Khe Sanh Chronology 1962 – 1968

1962

July – First Special Forces A-detachment arrives at Khe Sanh

September – SF Detachment A-131 sent to Khe Sanh

September – Vietnamese engineers build first airstrip at Khe Sanh

1963

March – 70 ARVN paratroopers jump into the French Fort area.

April – Two O-1B observation planes come under heavy fire in the valley between Hills 861 and 881.

1964

March – O-1B “Bird dog” shot down. Pilot, Captain Richard Whitesides becomes first American KIA at Khe Sanh. Observer, Captain Floyd Thompson is captured and becomes the longest held POW of the Vietnam War.

April – Marine Corps sends the Signal Engineering Unit (SESU) to Khe Sanh. Includes Marines from 1st Radio Company, Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines and a section of 81mm mortars. This is the first Marine ground unit to conduct independent operations in South Vietnam.

October – Strikers from Khe Sanh make contact with confirmed NVA troops just inside Laos. Provides proof that Hanoi is sending troops into the South.

1965

Special Forces builds camp next to airstrip. This camp becomes the site of Khe Sanh Combat Base.

1966

April 17 – Marine Corps conducts Operation VIRGINIA looking for NVA

May 1 –  troop concentrations between Hill 558 and Khe Sanh Combat Base. No significant contact was made.

June –  SOG and reconnaissance patrols report increased activity.

August – Sightings of large NVA troop concentrations indicate possible attack in the Khe Sanh area.

September –  Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 10 arrives at Khe Sanh to rebuild airstrip. Special Forces moves to Lang Vei and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines moves to Khe Sanh.

1967

February –  1st Battalion, 3rd Marines replaced by single company, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines.

March 15 –  Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines replaces E/2/9 as resident defense company.

April 20 –  Combat assets at KSCB pass to operational control of Col. Lanigan’s 3rd Marines which commences Operation PRAIRIE IV.

April 24 –  B/1/9 patrol engages large enemy force north of Hill 861 and prematurely triggers attack on Khe Sanh. “Hill Fights” begin.

April 25 –  2/3 and 3/3 airlifted to KSCB to counter enemy drive.

April 28 –  After heavy prep fires, Lt. Col. DeLong’s 2/3 assaults and seizes

first objective, Hill 861.

May 2 –  Lt. Col. Wilder’s 3/3 seizes Hill 881S after 4 days of heavy fighting.

May 3 –  2/3 repulses strong enemy counterattack south of Hill 881N.

May 5 –  2/3 secures final objective, Hill 881N.

May 11 –  “Hill Fights” terminate 940 NVA and 155 Marine KIA. 3rd Marines shuttled to Dong Ha as 26th Marines (FWD) and 1/26 move into Khe Sanh.

May 13 –  Col. Padley, CO 26th Marines (FWD), relieves Col. Lanigan as Senior officer present at Khe Sanh. Elements of 1/26 occupy combat base, Hills 881S, 861, and 950. Operation CROCKETT commences.

June 13 –  Due to increasing enemy contacts, LtCol Hoch’s 3/26 airlifted

to KSCB.

July 16 –  Operation CROCKETT terminates with 204 NVA and 52 Marines KIA.

July 17 –  Operation ARDMORE begins.

August 12 –  Col Lownds relieves Col Padley as CO, 26th Marines.

August 13 –  Due to lack of significant contact around Khe Sanh, Company K & L, 3/26, transferred to 9th Marines and Operation KINGFISHER.

August 17 –  Khe Sanh airfield closed to normal traffic for repair of runway.

Sept 3 –  Remainder of 3/26 withdrawn to eastern Quang Tri Province.

Oct 27 –  Air strip reopened to C-123 traffic.

Oct 31 –  Operation ARDMORE terminated with 113 NVA and 10 Marines KIA.

Nov 1 –  Operation SCOTLAND I begins

Nov 28 –  MajGen Tompkins assumes command of 3rd Marine Division.

Dec 13 –  LtCol Alderman’s 3/26 returns to Khe Sanh because of increased enemy activity in the Khe Sanh TAOR.

Dec 21 –  3/26 conducts 5 day sweep west of base and uncovers evidence of enemy buildup around KSCB.

1968

Jan 2 –  Five NVA officers killed near western edge of main perimeter. Intelligence reports indicate influx of two NVA divisions, and possibly a third, into the Khe Sanh TAOR.

