Fotrtitudine Vol 28 No 2 - United States Marine Corps · 2012. 10. 11. · 2 Fortitudine,Vol.XXVIII,No.2,1999 HISTORY AND MUSEUMS DIVISION Marine Corps Historical Center Building

HISTORICAL BULLETIN VOLUME XXVIII, NUMBER 2 1999

FORTITUDINEBULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROGRAM

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CLASSIC MARINE OPERATION, VIETNAM WAR’S DEWEY CANYON, REVIEWED AFTER 30 YEARS . . . MARINE CORPSNAMES A NEW OFFICIAL HISTORIAN AND GUARDIAN OF ITS PATRIMONY . . . DETAILED ORAL HISTORIES RESULTFROM INTERVIEWS WITH CMCS MUNDY AND KRULAK . . . DIVISION MAKES TWO NEW HISTORIES AVAILABLE

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2 Fortitudine, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, 1999

HISTORYAND MUSEUMSDIVISION

Marine Corps Historical CenterBuilding 58, Washington Navy Yard1254 Charles Morris Street, Southeast

Washington, D.C. 20374-5040Telephone (202) 433-3534

DIRECTOR EMERITUSBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

DIRECTORCol John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret)

Secretary to the Director: Ms. Kristen M. Reed

DEPUTY DIRECTORCol Michael F. Monigan, USMC

HISTORICAL BRANCHBranch Head/Chief Historian: Mr. Charles D. Melson.History Writing Unit: Mr. Charles R. Smith; Maj RaymondJ. Vanden Berghe, USMC; Dr. David B. Crist; Mrs. WandaF. Renfrow. Special Projects: Mr. Richard A. Long.Reference Section: Mr. Danny J. Crawford; Mr. Robert V.Aquilina; Mrs. Ann A. Ferrante; Miss Lena M. Kaljot; Mrs.Shelia Gramblin. Archives Section: Mr. Frederick J.Graboske; Miss Judy Petsch.

MUSEUMS BRANCHBranch Head/Officer-in-Charge, Air-Ground Museum,Quantico: LtCol Robert J. Sullivan, USMC. Head, MuseumsSection/Chief Curator: Mr. Charles A. Wood. Mr. KennethL. Smith-Christmas, Material History; Dieter Stenger,Ordnance; SSgt Troy H. Lumpkin, USMC, Sgt Jesse C.Elliott, USMC, Sgt Vibol Svy, USMC, Sgt Cedric D.Wheeler, USMC, Cpl David D. Meadows, USMC, CplAdrian Garcia, USMC, Restoration; Mr. Michael E. Starn,Aeronautics; Mr. Ronald J. Perkins, Mr. Ronnie D.Alexander, Exhibits; Neil Abelsma, Uniforms; Mrs. JenniferL. Castro, Registrar; Mrs. Kathryn R. Trout, ProgramsAssistant. Operations/Security: 1stLt Jimmy Scott, USMC;GySgt Anthony J. Pastella, USMC; Sgt Donald E. Johnson,USMC; Cpl Yaron T. Reed, USMC; Cpl B. L. Stroman,USMC; LCpl Larrissa Morgan, USMC; LCpl Patrick D.Symecko, USMC.MARINE CORPS MUSEUM UNIT, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Exhibits: Mr. James A. Fairfax; Mr. Gordon Heim. MarineCorps Art Collection: Mr. John T. Dyer, Jr.

SUPPORT BRANCHBranch Head/Division Executive Officer: LtCol Leon Craig,Jr., USMC. Editing and Design Section: Mr. Robert E.Struder; Mr. William S. Hill; Mrs. Catherine A. Kerns.Library: Miss Evelyn A. Englander. Administration: 2dLtKatrina D. Patillo, USMC; SSgt Robert A. Johannes, USMC;Sgt Joslyn V. Benjamin, USMC; Cpl Cassius B. Cardio,USMC; LCpl Ryan O. Ohnstad, USMC; LCpl Jeremy R.Nelson, USMC; LCpl Andrea S. Whitehead, USMC.Security Chief: SSgt Michael D. Cousins, USMC.

Senior Editor/Editor, FortitudineMr. Robert E. Struder

FORTITUDINEMotto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era.

Historical Bulletin Vol. XXVIII, No.2 1999

This quarterly bulletin of the Marine Corps historical program is published for Marines,at the rate of one copy for every nine on active duty, to provide education and train-ing in the uses of military and Marine Corps history. Other interested readers may pur-chase single copies or four-issue subscriptions from the Superintendent of Documents,U.S. Government Printing Office. The appropriate order form appears in this issue.

Fortitudine is produced in the Editing and Design Section of the History and Museums Division. Thetext for Fortitudine is set in 10-point and 8-point Garamond typeface. Headlines are in 18-point or24-point Garamond. The bulletin is printed on 70-pound, matte-coated paper by offset lithographyFor sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE COVER

Notice for Readers, Subscribers, and Librarians

Memorandum from the Chief Historian: Dewey Canyon,Thirty Years Later

Charles D. Melson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3The Logistics War Examined in Gulf War Series

Charles R. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Ripley Widely Known for Exploit at Dong Ha Bridge

Charles D. Melson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10New Director Held Senior Academic Posts

Charles D. Melson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Historical Quiz: Marine Corps Operations in the 1990s

Lena M. Kaljot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Vietnamese Defense Staffers Research Marine Records

Frederick J. Graboske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Answers to the Historical Quiz: Marine Corps Operations in the 1990s

Lena M. Kaljot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16In Memoriam: Corps Mourns Veteran Aviators and Marksmen

Robert V. Aquilina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Oral Histories Document Marine Leaders of the 90s

Dr. David B. Crist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Marine Corps Chronology: Operation Dewey Canyon,

22 January-18 March 1969Robert V. Aquilina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Digitization Strides Made by Corps’ArchivesFrederick J. Graboske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

In 1969 Sgt Richard L. Yaco recorded this view of Marines struggling to assist wounded fellowmembers of the 9th Marines down steep and slippery slopes of Vietnam’s A Shau Valley inOperation Dewey Canyon of that year in the Vietnam War. Yaco, a Californian who served formore than a year in Vietnam as a Marine combat artist, was meritoriously promoted to sergeantand received the Bronze Star Medal with combat “V.” His artwork from the war was twice includ-ed in traveling exhibits produced by the Smithsonian Institution. Since it is the 30th anniversaryyear of the much-studied and by-now classic Marine operation, Dewey Canyon is the topic cho-sen for this issue by both Chief Historian Charles D. Melson, beginning on page 3, and ReferenceHistorian Robert V. Aquilina, author of the Marine Corps Chronology, on page 22. Melson alsotakes the opportunity to introduce readers to a new Director of Marine Corps History andMuseums, retired Col John W. Ripley, himself well-known for his role in blowing the highwaybridge at Dong Ha during the final months of the Vietnam War, an action which brought him theNavy Cross. In recent years, Ripley has served as head of the history department at the U.S.Naval Academy and as a college and military academy president. The story of his exploit at thebridge begins on page 10.

Fortitudine has ceased to identify its issues by season. The last-such dated issue was No.4 of Vol. XXVII, Spring 1998. The bulletin will continue to appear four times annually,with each issue identified by its number within its volume, and its year of publication. Thisissue is the second of Vol. XXVIII, 1999. Paid subscribers will find the number of issuesthey expect to receive unaffected by this administrative change.

Fortitudine, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, 1999 3

Memorandum from the Chief Historian

Charles D. Melson

Dewey Canyon,Thirty Years Later

Thirty years ago this past January, aclassic combined arms operationbegan in Vietnam: Operation DeweyCanyon. It is against more than adecade of war that this accountshould be read. An estimated 500,000Marines served in Vietnam from 1962through 1975. The Vietnam War, thelongest in the history of the Corps,exacted a high cost, with more than14,800 Marines killed and 88,000wounded. It is a story about men incombat against the enemies of theircountry and tells about the 9th MarineRegiment during mobile operations inthe western highlands on the borderof Vietnam and Laos in early 1969.

The U.S. Marines operated mainlyin I Corps, the northernmost of theSouth Vietnamese military zones, bor-dering Laos, North Vietnam, and theSouth China Sea. This was an areacovering 10,700 square miles, includ-

ing the coastal enclaves of Phu Bai,Da Nang, and Chu Lai. It encom-passed a population of 2,755,800 in 5provinces, 6 cities, and 549 major vil-lages. From the west, valleys andridges served as infiltration routes forNorth Vietnamese attacking coastalpopulations and these same hinter-lands served as enemy rear and stag-ing areas.

The III Marine Amphibious Force,then commanded by LtGen RobertE. Cushman, Jr., was the senior Marineand American commander in I Corps.Assigned to it were elements of the 1stand 3d Marine Divisions, the 1stMarine Aircraft Wing, and the ForceLogistic Command. Allied forces in ICorps had four tasks to accomplish:defend critical bases and airfields;destroy Communist combat forces;eliminate Communist subversive infra-

structure; and conduct civic action tosupport the government of SouthVietnam.

Under MajGen Raymond G. Davis,the 3d Marine Division had carried outmobile operations against NorthVietnamese units using superior fire-power and helicopter mobility sincethe middle of the previous year. Thedivision controlled three infantry regi-ments and support or service units ofseveral kinds to make up a completecombined-arms team, including fieldartillery, armor, reconnaissance, engi-neers, communications, motor trans-port, medical, maintenance, and sup-ply. Members of a Corps that stressedair-ground task forces and combinedarms teams, the infantry bore thebrunt of the daily burden of combat inconditions that placed them on a rela-tively equitable footing in firefightswith a deadly enemy.

