operation MEADE RIVER information
for 1 MARINES
From date 681120 to 681209
1 MARINES was a US Marine Corps unit
Primary service involved, US Marine Corps
Operation MEADE RIVER
Quang Nam Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Dodge City area
Description: The 1st Marine Division planned MEADE RIVER to support the Le Loi or "accelerated pacification campaign" since 141 of its targeted hamlets were in I Corps. The 1st Marines conducted this cordon and search operation which was the largest "County Fair" operation up to that time. Rather than surround and search single hamlets or villages, the division planned a cordon around 36 square kilometers in the Dodge City area, south of Da Nang. Intelligence estimated that the enemy forces in Dodge City numbered between 100 and 150 VC infrastructure and could include up to 900 NVA and VC regular forces that consisted mainly of the 1/36 NVA Regiment. Over seven Marine battalions (1/1st, 2/5th, 3/5th, 1/7th, BLT 2/7th, BLT 2/26th, and 3/26th Marines) would be involved. Near the end, SWIFT MOVE was combined with MEADE RIVER. Casualties: US 107 KIA, 385 WIA; enemy 841 KIA, 182 POW. Page 425 of the 1968 USMC official history contains a good map of the MEADE RIVER AO
The source for this information was Chron P:83; 1968 USMC History P:425+
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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Last updated
11/06/1999
Date posted on this site:
09/07/2007