0n March 8th, 1965, the 4,000 strong 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) landed at Da Nang, the first elements of the USMC to be sent officially into combat in South Vietnam. (A number of Marine units, including air defense elements, transport helicopters, engineers, and Company D, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment were already there, but March 8 is the official date.)
The 9th MEB were committed to ensure the safety of the Army, Air Force, and Marine aviation units that were already based at Da Nang. After a perimeter around Da Nang was secured, additional landings were made at Chu Lai, and other enclaves along the coast in I Corps, again with the purpose of securing enclaves to operate aviation elements. By May, the number of Marines ashore in Vietnam had risen to 17,000, and IIIrd Marine Expeditionary/Amphibious Force was established to control the Marine units in Vietnam. (It was decided that the term "expeditionary" smacked a bit too much of the now departed French, so that term was officially dropped.) The 1st Marine AirWing was set up to control all Marine aviation elements in country, and Marine strength totaled some 25,000 by the end of July.
The Marine ground units had been restricted to operating in the immediate area about the air bases, and were not allowed to move out and engage the Viet Cong. After the 1st Viet Cong Regiment had won an impressive string of victories against the AVRN forces in the area south of Chu Lai in the summer of 1965, the Marines stationed there were given permission to move out of their defensive perimeter and engage the enemy. The stage was set for Operation Satellite. (Unfortunately, the power failed while the operations order was being typed, and it was completed by candlelight. The clerk misread Starlite for Satellite, and so typed that throughout the order.)
More An Cuong Landing, Vietnam August 18th, 1965: "Satellite/Starlite"
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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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