Of Davis’s regiments, the 9thMarines was one of the MarineCorps’ “work-horse” regiments fromWorld War I, through World War II,and the subsequent Cold War. The9th Marines and its three battalionsdeployed to Vietnam in March 1965and remained until 1969, “first in, firstout.” Along with a record of heavycombat, it had pioneered the “countyfair” approach to civic action. Wherethe 9th Marines were, along the DMZ,found few civilians left to deal withanyway.

In January 1969, the III MAF and ICorps were concerned about expand-ed enemy activity in the AnnamiteMountain Range where Communistforces from Laos moved along Routes922 in Laos and 548 in South Vietnam,that led to Hue, Da Nang, and thepopulated coastal plain. Troop andsupply concentrations were evident inBase Area 611 astride the internation-

Bell UH1E “Hueys” of the 1st MAW land at Fire Support Base Cunningham in1969. Dewey Canyon was fought in mountainous terrain overcome through theextensive use of helicopter transport and fire support bases throughout the areaof operations. Marines firing howitzers duck and cover in the foreground.


al border. Recent increases in antiair-craft defenses indicated the NorthVietnamese Army (NVA) had some-thing to protect. This would be theorigin of the operation codenamed“Dewey Canyon.”

Signals, air, and ground reconnais-sance tracked the Communistbuildup in Base Area 611 and thisinformation was expanded by other

agencies available to the 3d MarineDivision. Gen Davis recalled that 40percent of his area was secured bycombat forces and the rest was “cov-ered by reconnaissance” with patrolsfrom 3d Force ReconnaissanceCompany and 3d ReconnaissanceBattalion. These patrols were used tomake contact with the enemy that wasthen exploited by a rapid buildup ofinfantry or air and artillery fire. This

was the type of attack called for to dis-rupt Base Area 611, using a force builtaround the 9th Marine Regiment ledby Col Robert H. Barrow.

Opposing were elements of twoNVA infantry regiments, anartillery regiment, and service-engi-neer-transportation troops. Withthese, the enemy was able to reinforcepoints under attack, counter-attackwith small units making considerableuse of crew-served weapons, and hitfire support bases. LtGen HermanNickerson, Jr., later observed that inthe North Viet-namese, “we confront adedicated foot soldier, but a soldierlacking in supporting arms . . . . Thetest of a North Vietnamese comman-der then is to counter our overwhelm-ing firepower. And he doesn’t mindloosing troops to gain his limitedobjectives.” The 9th Marines com-mander felt the NVA was “well orga-nized and formidable” and abundantlysupplied and equipped in terrain thataided his defense. Barrow concluded,“He was strong and he fought hard.”

To go after the North Vietnamesethe Marines had to operate 20 to 30air-miles beyond other allied bases—far from naval gunfire, resupply byroad, and reinforcement. The battlearea was in a remote corner of themountain highlands, involving theconverging valleys of the Da Krongand A Shau watersheds. Two largehill-masses dominated the apex ofthese valleys, Tam Boi and Co A Nong(Hills 1224 and 1228, respectively,from their altitudes on the map),through which Routes 922 and 548curved. For the infantry, this meantfighting uphill from 600 feet to finalobjectives of over 3,600 feet coveringan average horizontal distance of justfour miles!

During the January to March mon-soon season, temperatures werebetween 71 to 51 degrees—cool com-pared to the 100 degrees of the low-lands. No significant rainfall occurred,but there were overcast skies and driz-zle with fog and clouds along themountains and ravines. Barrowrecalled they “experienced unfavor-able weather over 50 percent of the

The lack of level terrain, and dense foliage, meant that 3d Marine Divisioninfantrymen received support from alternatives such as the Boeing CH-46 SeaKnight helicopter and hoist used to bring this casualty out for medical evacua-tion. Weather proved to be another hazard to be overcome just northwest of theA Shau Valley.


time,” and that it “stalled or slowed themomentum of our attack and robbedus of our options.”

Headquarters for 9th Marines wasat Vandegrift Combat Base and itsbattalions assembled there prior to “D-Day” to rest, refit, and rearm. A logis-tics support area was located therewith all classes of supplies moved by3d Shore Party Battalion. The regi-ment was supported by LtCol JosephR. Scoppa’s 2d Battalion, 12th Marinesartillery, an engineer company, andaircraft from the 1st Marine AircraftWing and the U.S. Army 101stAirborne Division. Additional unitsfrom the 2d ARVN and 3d MarineRegiments were brought into theoperation later.

Dewey Canyon kicked off on 18January with the 9th and 12th Marinesestablishing fire support bases andblocking positions on three previouslyheld hill-tops: Henderson, TunTavern, and Shiloh. “Built by engi-neers, defended by the infantry andmanned by artillery, the fire supportbase” was an example of Marine flex-ibility according to 3d EngineerBattalion’s operations officer, MajRobert V. Nicoli. Basically, fire sup-port bases were rapidly built artillerypositions allowing infantry to operatewithin a protective fan of fire thatoverlapped with other bases in orderto fight in forests, jungles, and moun-tains where ground movement waslimited. These moved forward in aclassic “fire and maneuver” of forces,rapidly abandoning those bases nolonger needed.

Enemy threats against these fixedpositions were from “stand off”and sapper attacks. The latter werespecial NVA troops designed to con-duct raids. The 3d Marine Divisionchief-of-staff related that they usedunobserved approaches—such asthrough the trash dump, supportedby mortar fire, backed at the lastmoment by “RPGs, Chicom grenades,satchel charges and bangalore torpe-does” to cover assaults made withutmost speed to keep the defenders intheir bunkers, while the sappers hitammunition stores, gun positions, fire

direction and communication centers. On 22 January, LtCol George C.

Fox’s 2d Battalion was flown forwardto secure Fire Support Base Razor andLanding Zone Dallas to move closer tothe enemy. Fire and air control agen-cies were established there and the 9thMarines was now fully committed.Two days later LtCol Elliot R. Laine’s3d Battalion assaulted the ridge forFire Support Base Cunningham, a fur-ther 6,500 yards beyond Razor. Thiswas home for the forward regimentalcommand post, field hospital, andlogistics support group.

The fire support bases mounted155mm howitzers, 105mm howitzers,and 4.2-inch mortars. The artillery fannow extended six miles south and

southwest to the limits of the opera-tion area. From here close air supporttook 30-45 minutes to call in and heli-copters some 45-60 minutes to arrive ifthe enemy and weather permitted.Because of the heavy enemy antiair-craft defenses in Base Area 611, it wasdecided to attack cross-country ratherthan risk an airborne assault onto finalObjectives 1, 2, and 3.

As initial gambits were being com-pleted, the 2d and 3d Battalionscleared the areas around the fire sup-port bases and then advanced toPhase Line Red along the Da KrongRiver. An outlying company position,Fire Support Base Erskine, was builtand both battalions made “light con-

Cross-country movement and heavy fighting were required to dislodgeentrenched North Vietnamese forces from their base “sanctuaries.” LCpl Guy S.Spencer of San Diego, California, examines a Communist heavy machine guncaptured by his battalion in February 1969.


tact” with screening forces from unitsbelieved to be further south. By 2February, an NVA field hospital hadbeen overrun, a heavy companyengagement was fought by 2dBattalion in rain and fog on Hill 1175,Fire Support Base Cunningham wasshelled by 122mm guns, and the badweather restricted air support.Company G was the most exposedand encountered a large enemy forceas it pulled closer to friendly lines.Rain alternated with drizzle and fog.Visibility was reduced to yards and theceiling to zero as hard red soil becamemud.

Barrow decided to hold whatground the regiment had untilthings improved and units sat indefensive positions in the rain withresupply being conducted by para-chute drops from radar-guided heli-copters and Hercules C-130 transports.Nine days of poor weather cost impe-tus and permitted the enemy time to

Marine Corps Historical Collection

Larger prizes were seized, such as this D-20 122mm howitzer prepared for helo-lift by 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. From left are 2dLt Jerry Jackson, 2dLt JohnJudeson, 1stLt Wes Fox, 2dLt Fritz Werner, and 2dLt John Harwood. Fox wasawarded the Medal of Honor during this operation and the howitzer is now atQuantico, Virginia.

A data plate from a captured howitzer taken by then-LtColElliot R. Laine, Jr. commanding 3d Battalion, 9th Marines.The piece was captured by his battalion on 25 February at

Tam Boi on the border of Vietnam and Laos. Col Laine nowis the History and Museums Division’s part-time volunteercoordinator. Marine Corps Historical Collection


prepare. On 10 February, weathercleared enough for LtCol George W.Smith’s 1st Battalion to be heli-coptered forward to Fire Support BaseErskine to take its place on Phase LineRed for the move from the Da KrongValley up into Base Area 611. The 9thMarines was now on a line from westto east–2d, 1st, and 3d Battalions–each battalion with a zone of actionthree miles wide and assigned terrainobjectives some four to five miles tothe southwest.

On 12 February, 1st Battalion raninto a NVA force soon after leav-ing Erskine. Artillery fire and maneu-ver by three companies killed 25enemy. The other battalions met withmachine gun, mortar, and recoillessrifle firefights as they advanced. Onthe 17th, a sapper attack hitCunningham defended by 2d

Battalion, 12th Marines, and CompanyM, leaving 37 bodies behind, 13 with-in the base itself; but four Marinesdied and another 46 were wounded.

