HISTORY OF

1st Battalion - 1st Marines

2nd Battalion - 3rd Marines

11 June 1963 to 23 July 1965

Provided by: William "Bill" Obershaw

(This history of the battalion is based on records and the information

provided in the 2/3 cruise book issued to the battalion members. I have

copied this history to make the information available to every member who

served with Battalion 2/3 Viet Nam, so that you could know the history

of battalion from it’s inception at Camp Pendelton, Calif. until it's

break up in July of 1965 in Danang, South Viet Nam.)

FORMATION OF THE BATTALION

June 1963 to 7 November 1964

The formation of this battalion started with a bunch of young Marine

recruits straight from MCRD and 2nd ITR on or about 11 June 1963. Our

first squad bays where at Camp San Mateo, Camp Pendelton, California on

the southeast side of the base. At this time, the young Marines waited

patiently while the "Old Salts" returned from their Okinawa rotation tour,

to form the training battalion.

During the following 15 months, the battalion grew, trained, became a

unit, and on 1 September 1964, the new 1/1 sprang to full life for the

pre-deployment 6 week lock-on training, before movement to the Far East

and the 3rd Marine Division.

The battalion was under the command of Lt.Col. D.A. Clement, XO was

Major D.J. Hunter and the Sgt.Major was A.H. Potts.

DEBARKATION TO THE FAR EAST

7 November 1964 to 23 November 1964

The battalion 1100 strong sailed from San Diego, California aboard the

USS Mann on 7 November 1964. After an overnight stop in Yokohama, Japan,

the battalion reached Okinawa on 23 November 1964, and assumed its new

duties as the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines at Camp Schwab. Little did we

know what lay ahead of us, and that some of us were not coming home.

OPERATION REFLEX I

8-11 January 1965

Operation Reflex I, began on 8-11 January 1965, when, in the first

exercise of its type ever conducted by the 3rd Marine Division, Battalion

Landing Team 2/3 was flown south, on just 48 hours notice, to Mactan

Island, Republic of the Philippines. The 1200-mile, 5 hour flight was made

by 50 giant C-130 aircraft of the U.S. Air Force's 315th Air Division.

The airlift, which required only 16 hours from start to finish, included

946 combat equipped men of BLT 2/3, 114 pre-loaded cargo and

communications vehicles, 5 ONTOS, 6 105mm howitzers, and over 200,000

pounds of all types of supplies. After two days of training and People-to

-People activities, during which our men had their first glimpse of the

county villages of our Filipino Ally, the BLT was flown back to its

Okinawa base.

MT. FUJI, JAPAN

23 January to 8 February 1965

Four short days after its return from the Philippines, BLT 2/3 boarded

four LST's and sailed for Japan's Mount Fujiyama, and cold weather

training. From the predawn landing on Numazu Beach, to the BLT's hurried

departure (8 hours notice) nineteen days later, the training conducted on

the frigid snowblown slopes of the Holy Mountain was outstanding.

JUNGLE DRUM III SAI BURI, SOUTH THAILAND

20-25 March 1965

Eight days after the BLT's return to Okinawa from Japan, it was notified

it had been selected to execute Jungle Drum III, an amphibious landing

exercise to be conducted jointly by naval forces of the U.S. and Thailand.

Embarkation began two days after this notification. Enroute to Thailand

the BLT had a short stopover at the U.S. Naval Base, Subic Bay, R.P. where

selected elements of the force received brief periods of jungle

operations. Elements of Company "H", the battalion's raid specialists,

sailed early for the objective area in the troop carrying submarine

USS Pearch. The remainder of the BLT, embarked in the USS Lenawee,

USS Washburn, and USS Gunston Hall, followed shortly thereafter.

D-Day for the landing was 20 March. Among the thousands of spectators

witnessing the beach assault demonstration by BLT 2/3 and a battalion of

Royal Thai Marines, both units supported by U.S. Marine attack aircraft,

was the Prime Minister of Thailand and the American Ambassador to Thailand.

