RARE Vietnam War Footage from Operation Prairie & Hastings 

RARE Vietnam War Footage from Operation Prairie & Hastings 

Back in May, it became evident that the North Vietnamese were building up in this area to the south of the DMZ. We believe that there is many as three regiments in this area. And as a result, we have engaged in an operation along with the First ARVN Division in this area, with the ARVN Airborne in this area, and with the Marine Task Force Delta in this area.

On the 15th of this month, we started operations Hastings by inserting two battalions in this general area. We had reason to believe that there was a division command post in this area, and our purpose was to find it and to destroy it. Just how well the Marines reacted as Operation Hastings developed is described by the briefing officer, Major Donald Busch.

During the period 1-15 July, 18 reconnaissance teams were inserted into the area. 17 of these teams made contact with North Vietnamese forces. This reconnaissance effort established that a large number of well-disciplined, well-equipped, well-trained North Vietnamese units were in the area and had developed a major trail network as an infiltration route.

General Kyle directed CT Task Force Delta to attack initially with two infantry battalions, retaining one battalion in reserve at Dong Ha. Thereafter, as the reserve battalion is committed, an additional battalion would be moved north from Da Nang to reconstitute the reserve. Following this pattern of operations, Task Force Delta grew from the initial three infantry battalions to a total of seven, including the special landing force of the 7th Fleet.

The movement of units north was accomplished primarily by Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft. Most of the supplies were also moved from Da Nang to Dong Ha by these same aircraft. The movement of units from Dong Ha into the field and the logistic support of units in the field was primarily by the two helicopter groups of the 1st Marine Air Wing.

Task Force Delta’s concept was to place blocking forces across the major infiltration trails to prevent movement into and out of the combat area, and then commence searching for the enemy forces. At 0830 on D-Day, 15 July, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, landed in the Song Yong Valley by helicopter, followed at 10 minutes by 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, landing at the mouth of the valley.

No fire was encountered during the initial landing. However, by mid-afternoon, fire was being received from three sides by the 3rd Battalion. Kilo Company had moved into a blocking position to the south, and by nightfall was under heavy attack from all sides. Heavy fighting was being encountered by all units at one time or another throughout the area for the next 9 days.

It became evident that a major part of the 324B Division was in Zone B. During all of the action in Operations Hastings and Prairie. Marine combat photography and Marine combat reporters were in the thick of the fight. All of their reporting was spectacular both in the air and on the ground. One of the most dramatic incidents in operation Hastings occurred on July 25th when Lima Company 3rd Marines fought its way to the support of India Company trapped on a mountain top by superior

enemy forces. The action was photographed by Gunnery Sergeant J.J. Kazikowski and Lance Corporal N.B. Stone. Gunnery Sergeant Carl Hillstrom was there with his tape recorder. But his own voice was often drowned out by the fury of the fight. We’re at the edge of the landing zone that’s just been cleared. Chopped and blasted out of the hilltop.

Take cover. Still receiving sporadic small arms fire. Incoming. Incoming supply. That was close. Still continuing to clear the landing zone so that larger helicopters might come in. Hey Sarge, engineer. This helicopter is picking up a medevac carrying out a wounded Marine. Okay, let’s flash those targets.

We are continuing to survey the landing zone. Engineers are planting black charges blasting the remaining trees. I require to be cleared before the landing zone is adequate for our helicopters to land. Momentarily. Just a few moments ago, it was clear enough to allow two helicopters one at a time. First they come in and uh they flew off with some wounded marines.

Radio, helicopters coming in again. This time they’re on our right side. We’re on a hilltop here surrounded by rock walls all around. At 1200 on 3 August, Operation Hastings is terminated and Operation Prairie commenced. There was a different name for the new phase of the battle to control the real estate south of the demilitarized zone, but for the marines, the same all-out action continued.

 They took casualties, but they demonstrated positively that they were more than a match for the enemy. By 13 August, it had become evident that the enemy was again moving forces into the area. The fourth marines established a forward CP at Dong Ha and additional forces were committed to the area. Operation Prairie was launched as a reconnaissance in force operation.

While in Hastings, it was not unusual for elements of four or five battalions to be heavily engaged at one time, on only a few occasions have more than one battalion been engaged in heavy contact at the same time during Prairie. However, some of the most violent fighting of the war has taken place during this operation.

Most of the heavy contact has occurred in the Rockpile and Con Thien areas. On numerous occasions, both gun and flame tanks have been utilized, as well as 106-mm recoilless rifles, naval gunfire, and flamethrowers, in addition to the other normal supporting arms. No matter what the supporting arms, the basic element in our success was the individual fighting man, with his calm confidence, his understanding of our mission in Vietnam, and his ability to adapt to the fast-moving circumstances of combat.

Staff Sergeant Ken Sanders caught this on his tape recorder as acting platoon leader Staff Sergeant Jimmy Little briefed him on a company-size patrol mission led by Captain Robert Larson. Here’s Sergeant Little. To start with, we’re moving down in column, platoon in column, down across the river to Highway 9.

Once we reach Highway 9, we will uh make a left, go down 9 about 700 m to a trail that cuts up in a canopy where the third platoon had made contact yesterday. From there, we will use this trail, uh working out the trail, on around, hoping to come back up on the top of the ridge line at uh about 1,500 m from here.

Uh from here, we’ll be going to sweep through the area where the heaviest contact was made yesterday. Uh to clear out any possible VC that are in there and uh to search for bodies and weapons. From there, we’ll work down the ridge line, reach Highway 9 to our right, and then come back into the base camp.

 We have begun uh movement down the trail. We encountered the Viet Cong 20 minutes ago. There is a good possibility that the North Vietnamese Communist have set an ambush for us. We’ll find out if there’s an ambush in that area, perhaps very soon. Uh 662 over. This is uh 2 uh We spotted three uh VC. Uh they fired, we returned fire.

 I dropped in a couple of M79s and just backed down the trail by fire. However, now we came into another complex of holes. Uh we’re taking them out right now, over. Their individual actions led to final conclusive success. General Kyle summarized its importance. Timely effective action by US and Republic of Vietnam units delivered a crushing defeat to the enemy and shattered his hopes for a quick and impressive victory.

 Hastings and its successor Prairie stand as notable achievements in our battle against Communist aggression from North Vietnam.