Operation Hastings

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Operation Hastings
Part of the Vietnam War

Marines of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment take to the water as they move to join up with other elements of their battalion.
Date July 7, 1966 - July 25, 1966
Location Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
Result South Vietnamese and U.S. victory
Belligerents
South Vietnam
United States		 North Vietnam
Commanders
Lew Walt
Lowell E. English		 Nguyen Van
Strength
8,500
3,000		 Unknown
Casualties and losses
51 killed, 162 wounded 824 killed, 14 captured[citation needed]
Battles and operations
of the Vietnam War
1st Ap Bac – Go Cong – Hiep Hoa – Chan La – 34A – Long Dinh – Quyet Thang 202 – Nam Dong – Gulf of Tonkin – An Lao – Bình Gia – Pleiku – Market Time – Vung Ro Bay – Thanh Hoa Bridge – Song Be – Ba Gia – Đồng Xoài – Starlite – Chu Lai – Plei Me – Hump – Gang Toi – Ia Drang – Game Warden – Sea Dragon – Crimp – Masher/White Wing – Cu Nghi – Kim Son – A Shau – Birmingham – Xa Cam My – Hastings – Prairie – Đức Cơ – Long Tần – Beaver Cage – Attleboro – Deckhouse Five – Cedar Falls – Tuscaloosa – Tra Binh Dong – Bribie – Junction City – Union – Hill 881 – 2nd Ap Bac – Malheur I and Malheur II – Nine Days in May – Union II – Vinh Huy – Buffalo – Con Thien – July Two – Hong Kil Dong – Swift – Wheeler/Wallowa – 1st Loc Ninh – Medina – Ong Thanh – Dak To – Phoenix – 1st Tet – Khe Sanh – Ban Houei Sane – 1st Saigon – Huế – Lang Vei – Lima Site 85 – May '68 – Kham Duc – Duc Lap – Sealords – Speedy Express – Dewey Canyon – 2nd Tet – Apache Snow – Hamburger Hill – Binh Ba – LZ Kate – Bu Prang – Chicago Peak – Texas Star – Cambodia – Kompong Speu – Prey Veng – Snuol – FSB Ripcord – Tailwind – Chenla I – Jefferson Glenn – Son Tay Raid – Lam Son 719 – Chenla II – Ban Dong – Hill 723 – FSB Mary Ann – Easter '72 – 1st Quảng Trị – 2nd Loc Ninh – An Lộc – Đồng Hới – Dong Ha – Kontum – 2nd Quảng Trị – End Sweep – Iron Triangle – Svay Rieng – Phuoc Long – Ho Chi Minh – Buôn Ma Thuột – New Life – Xuân Lộc – Truong Sa – 2nd Saigon – SS Mayagüez

Air operations
Farm Gate – Chopper – Ranch Hand – Pierce Arrow – Barrel Roll – Pony Express – Flaming Dart – Rolling Thunder – Steel Tiger – Arc Light – Tiger Hound – Shed Light – Bolo – Popeye – Niagara – Igloo White – Giant Lance – Commando Hunt – Menu – Freedom Deal – Patio – Linebacker I – Linebacker II – Homecoming – Baby Lift – Eagle Pull – Frequent Wind

Operation Hastings was an American military operation in the Vietnam War.

Having been threatened by numerous encounters with enemy troops in the Cam Lo area, on July 7, 1966, United States Marine Corps General Lew Walt led a joint U.S. Marine and ARVN force of 8,500 and 3,000 troops in a strike through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Plans to maintain U.S. occupation of the Cam Lo area in the Quang Tri province soon became known as Operation Hastings.

Under the command of Brigadier General Lowell E. English, the operation continued on July 15. His responsibility was to secure landing sites so that more U.S. Marines and ARVN soldiers could occupy the rear of the province. However, the major goal of the operation was to thwart the North Vietnamese 324 B Division's efforts to take control of Quang Tri Province. The mission was a strategic success in terms of driving off the 324 B Division, but the People's Army of Vietnam (NVA) forces successfully withdrew across the DMZ. When the ease with which the NVA was able to move across the DMZ became apparent, the US military leadership ordered a steady build-up of U.S. Marines near the DMZ from 1966 to 1968.

Contents

In popular culture

This operation is mentioned in the film Full Metal Jacket slightly over half-way through the film in an argument between Marines "Payback" and Chili, an argument which Sgt. Joker (James T. "Joker" Davis) is tangentially involved in, speaking in the character of John Wayne. Pvt. "Rafterman" and several other Marines are listening in on the proceedings. The unnamed Marine questions whether Payback was in Operation Hastings, and Payback implies that it was during his involvement with this Operation that Payback developed the thousand-yard stare. Joker is happy to impress on Rafterman that Payback is more gutless than Joker himself is, or perhaps Payback is lying, because Payback sometimes even thinks that he is John Wayne. It is at this point in the film that the base near Da Nang in which they are all currently stationed is first attacked during the Tet Offensive. Considering the time-line and troops involved in Operation Hastings, and the presence of and attack on Marines near Da Nang at the very beginnings of the Tet Offensive, this fictional reference and conversation contains no historical anachronisms.

Contemporary news reporting

External links

References

Pearson, Lieutenant General Willard, The War in the Northern Provinces: 1966-1968, Washington D. C.:U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Hastings"

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