Operation Macon
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| Operation Macon | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Vietnam War | |||||
 A Marine on patrol during Operation Macon | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 United States |
 Viet Cong | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Col. Drew J. Barrett Maj. George H. Grimes | |||||
| Units involved | |||||
|
3rd Battalion, 9th Marines 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines | R-20 Battalion | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 24 killed |
Per US body count: 380 killed | ||||
Operation Macon was a US Marine Corps search and destroy operation in western Quảng Nam Province, lasting from 4 July to 28 October 1966.
Following the conclusion of Operation Georgia on 10 May, the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines remained at An Hoa Combat Base to provide security for the An Hoa Industrial Complex. On 1 July a squad leader from the Viet Cong (VC) 1st Company, R-20 Doc Lap Battalion, surrendered to Marine forces and revealed that his unit was located south of the Thu Bồn River and east of An Hoa Base where they were preparing defenses to engage any Marine forces that might enter the area. Further intelligence indicated that the VC were armed with heavy weapons including 5 12.7mm machine guns, 3 81mm mortars and 57mm recoilless rifles. Aerial reconnaissance by VMO-2 confirmed that the VC were entrenched south of the Thu Bồn.[1]: 201
On 4 July two companies of the R-20 Battalion moved west towards the Thu Bồn and established ambush positions around the hamlets of My Loc (3) and My Loc (4) threatening the road link to An Hoa Base. At 15:20 Company K, 3/9 Marines operating with LVTHs triggered the ambush with one LVTH being knocked out and its commander killed. The 3/9 Marines commander, Maj. George H. Grimes, ordered Company I to move to support Company K's left flank and for helicopter to lift Company L from An Hoa Base to Hill 42, 2 km south of My Loc (4). As Company I approached the site it was met by heavy VC fire and Company K was unable to disengage or call in artillery support because the VC were too close to their position. At 17:30 Company I linked up with Company K and the VC began to disengage and 200–250 VC were observed moving northwest. Air and artillery strikes were called in on the retreating VC and estimates of the dead ranged from 12 to 62 killed. Companies I and K established a night defensive position and were harassed by mortar fire throughout the night. At dawn on 5 July they began a sweep of the area. At 08:40 VC fire killed a Company K Marine and artillery strikes were called in resulting in 12 VC killed. By dusk on 5 July a total of 17 VC had been killed.[1]: 202–4
On the afternoon of 5 July III Marine Amphibious Force commander MG Lew Walt saw the opportunity to destroy the R-20 Battalion and ordered a multi-battalion operation in the An Hoa area, commencing on 4 July.[1]: 204
