Operation Oregon

The landing of the 1/4 Marines was delayed for four hours by fog. By 10:15, the helicopters of HMM-163 were over the landing zones, where they were met with anti-aircraft fire. Low clouds ruled out air support, but artillery fire from the 4th Battalion, 12th Marines at Phong Điền softened up the landing zones. The Marines started landing by 12:55. Company B moved out from Landing Zone Robin and into a minefield around the hamlet of Ap Chinh An that wounded one Marine. The Marines attempted to take the hamlet but found that the VC had fortified it with bunkers and barbed wire. The Marines withdrew to allow aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire to hit the Viet Cong positions. At 16:49 Company E was landed to reinforce the Marines but by the evening the attack was halted. The Marines had suffered nine dead and 41 wounded.^[1]: 67

Marine artillery bombarded the VC positions while dense fog delayed planned airstrikes. The 1/4 Marines captured Ap Chinh An with minimal opposition as the VC had abandoned their positions during the night. 2/1 Marines was landed at Landing Zone Duck 3 km west of LZ Robin at 11:15 encountering no resistance. The operation continued for the next two days with no further engagements.^[1]: 67

Operation Oregon concluded on 23 March. The Marines had suffered 11 dead and 45 wounded; they claimed that the VC had lost 48 killed and eight captured.^[1]: 69