HISTORY OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE MARINE CORPS

The 7th Marine Battalion

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Nha

The 7th Marine Battalion was formed on 1-6-1969 at Rung Cam, Thu Duc.

Their staffs were composed of:

"Lieutenant Colonel Pham Nha: Commander

"Major Tran Xuan Quang: Executive Officer

Company Commanders:

- 1st Lieutenant Tran Ba (Company 1)

- 1st Lieutenant Ton That Tran (Company 2)

- 1st Lieutenant Nguyen Van Thu (Company 3)

- 1st Lieutenant Nguyen Van Loc (Company 4)

- 1st Lieutenant Nguyen Van Hoa (Commanding Company)

In 10-1969, the Battalion trained at the Van Kiep training centre for three months. After the training, the 7th Marine Battalion performed its first operation with the 2nd Marine Battalion, under the command of Marine Brigade 147, in U Minh Thuong and U Minh Ha via helilift.

The 7th Marine Battalion confronted the VC U-Minh Battalion and caused heavy damage to a Company from it. Six VC were killed. We seized twenty five AK 47s, two AAA guns, a 57 mm recoilless rifle and an ammunition store containing more than three tons of mine detonators which had been newly supplied from the North. The Battalion had two killed and seven wounded. In 3-1970, Battalion 7 returned to its rear base to rest. Then it participated in a border-crossing operation into Cambodia in Neak Luong under the command of Brigade 258.

The Battalion reinforced Battalion 2 which had been encircled at Prayveng. The 7. Battalion was helilifted from Neak Luong to North of Prayveng city. It fought against an NVA regiment for 24 hours. We had twelve killed and thirty-five wounded. The NVA had 187 killed. We captured twenty-three NVA soldiers, seized two "147" machine guns, forty-five AK47s and many ammunitions and NVA uniforms. We stayed in Cambodia for three months and then returned to our base for a rest.

It was then that the Battalion reinforced the Nam Can base. There, Battalion 7 independently performed operations under the support of a Marine artillery platoon. They were small operations but we seized forty-five weapons of all kinds and killed 115 VC soldiers.

In 1971, the Battalion performed operation Lam Son 719 with Battalion 2 and 4, under the Command of Brigade 147. After this operation, I transferred this Battalion to Major Vo Tri Hue who became Commander.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Nha