Operation Mallard

The 3d Marines’ Operation Mallard during January 1966 was the first large Ill MAF penetration into the An Hoa region. Acting on intelligence that the R-20 Battalion had been reinforced by the 5th VC Main Force Battalion, the Marine regiment, supported by a composite artillery battalion, conducted a two-battalion operation in the area. On 10 January, Air Force C-130 transports flew two 105mm howitzer batteries from the Da Nang airfield to the An Hoa airstrip where the 1st Battalion, 12th Marines established an artillery fire base. The following day, Lieutenant Colonel Dickey’s 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, reinforced by Company G from the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines crossed the Vu Gia River in LVTs and began to search for the VC in the area northwest of An Hoa, later commonly known as the 'Arizona Territory' after the Western badlands. A 155mm howitzer battery north of the Vu Gia also supported the operation. On 12 January, MAG-16 helicopters lifted Lieutenant Colonel Bodley’s 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, which had arrived two days previously at the Da Nang airfield from Chu Lai, into landing zones in the mountains west of An Hoa to exploit a B-52 raid.

The heaviest action occurred during the early morning hours of 14 January in the 1st Battalion, 3d Marines sector. A four-man fire team from Company G, 9th Marines, leaving its platoon’s patrol base on the west side of the Thu Bon some 4,000 meters northwest of An Hoa, surprised about 40 VC 'deployed in skirmish line with four 60mm mortars on line'. According to the fire team leader, Corporal Mark E. DePlanche:

The three other members of the Marine fire ream also opened fire and the startled VC became disorganized and dispersed, leaving behind the mortars a number of the enemy withdrew to a nearby small hill and began throwing down grenades at the Marines. Maintaining radio contact with its platoon, the fire team was soon reinforced and the VC broke contact. Policing the battlefield, the Marines found four dead VC, captured the four mortars, and 80 60mm mortar shells, and recovered 15 enemy packs and a quantity of assorted small arms ammunition. Corporal DePlanche was the only Marine casualty, sustaining a slight wound to his right hand from an enemy grenade. He was later awarded the Navy Cross and the other three members of the team received Silver Stars for the action.

The military results of Operation Mallard, nevertheless, were minimal if measured with the enemy casualty yardstick. Viet Cong units simply fled west into the mountains upon the approach of the’ Marines. The important aspect of the operation, which ended on 17 January, was the response of the An Hoa population. More than 300 villagers asked to be evacuated to more secure areas. According to the Dai Loc District Chief, these people wanted to live in their own hamlets, but not until the VC had been driven out, the people wanted the Marines to come back into their area, drive the VC out, and stay there to make security. General Walt met Le Thuc Can for the first time and was impressed with what the man had accomplished under adverse circumstances and promised that the Marines would return to An Hoa

The lack of South Vietnamese Government cohesion in I Corps and Viet Cong strength in the Da Nang area prevented General Walt from carrying out his promise to Can for several months. On 25 January, the enemy forces demonstrated their capabilities. Employing 120mm mortars, the VC brazenly shelled the Da Nang Airbase, firing from positions within the Ngu Hanh Son area. Although the attack resulted in the death of one Marine and the wounding of seven others, the mortar rounds caused only minor damage to the base itself. Again on 15 February, the Viet Cong revealed the vulnerability of government control in the Da Nang sector when an assassination team killed the Le My village chief during a ceremony in one of the