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OperationStarlite.com
There were shaky days and nights after RLT-7 started Operation Starlite. They came carefully stepping from the north, landing from the skies from on the west and splashing onto the beach near An Cuong(2). It was August of 1965. It was summer and 110 degrees. "The First Big Battle"... full story
Combat Remembered
Leathernecks in Vietnam Earn Right to World War II Nickname
The downey-chinned Leathernecks of the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Marine Regiment, earned the right to print a World War II Marine nickname in bold type... full story
I believe I was in the outside boat (not pictured) and I know for sure I was the first man out of my boat and was on the far left side of the beach... full story
Going In
I remember looking at the shoreline thinking of some of the movies I saw when I was younger. Thinking… “OH BROTHER we’re in deep shit here”... full story
The Fun Begins
STORIES
Republic of South Vietnam - August 1965
Once sundown came I realized it was going to be difficult to find that damned hill. There was no moon and it was still cloudy but ... full story
The Hill
Enlarged Map
I clearly remember when he took it and thinking that I would never see the picture. I was stunned when he handed it to me ... full story
My Treasures
Tank A-32
After I got back from Saigon and was with the platoon again, I noticed changes. We went about our daily business much differently because the men now had an edge. Most of the platoon had been wounded ... full story
Memories Thru the Fog
Two VC had one of their dead hanging from
a pole. One had reached down and was
asking if he was okay, I think. The conversation continued until the VC touched Dave's helmet and I swear I heard the words, “Oh oh”. ... full story
My Hero
As I was growing up, my dad instilled in me many of the things he learned from the Marine Corps... full story
Recollections of an Amtracker
I was a 20 year old corporal at the time of Operation Starlite. Like many of the Marines engaged in Operation Starlite, it was my baptism of fire... full story
The Little Black Book
When I returned home from Vietnam, I brought back a little black book. It belonged to my friend, LCpl Allan Fischbach, who was KIA on 9/6/1965. The book contained a list of contact information for next of kin ... full story
USS Point Defiance
When Operation Starlite was launched on August 18, 1965, I was aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Point Defiance LSD 31. This is my story. ... full story
Published by marines.mil on Aug 24, 2015
U.S. Marine and Navy veterans recall their experiences from Operation Starlite during the Vietnam War. In August of 1965 the U.S. mounted an offensive against the 1st Viet Cong Regiment south of the U.S. air base in Chu Lai. Starlite was the first regimental sized battle of the Vietnam War and was also the first combined vertical envelopment and amphibious assault in history conducted by U.S. forces.
HMM-361 Flying Tigers
On August 18, 1965, I was a window machine gunner on a UH-34D helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 (HMM-361), better known as the Flying Tigers. This is my story... full story