Foot movement brought an all-encompassing cycle of demandingmovement or rest, heat and damp,cold and damp, and exposure to theelements 24 hours a day. During theday, two companies advanced up theridge lines alongside each other withanother company following. The leadunits would attack and the rear unitswould move to the flanks or establisha landing zone for mortar support,resupply, and medical evacuation.Companies rotated through these tasksas the situation permitted. At night thecompanies stopped and establisheddefensive perimeters.

Heavy fighting occurred between18 and 22 February, mostly in the 1st

Battalion’s sector. Company A hit anentrenched platoon on a ridge threemiles from Erskine and the NVA“appeared to want to hold their posi-tion at all costs.” The position wasoverrun and 30 Communists killed.The next morning Company C movedthrough Company A and killed asmany on an adjacent hill. Company Cattacked and captured the two 122mmguns and prime movers and CompanyA then passed through to securetrucks and ammunition stockpiles.The 88 NVA killed were balancedagainst seven Marines dead and 44wounded.

As the battalions neared the borderwith Laos, Barrow sought permis-sion to cut Route 922, which wasbeing used to move enemy units inand out of the battle area—despiteartillery, fighter bomber, and B-52Stratofortress attacks. It fell to 2dBattalion to cross the border andambush traffic on this critical routewith infantry, which it did on the 21stand 22d, a story in itself.

By now there was concern about“the general level of fatigue” on theground after four weeks of operations.The rugged terrain, tension of combat,and lack of sleep was noted by corps-men in high pulse rates and dehydra-tion. Company and platoon comman-ders knew that tired riflemen werecareless and likely to forget goodmovement and security techniques asa result.

On 22 February, Company A gainedits commander the Medal of Honor(one of four reaped by 9th Marinesduring the fighting). As the companyneared the border in the center of theregiment’s advance, 1st Platoonpushed an enemy squad out of well-positioned bunkers. As things lookedquiet, 1stLt Wesley L. Fox radioed bat-talion to send a detail down to thecreek to get needed water forHeadquarters Company and CompanyC. The 20 men sent for water cameunder mortar and machine fire, and1st Platoon went to cover them, kick-ing off the last heavy engagement ofDewey Canyon.

On the regiment’s left flank, 3dBattalion had advanced generally

Capt Thomas F. Hinkle of Wilmington, Delaware, and other Marines examine theSoviet-built howitzer from which the data plate was removed. North Vietnamesegunners blew the barrel when their efforts to stop Marines from overrunning theirmountain stronghold failed.


along Route 548, uncovering mainte-nance installations and fuel depots.The battalion cleared Hill 1228, calledTiger Mountain by the Marines, and by23 February had seized 122mm guns,prime movers, ammunition, a hospital,and an underground headquarterscomplex. Fire Support Base Turnagewas established on the Tiger Mountainhill complex to cover this phase of thefighting.

At the border, 1st Battalion reori-ented its march along Route 548towards Hill 1044, where on 26February Company D found one ofthe largest supply depots capturedduring the war, with more than 100tons of munitions and 737 weapons.The next several days were spentrecovering this material and destroy-ing the complex—a massive effortrequiring two companies to complete.

On the regiment’s right flank, 2dBattalion swung through Laos until 1March, covering 5,500 yards in fivedays—killing 48 enemy, capturing 20tons of food and ammunition, and two122mm guns. This move blockedRoute 922 at the time the 1st and 3dBattalions were pushing from theother side. This brought the operationto an end and began a phased with-drawal conducted through 18 March,returning units by helicopter to the

Vandegrift Combat Base. Communistforces up to company-size continuedto attack in the Tiger Mountain area.The last unit out was 1st Battalion, 9thMarines, and its move was still undermortar and antiaircraft fire from BaseArea 611’s tenants.

Dewey Canyon engagements killed1,617 North Vietnamese soldiers(more were estimated killed by sup-porting fires) and took only five pris-oners. Marine casualties were 130dead, 920 wounded, and 1 missing forthe same period. The operation hadbeen supported by 461 close air sup-port missions delivering 2,000 tons ofordnance and some 134,000 rounds ofartillery fire. Helicopters flew some1,200 sorties to move 9,121 troops and1,533,597 pounds of cargo with theloss of one aircraft. The captured basearea yielded 1,223 small arms, 104machine guns, 26 mortars, 73 antiair-craft guns, 16 artillery pieces, 92trucks, and 14 bulldozers. Completingthe haul were more than 800,000rounds of ammunition—from smallarms to artillery—2,920 land minesand 800 pounds of explosives, 110tons of rice, and 2 tons of salt. Forseven weeks enemy resupply andinfiltration were blocked and pre-empted were major Communistattacks for the year, so tactical andoperational success was achieved.

The 9th Marines earned a unit cita-tion for the most successful indepen-dent regimental operation of the con-flict and continued a tradition of hardfighting under rugged conditions as “aMarine regiment of extraordinarycohesion, skill in mountain warfare,and plain heart.” The regimental com-mander later said the battle was“regarded by many as the most unusu-al, challenging, and successful large-scale operation of the Vietnam War.”The credit for this success went toindividual Marines, described by oneof their battalion commanders as“hard corps—well trained and led,motivated to the highest degree, andundemanding of creature comforts.”

I first heard about Dewey Canyonfrom participants such as LtGenRaymond G. Davis at Quantico,Virginia, and from other Marines whileoverseas with the 9th Marines. Furtherinformation on this model regimentalbattle can be found in the sources thisarticle was based upon, to include:MajGen Robert H. Barrow, “OperationDewey Canyon,” Marine Corps Gazette(November 1981), pp. 84-89;Commandant of the Marine Corps,Dewey Canyon (Washington, D.C.:HQMC, n.d.); 1stLt Gordon M. Davis,“Dewey Canyon: All Weather Classic,”Marine Corps Gazette (September1969), pp. 32-40; LtGen HermanNickerson, Leadership Lessons andRemembrances from Vietnam(Washington, D.C.: HQMC, 1988); andCharles R. Smith, U.S. Marines inVietnam, 1969 (Washington, DC:HQMC, 1988). ❑ 1775❑

The enemy also destroyed its prime movers while fleeing from the 9th Marinesadvance towards the A Shau Valley. PFC Bernardo A. Blazek of Viroqua,Wisconsin, stands atop a prime mover and examines the remains of its enginecompartment. Road networks from Laos allowed the enemy to enter into SouthVietnam with relative ease before the Marines arrived.

MEDALS OF HONOR9TH MARINES, OPERATION

DEWEY CANYON

LCpl Thomas P. Noonan, Jr.

Company G, 5 February 1969*

1stLt Wesley L. Fox, Company

A, 22 February 1969

Cpl William D. Morgan,

Company H, 25 February 1969*

PFC Alfred M. Wilson, Company

M, 3 March 1969*

*Posthumous


‘The Logistics War’ Examined in Gulf War Seriesby Charles R. Smith

Head, History Writing Unit

Combat Service Support in DesertShield and Desert Storm, theeighth preliminary monograph in theseries U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf,1990-1991, recently was published bythe History and Museums Division. Itis an account of the Marines andsailors of the 1st and 2d Force ServiceSupport Groups, Marine Wing SupportGroup 37, and the 3d NavalConstruction Regiment, whose com-bined logistical efforts gave the IMarine Expeditionary Force the abilityto eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Written by Maj Steven M. Zimmeck,USMC (Ret), a career logistician whoserved as a logistics watch officer inthe Headquarters Marine Corps CrisisResponse Cell and as the first logisticsadvisor to the Royal Saudi Marinesduring the Persian Gulf crisis, themonograph covers August 1990through October 1991. It was theperiod when the Marine Corps quick-ly sent forces to the Persian Gulf, freedKuwait, and rapidly reconstituted itscapabilities to respond to other crises.

Maritime Prepositioning Ships andMarine forces afloat, the author pointsout, gave the Marine Corps the abilityto respond rapidly, while the profes-sionalism of its combat service supportforces gave the Corps the capability to

accomplish its mission. The 1st and2d Force Service Support Groupsunloaded the ships and aircraft andpushed supplies and services to theground and aviation combat elements.Gens James A. Brabham, Jr., andCharles C. Krulak welded together ageneral and direct supply system thatextended from Bahrain to Kuwait insupport of the ground attack. GenKrulak’s Marines and sailors movedwith the ground attack, while GenBrabham used every conceivablemeans of transport to push supplies tothe front. The five squadrons ofMWSG-37 provided direct support tothe 3d Marine Aircraft Wing’s heli-copters and fixed-wing groups, andthe Seabees of the 3d NavalConstruction Regiment built facilitiesfrom Bahrain to Kuwait.

Once Kuwait was freed, the MarineCorps, the author notes, did not reston its laurels, but rapidly reconstitutedits logistics capabilities to respond toother immediate crises. The 2d ForceService Support Group recovered theCorps’ ammunition capability and,together with the Blount IslandCommand, began reconstituting theMaritime Prepositioning Force.“When historians, strategists, and tacti-cians study the Gulf War,” as GenKrulak later pointed out, “what theywill study most carefully will be logis-tics. This was a war of logistics.”

