Table Of ContentMARINE CORPS HISTORICAL REFERENCE PAMPHLET
A Chronology Of The
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
1965-1969
VOLUME IV
HISTORICAL DIVISION
HEADQUARTERS, U . S. MARINE CORPS
WASHINGTON, D. C.
1971
HQMC
08JUNO2
ERRATUM
to
A CHRONOLOGY OF USMC (SFTBOUND)
1965-1969
1. Change the distribution PCN read 19000318100 "vice" 19000250200.
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A CHRONOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES
MARINE -CORPS, 1965-1969
VOLUME IV
BY
GABRIELLE M . NEUFEL D
Historical Division
Headquarters, United States Marine Corp s
Washington, D . C . 20380
197 1
19000318100
PCN
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
WASHINGTON. D. C. 20380
Preface
This is the fourth volume of a chronology of Marin e
Corps activities which cover the history of the U . S .
Marines . It is derived from unclassified official record s
and suitable published contemporary works .
This chronology is published for the information o f
all interested in Marine Corps activities during the period
1965-1969 and is dedicated to those Marines who participate d
in the. events listed .
J . R . CH
Lieute O" General, U . S. Marine Corps
Chief of Staff
Reviewed and approved : 2 September 1971
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabrielle M. Neufeld has been a member of the staff of
the Historical Division since January 1969 . At the presen t
time she is a historian in the Reference Branch of th e
Division . She received her B .A . in history from Mallory
College, Rockville Centre, N .Y ., and her M .A . in Eastern
history from Georgetown University, Washington, D . C .
iv
TABLE 'OF CONTENTS
Preface
About the Author i v
Introduction vi i
The Year
1965 1
1966 8
1967 1 5
1968 22
1969 30
Bibliography 38
v
d
INTRODUCTION
This chronology was produced as a ready reference to
Marine Corps activities during 1965-1969 when the Unite d
States was deeply involved in the war in Vietnam . Through -
out this chronology, geographic locations are used to in-
troduce each entry to enable the reader to locate the even t
with greater ease . The heading "USMC" is used when an even t
affected the Marine Corps in its entirety .
vii
A CHRONOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES
MARINE CORPS, 1965-1969
VOLUME IV
By
GABRIELLE 14. NEUFELD
The United States Marine Corps,' 1965-1969
1965
7 Jan OKINAWA---The personnel of the 2d Battalion, 1st Marines sailed from San Diego,
California as a transplacement battalion for the 3d Battalion, 3d Marines of the 3d
Marine Division on Okinawa . (Scout, v. 23, no. 1, 8 Jan 1965, p . 2.)
9-12 VIETNAM---Marine helicopters carrying South Vietnamese forces to the northern coastal
Jan section were fired upon by insurgent small arms fire. Marine gunners in the heli-
copters returned the fire. There was no damage to the aircraft . (Globe, v . 21, no. 3,
21 Jan 1965, p. 1 .)
19 Jan CONUS---Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/8 departed Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for a
three month deployment to the Caribbean area. The battalion replaced BLT 3/2 which had
been deployed there since September 1964. (Globe, v. 21, no. 3, 21 Jan 1965, p . 1 .)
25 Jan USMC---The planned strength of the Marine Corps for 30 June 1966 was to be 193,000.
The present strength was 188,495. (FOF, (1965), p. 29C .)
1 Feb- CONUS---Operation SNOWFEX-65 was held at Camp Drum, New York . This was the largest
1 Mar Marine Corps East Coast cold weather training exercise since the 1940s . Taking part
in this month-long exercise were the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Marine Transport/
Refueler Squadron (VMGR) 252, and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 265 .
(Leatherneck, v. XLIX, no. 5, May 1965, p . 61 .)
8 Feb VIETNAM---Following several Viet Cong attacks on U. S . forces and installations,
President Johnson ordered the deployment of the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Missile (LAAM)
Battalion to the Da Nang area . - The battalion was equipped with Hawk surface-to-air
missiles . (Early Bird, N.Y . Times, 9 Feb 1965, p . 1 ; Early Bird, N.Y. Journal
American, 9 Feb 1965, p.-1b.) - -
12 Feb- CONUS---The largest war game to be conducted since World War II, Operation SILVER LANCE,
9 Mar took place at Camp Pendleton, California. About 25,000 Marines from Hawaii and the
West Coast and 20,000 sailors participated in the operation. The exercise included an
amphibious landing by a force of 20,000 Marines . (Gazette, v .49, no . 4, Apr 1965, p.5.)
14 Feb VIETNAM---A force of two battalions was stationed on board ships off the coast of
South Vietnam ready to intervene if the Viet Cong began new attacks on American
installations . (Early Bird, N.Y . Times, 15 Feb 1965, p . 3.)
15-16 VIETNAM---American involvement in Vietnam deepened as 88 Viet Cong guerrillas were
Feb. killed in scattered incidents by Marine and Army helicopter gunners . The Viet Cong
were killed in Binh Dinh, Vinh Binh, Quang Tin, and Quang Nam provinces . (Early
Bird, Wash . News, 16 Feb 1965, p. 17 .)
1 Mar USMC---In another step toward all weather capability for Marine Corps (VMF(AW) squadrons,
Marine Fighter Squadron (VMF) 232 was redesignated Marine Fighter (All Weather) Squadron
232 . The squadron just completed the transition from F8B to F8D Crusaders . (Gazette,
v. 49, no . 4, Apr 1965, p. 4 .)
6 Mar VIETNAM---It was announced that two battalions of Marines, about 3,500 men, were to be
deployed to the Republic of Vietnam at the request of the Saigon government. (Naval
Review, 1968, p. 4.)
7 .Mar CONUS---Secretary of State Dean Rusk said that the American Marines that were deployed
to Vietnam would shoot back if they were shot at, but their primary mission was the
security of the Da Nang air base. (Naval Review, 1968, p. 4 .
8 Mar VIETNAM--Units of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (9th MEB), under the command of
Brigadier General Frederick L . Karch, arrived at Da Nang. The 3d Battalion, 9th Marines,
3d Marine Division became the first U. S. ground combat unit to land in Vietnam.
(Gazette, v. 49, no. 4 . Apr 1965, p. 1 ; Unit File - 3d Mar Div .)
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