Joint US ROK Vietnam War amphibious operation DEFIANT STAND

[Bob Hudson]

I had never heard of this battle until this apparently rare book book came in: it's ammphibious OPERATION DEFIANT STAND, which was the ROK (South Korea) 2nd Marine Brigade and the USMC 1st Battalion, 26th Marines amphibious assault on a barrier island, 55 km south of Da Nang in Sept. 1969.

The book, printed in Saigon, covers the ROKMC role in the joint assault. The Koreans launched their assault from the USS IWO JIMA.

An ROK military news dispatch of the time said,

"ROK Marines Storm VC Island Stronghold

By SGT. SONG JUNG II.

BARRIER ISLAND, Vietnam - The first amphibious landing in the 20-year history of the Korean Marines met heavy resistance Friday after the Marines stormed the beaches of Barrier Island 34 miles south of Da Nang.

Spokesmen reported 42 Viet Cong had been killed during the first phase of the operation as heavy fighting raged across the northern part of the island.

Initial reports said Korean casualties had so far remained light. One Marine was killed and six wounded.

The amphibious operation dubbed Defiant Stand, began with one battalion of Leathernecks from the 2nd ROK Marine Brigade wading ashore while another Marine battalion air-assaulted onto the opposite side of the island.

The Leathernecks also collected 25 weapons and 127 suspected Communists Friday. The operation was continuing as the Marines tightened their cordon toward the center of the island.

Barrier Island 70 square miles of wedge-shaped land, has long been a VC sanctuary. The Viet Cong were reportedly threatening Da Nang and Hoi An with rockets and mortars.

Several U.S. Navy assault ships and helicopters from a helo landing ship took part in the operation.

The Koreans took only 10 days to plan and refine the operations while working with U.S. Marine and Navy officials.

Twelve tracked landing vehicles (LVTS) brought ashore the first wave of troops. They were followed by numerous mechanized landing craft carrying flame and gun tanks and more troops.

A summary of the operation from the USMC viewpoint is at http://www.khesanhvets.org/Section_5/section_5.htm

 

"September 7-19, 1969

Operation Defiant Stand. The target of this landing, the first USMC amphibious assault conducted with the Korean Marine Corps, is the southern portion of Barrier Island. The BLT 1/26 air assaults inland and Vietnamese patrol craft cut off escape routes on Barrier Island, 34 miles south of Da Nang. Twice before this year, the BLT 1/26 has attacked Barrier Island. The enemy avoids contact except for hit-and-run diversionary tactics to cover their withdrawal across the Truong Giang River and to the west. Several times defensive perimeters are mortared with RPG and small arms fire following.

Delta Co. is helilifted from USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) to an unopposed landing. On September 9, Delta Co. has a firefight, killing three of the enemy. The company finds 31 bunkers and a case of 105 rounds on September 12. The company makes contact with a large number of the enemy on September 13 and is tear-gassed. On September 15, the company is hit with a WP short round, causing a number of casualties.

Operation Defiant Stand is the last of 62 SLF amphibious assaults of the war."

 

 

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[Bob Hudson]

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[Bob Hudson]

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[Bob Hudson]

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[Mitch]

Very interesting book Bob. I too have not heard of that operation. Thanks for posting the unique pictures.

Regards, Mitch

[Bob Hudson]

btt

[badbart]

My name is Ron Rankin I was attached to ROK 2nd Battalion Ranger Co. Marines. My partner Bob Stone and I were a two man team with Sub Unit 1, 1st ANGLICO Marines during Operation Defiant Storm. We deployed from an LST "Washinaw Valley" in LVT's during the second phase of the landing operation. Send that I read that was September 8, 69. I was with the ROK Marines for 2 tours and finished off my second tour at an old French fort built on the ridge at the twin bridges near GaNoi island "Dodge City" south of DaNang and east of HoiAn.

Was doing a web search about the operation and thought I would sound off.

Finally connected with my brother, partner and friend, Bob Stone two years ago and to my surprise he spends his winters just a few miles north of me each year. Go figure!