The widely publicized German air-borne attack into NorthernEurope’s Low Countries in May 1940,created an immediate reactionthroughout the Marine Corps. Withindays of the attack, the Commandant,MajGen Thomas Holcomb, orderedplans prepared for “the employmentof parachute troops.” The first smallgroup of volunteers reported for train-ing in October and graduated the fol-lowing February. By the summer of1941, the Marine Corps had a two-company parachute battalion thatwould eventually grow to a four-bat-talion regiment in 1943. Silk Chutes

and Hard Fighting: U.S. Marine CorpsParachute Units in World War II, byLtCol Jon T. Hoffman, USMCR, coversthe Corps’ brief flirtation with airborneoperations, from the development anddeployment to the eventual demise ofMarine parachute units during theSecond World War.

Although Marine parachutists madeno combat jumps during the war,they took part in securing Gavutu andGuadalcanal, the Choiseul Islanddiversion, and the occupation anddefense of Cape Torokina onBougainville.

Considered a “luxury” the MarineCorps could not afford, the Comman-dant ordered the disbandment of allparachute units in late 1943. The 1stParachute Regiment was assigned tothe Fleet Marine Force where it staffedthe then-forming 5th Marine Division.Barely a year later, the division, “leav-ened by the veterans” of the regiment,would land at Iwo Jima. There, threeparachutists, Sgt Henry O. Hansen andCpls Ira H. Hayes and Harlon H.Block, participated in the famed flagraisings on Mount Suribachi. Of the 81Marines to earn the Medal of Honor inWorld War II, five were former para-troopers. ❑ 1775❑


There were few Americans in com-bat in Southeast Asia by 1972. Themajority of U.S. Marines “in country”were fire support or communicationsspecialists and the advisors with theSouth Vietnamese Marine Corps. TheTQLC, or VNMC in English, wasformed from former French comman-do units after the 1954 ceasefire thatestablished North and South Vietnam.An elite unit by any standards andclosely associated with the U.S. MarineCorps, the VNMC had been fightingthe Communists for more than adecade. Those American Marinesselected to serve with the VNMC wereconsidered the “chosen few” for beingthe last Marines in combat and for theexotic nature of their assignment. As

advisors they wore the distinctivegreen beret and “tiger stripe” battledress of the VNMC. As part of theSouth Vietnamese national reserve,two Marine brigades were deployedalong the Demilitarized Zone with the3d ARVN Division following thedeparture of American combat unitsfrom Military Region 1 in 1971. Forthem the war was not over yet and amajor test of their efforts came duringthe Communist Spring Invasion thatstarted on 30 March 1972.

Easter Sunday, 2 April, proved to bea fateful day for the 3rd ARVNDivision defending northern QuangTri Province. After three days of con-tinuous artillery fire and tank-infantry

assaults, it appeared that the NorthVietnamese were making their mainattack along the axis of the nationalhighway, QL-1. At this time CampCarroll and Mai Loc fire support basesto the west were still in friendly hands,but all resistance to the north of theCam Lo River had crumbled. The308th NVA Division’s thrust from theDMZ to the south had gained momen-tum as each ARVN outpost and firesupport base fell. Intelligence reportsestimated that three NVA mechanizeddivisions were attacking with approxi-mately 10,000 infantry, 150 T-54 andPT-76 tanks, 75 tracked antiaircraftvehicles, an artillery regiment of 47130mm guns, and antiaircraft missileunits.

Ripley Widely Known for Exploit at Dong Ha Bridgeby Charles D. Melson

Chief Historian

At the 3d VNMC Battalion command post at Dong Ha, theAmerican is then-Capt John W. Ripley. Bending over themap is the battalion commander, Maj Le Ba Binh. Note the

number of radios used to control the unit and the ARVNM113 armored personnel carrier.

David Burnett Contact Press Images


By mid-day Easter Sunday nothingwas on the QL-1 axis between theenemy and the coveted Quang Tri Cityexcept a river, a bridge, and a battal-ion of Vietnamese Marines and tanks.With them on the ground in MR-1were the advisors. The 3d VNMC

Battalion, with Capt John W. Ripley asits sole American advisor, was spreadalong Route 9 from Cam Lo to DongHa. Ripley was on his second tour inVietnam, a U.S. Naval Academy grad-uate with experience from ForceRecon and Royal Marine exchange

tours. He provided “advise” and firesupport coordination to the 700-manunit on the south side of the river sentto gain enough time for the 3d ARVNDivision to organize a new defenseline south of the Thach Han River.

With the report of approachingtanks, Maj Le Ba Binh, the 3dVNMC Battalion commander, wasordered by his brigade commander tohold Dong Ha. The brigade comman-der sent four jeep-mounted 106mmrecoilless rifles north for support. Alsosent forward were 42 brand-new M48main battle tanks of the 20th ARVNTank Battalion. Binh was ordered to“hold Dong Ha at all costs.” Ripleywas told to expect the worst: a columnof Communist PT-76 and T-54 tankswere approaching, refugees wereclogging the roads out of Dong Ha,and no further units were available tohelp. A large red North Vietnameseflag was seen flying over the railroadbridge and NVA infantrymen werestorming across both spans as theMarines and tanks arrived. Ripleyrecalled an “absolute fire storm” ofCommunist artillery fire hitting DongHa at this point. Enemy tanks

John W. Ripley was appointedDirector of Marine Corps Historyand Museums, the Marine Corps’ his-torian and director of the History andMuseums Division of HeadquartersMarine Corps, on 12 July. A retiredcolonel with 35 years of service,when selected Ripley was presidentof Hargrave Miliary Academy ofChatham, Virginia. His previouspositions included president andchancellor of Southern VirginiaCollege in Buena Vista, Virginia.

A 1962 graduate of the U. S. NavalAcademy, Col Ripley served twoinfantry tours in South Vietnam, onewith the Vietnamese Marine Corpsduring the 1972 Easter Offensive.Other fleet service included the MarineDetachment, USS Independence; force reconnaissance,company, battalion, and regimental commands, and staffduty.

Ripley also served with the NavalReserve Officer Training units ofOregon State University and theVirginia Military Institute. He wasthe Senior Marine and Director ofthe Division of English and Historyat the U.S. Naval Academy. He leftactive duty in 1992.

Col Ripley replaced Col MichaelF. Monigan, who had theunique experience of being boththe acting and serving director ofthe division during a crucial transi-tion period. Monigan is a careerpilot with almost 35 years of ser-vice. His squadron service includ-ed Marine Helicopter Squadron 1

(HMX-1) and command of TrainingSquadron 3. Ripley is the third Director of Marine CorpsHistory and Museums since the billet was created in1971.

Col John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret)

New Director Held Senior Academic Posts


appeared on the horizon sending uprooster tails of dust as they barreleddown QL-1. Naval gunfire fromAmerican destroyers in the TonkinGulf had some effect on the enemyadvance as oily black columns ofsmoke rose over the north bank of theriver. But this was not enough to stopthem. At 1200 the ARVN M48s beganfiring at the NVA tank column, knock-ing out six Communist vehicles.

At about 1215, as the first NVA tanknosed out onto the north side ofthe highway bridge, VietnameseMarine Sgt Huynh Van Luom, a veter-an of many years fighting, took twoM72 light antitank assault weapons(LAAW) and walked up to the southside of the bridge. Although he was asection leader, he moved forwardalone. As he reached the bridge hetook two ammunition boxes filledwith dirt and a single roll of concerti-na wire and placed them in front ofhim. It was a ludicrous situation, the90-pound Marine crouched in the fir-ing position to battle a 40-ton behe-moth bearing down on his meager for-tification. Luom coolly extended bothLAAWs as the NVA tank started acrossthe bridge.

The tank jerked to a halt. Perhapsthe tank commander could not believehis eyes. He stopped dead in histracks as he watched the lone Marinetake aim. Luom fired, the round wenthigh and to the right. The tank start-ed to ease forward. Luom picked upthe second rocket, aimed, and fired.The round ricocheted off the bow,detonating on the turret-ring, jammingthe turret. The enemy tank comman-der backed off the bridge, making theworst possible decision he could have.All at once the Marines along the riversaw that enemy armor could bestopped.

The whole incident took only a fewseconds. Sergeant Luom grinnedand the whole front breathed easier.Capt Ripley gave Sgt Luom credit for“singlehandedly stopping the momen-tum of the entire enemy attack.” At1245, the ARVN division commandpost radioed Maj James E. Smock, U.S.Army advisor with the 20th ARVN

Tank Battalion, authorization to blowthe Dong Ha bridge immediately. Ifnecessary, additional demolitionswould be sent up and that higherheadquarters had been informed ofthe decision. When Ripley heard thishe replied that “he had always wantedto blow a bridge.” Although he wasmodest, almost shy, no man couldhave been better qualified to do thejob, with demolition expertise fromU.S. Army Ranger School and theRoyal Marines’ special boat squadron.As Ripley walked forward toward thebridge, Maj Smock on an ARVN tankcalled, “Hey Marine, climb aboard andlet’s go blow a bridge.” The twoAmericans with two M48 tanks movedforward to within 100 meters of thebridge. Still in defilade, the tanksstopped at this point. Ripley andSmock dismounted, shielded fromenemy view by an old bunker. Fromthe bunker to the bridge was openspace swept by enemy artillery andsmall-arms fire. The sun was bright,the weather had cleared, but therewere no aircraft overhead or navalgunfire coming in to provide coveringfire. The Marines in forward positions

fired at the north bank as the twoadvisors came forward.