The experience and acclimatization gained by the BLT during six days in

the humid jungle, and on the waterways, of South Thailand proved invaluable.

JUNGLE DRUM III, in reality, was the battalion's last "practice exercise",

for in sixteen days after sailing from the exercise area, BLT 2/3 was to

land on the coast of the Republic of Viet-Nam.

BANGKOK, THAILAND

28 March - 1 April 1965

Editor's Note: 2/3 was invited to spend R & R in Bangkok by the Prime

Minister of Thailand after exercises Jungle Drum III. 2/3 Marines where

the first American Troops Since WW II, to have liberty in Bangkok, and the

last time the battalion would be together on R&R as a unit.

VIETNAM

10 April 1965 - 23 July 1965/ but continued

At first light on 10 April 1965, as they had done countless times in

training before, the designated assault troops of BLT 2/3 clambered down

the familiar cargo nets into waiting landing craft. The Bay of Danang was

calm and the white sand of BEACH RED TWO was clearly visible to the ships

of the amphibious squadron. The cool sea breeze gave little indication of

the searing heat and humidity which would be encountered during the

succeeding months.

Although the landing would be unopposed, the BLT, as it had on every

maneuver held since its arrival in the Far East five moths before, came

across the beach in precise formations it would have employed had the

landing beach been defended.

One hour after the first wave of troops had waded through the warm surf,

two reinforced rifle companies were helilifted from the landing zone

adjacent to the beach and were enroute to the Hue-Phu Bai enclave, 55 miles

to the north. These elements returned to the battalion's primary area of

responsibility five days later. During the next three weeks the battalion

consolidated its defensive positions and conducted patrol and sweep actions.

On 8 May the battalion marched into its initial clear and hold operations

against the village complex of Le My, the major, punji-trap infested Viet

Cong stronghold in the battalion's zone of action. At the conclusion of

this key operation, approximately one month later, effective Viet Cong

resistance had been eliminated, and, for the first time in six years,

the battalion's zone of action, an area of 100 square miles, and its

population of approximately 20,000 Vietnamese, was restored to the

control of the government of the Republic of Viet Nam.

Although it was not realized at the time, the highly successful

pacification and reconstruction actions executed at Le My were to receive

world-wide notice and were to set the pattern for similar operation which

would be conducted by other organizations of the 3rd Marine Division.

The VC attacked on 4 June against the Le My road's north bridge which was

repulsed and one VC Company was put out of action permanently. Meanwhile,

after the initial shyness disappeared, the battalion's aid station at Le

My was soon treating 120 patients a day.

OTHER NOTES

2/3 members evacuated civilian refuges from Elephant Valley 20 June 1965.

Defense Secretary Mc Namarea visits Le My Village on 18 July with Generals

Walt and Westmoreland.

MARINES OF 2ND BATTALION, 3RD MARINES KILLED IN ACTION

(AS REFLECTED IN THE CRUISE BOOK, AND AS DOCUMENTED BY THE VIET NAM

VETERANS MEMORIAL).

NICKOLAS RAY KOEHLER - H&S Company S-2 Scouts

LCPL - Marine Corps - Regular 21 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Apr 16 1944 From MASON CITY, IOWA Length of service 2 years. Casualty was

on May 08, 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN,

SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 01E - - Line 112

JHUE FRANK PRICE - "E" Company- 3rd Platoon

PFC - Marine Corps - Regular 18 year old Single, Negro, Male Born on

Jun 20 1946 From GRANGER, TEXAS Length of service 1 year. Casualty was

on May 11 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN,

SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 01E - - Line 113

MELVIN HAROLD SUTHONS - "F" Company 3rd Platoon

PFC - Marine Corps - Regular 21 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Feb 03 1944 From CANADA Length of service 1 year. Casualty was on Jun 18

