Operation Medina was a

search and destroy Search and destroy, seek and destroy, or simply S&D is a military strategy best known for its employment in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. The strategy consists of inserting ground forces into hostile territory, ''search''ing out ...

operation conducted from 11 to 20 October 1967 in the Hải Lăng Forest Reserve south of

Quảng Trị Quảng Trị () is a district-level town in Quảng Trị Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is second of two municipalities in the province after the provincial capital Đông Hà. History The Sino-Vietnamese name Quả ...

, South Vietnam.

Background

The Hải Lăng Forest was the location of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Base Area 101 which supported the PAVN 5th and 6th Regiments. Due to a lack of available forces in

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

the base had not been targeted by the Marines and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

Operation

The operation began with a helicopter assault by the

1st Battalion, 1st Marines 1st Battalion 1st Marines (1/1st Marines) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California, consisting of anywhere from 800 to 2,000 Marines and Sailors, but the number fluctuates depending on t ...

and the

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Mar ...

directly into the forest at Landing Zone Dove () and then a northeast sweep while the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines acted as a blocking force. On the morning of 11 October Company C, 1/3 Marines was hit by PAVN mortar and small arms fire and then a ground assault, which was repelled. On the afternoon of 12 October Company C, 1/1 Marines engaged PAVN soldiers in thick jungle, several Marines were wounded and so Company C fell back and formed a perimeter to allow medevac helicopters to evacuate the wounded. Shortly after the evacuation was completed Company C was attacked on two sides by an estimated three PAVN companies. Company D was sent to reinforce Company C and together they succeeded in driving off the attack. The following morning the Marines claimed 40 PAVN dead were found around the perimeter, Marines losses were eight dead and 39 wounded. CPL William T. Perkins Jr. would be posthumously awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for his actions during the battle. The Marines continued their sweep finding a number of recently evacuated PAVN camps, but the PAVN avoided any further engagements with the Marines. Further north, two Battalions of the ARVN Airborne Division mounted Operation Lam Son 138 and on the morning of 20 October they engaged the PAVN 416th Battalion, part of the 5th Regiment, and claimed killing 197 PAVN. Medina concluded on 20 October, the 1st Marines stayed in the area and began Operation Osceola with limited results.

Aftermath

The operation was indecisive. The PAVN were not driven out of the Hải Lăng Forest, but their operations were severely disrupted. Marine losses were 34 dead and 143 wounded, while the US claimed that the PAVN lost 53 killed, 3 captured, and 26 weapons recovered.http://www.virtual.vietnam.ttu.edu/cgi-bin/starfetch.exe?pLZ@SCZeDhmM82Ja1i1wOiU4pqyqq7aMjeNfgGN2wk66beOy1dt4A9qMKXhlrkwWn0PJR2TdyajzLzAww3lCoD5HC.a12ap9jZNf2az@hGRD2Nqh9xliAw/1201064089.pdf The Marines and Navy Corpsmen of Charlie Company 1st Marines, are the subject of ''

Lions of Medina ''Lions of Medina'' is a book written by historian Doyle Glass, first published by Coleche Press on May 1, 2007 and subsequently by NAL Caliber (Penguin) on July 1, 2008. The book is a first hand account of the Marines and Navy Corpsmen of Charl ...

'', an award winning and critically acclaimed book by historian

Doyle Glass Doyle Glass (born January 22, 1962) is an American author, historian, and sculptor. He is a writer of fact-based narrative nonfiction works as well as historical nonfiction based on individual, first-hand accounts. As a sculptor, he designed and ...

References

External links

Lions of Medina Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medina, Operation 1967 in Vietnam

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...

United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1967 October 1967 events in Asia History of Quảng Trị province