The two men ran across the openspace. They found ARVN engi-neers stacking 500 pounds of TNT andC-4 plastic explosive at the juncture ofthe bridge and the approach ramp.The ARVN engineers, however, hadplaced the explosives in such a posi-tion that upon detonation, the bridgewould merely “flap” in place and notdrop. Ripley, quickly surveying thesituation, realized that the explosiveswould have to be placed along thegirders under the bridge. A highchain-link fence topped by barbedwire prevented access to the under-pinnings of the bridge. After a quickconference with Smock, it was agreedthat once Ripley cleared the fence,Smock would lift the TNT over thefence and Ripley, in turn, would placeit underneath the spans.

Swinging his body up and over thefence, Ripley barely cleared the con-certina, shredding his uniform.Clearing this obstacle, and with asatchel charge and some blasting caps,the Marine started hand-over-hand


above the water along the first girder.About halfway out over the swiftlyflowing water, he tried to swing him-self up into the steel girders by hook-ing his heels on either side of thebeam. It was then that he realized thathe still had on his webbing and hisrifle was slung over his shoulders. Allat once the weight was oppressive. Ashe was hanging by his hands withexplosives, web gear, and weapon,watched by NVA soldiers, Ripley madeanother effort to secure a foothold onthe beam. His arms ached with pain,his finger grasp felt insecure, and hecould not hang there indefinitely.After several attempts to swing hisbody, he lodged his heels on thebeam. Working his way up into thesteel of the bridge, he discovered that

the support girders were separated bypractically the width of the ammuni-tion crates in which the explosiveshad been packed.

Crawling back and forth betweenthe beams, Ripley placed thedemolitions in a staggered alignmentamong the six girders. Major Smock,remaining at the fence, muscled the50-pound boxes near the five channelscreated by the six beams by climbingthe fence each time and placing themwithin Ripley’s reach. As each chan-nel was mined, it was necessary forRipley to drop down from one beamand swing over the next, very similarto a high wire act in a circus.

As the Marine laboriously draggedeach crate of TNT down the chute

formed by the legs of each of thebeams, Maj Smock became impatientwith Ripley’s meticulous manner andconcerned about the small-arms firefrom the north bank, 50 meters away.He called, “Hey, you dumb jarhead,that isn’t necessary . . . . What are youdoing that for?” “You tankers don’tknow anything,” Ripley assuredSmock. The charges had to be placeddiagonally in order to torque the spanfrom its abutment. Smock insisted thatthere was enough power to blow thatbridge and “three more like it.”Nevertheless, despite the “interservicerivalry” the bridge had to be destroyedon the first try. There would be notime for a second attempt.

After lifting all the boxes of explo-sives to Ripley, Smock crouched down

A reconnaissance aircraft photographed the Dong HaBridge shortly after its destruction. To the left is “TheTriangle” road junction of Highways 1 and 9 and to theright is the Dye Marker bunker and the bridge and its burn-

ing road bed. At far right are communist armored vehiclespulled off the road, exposed to air attack and unable toadvance further

Photo courtesy of Col John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret)


Historical Quiz

Marine Corps Operations in the 1990sby Lena M. Kalijot.Reference Historian

Match the operation name with the appropriate location:1. Assured Response

2. Sea Angel

3. Fiery Vigil

4. Desert Shield/Desert Storm

5. Garden Plot

6. Able Manner/Able Vigil

7. Deliberate Force

8. Restore Hope

9. Task Force Wildfire

10. Northern Watch

A. Florida Straits

B. Montana

C. Bosnia

D. Somalia

E. Bangladesh

F. California

G. Liberia

H. Iraq/Turkey

I. Persian Gulf

J. Philippines(Answers on page 16)

and lit a cigarette while Ripley pausedamidst the steel girders. Finally, theexplosives in place, Ripley took theelectric blasting caps from his pocketand crimped them to the communica-tions wire being used to detonate thecharge. Clearing the fence, he ran thewire to the burning wreckage of anearby “Jeep.” As a precaution he hadcut 30 minutes of time fuze beforeattempting an electrical detonationusing the vehicle’s battery. Ripleytouched the wire to either terminal,but the bridge did not blow. Now itseemed the fate of South Vietnam’snorthern provinces rested on a burn-ing fuze sputtering its way toward 500pounds of high explosive.

After what seemed an eternity, thetime fuze neared its end. The tell-tale smoke trail was now out of view.Smock and Ripley “waited andhoped.” Suddenly, the bridge blew!The span, curling in the predictedtwisting manner, was severed from theberm “and settled into the river.” Thesmoking open space between thenorth and south banks was a beautiful

sight for the two Americans. At 1630,Ripley reported to division headquar-ters that the bridge had beendestroyed, and that Major Smock haddemolished the railroad bridgeupstream.

Airstrikes by South Vietnamese A-1Skyraiders hit the armored columnbacked up north of the bridge. All fir-ing stopped, there was a calm for afew moments, then, on the north side,noise was evident once more as NVAtanks shifted their positions to makeroom for PT-76 amphibious tanks tocome forward to the river’s edge. Theenemy was determined to cross.Ripley saw four of them ready to crossand immediately called a naval gun-fire mission. The gunfire support shipsailed within the five fathom curveand let go with a salvo. All four tankswere destroyed on the river bank.Ripley recalled that this destroyerprobably was one of the few ships inthe Navy that rated four enemy tankspainted on her stacks. Subsequently,a B-52 bombing strike, which hadbeen scheduled for that area, silencedthe remaining tank activity to the

north and east of Dong Ha, for thetime being.

With their armored thrusts thwartedat the Dong Ha and Cua Viet areas,the determined Communists exertedpressure elsewhere. The Cam Lobridge to the west was the only avail-able crossing point and the NVA effortshifted in that direction. More navalgunfire was called for and the firefrom the guns of the destroyers againsquelched enemy movement as allnight long hundreds of naval projec-tiles were called in upon the enemy.The battle for Dong Ha was still indoubt, but there was no question theCommunist armored-assault had beenhalted by the efforts of “a few goodmen” on Easter Sunday. For theiractions that day, Capt Ripley wasawarded the Navy Cross–America’ssecond highest award for valor–andMaj Smock the Silver Star Medal–thethird highest award for valor. ButJohn Ripley recalled VNMC Sgt Luom’saction in stopping the first tank at thebridge as the “ . . . bravest single actof heroism I’ve ever heard of, wit-nessed, or experienced.” ❑ 1775❑


On 26 August a delegation of fiveVietnamese officials visited theMarine Corps Historical Center as partof their nation’s attempt to locate itsmissing in action (MIA) from theVietnam War. The visit was sponsoredby the Department of DefensePOW/MIA office. The delegation wasled by a senior colonel from theMinistry of Defense. The AssistantDefense Attache at the VietnameseEmbassy in Washington is the localcontact for this effort, and he also waspart of the group.

The group met first with ourDirector, Col John W. Ripley, USMC(Ret). The Director recently had visit-ed some of the battlefields in Vietnamwhere he had seen action. He and theVietnamese colonel looked at photosof these areas and discussed the war.It happened that both men had beenactive in combat in the Con Thienregion in 1967-1968. At one point, theVietnamese pulled up his pants leg toshow an old wound and heexclaimed, “You probably were theone who shot me!”

Col Ripley presented the group acomplete set of the Marine Corps his-tories of the Vietnam War to beshipped back to Hanoi for use by theirresearchers. The group leaderpromised to reciprocate when theirwartime series is complete. They alsowere presented a set of the CD-ROMsof the Vietnam records that we havedigitized. These 42 CDs contain389,000 pages of records. These, too,were to be shipped to Hanoi to permitresearchers to search for map coordi-nates of actions noting enemy dead oridentifying enemy grave sites.

The delegation then visited theArchives Section to see how theCD system works and to gain anunderstanding of the organization andcontents of command chronologies.The CDs were demonstrated andpaper records were brought out fortheir examination. The head of theArchives Section promised theVietnamese his full cooperation intheir research efforts and invited theattache to return whenever any ques-

tions arose. He also promised to sendthem a complete set of the CDs whenour digitization of the Vietnam records(more than 1 million pages) is com-plete. We recognize the humanitarianimperative to assist Vietnamese fami-lies in locating the remains of lovedones, in addition to encouraging theirgovernment’s cooperation with similarAmerican efforts in Vietnam.

The head of the Archives Sectionquestioned the delegation aboutthe equivalent Vietnamese records ofthe war. He was told that no recordswere generated below the battalionechelon. Even at the battalion, somecommanders made no records andmany others made only cursory notes.In only a few cases were the comman-ders able to expand these notes to amore comprehensive narrative. Somerecords never reached Hanoi becausethey were captured or destroyed byAmerican forces. After the war, imple-mentation of a unified state and phys-ical rebuilding took precedence overhistorical documentation. Now, as bat-talion and regimental histories arebeing written, the commanders arebeing interviewed by oral historians.However, the Vietnamese colonelnoted, the accuracy of their recollec-tions after more than 30 years leavesmuch to be desired.

The colonel had several questionsabout USMC casualties duringthe war. He particularly was interest-ed in deaths from Agent Orange. Hewas told that, in the eyes of someMarines, the defoliant saved theirlives by preventing the enemy fromshooting them from thick junglecover. The colonel agreed that, givena choice, most soldiers wouldchoose to run a risk of delayed,rather than immediate, death. At theconclusion of the visit, their U.S. AirForce escort opined that their visit tothe Historical Center had been thehighlight of their visit to the UnitedStates. ❑ 1775❑

Vietnamese Defense Staffers Research Marine Recordsby Frederick J. GraboskeMarine Corps Archivist

Director of Marine Corps History and Museums Col John W. Ripley, Ret, right,answers questions regarding Marine records of the Vietnam War for visiting offi-cials of the Vietnamese Defense Ministry and that country’s embassy staff inWashington. The delegation took away 42 compact disks containing nearly400,000 pages of records from the war, to aid in resolving the fates of missing-in-action soldiers.


