Operation Oregon was a
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
operation that took place on the
Street Without Joy about 36 km northwest of
Huế
Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...
, lasting from 19 to 23 March 1966.
Prelude
On 17 March the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; ) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Its predecessor was the ground forc ...
(ARVN)
1st Division had killed more than 50 soldiers of the
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
(VC) 804th Battalion in the area south of the district capital of Phong Điền. The ARVN command asked the Marines to mount an operation 8 km 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 4 km southeast to sweep the hamlets of Ap Phu An and Ap Tay Hoang, which were believed to be held by the VC 802nd Battalion. The
2nd Battalion 1st Marines would reinforce if enemy was engaged. The operation was supposed to be launched on 19 March, but bad weather forced a postponement to 20 March.
Operation
20 March
The landing of the 1/4 Marines was delayed for four hours by fog. By 10:15, the helicopters of
HMM-163 were over the landing zones, where they were met with anti-aircraft fire. Low clouds ruled out air support, but artillery fire from the
4th Battalion, 12th Marines at Phong Điền softened up the landing zones. The Marines started landing by 12:55. Company B moved out from Landing Zone Robin and into a minefield around the hamlet of Ap Chinh An that wounded one Marine. The Marines attempted to take the hamlet but found that the VC had fortified it with bunkers and barbed wire. The Marines withdrew to allow aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire 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 nine dead and 41 wounded.
[
]
21 March
Marine artillery bombarded the VC positions while dense fog delayed planned airstrikes. The 1/4 Marines captured Ap Chinh An with minimal opposition as the VC had abandoned their positions during the night. 2/1 Marines was landed at Landing Zone Duck 3 km west of LZ Robin at 11:15 encountering no resistance. The operation continued for the next two days with no further engagements.[
]
Aftermath
Operation Oregon concluded on 23 March. The Marines had suffered 11 dead and 45 wounded; they claimed that the VC had lost 48 killed and eight captured.[
]
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oregon, Operation
Battles of the Vietnam War involving the United States
March 1966
Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1966
United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War
History of Huế