The Battle of An Quy
Major Pham Van Tien
In mid March 1966, the 2nd Marine Battalion was present at Bong Son, Tam Quan with Marine Task Force A which reinforced the 22nd Infantry Division.
Many NVA Divisions, including Division 3 "Gold Star" had been present here for many continuous months, aiming to cut the route from Qui Nhon to Quang Ngai.
Targets of this operation were An Phu, Cu Tai, Truong Phuoc, about 7-8 km West of National Route 1, as the crow flies. The Battalion advanced with a row formation of two Companies. We crossed the departure line at day break, moving across the high thick coconut forest. At 9:30am, we encountered an enemy outpost. Platoon 4 had two wounded. My platoon received order to stop, reorder the formation and find a way to annihilate the enemy. Platoon 2 of 2nd Lieutenant Tai on the right detected some VC on the tops of coconut trees. The machine gun team of Corporal Nguyen Nua of heavy weapons platoon was ordered to move forward. It shot down two VC with two CKC rifles armed with telescopes.
In the distance, from An Quy village, the NVA started violently firing at our moving troops. Reconnaissance aircrafts informed us that the NVA were in great numbers and were lurking inside solid bunkers and trenches. Company 2 of the Battalion reached a shallow stream lying in the middle of a barren field. The distance between the NVA and us was about 300 to 400 metres. A large rice field was between the two sides.
It was 12:00 noon; Marine Artillery had not been completely set up at Hill 10. That's why artillery support was limited. We lay in a lower terrain than the NVA and became good targets for them. The number of Marines wounded increased and increased. My Platoon lost ten already since this morning. The order to "occupy the target at all costs" from the commander of the Battalion was the single motivation for us. I started standing up and shouted, "Charge!" Looking around at all the squads, nobody moved. "Follow me", "Charge, charge". I darted across the stream and climbed onto the other bank. Corporal Nguyen Van On, Private 1st class Nguyen Trung were chopped down in place when they were trying to follow close to me. Fire supports were relied upon some 81mm mortars of the Battalion Headquarters. Finally, with twenty people left, my Platoon succeeded in positioning in a row at low dykes. On the left and right sides, Platoon 1 of 2nd Lieutenant Vu Doan Dzoan and Platoon 2 of 2nd Lieutenant Tai acted the same way.
Shouting "charge, charge" and running forward, firing, we were covered by smoke grenades. M79 grenade launchers of 1st Corporal Nhanh and Corporal Ngheu were very effective when we were close to the targets. All medevacs and resupplies of ammunition were accomplished by 1st Sergent Nguyen Van Doi, the vice Platoon leader. He was very brave, agile and zealously helped me in all difficult situations. We managed to reach the enemy trenches for the first time at 6:00pm. Some NVA soldiers were recently killed. Their blood was not coagulated yet and was flowing next to their Czechoslovakian machine guns. Their legs were still chained to the coconut tree trunks. Searching, Company 2 found many NVA bodies newly buried and seized more than twenty weapons of all kinds. Other companies also had a number of casualties: 1st Lieutenant Nguyen Ngoc Diep, Commander of Company 3 was killed.
The 2nd Lieutenant Hoang Nhu Liem was severely wounded in his right thigh with multiple fractures, when he had fearlessly been directing his platoon.
Occupying the target, this was the first time that the 2nd Marine Battalion had the heaviest human loss in a battle, namely forty killed and sixty wounded in action.
However, this unit gained victory, a victory with the highest number of "mourning head bands."
Major Pham Van Tien
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