[badbart]

Correction to my last post: LST 166, Washtenaw County

[woo1693]

Sorry I came across this thread late, but these type of picture books were frequently printed by the ROK military command (In this case it says the publisher is the ROKMC Blue Dragons Public Relations Department). My uncle and father were both ROKMCs. Uncle was KIA in Vietnam 1966;2nd Brigade 2nd Battalion 7th Co.

 

Badbart, seems like you served with my uncle's battalion. Thank you for your service.

[Bob Hudson]

Sorry I came across this thread late, but these type of picture books were frequently printed by the ROK military command (In this case it says the publisher is the ROKMC Blue Dragons Public Relations Department). My uncle and father were both ROKMCs. Uncle was KIA in Vietnam 1966;2nd Brigade 2nd Battalion 7th Co.

 

Badbart, seems like you served with my uncle's battalion. Thank you for your service.

 

Thanks for checking in - we're always glad to hear from people with a connection to events such as this.

[Vailvidguy]

I am so grateful to have come across this thread.

For all these years I have been trying to piece together the events of this operation since I was just 18 years old when this happened and was eventually wounded in a rocket attack and med evaced to Yokouska Naval hospital in Japan where I spent 2 months recovering .

I, along with 5 other Marines from 7th engineers with dozers were attached to the Blue Dragons for this operation.

We boarded the ships in Hoi An and floated around for 3 days before eventually making the assault, but were totally in the dark about the mission and just what the significance was but we knew it had to be something pretty big.

The second day at sea, helicopters began landing on the deck and news crews from Korea, Japan, and the United States were interviewing ranking officers on deck.

There was a lot of scuttlebutt , needless to say, and some of it was that we were going to invade North Vietnam.

Then at dawn the day of the landing, we were awakened by the flashes of Naval gunfire several miles behind us and could see the impacts on land several miles in the distance. Then air strikes began, dropping napalm and high explosives.

It was then that a Marine Capt. informed us we would be landing on that beach head soon.

Much of the time there is now a fog to me, but three days into the operation, I hit a mine and blew the track off my dozer.

We were instructed to "Blow it in place" since the entire zone was just way too hot for them to send a mechanic to repair it.

From that day forward, I was doing my duty as a basic Marine rifleman ,walking security for the other dozers doing the clearing ad search and destroy duties.

It would be great is anyone on this forum was involved in this operation since I am still trying to piece it all together.

Somewhere, there is film of us landing on the beach under fire.That will remain in my mind, the camera guys getting a quick bit of footage on the beach then going back to the ship.

Anyhow, I am grateful to be alive and to have survived that experience.

 

[RTGunter]

Thank you for posting this information. I was the Tank Platoon Commander of the tanks in direct support of the ROC Marines during Operation Defiant Stand. First Tanks kept a platoon with the ROC Brigade and my platoon took the assignment a couple of months before this operation. There is a correction I would make to the record. The Tank Platoon listed in the accounts of the Operation name the 1st Platoon, Charlie Company and/or 1st Platoon Bravo Company 1st Tanks. It was neither. The Platoon was 3rd Platoon Charlie Company 1st Tanks. I have photographs of the landing craft with my tanks as we approached the beach at the north end of Barrier Island.

[Bob Hudson]

Thank you for posting this information. I was the Tank Platoon Commander of the tanks in direct support of the ROC Marines during Operation Defiant Stand. First Tanks kept a platoon with the ROC Brigade and my platoon took the assignment a couple of months before this operation. There is a correction I would make to the record. The Tank Platoon listed in the accounts of the Operation name the 1st Platoon, Charlie Company and/or 1st Platoon Bravo Company 1st Tanks. It was neither. The Platoon was 3rd Platoon Charlie Company 1st Tanks. I have photographs of the landing craft with my tanks as we approached the beach at the north end of Barrier Island.

 

 

 

Thanks for checking in and sharing that. I was surprised the other day to that I still have the book.

[Vailvidguy]

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 7/19/2015 at 9:44 AM, badbart said:

Correction to my last post: LST 166, Washtenaw County

 

USS WASHTENAW COUNTY (LST-1166)

7TH FLEET AMPHIBIANS

 

OPERATION DEFIANT STAND