet but found that the Viet Cong had fortified the entire hamlet with bunkers and barbed wire. The Marines withdrew to allow air, artillery and naval gunfire support to hit the Viet Cong positions. At 16:49 Company E was landed to reinforce the Marines but by the evening the attack was halted, the Marines had suffered 9 dead and 41 wounded.^[1]:67

21 March

Marine artillery bombarded the Viet Cong positions while dense fog delayed planned airstrikes. The 1/4 Marines captured Ap Chinh An with minimal opposition as the Viet Cong had abandoned their positions during the night. 2/1 Marines was landed at Landing Zone Duck 3km west of LZ Robin at 11:15 encountering no resistance. The operation continued for the next 2 days with no further engagements.^[1]:67

Aftermath

Operation Oregon concluded on 23 March, the Marines had suffered 11 dead and 45 wounded and the Vietcong 48 killed and 8 captured.^[1]:69

Notes

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