| 1962 |
Aug | U. S. Army Special Forces establish CIDG camp at Khe Sanh. |
| 1966 |
Apr | 1/1 sweeps Khe Sanh plateau during OperationVIRGINIA. |
Oct | 1/3 occupies KSCB; CIDG displaces to Lang Vei. |
| 1967 |
Feb | 1/3 replaced by single company, E/2/9. |
15 Mar | Company B, 1/9, replaces E/2/9 as resident defensecompany. |
20 Apr | Combat assets at KSCB pass to operational controlof Col Lanigan's 3d Marines which commences OperationPRAIRIE IV. |
24 Apr | B/1/9 patrol engages large enemy force north ofHill 861 and prematurely triggers attack on KheSanh; "Hill Fights" begin. |
25 Apr | 2/3 and 3/3 airlifted to KSCB to counter enemy drive. |
28 Apr | After heavy prep fires, LtCol DeLong's 2/3 assaultsand seizes first objective--Hill 861. |
2 May | LtCol Wilder's 3/3 seizes Hill 881S after four daysof heavy fighting. |
3 May | 2/3 repulses strong enemy counterattack south of881N. |
5 May | 2/3 secures final objective--Hill 881N. |
11-13 May | "Hill Fights" terminate with 940 NVA and 155 MarineKIA. 3d Marines shuttled to Dong Ha as 26th Marines(FWD) and 1/26 move into Khe Sanh. |
13 May | Col Padley, CO 26th Marines (FWD), relieves ColLanigan as Senior Officer Present at Khe Sanh.Elements of 1/26 occupy combat base, Hills 881S,861, and 950. Operation CROCKETT commences. |
13 Jun | Due to increasing enemy contacts, LtCol Hoch's3/26 airlifted to KSCB. |
16 Jul | Operation CROCKETT terminates with 204 NVA and 52Marines KIA. |
17 Jul | Operation ARDMORE begins. |
12 Aug | Col Lownds relieves Col Padley as CO, 26th Marines. |
13 Aug | Due to lack of significant contact around Khe Sanh,Company K and L, 3/26, transferred to 9th Marinesand Operation KINGFISHER. |
17 Aug | Khe Sanh airfield closed to normal traffic forrepair of runway. |
3 Sep | Remainder of 3/26 withdrawn to eastern Quang TriProvince. |
27 Oct | Air strip reopened to C-123 aircraft. |
31 Oct | Operation ARDMORE terminated with 113 NVA and 10Marines KIA. |
1 Nov | Operation SCOTLAND I begins. |
28 Nov | MajGen Tompkins assumes command of 3d MarDiv. |
13 Dec | LtCol Alderman's 3/26 returns to Khe Sanh becauseof increased enemy activity in Khe Sanh TAOR. |
21 Dec | 3/26 conducts five-day sweep west of base and uncoversevidence of enemy buildup around KSCB. |
| 1968 |
2 Jan | Five NVA officers killed near western edge of mainperimeter. |
| |
| | Intelligence reports indicate influx of two NVAdivisions, and possibly a third, into Khe Sanh TAOR. |
16-17 Jan | LtCol Heath's 2/26 transferred to operational controlof 26th Marines and arrive KSCB; 2/26 occupies Hill558 north of base. |
| |
| | ASRT-B of MASS-3 displaces from Chu Lai to Khe Sanhto handle ground controlled radar bombing missions. |
17 Jan | Team from Company B, 3d Reconnaissance Battalionambushed near Hill 881N. |
19 Jan | While searching ambush site, patrol from I/3/26 comesunder fire from estimated 25 NVA troops and withdrawsunder cover of supporting arms. Two platoonsfrom M/3/26 helilifted to Hill 881S as reinforcementsfor I/3/26 which prepares for sweep toward881N the next day. |
20 Jan | Capt Dabney's I/3/26 attacks and, with the aid ofair and artillery, badly mauls NVA battalion entrenchedon southern slopes of 881N; 7 Marines and103 North Vietnamese KIA. |
| |
| | On strength of testimony of captured NVA lieutenantthat enemy attack is imminent, I/3/26 is withdrawnto 881S and base placed on Red Alert. |
| |
| | DASC of MASS-3 displaces to Khe Sanh. |
20-21 Jan | Estimated NVA battalion attacks K/3/26 on Hill 861.After penetrating southwestern portion of Marines'perimeter, the enemy is repulsed leaving 47 dead; NVAreserves are hit by heavy air strikes and artilleryfire. |
21 Jan | KSCB comes under heavy mortar, artillery, and rocketattack which destroys main ammunition dump. NVAbattalion attacks and partially overruns Khe Sanhvillage before CAC and RF companies drive off enemy.After second attack, Col Lownds withdraws defendersto confines of combat base. |
22 Jan | ComUSMACV initiates Operation NIAGARA to providemassive air support for Khe Sanh. |
| |
| | LtCol Mitchell's 1/9 arrives KSCB and takes up positionswhich encompass rock quarry southwest ofcombat base. |
| |
| | E/2/26 is relocated from Hill 558 to prominent ridgelinenortheast of 861 as covering force for flank of2/26; E/2/26 passes to operational control of 3dBattalion. New position is called 861A. |
23-28 Jan | Large number of tribesmen and families are evacuatedfrom Khe Sanh area to avoid hostile fire. |
27 Jan | 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion arrives KSCB and takes uppositions in eastern sector of combat base. |
30 Jan | Communists launch nation-wide TET Offensive. |
5 Feb | NVA battalion attacks E/2/26 on Hill 861A in concertwith heavy shelling of KSCB. Enemy gains footholdin northern sector of Company E perimeter but isdriven out by savage counterattack; 109 NVA and 7Marines KIA. |