Jan 16 -17 –   LtCol Heath’s 2/26 transferred to operational control of 26th Marines and arrives KSCB; 2/26 occupies Hill 558 north of the base. ASRT-B of MASS-3 displaces from Chu Lai to Khe Sanh to handle ground controlled radar bombing missions.

Jan 17 –  Team from “Bravo”, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion ambushed near Hill 881N.

Jan 19 –  While searching the recon ambush site, patrol from I/3/26 comes under fire from an estimated 25 NVA troops and withdraws under cover of supporting arms. Two platoons from M/3/26 heli-lifted to Hill 881S as reinforcements for I/3/26 which prepares for sweep toward Hill 881N the next day.

Jan 20 –  Capt Dabney’s I/23/26 attacks and, with the aid of air and artillery, badly mauls the NVA battalion entrenched on the southern slopes of Hill 881N; 7 Marines and 103 NVA KIA. On strength of testimony of captured NVA lieutenant that enemy attack is imminent, I/3/26 is withdrawn to Hill 881S and KSCB is placed on Red Alert. DASC of MASS-3 moves to Khe Sanh.

Jan 20-21 –  Estimated NVA battalion attacks K/3/26 on Hill 861. After penetrating southwestern portion of Marines’ perimeter, the enemy is repulsed leaving 47 dead. NVA reserves are hit by heavy air strikes and artillery fire.

Jan 21 –  KSCB comes under heavy mortar, artillery, and rocket attack which destroys main ammunition dump. NVA battalion attacks and partially overruns Khe Sanh village before CAC and RF companies drive off enemy.  After second attack, Col Lownds withdraws defenders to KSCB.

Jan 22 –  US MACV initiates Operation NIAGARA to provide massive air support for Khe Sanh. LtCol Mitchel’s 1/9 arrives at KSCB and takes up positions which encompass rock quarry southwest of combat base. E/2/26 is relocated from Hill 558 to prominent ridgeline northeast of 861 as covering force for flank of 2/26. E/2/26 passes to operational control of 3rd Battalion. New position is called 861 Alpha.

Jan 23-28 – Large number of tribesmen and families are evacuated from Khe Sanh area to avoid hostile fire.

Jan 27 –  37th ARVN Ranger Battalion arrives at KSCB and takes up positions in eastern sector of combat base.

Jan 30 – Communists launch nation-wide TET Offensive.

Feb 5 – NVA battalion attacks E/2/26 on Hill 861A in concert with heavy shelling of KSCB. Enemy gains foothold in northern sector of Company E perimeter but is driven out by savage counterattack; 109 NVA and 7 Marines KIA.

Feb 7 – Special Forces camp at Lang Vei overrun by enemy battalion supported by PT-76 Soviet-built tanks; first use of NVA tanks in South Vietnam.

Feb 8 –  Some 3,000 indigenous personnel, both military and civilian, from Lang Vei move overland to Khe Sanh. After being searched and processed, several hundred refugees are air evacuated.  A/1/9 combat outpost 500 meters west of 1/9 perimeter hit and partially overrun by reinforced NVA battalion. During three-hour battle, reinforcements drive NVA from Marine positions and with the aid of supporting arms kill 150 NVA; Col Lownds decides to abandon outpost and units withdraw to 1/9 perimeter. 27 Marines from A/1/9 die in battle.

Feb 10 – Marine C-130 of VMGR-152, hit by enemy fire during approach, crashes after landing at Khe Sanh and six are killed.

Feb – Apr – Paradrops, low-altitude extraction systems, and helicopters are primary means of resupplying 26th Marines due to bad weather and heavy enemy fire.

Feb 21 –  After heavy mortar and artillery barrage, NVA company probes 37th ARVN Ranger lines but withdraws after distant fire fight. It is estimated that 25-30 NVA were killed.

Feb 23 – KSCB receives record number of incoming rounds for a single day: 1,307.  First appearance of enemy trench system around KSCB.

Feb 25 –  B/1/26 patrol ambushed south of KSCB; 23Marines KIA. Patrol is later called the “Ghost Patrol”.

Feb 29 –  Estimated NVA regiment maneuvers to attack 37th ARVN Ranger positions but fail to reach defensive wire.

Mar 6 – USAF C-123 shot down east of runway; 43 USMC, 4 USAF, and 1 USN personnel KIA.