Answers to the Historical Quiz

Marine Corps Operations in the 1990sby Lena M. Kalijot.Reference Historian

(Questions on page 14)

1. G. During April-August 1996, Marines provided security ofthe U.S. Embassy and assisted in the evacuation of Americanand designated foreign citizens due to continuing politicalunrest and increased lawlessness in the Liberian capital ofMonrovia.

2. E. During May-June 1991, a naval task force including the 5thMarines provided humanitarian relief to disaster victims inBangladesh due to a cyclone.

3. J. In June 1991, Marines provided humanitarian assistance,disaster relief, enhanced security at installations, evacuation ofpersonnel, and base recovery and restoration due to the erup-tion of Mt. Pinatubo.

4. I. From August 1990 to February 1991 U.S. forces, along withmilitaries from over 20 nations, responded to Iraq's invasion ofKuwait, and aided in the expulsion of Iraqi forces from thatcountry under the authority of United Nations resolutions.

5. F. In May 1992, Marines were deployed to assist local lawenforcement authorities in Los Angeles in reestablishing lawand order after riots broke out following the Rodney King trialverdict.

6. A. During the period of January 1993 to October 1994,Marines supported the interdiction of Haitian and Cubanmigrants with security teams on U.S. Navy and U.S. CoastGuard vessels.

7. C. During August-September 1995, Marine squadrons con-ducted air strikes into Bosnia, enforcing United Nations resolu-tions declaring 12.5-mile heavy weapons exclusion zonesaround safe havens.

8. D. From December 1992 to May 1993, the missions ofOperation Restore Hope were to assist United Nations and non-governmental organizations in providing humanitarian relief,and to secure air and sea ports and key installations to facili-tate open passage of relief supplies.

9. B. In August 1994, 1,100 Marines provided fire-fighting assis-tance in Washington State and Montana.

10. H. From June to December 1997, Marines provided no-flyzone enforcement above the 36th Parallel over Northern Iraqand maintained surveillance and monitoring of Iraqi militaryand government forces. Then, from April-August andSeptember-December 1998, refueling support was provided.

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In Memoriam

Corps Mourns Veteran Aviators and Marksmenby Robert V. Aquilina

Assistant Head, Reference Section

MajGen Ralph H. "Smoke" Spanjer,USMC (Ret), veteran Marine avi-ator and fifth Superintendent of theMarine Military Academy, died 8February in Delafield, Wisconsin, atthe age of 78. Gen Spanjer was born20 September 1920 in Hillside, NewJersey. He attended New YorkUniversity and served a year in theU.S. Navy prior to entering the MarineCorps Reserve in January 1942. Hewas commissioned a Marine secondlieutenant upon completing flighttraining in Miami, Florida, on 15 July1942. During World War II, he wasassigned to Marine Fighter Squadron441 in the Central Pacific, where heearned the Distinguished Flying Crossand five Air Medals. Later in the war,flying night fighter aircraft, he tookpart in the Peleliu and Okinawa cam-paigns. Following several years ofschools and assignments, Gen Spanjerwas ordered to Korea in April 1952,where he flew attack missions inNorth Korea with Marine FighterSquadron 115. He earned a secondDFC, along with a Navy Commenda-tion Ribbon, and his sixth through

ninth Air Medals. Returning to the U.S.following the July 1953 KoreanArmistice, Gen Spanjer's career patternconsisted of a mix of schools andflight assignments. In May 1965, heparticipated as commander of MarineAircraft Group 13 in the initial landingof Marine forces at Chu Lai, Vietnam,and later served as AssistantCommander, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.He was promoted to the rank ofbrigadier general in September 1967.During the final years of the Vietnamconflict, Gen Spanjer directed opera-tions in the Pacific as Assistant Chiefof Staff, J-3, Pacific Command inHawaii. He was also instrumental inthe planning and execution phases ofthe return of American POWs fromcaptivity in Southeast Asia. Upon hisreturn to the U.S., Gen Spanjerassumed command of the 2d MarineAircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point inJune 1974. His final assignment was asDeputy Commander, FMFLant, wherehe served from August 1976 until hisretirement on 1 January 1978.Following his retirement, Gen Spanjerwas active in a wide variety of civicactivities, and served as Superinten-dent of the Marine Military Academyin Harlingen, Texas, from 1978-1983.At the time of his death, Gen Spanjerwas serving as the Chancellor of St.John's Northwestern Military Academyin Delafield. Gen Spanjer's remainswere placed in a columbarium at theAcademy on 20 February.

MajGen Arthur H. Adams, USMC(Ret), Marine aviator and holderof five Distinguished Flying Crosses,died on 6 February in Pinehurst, NorthCarolina, at the age of 83. Gen Adamswas born 16 April 1915 in Jasper,Minnesota, and completed highschool there in 1933. While in college,he enlisted in the Marine CorpsReserve in 1936 for the Aviation Cadetprogram. Upon graduation from the

University of Minnesota in 1938, hewas assigned to active duty inDecember for flight instruction at theNaval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.Upon graduation from flight school on16 November 1939, he was designateda Naval Aviator and commissioned aMarine Reserve second lieutenant.During World War II, Gen Adamscompleted two tours of overseas dutywith the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,earning three DFCs, 13 Air Medals,and the Bronze Star with Combat "V."Following the war, he served in a vari-ety of aviation assignments, and com-pleted the Junior Course at MarineCorps Schools, Quantico, Virginia.During the Korean War, Gen Adamsserved as commander of MarineFighter Squadron 311, and CombatOperations Officer of Marine AircraftGroup 33. He earned his fourth andfifth DFCs, 14th through 16th AirMedals, and a second Bronze StarMedal in Korea. On his return to theU.S., he again served in a variety ofassignments, and was promoted tobrigadier general in July 1964, whileDirector of Information at Headquar-

MajGen Ralph H. Spanjer

MajGen Arthur H. Adams


ters Marine Corps. He later becameCommanding General of the 4thMarine Aircraft Wing, and was pro-moted to major general in November1967. Gen Adams later saw duty asCommanding General, 3d MarineAircraft Wing, and from July 1969 -February 1970, he served as the SeniorMember, United Nations CommandComponent, Military ArmisticeCommission in Korea. On 1 March1970, Gen Adams became DeputyCommander, FMF, Pacific. His lastassignment was as Deputy Chief ofStaff to the Commander in Chief,Atlantic, until his retirement on 1March 1975. He was buried with fullmilitary honors on 17 February atArlington National Cemetery.

MajGen Norman W. Gourley,USMC (Ret), Marine aviator andholder of four Distinguished FlyingCrosses, died 17 February at HotSprings Village, Arkansas, at the age of77. Born 9 May 1921 in Salem,Massachusetts, he attended highschool there, and graduated in 1941from Wentworth Institute in Boston.He joined the naval service as a NavalAviation Cadet in June 1942. He wascommissioned a second lieutenant inthe Marine Corps and designated aNaval Aviator in June 1943. Deployingoverseas with Marine FighterSquadron 115, Gen Gourley participat-ed in combat operations in the SouthPacific and Philippine Islands.Following his return to the U.S. at theend of World War II, he completed theJunior Course at Quantico, Virginia,and served at a number of Marine airfacilities. In 1952, Gen Gourleydeployed to Korea, where he servedduring the Korean War as a nightfighter pilot in combat operations withMarine Night Fighter Squadron 513.Following the war, his career patternincluded a wide variety of flight andstaff assignments. During the VietnamWar, Gen Gourley served with the 1stMarine Aircraft Wing, as theCommanding Officer of MarineAircraft Group 13, and in severalassignments with Fleet Marine Force,Pacific, in Hawaii. He served as theDeputy Director for Operations,Headquarters, U.S. European Com-

mand, Stuttgart, Germany, fromSeptember 1970 to September 1972.He assumed duty on 12 September1972 as Director, Development Center,Marine Corps Development andEducation Command, Quantico,Virginia. Gen Gourley later becameDirector, Plans Division atHeadquarters, Marine Corps. He waspromoted to major general on 1 July1973, and assumed duty asCommanding General, 1st MarineAircraft Wing, FMFPac. His last assign-ment was as Director of Operations, J-3, Pacific Command, Hawaii, in March1977, and he served in this capacity

until his retirement on 1 April 1978.MajGen Gourley was buried on 4March at Arlington National Cemetery.