7 Feb | Special Forces camp at Lang Vei overrun by enemybattalion supported by PT-76 Soviet-built tanks;first use of NVA tanks in South Vietnam. |
8 Feb | Some 3,000 indigenous personnel, both military andcivilian, from Lang Vei move overland to Khe Sanh.After being searched and processed, several hundredrefugees are air evacuated. |
8 Feb | A/1/9 combat outpost 500 meters west of 1/9 perimeterhit and partially overrun by reinforced NVA battalion.During three-hour battle, reinforcements drive NVAfrom Marine position and with aid of supporting armskill 150 North Vietnamese; Col Lownds decides toabandon outpost and units withdraw to 1/9 perimeter. |
10 Feb | Marine C-130 of VMGR-152, hit by enemy fire duringapproach, crashes after landing at Khe Sanh and sixare killed. |
Feb-Apr | Paradrops, low-altitude extraction systems, andhelicopters are primary means of resupplying 26thMarines due to bad weather and heavy enemy fire. |
21 Feb | After heavy mortar and artillery barrage, NVA companyprobes 37th ARVN Ranger lines but withdraws afterdistant fire fight. It is estimated that 25-30 NVAwere killed. |
23 Feb | KSCB receives record number of incoming rounds fora single day--1,307. |
| |
| | First appearance of enemy trench system around KSCB. |
25 Feb | B/1/26 patrol ambushed south of KSCB; 23 Marines KIA. |
29 Feb- 1 Mar | Estimated NVA regiment maneuvers to attack 37th ARVNRanger positions but fail to reach defensive wire. |
6 Mar | USAF C-123 shot down east of runway; 43 USMC, 4 USAF,and 1 USN personnel killed. |
7 Mar | Large groups of refugees begin to filter intothe combat base and are evacuated. |
8 Mar | ARVN patrols attack enemy trenchline east of runwayand kill 26 North Vietnamese. |
15 Mar | American intelligence notes withdrawal of major NVAunits from Khe Sanh area. |
23 Mar | KSCB receives heaviest saturation of enemy rounds forthe month of March--1,109. |
24 Mar | A/1/9 patrol kills 31 NVA west of 1/9 perimeter. |
25 Mar | 1/9 CavSqd, 1st ACD begins reconnaissance in forceoperations east of Khe Sanh in preparation forOperation PEGASUS. |
30 Mar | B/1/26 attacks enemy fortified position south of combatbase and kills 115 North Vietnamese; 9 Marines are KIA. |
| |
| | Operation SCOTLAND I terminates with 1,602 confirmedNVA and 205 Marines KIA; estimates place probableenemy dead between 10,000 and 15,000. |
| |
| | Task Force KILO launches diversionary attack alongGio Linh coastal plain to divert attention away fromCa Lu where 1st ACD, and 1st Marines are staging forOperation PEGASUS. |
1 Apr | Operation PEGASUS begins; 2/1 and 2/3 (1st Marines)attack west from Ca Lu along Route 9. Elements of3d Bde, 1st ACD conduct helo assaults into LZ Mikeand Cates. Joint engineer task force begins repairof Route 9 from Ca Lu to Khe Sanh. |
3 Apr | 2d Bde, 1st ACD assaults LZs Tom and Wharton. |
4 Apr | 1/5 CavSqd moves northwest from LZ Wharton and attacksenemy units near old French fort; 1st Battalion, 9thMarines moves southeast from rock quarry and assaultsHill 471. |
5 Apr | 1/9 repulses enemy counterattack on Hill 471 andkills 122 North Vietnamese. |
| |
| | 1st Bde, 1st ACD departs Ca Lu and assaults LZ Snapper. |
6 Apr | One company of 3d ARVN Airborne Task Force airliftedto KSCB for the initial link up with defenders. |
| |
| | Elements of 2d Bde, 1st ACD relieve 1st Battalion, 9thMarines on Hill 471; 1/9 commences sweep to northwesttoward Hill 689. |
6 Apr | 1st Bde, 1st ACD helilifted north of KSCB. 2/26 and3/26 push north of combat base; Company G, 2/26 engagesenemy force and kills 48 NVA. |
8 Apr | 2/7 CavSqd links up with 26th Marines and conductsofficial relief of combat base. 1/26 attacks tothe west. |
| |
| | 3d ARVN Airborne Task Force air assaults into LZ Snakewest of Khe Sanh and kills 78 North Vietnamese. |
10 Apr | LtGen Rosson arrives Khe Sanh and directs LtGen Tolsonto disengage and prepare for Operation DELAWARE inA Shau Valley. |
11 Apr | Engineers complete renovation of Route 9 and road isofficially opened. |
| |
| | Elements of 1st ACD begin withdrawal to Quang Tri Cityin preparation for Operation DELAWARE; 37th ARVNRanger Battalion airlifted to Da Nang. |
12 Apr | Col Meyers relieves Col Lownds as CO, 26th Marines. |
14 Apr | 3/26 attacks Hill 881N and kills 106 NVA; 6 Marinesare KIA. |
15 Apr | Operation PEGASUS terminated; Operation SCOTLAND IIbegins. |
18 Apr | 26th Marines withdrawn to Dong Ha and Camp Carroll. |
23 May | President Johnson presents the Presidential UnitCitation to 26th Marines and supporting units duringWhite House ceremony. |
23 Jun | Although forward fire support bases are maintained inKhe Sanh area, the KSCB is dismantled and abandoned.LZ Stud at Ca Lu is selected as base for air mobileoperations in western DMZ area. |