12thMarCommChrono1-12-1969

12th Marine Command Chronologies

1st Battalion 12th Marines-1969

1969

The Conclusion...

In the summer of 1969, the 12th Marine Regiment left Vietnam returning to Okinawa. This ended their deployment in the Vietnam War; Other than scattered, op-conned units, the Regiment had completely withdrawn. Their defense of the northern Quang Tri province, I Corps, and specifically the Demilitarized Zone had continued for five years without flaw. Never had Marine Artillery units fought more gallantly, yet quietly than the 12th Marines against North Vietnamese ground forces and their vaunted artillery regiments.

So effective was the Marine 105 battery that engaged two attacking North Vietnamese battalions at FSB Gio Linh in the first artillery duel of the Vietnam War that the North Vietnamese never again grouped their artillery pieces in typical battery formations choosing instead to stay out of 105 and 155 ranges, locating in single positions using their superior ranges against the Marines. In simple terms, they never again "stood and fought" toe-to-toe with Marine Corps artillerymen; instead they used ambush techniques, hitting, firing, then disappearing before air and artillery could strike back in force.

Elements of the 11th and 13th Marines were op-conned to the 12th Marines. The 13th Marines endured bitter fighting in Khe Sanh and the surrounding hill FSB's. They distinguished themselves in a manner that truly reflected Marine Corps courage, valor, and tradition. Their fight on 881S and the NVA siege against it was so brutal the 13th Marines were sometimes unable to be resupplied with food and water but in spite of the odds, they held their positions, never yielding to the NVA. The same valor was reflected throughout the 11th and 12th Marine Corps artillery units.

The 11th Marines held the Da Nang TAOR; fighting continuous mortar and rocket attacks from Viet Cong units. They repelled several point blank ground attacks with direct fire. Their courage under fire also distinguished themselves in a manner reflecting Marine Corps courage and tradition.

Long overlooked historically, the epic stands by the Marines and their guns will be remembered through the USMCAA website bringing to life the batteries and their historic accomplishments. The ghosts of LZ Russell, Gio Linh, LZ Torch, Con Thien, LZ Neville, Quang Tri, FSB Cunningham, Khe Sanh, Camp Carroll, C-2, Ca Lau, and many more will never be forgotten nor the 11th, 12th, and 13th Marine artillerymen who gave their lives in the defense of freedom...