1966 COMMAND CHRONOLOGY

 “This period covers the time that 3/26 departed the United States and conducted training in the Philippines
prior to arriving in Vietnam. The initial deployment in country is covered in the December entry.”

Command Chronologies for June through September 1966 are not available

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Oct-66 – dated 10/1/1966 Document No. 1201061021

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Nov-66 – dated 11/1/1966 Document No. 1201061022

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Dec-66 – dated 12/1/1966 Document No. 1201061023

1967 COMMAND CHRONOLOGY

This period covers the operations conducted by the original battalion.  To offset the impact of an almost total rotation of the battalion in October, there was considerable transfer activity to and from the battalion from other units in the 3rd Marine Division.  In the late spring, the battalion operated in the Khe Sanh area.  In early September operations were conducted near the Demilitarized Zone and the battalion suffered the greatest monthly loss of the entire time in Vietnam (55 KIA and 434 WIA).  Due to the heavy losses and the impending rotation of the original members, 3/26 was effectively reconstituted in September and October and provided security and local operations in the Quang Tri area. In December, 3/26 returned to Khe Sanh.

Command Chronologies for February through March 1970 are not available

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jan-67 – dated 1/1/1967 Document No. 1201061024

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Feb-67 – dated 2/1/1967 Document No. 1201061025

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Mar-67 – dated 3/1/1967 Document No. 1201061026

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Apr-67 – dated 4/1/1967 Document No. 1201061027

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-May-67 – dated 5/1/1967 Document No. 1201061028

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jun-67 – dated 6/1/1967 Document No. 1201061029

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jul-67 – dated 7/1/1967 Document No. 1201061030

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Aug-67 – dated 8/1/1967 Document No. 1201061031

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Sep-67 – dated 9/1/1967 Document No. 1201061032

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Oct-67 – dated 10/1/1967 Document No. 1201061033

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Nov-67 – dated 11/1/1967 Document No. 1201061034

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Dec-67 – dated 12/1/1967 Document No. 1201061035

1968 COMMAND CHRONOLOGY

3/26 operated out of Khe Sanh and was responsible for the security of Hill 861 (Kilo Company) and Hill 881S (India Company and two platoons of Mike Company).  During the Siege of Khe Sanh, the battalion continued to hold those two hills plus manned a section of the lines at Khe Sanh Combat Base.  As the Siege ended, 3/26 went on the offensive and successfully attacked Hill 881N on Easter Sunday.  3/26 deployed to the Quang Tri area and operated there from mid-April to mid-May when Operational Control was shifted from the 3rd Marine Division to the 1st Marine Division. 3/26 participated in several major operations against forces that were threats to the Da Nang military complex culminating in Meade River in December. The battalion was designated as Battalion Landing Team 3/26 at the end of December.  Also during December, Marines with less than six months left in country were transferred out of the unit and replaced with new men.

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jan-68 – dated 1/1/1968 Document No. 1201061036

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Feb-68 – dated 2/1/1968 Document No. 1201061037

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Mar-68 – dated 3/1/1968 Document No. 1201061038

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Apr-68 – dated 4/1/1968 Document No. 1201061039

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-May-68 – dated 5/1/1968 Document No. 1201061040

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jun-68 – dated 6/1/1968 Document No. 1201061041

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jul-68 – dated 7/1/1968 Document No. 1201061042

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Aug-68 – dated 8/1/1968 Document No. 1201061043

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Sep-68 – dated 9/1/1968 Document No. 1201061044

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Oct-68 – dated 10/1/1968 Document No. 1201061045

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Nov-68 – dated 11/1/1968 Document No. 1201061046

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Dec-68 – dated 12/1/1968 Document No. 1201061047

1969 COMMAND CHRONOLOGY

Embarked on the LPH-10 USS Tripoli, 3/26 continued to operate against North Vietnamese Army Forces along with HMM-164 as the Special Landing Force BRAVO.  Operations included Bold Mariner (the largest amphibious operation since World War II), Taylor Common, and Oklahoma Hills.  The Battalion returned to the operational control of the 26th Marine Regiment in early June and assumed duties along Route 1 around the Hai Van Pass.  The Battalion never participated in a major operation after assuming these duties.

Command Chronology for July 1969 is not available

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jan-69 – dated 1/1/1969 Document No. 1201061048

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Feb-69 – dated 2/1/1969 Document No. 1201061049

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Mar-69 – dated 3/1/1969 Document No. 1201061050

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Apr-69 – dated 4/1/1969 Document No. 1201061051

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-May-69 – dated 5/1/1969 Document No. 1201061052

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jun-69 – dated 6/1/1969 Document No. 1201061053

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Aug-69 – dated 8/1/1969 Document No. 1201061054

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Sep-69 – dated 9/1/1969 Document No. 1201061055

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Oct-69 – dated 10/1/1969 Document No. 1201061056

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Nov-69 – dated 11/1/1969 Document No. 1201061057

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Dec-69 – dated 12/1/1969 Document No. 1201061058

1970 COMMAND CHRONOLOGY

The Battalion did not participate in any major operations as it was preparing to return to the United States.  The Battalion returned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in mid-March and was greeted by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Command Chronologies for February and March 1970 are not available

3D BN, 26TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY,1-Jan-70 – dated 1/1/1970 Document No. 1201061059