Mar 7 – Large groups of refugees begin to filter into the base and are evacuated.

Mar 8 –  ARVN patrols attack enemy trench line east of runway and kill 26 NVA.

Mar 15 –  American intelligence notes withdrawal of major NVA units from KSCB area.

Mar 22-23 –  KSCB receives heaviest saturation of enemy rounds for the month – 1,109.

Mar 24 –  A/1/9 patrol kills 31 NVA west of 1/9 perimeter.

Mar 25 – 1/9 CavSqd, 1st ACD begins reconnaissance in force operations east of Khe Sanh in preparation for Operation PEGASUS.

Mar 30 –   B/1/26 attacks enemy fortified position south of combat base and kills 115 North Vietnamese; 9 Marines are KIA. Operation SCOTLAND Iterminates with 1,602 confirmed NVA and 205 Marines KIA; estimates place probable enemy dead between 10,000 and 15,000.  Task Force KILO launches diversionary attack along Gio Linh coastal plain to divert attention away from Ca Lu where 1st ACD, and 1st Marines are staging for Operation PEGASUS.

Apr 1 –     Operation PEGASUS begins; 2/1 and 2/3 (1st Marines) attack west from Ca Lu along Route 9. Elements of 3d Bgde, 1st ACD conduct helo assaults into LZ Mike and Cates. Joint engineer task force begins repair of Route 9 from Ca Lu to Khe Sanh.

Apr 3 –  2d Bgde, 1st ACD assaults LZs Tom and Wharton.

Apr 4 – 1/5 CavSqd moves northwest from LZ Wharton and attacks enemy units near old French fort. 1st Battalion, 9th Marines moves southeast from rock quarry and assaults Hill 471.

Apr 5 – 1/9 repulses enemy counterattack on Hill 471 and kills 122 North Vietnamese.  1st Bgde, 1st ACD departs Ca Lu and assaults LZ Snapper.

Apr 6 – One company of 3d ARVN Airborne Task Force airlifted to KSCB for the initial link up with defenders. Elements of 2d Bgde, 1st ACD relieve 1st Battalion, 9th Marines on Hill 471; 1/9 commences sweep to northwest toward Hill 689.  1st Bgde, 1st ACD helilifted north of KSCB. 2/26 and 3/26 push north of combat base.  Company G, 2/26 engages enemy force and kills 48 NVA.

Apr 8 –  2/7 CavSqd links up with 26th Marines and conducts official relief of combat base. 1/26 attacks to the west. 3d ARVN Airborne Task Force air assaults into LZ Snake west of Khe Sanh and kills 78 North Vietnamese.

Apr 10 –  LtGen Rosson arrives Khe Sanh and directs LtGen Tolson to disengage and prepare for Operation DELAWARE in A Shau Valley.

Apr 11 –  Engineers complete renovation of Route 9 and road is officially opened. Elements of 1st ACD begin withdrawal to Quang Tri City in preparation for Operation DELAWARE; 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion airlifted to Da Nang.

Apr 12 – Col Meyers relieves Col Lownds as CO, 26th Marines.

Apr 14 – 3/26 attacks Hill 881N and kills 106 NVA; 6 Marines are KIA.

Apr 15 – Operation PEGASUS terminated; Operation SCOTLAND II begins.

Apr 18 –   26th Marines withdrawn to Dong Ha and Camp Carroll.

May 23 –  President Johnson presents the Presidential Unit Citation to 26th Marines and supporting units during White House ceremony.

June 19 through July 6 – Operation Charlie was the plan for the evacuation and destruction of KSCB. The plan called for the removal of all supplies and equipment and the destruction of all fortifications. Convoys travelled from Khe Sanh to Ca Lu daily. LZ Stud at Ca Lu is selected as base for air mobile operations in western DMZ area.

July 5 – At 2000 hours, KSCB officially closed.

July 6 – The last convoy moved from Khe Sanh to Ca Lu. As the last trucks passed over Route 9, engineers removed bridges which had been installed during Operation Pegasus. Operation Charlie ended.

July 6 through July 11 – The 1st Marines remained in the area for another week, attempting to recover the remains of the Marines who died in fighting near Hill 689. 11 Marines and 89 NVA died in this effort. Seven Marine bodies were recovered. The 1st Marines boarded helicopters and flew east to Quang Tri City.