BGen Woodrow M. Kessler, USMC(Ret), a decorated veteran of thedefense of Wake Island in World WarII, and subsequent prisoner of war fornearly four years, died 21 January inhis home at Greenwich, Connecticut.He was 85. A native of Peru, Indiana,he grew up in Athol, Massachusetts,and enlisted in the Navy at the age of17. He was subsequently selected toenter the U.S. Naval Academy class of1937. Gen Kessler was commissioneda Marine officer, and at the outbreakof World War II, was stationed as abattery commander on Wake Island.He participated in the defense of thebeleaguered island as a battery com-mander with the 1st Defense Battalion,and was a prisoner of war, along withhis men, for 44 months. Following hisrelease from captivity at the conclu-sion of the war, Gen Kessler remainedin the Marine Corps. He served inKorea during 1951-1952, where hereceived his second Legion of Meritfor outstanding service. His finalMarine Corps duty station was at LittleCreek, Virginia, where he served at theAmphibious Training Command.Following his retirement in 1955, GenKessler devoted time to developing hisinterest and skills in art. In 1992, hepresented six paintings depicting hiscaptivity to the Marine Corps ArtCollection at the Marine CorpsHistorical Center. Gen Kessler wasburied at the George WashingtonMemorial Chapel churchyard in ValleyForge, Pennsylvania

Col William A. "Ironman" Lee,USMC (Ret), a legendary marks-man, warrior, and leader of Marines,died 27 December 1998 in Fredericks-burg, Virginia, at the age of 98. Born12 December 1900 at Ward Hill,Massachusetts, Lee enlisted in theMarine Corps in May 1918 and servedin France near the end of World War I.His greatest fame, perhaps, wasachieved during the late 1920s and1930s in fighting rebel forces inNicaragua, where his inspiringcourage under fire and leadership

MajGen Norman W. Gourley

Then-LtCol Woodrow M. Kessler


qualities earned him three NavyCrosses. It was during this period thatthe name "Ironman" was bestowedupon him by no less a Marine legendthan Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller.

Renowned as a distinguished marks-man, Lee excelled in rifle and pistolcompetitions, and was twice winner ofthe Elliott Trophy Match Cup. Lee wasappointed a Chief Marine Gunner inAugust 1941, and was stationed at thattime at Chinwangtao, China (northeastof Tientsin), where he served asOfficer in Charge of the Small BoreGallery. Captured by Japanese forcesalong with his men on 8 December1941, Lee spent the next 44 months inJapanese prisoner of war camps. Histoughness and self-discipline duringthese years of hardships earned himthe respect of his fellow Marines. Hisgrade was changed during this periodto Warrant Officer, and following hisrepatriation, he was successively pro-moted through regular officer ranks.In September 1946, he was appointedas the Commanding Officer of theRifle Range Detachment at Quantico.He retired in 1950 from the MarineCorps with the rank of colonel. ColLee was buried at the Quantico MarineBase Cemetery.

GySgt Carlos Hathcock, USMC(Ret), a renowned Marine sniperfrom the Vietnam War died 22

February in Norfolk, Virginia, after along battle with multiple sclerosis. Hewas 57. A native of Arkansas,Hathcock joined the Marine Corps atage 17, and soon after boot camp,demonstrated his aptitude in marks-manship, winning competitive shoot-ing events, and specializing in Servicerifle competition. In 1965, he won theWimbledon Cup, a competition thatwas widely considered to be the pre-mier American 1,000-yard shootingchampionship. It was in Vietnam,however, that he began to gain recog-nition for his skill as a sniper.Ironically, his award of the Silver Starcame not from his sniper skills, but forrescuing several Marines from a burn-ing armored personnel carrier.Hathcock was himself badly burned inthe explosion and resulting fire.Following his return to the U.S., hecontinued to work on new methods ofinstruction and weapons for Marinesnipers, before his medical dischargefrom the Corps in April 1979. In retire-ment, Hathcock consulted for lawenforcement agencies on sniping tech-niques. GySgt Hathcock was buried atWoodlawn Memorial Gardens in Nor-folk. ❑ 1775❑

Warehouse Clearance SaleStorage SlipcasesDark red vinyl-covered storage boxes aregoldtone stamped with the Fortitudinemasthead. Each box holds up to 32 copiesof the bulletin. Originally priced at $15.00each, now only $9.00 each. Price includesshipping to U.S. address only. Virginia resi-dents please add 41 cents sales tax.Order by mail to: MCHF, P.O. Box 420,Quantico,VA 22134

Then GySgt William A. Lee


Over the past few years, the MarineCorps oral history program hasdocumented the careers of threeprominent Marines, providing consid-erable new insights into the MarineCorps leadership of the last 30 years.Oral histories of the 30th and 31stCommandants, Gens Carl E. Mundy,Jr., and Charles C. Krulak, respective-ly, and an Assistant Commandant, GenRichard I. Neal, are all due to be com-pleted this year, pending security andprivacy reviews. With over half ofeach interview devoted to the individ-ual’s last assignment, these interviewsprovide an unparalleled perspectiveon the role of the Commandant andthe Assistant Commandant in the post-Goldwater-Nichols Department ofDefense. These three interviews markthe first, full career-length interviewsconducted in nearly 10 years.

Since its inception in 1966, thefocus of the Marine Corps’ oral historyprogram has been on the career-length interview with the Service’ssenior leadership. Biographical innature, these lengthy, multi-sessioninterviews cover the entire span of theinterviewee’s career, from The BasicSchool to retirement. Currently, thecollection contains more than 350such interviews. Virtually all the signif-icant figures in Marine Corps historyover the past 80 years, from Robert H.Barrow to David M. Shoup, have beeninterviewed, forming a truly uniquecollection. No other Department ofDefense historical program has madea similar attempt at documenting itssenior leaders.

Beginning in 1995, the currentDirector Emeritus, BGen Edwin H.Simmons, began interviewing the 30thCommandant, Gen Carl E. Mundy, forhis career oral history. After two yearsand 30 separate sessions, the interviewis the longest and most comprehen-sive of the entire collection. Just lessthan half the interview covers GenMundy’s Commandancy. It provides awealth of information on the downsiz-ing of the U.S. military in the years

immediately following the Cold War asboth the Marine Corps and theDepartment of Defense grappled withmaintaining end-strength amid bud-getary pressures. Further, Mundy pro-vides useful information for future his-torians and military students ondiverse topics ranging from theTailhook scandal to the workings ofthe Joint Resources Oversight Council(JROC).

One of the interesting aspects tothis interview was the one ses-sion done with Mrs. Mundy. For thefirst time in the Marine Corps oral his-tory program, the Commandant’s wifewas included in the interview process.Her observations of the Marine Corps,over nearly 40 years, provide a uniqueperspective on the Service. It offers amore humanistic view of service life.This detail is one of the strengths ofMundy’s interview. The amount ofinformation on Mundy’s life is almostoverwhelming. One of the greatestbenefactors of his career interview willbe the social historian. Everything

from where he went on leave towhere he purchased his dog is cov-ered. The reader is left with an excel-lent sense of the life of a Marine Corpsofficer in the second half of the 20thcentury.

In contrast, Gen Richard I. Neal’sinterview is more circumscribed andlacks much of the personal detail ofGen Mundy’s. While covering hisentire career, the interview focuses onthree main areas of his career:Vietnam; U.S. Central Command; andhis last position as AssistantCommandant. Gen Neal served twotours in Vietnam–in 1967 and 1970.His first was as an artillery forwardobserver with 2d Battalion, 12thMarines. During his second tour, heserved as an adviser to a SouthVietnamese Marine battalion. One ofthe most dramatic accounts in his oralhistory covers his first tour whileattached to 3d Battalion, 9th Marines.On the evening of 30 March 1967, thebattalion was operating just a fewmiles south of the DMZ. While settingup platoon ambush positions, Comp-any I’s command group was suddenlyattacked and overrun by a company ofNorth Vietnamese. Within minutesmost had been killed or wounded.1stLt John P. Bobo, the weapons pla-toon commander, organized a hastydefense to cover the survivors’ with-drawal. An enemy mortar round sev-ered Lieutenant Bobo’s right leg belowthe knee, but he refused evacuation.As his Medal of Honor citation wouldlater read, “With a web belt around hisleg serving as tourniquet and with hisleg jammed into the dirt to curtail thebleeding, he remained in this positionand delivered devastating fire into theranks of the enemy attempting tooverrun the Marines.” For this actionBobo was presented the Medal ofHonor, while two others receivedNavy Crosses, all posthumously. Byhappenstance, Neal, who normallytraveled with the command groups asthe company forward observer, had

Oral Histories Document Marine Leaders of the 90sby Dr. David B. Crist

Historian

Carl Mundy, right, wears the MarineCorps uniform homemade by hismother when he was seven years old.


been with the lead platoon acting asthe company’s navigator. With theenemy’s attack, he took charge of thecompany and organized a counterat-tack which drove back the NorthVietnamese and recovered the rem-nants of the company commandgroup.

Another important aspect of GenNeal’s interview has little to do withthe Marine Corps proper. Between1985-1996, he served three tours atTampa, Florida, in U.S. Central Com-mand, whose area of responsibilityfocuses on the Middle East and east-ern Africa. Few generals within themilitary have as much knowledge ofthe area or Central Command as doesGen Neal. Initially, he worked in the J-5, Plans, but spent much of his timeworking on highly sensitive negotia-tions with the Persian Gulf states at thebehest of the then-Commander inChief, Gen George B. Crist. His nextassignment garnered him world-widerecognition when he served as thedefacto operations officer duringDesert Storm. In addition to pressbriefings, he had a vital role in theplanning and execution of the warwhile working directly for Gen H.Norman Schwarzkopf. His last assign-ment in Tampa was that of deputycommander, which he held just priorto becoming the Assistant Comman-dant in 1996.

No commandant has approachedhis oral history with the degree of pre-paredness as the 31st Commandant,Gen Charles C. Krulak. Six monthsbefore his change of command, hisstaff was working with the History andMuseums Division on the outline ofhis interview, and shortly thereafter,all his personal papers were madeavailable to me in preparation for theinterview. Gen Krulak grasped theimportance of oral history from theoutset, as not only a primary sourcefor researchers examining hisCommandancy, but also as a lastingforum to impart his views and ideasbefore historical revisionists couldalter the meaning or intent.

