Ground Operations
Summaries of operations and offensives carried out predominantly on the ground with infantry forces.
Most operations discussed were efforts by the United States, South Vietnam, and their allies. This is due to the availability of information.
Where statistics, particularly for causalities, are presented as a range of numbers, there were discrepancies between sources.
National Archives photo no. 100310308
Apache Snow
To cut off the North Vietnamese so that they could not attack coastal areas.
Dates:
10 May 1969 - 7 Jun 1969
Area of Operation:
A Shau Valley, Thua Thien Province
Binh Tay I
To clear Base Area 702 as part of the Cambodian Incursion.
Dates:
6 May 1970 - 16 May 1970
Area of Operation:
Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia (northeastern Cambodia)
Buffalo
Defend Con Thien Combat Base
Dates:
2 Jul 1967 - 14 Jul 1967
Area of Operation:
Quang Tri Province, I Corps
Cedar Falls
Search and destroy VC elements near Saigon
Dates:
8 Jan 1967 - 27 Jan 1967
Area of Operation:
Iron Triangle and Thanh Dien Forest Reserve; Binh Duong Province, Hau Nghia Province, Tay Ninh Province; III Corps
Crimp
Search and destroy, with particular focus on locating and destroying the headquarters of Viet Cong Military Region IV.
Dates:
8 Jan 1966 - 14 Jan 1966
Area of Operation:
Binh Duong Province, Hau Nghia Province, III Corps. Particularly the HoBo Woods, west of the Iron Triangle
Defiant Stand
Amphibious assault to confront the VC forces on the island
Dates:
7 Sep 1969 - 20 Sep 1969
Area of Operation:
Barrier Island, I Corps
Hammersley
Reconnaissance
Dates:
2 Feb 1970 - 9 Mar 1970
Area of Operation:
Long Hai hills area, Long Tien District, Vung Tau Province
Irving
To continue to engage the NVA’s 18th Reg.
Dates:
1 Oct 1966 - 24 Oct 1966
Area of Operation:
Binh Dinh Province, II Corps
Jefferson Glenn
Search and destroy, pacification support
Dates:
5 Sep 1970 - 8 Oct 1971
Area of Operation:
Thua Thien Province, Quang Tri Province; I Corps
Manhattan
Search and destroy
Dates:
23 Apr 1967 - 12 May 1967
Area of Operation:
Boi Loi Woods, Binh Duong Province, III Corps
Prairie
A follow up to Operation Hastings wherein the Marines were tasked with making sure the 324B NVA Division did not cross the DMZ into Quang Tri Province.
Dates:
3 Aug 1966 - 31 Jan 1967
Area of Operation:
Quang Tri Province, I Corps
Rolling Stone
To provide security for the 1st Engineer Battalion as it worked on highways within the province; search and destroy.
Dates:
7 Feb 1966 - 2 Mar 1966
Area of Operation:
Binh Duong Province, III Corps
Sam Houston
Search and destroy, border surveillance
Dates:
1 Jan 1967 - 5 Apr 1967
Area of Operation:
Pleiku Province and Kontum Province; II Corps
Starlite
To rid the Van Tuong peninsula of the Viet Cong 1st Regiment, as they were a significant threat to the Chu Lai base, with a hammer and anvil attack using amphibious and heliborne forces.
Dates:
17 Aug 1965 - 24 Aug 1965
Area of Operation:
Van Tuong Peninsula, 16 miles south of Chu Lai; I Corps
Swift
Prevent disruption of national elections; search and destroy
Dates:
4 Sep 1967 - 15 Sep 1967
Area of Operation:
Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces, I Corps
Tuscaloosa
Search and destroy
Dates:
23 Jan 1967 - 28 Jan 1967
Area of Operation:
Quang Nam Province, I Corps
Union
Search and destroy communist strongholds in Que Son Valley; Gain control of Que Son Valley
Dates:
21 Apr 1967 - 17 May 1967
Area of Operation:
Que Son Valley of Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces, I Corps