1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY

GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 13

KENNETH WAYNE PARKER - "F" Company 2nd Platoon

LCPL - Marine Corps - Regular 20 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Mar 15 1945 From DEXTER, MISSOURI Length of service 2 years. Casualty was

on Jun 21 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN,

SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 15

WILLIAM ARTHUR OBERG - "H" Company 3rd Platoon

PFC - Marine Corps - Regular 20 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Mar 10 1945 From LAFAYETTE, OREGON Length of service 2 years. Casualty was

on Jul 05 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY

INTENTIONAL HOMICIDE Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 27

DONALD RAY VINSON - "E" Company 2nd Platoon

SGT - Marine Corps - Regular 26 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Nov 20 1938 From HAMMOND, INDIANA Length of service 6 years. Casualty was

on Jul 14 1965 in QUANG NAM, South Vietnam NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY

OTHER ACCIDENT Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT Panel 02E -

- Line 37

JAMES EARL PARMELEE - H&S Company Weapons Platoon

2LT - Marine Corps - Reserve 23 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Oct 20 1941 from HOPKINS, Michigan Length of services 3 years. Casualty

was on Jul 14 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM NON-HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY

OTHER ACCIDENT Body was recovered Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 37

ROBERT TAGLIONE - H&S Company Weapons Platoon

SGT - Marine Corps - Regular 23 year old Married, Caucasian, Male Born on

Dec 18 1941 From DETROIT, MICHIGAN Length of service 4 years. Casualty was

on Aug 18 1965 in QUANG TIN, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN,

SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was recovered Religion ROMAN CATHOLIC

Panel 02E - - Line 61

OLLIE RAY COTTON - "E" Company 1st Platoon

PFC - Marine Corps - Regular 19 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Jan 27 1946 From SAND LAKE, MICHIGAN Length of service 2 years. Casualty

was on Aug 18 1965 in QUANG TIN, SOUTH VIETNAM

HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE Body was recovered

Religion PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 55

ROBERT EUGENE RIEDEL - Unknown

PFC - Marine Corps - Regular 20 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Jan 21 1945 From HOISINGTON, KANSAS Casualty was on Aug 31 1965 in QUANG

NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE Body was

recovered Religion ROMAN CATHOLIC

Panel 02E - - Line 70

LARRY ROBERT TAYLOR - "E" Company 3rd Platoon

1LT - Marine Corps - Reserve 28 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on

Aug 18 1937 From PUEBLO, COLORADO Length of service 10 years. Casualty was

on Sep 09 1965 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM Hostile, died of wounds GROUND

CASUALTY MULTIPLE FRAGMENTATION WOUNDS Body was recovered Religion

PROTESTANT

Panel 02E - - Line 80

FINAL COMMENTS- REFLECTIONS

On July 23rd 1965, after over 3 years of being together, training

together, and dying together, the original 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines,

3rd Marine Division was broken up. This was done so that overseas

rotation dates would not empty out an entire battalion when time came for

rotation home.

Most of the battalion went south to Chu Lai and joined 3/3 just in time

for Operation Starlight. Several would give their lives there.

This is the best know history of the battalion as it was copied word for

word from the 2/3 cruise book. The writing is not mine, I just copied it

to provide the historical facts of the battalion.

My book is in good shape after all these years. I would be happy to

proved copies, (if I can figure it out-maybe scan the pages) to members of

2/3 who would like them. There are pictures and it includes the full names

and addresses for each member and the company they were in., but like my

address it may not be valid after all these year.

To go back, do this research including going to the Viet Nam Veterans

Memorial site to obtain the dates and other personnel information

about the original 11 Marines of 2/3 who where KIA"S , and relive

this time in my life was very emotional experience.

Knowing most of the KIA's brought tears to my eyes even after all these

years. However, I still today, and will for the rest of my life, know

and feel, what we did in Viet Nam, was the right thing. We were Marines,

we did what we trained so hard to do for over 3 years, we went into

combat, followed orders, suffered, bleed, did our job proudly, and

our brothers listed above gave their lives. If anything, I feel the

2/3 association is not so much for us living Marines. Yes, we can

remember the good times, BS about the bad time, but, our first memory

must be for our Fallen Brothers, who can never be forgotten, and who

died as, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, United States Marines.

Semper Fi

Bill

William E. Obershaw