While it remains a work inprogress, the interview covers,in-depth, the nearly 50 major initia-tives that came out of his Comman-dant’s Planning Guidance (CPG),which affected nearly every aspect ofthe Marine Corps. The CPG provided aclear goal and plan, in place fromKrulak’s first day in office, all of whichfocused on two concepts, “makingMarines and winning battles.” His goalwas to prepare the Marine Corps forthe unique challenges of the next cen-tury along these two parallel themes,which he was quick to point out, wasin step with the way the Corps hadsuccessfully done business since 1775.

If the slogan was deliberately simplis-tic, the execution of his ideas was any-thing but. They entailed a complexseries of interrelated initiatives, fromthe Marine Corps Warfighting Lab tothe Crucible, all of which were linkedtogether in a movement designed toenhance the quality and ability of thesmall unit leader to deal with thechanges imposed by the chaos offuture conflicts. What has resulted isan outpouring of initiatives which hasplaced the Marine Corps at the fore-front of innovation within the DefenseDepartment. From reinstilling valuesand ethics in basic training, counteringthe threat of biological terrorism, todeveloping new tactics and techniquesand hardware for urban warfare, thesmallest of the Services has proven themost innovative.

Each of these interviews differs inmethodology yet without a dra-matic difference in utility. GenMundy’s, for example, follows a strictchronology. It begins with his child-hood, and ends with his present posi-tion as head of the USO. GenKrulak’s interview is more thematic inits organization. Such issues as SeaDragon are covered from their initialconcept at MCCDC, through theCommandant’s Planning Guidance,and into the execution stage over hisfour years as Commandant, all cov-ered in a single session. Despitethese differences in style, they all areinvaluable sources of information.The College of Continuing Education,Marine Corps University, is alreadylooking at portions of Gen Mundy’sinterview which could be included inits Command and Staff reading pack-age. The U.S. Central Command’s his-torical office and the Joint HistoryOffice have expressed a strong inter-est in obtaining copies of Gen Neal’sinterview due to his joint assignments.And Gen Krulak’s interview, whencompleted, will have considerableprofessional educational uses for theactive-duty Marine Corps, while offer-ing future historians an un-matchedview of the 31st Commandant’sthought process during an importanttransitional period of Marine Corpshistory. ❑ 1775❑

Gen Mundy, center, and Gen Krulak, right, “troop the line” during the change ofcommand on 30 June 1995. Col John B. Sollis, left, the Commanding Officer,Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., accompanies the 30th and 31stCommandants.


Marine Corps Chronology

Operation Dewey Canyon,22 January-18 March 1969by Robert V. Aquilina

Assistant Head, Reference Section

Regular readers of Fortitudine will recall that thechronology feature of the bulletin has often featuredMarine Corps historical anniversaries. In recent issues, thechronology has looked at the 100th anniversary of MarineCorps operations during the Spanish-American War; the80th anniversary of Marines in World War I; the 40thanniversary of the Marine landing in Lebanon; and the 30thanniversary of the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War.The chronology will now look at another significant eventfrom the Vietnam War: the 30th anniversary of OperationDewey Canyon, 22 January - 18 March 1969.

On 18 March 1969, the 9th Marines officially terminatedOperation Dewey Canyon, one of the most successfulblows to enemy supply lines conducted during the VietnamWar. Launched on 22 January into Communist strongholdsnorth of the A Shau Valley in the western mountains ofQuang Tri Province, the multi-battalion operationunearthed one of the largest enemy munitions and armscaches of the Vietnam War. Some 525 tons of enemyweapons and ammunition were seized by U.S. Marines inthis mountainous area near the Laotian border.

In January 1969, intelligence reports indicated the forma-tion of a large enemy troop buildup in the A Shau Valleysouth of Vandegrift Combat Base. The 9th Marines, underthe energetic command of Col Robert H. Barrow, was given

the assignment of denying access to the valley to NorthVietnamese forces. Col Barrow’s 9th Marines drove into theupper A Shau Valley complex with relative ease during theinitial stages of the operation in late January. Several firesupport bases were established in close proximity to theLaotian border to support infantry operations in the area.Shortly after the Marines deployed into the jungle, howev-er, operations were temporarily curtailed by a nine-dayperiod of bad weather. Consequently, most initial contactwith the enemy took place in small, squad-sized actions.

To offset the effects of the inclement weather, Marine airplanners developed special flying techniques prior to theopening phases of Operation Dewey Canyon. These tac-tics proved invaluable during periods of heavy fighting,when weather conditions made close air support haz-ardous. Using a radar-controlled system, Marine helicoptersand fixed-wing transport used parachutes to drop suppliesto Marines during the worst weather. The ability to keepthe Marines resupplied was a major factor in the success ofthe operation. Marine helicopters continued medical evac-uation as well throughout the operation.

The 9th Marines picked up the tempo of the operation as itentered its fourth week during February 1969. Drivingtowards the Laotian border, the Marines pushed out fromtheir fire support bases in a classic regimental envelopment,

In February 1969, Marines of Company D, 1st Battalion, 9thMarines, examine mortars and 12.7mm guns capturedfrom North Vietnamese military forces during Operation

Dewey Canyon. Altogether, some 525 tons of weapons andammunition were seized by Marines in the operation nearthe Laotian border.


a move reminiscent of tactics used during the Korean War.North Vietnamese forces fought hard for their previouslyuntouched supply sanctuary, and made several desperateattempts to halt the Marines’ drive. On two occasions, theenemy initiated attacks on Marine fire support bases Razorand Cunningham, but were soundly defeated. On 23February, an estimated North Vietnamese battalionentrenched in an extensive bunker complex sought to

engage the Marines. Two companies of Marines and acombination of artillery and air strikes dislodged the deter-mined enemy force, which resulted in more than 100enemy dead.

The bulk of the combat action during March involved brief,but intense, clashes with holdout North Vietnamese units,and included the discovery of additional caches ofweapons and supplies. The major problem encounteredduring the final days of Operation Dewey Canyon was,again, weather related, the same factor which had plaguedthe Marines throughout the operation. Heavy rains, over-cast skies, and ground fog conspired to delay the phase-down of the operation for several days. With the finalextraction of the last Marine unit on 19 March 1969, how-ever, the campaign concluded on a successful note. Enemylosses were counted as more than 1,600 NVA killed and1,462 weapons and hundreds of tons of enemy munitions,supplies, and equipment captured.

As always, victory was not achieved without cost, andOperation Dewey Canyon was no exception. During thetwo-month campaign, 130 Marines gave their lives, andanother 920 were wounded seriously enough to requireevacuation. In evaluating the operation’s success, LtGen R.G. Stilwell, USA, Commanding General, XXIV Corps, notedthat victory in Operation Dewey Canyon was due to aMarine regiment of extraordinary cohesion, skill in moun-tain warfare, and plain heart. It was an evaluation in whichall Marines who participated in Dewey Canyon could takepride. ❑ 1775❑

Pitted against the landscape and the weather as well as theenemy, members of 3d Battalion, 9th Marines, mount asteep slope on the side of what they dubbed Tiger Mountain,in the operation to deny delivery of military supplies to NorthVietnamese troops in the mountainous western portion ofQuang Tri province.

In a photograph which, because of the landing CH-53 heli-copter, is highly reminiscent of the Vietnam War, suppliesare brought to 9th Marines units and wounded men evacu-

ated. During the two-month operation, 130 Marines gavetheir lives and another 920 were evacuated after being seri-ously wounded.


MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL CENTERBUILDING 58, WASHINGTON NAVY YARD

1254 CHARLES MORRIS STREET, SOUTHEASTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20374-5040

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Digitization Strides Made by Corps’Archivesby Frederick J. GraboskeMarine Corps Archivist

PCN 740 000 47000

The Archives Section has completed the digitization ofthe Special Action Reports and Command Diaries ofthe units serving in Korea during the war, 1950-1953. The211,000 pages of records have been transferred to 25 CD-ROMs, one set of which is being reviewed now by theOffice of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for eventualloading onto our website. We have asked OSD to com-plete its review by 1 December.

A contractor also digitized 390,000 pages of VietnamWar records. These are only a portion of the whole bodyof records of the Vietnam War, which aggregate approx-imately 1.2 million pages. We hope to make arrange-ments to offer these CD-ROMs, and those of the KoreanWar, for sale to the public. We are trying to arrange withanother federal agency to undertake this operation forus. When the arrangements are final, information aboutordering copies of the CD-ROMs will be on our website.A few sets of CD-ROMs will be distributed to locations

where they will be put to good use, such as at the MarineCorps University Research Center in Quantico.

We are about to let a contract to digitize an addition-al 600,000 pages of Vietnam records. We hope that wecan finish all of the command chronologies, after actionreports, and mission reports in this segment. The antici-pated completion date for this project is 1 July 2000. HDexpects to make a few sets of these CD-ROMs availableto institutions of military instruction and to have individ-ual CDs available for sale to the public.

If funding is available, we intend to complete the digi-tization of the Vietnam records in FY 2001. The recordsto be done at that time will include the III MAF messagetraffic. The remaining classified records of the VietnamWar will be reviewed for declassification during the com-ing year. We hope to include them in the final batch tobe digitized.