I was in Operation Meade River. I notice that enemy casualties are rather precisely listed, but none of our casualties. I’d be interested in those numbers. I knew some of them.

By Bill Gee on Jun 30, 2008 at 9:05 pm

Our struggle has just become purposefully forgotten footnote in time. I was one of the casualties of Meade River on the ‘Berm’ near the river. Golf 2/7,9 Amphibious Landing Team. Thanks for the brief but informative history lesson. 40 years later I have now found out what happened out there. My memories still haunt me, less I ever forget those brave and wonderfull Marines and Sailors.
Doc Adams HM3 USN on July 21, 2008

By Rod 'Doc' Adams on Jul 21, 2008 at 11:30 pm

I was there. Bill Gee was a lot of help.
Semper Fidelis
Nasty Nick

By Paul D Nicodin on Aug 22, 2008 at 8:23 pm

I was also there. “C” Co. 1st. Bn. 7th Marines. 2nd Plt. 1st. Squad I was wounded for my second time during this operation. Went to Japan hospital for three months. God Bless my brothers in arms and SEMPER FI…

By Bob Gangloff on Sep 5, 2008 at 6:05 pm

i was in meade reaver with golf 2/7. i was wia in dodge city.who ever wrote the meade river operation report for this campane d forgot to mention golf2/7.

By luis Galvan on Sep 15, 2008 at 9:28 pm

There also with 3/26 transfered in from c 1/7 , 81 motars

By Rudi on Oct 4, 2008 at 9:06 pm

I was on this operation along with the rest of Bravo 1/5 We had many casualties

By Tom Mueller on Oct 18, 2008 at 10:30 am

I was Platoon Sgt for A 1/7. My platoon took very heavy
casualties during Meade River. The tighter the cordon the
tougher the resistance. On Dec. 7 we took our heaviest losses due
to a machine gun nest in a tree line on the other side of a rice
patty with a large number of NVA riflemen. When we finally
made it across and into the tree line there were four NVA bodies
but no machine gun.

By Ray E. Adams on Nov 5, 2008 at 10:46 am

Also there, SLF-A command group bringing in and out fresh
radio batteries by chopper. Last op before stateside.

By Mike Angwin on Nov 11, 2008 at 4:30 am

1/5 is never mentioned as being part of Meade river but I was
wounded on Thanksgiving morning.

By David Turner on Nov 17, 2008 at 4:58 pm

Echo 2/7, Golf 2/7 lost at least 5 men across the river on the 20th, We (Echo) walked into am ambush in pretty much the same place on the 22nd. Lost most of first platoon and weapons in 10 minutes, bad day. I was wounded on the 25th, now I’m a one-eyed Jack. Praise to all who werved and continue to serve, Semper Fi

By Dick Jackson (Jack) on Nov 23, 2008 at 11:02 am

I was in Echo 2/7 also and received my second purple heart from this operation Meade River. I was 18 at the time and cannot remember many names but do remember Nasty Nick’s if he is the same guy that took a 50 caliber through both legs! I would like to contact anyone that was in Echo company 2/7 or there in general. My email is waprichard@cox.net.

William Prichard

By William Prichard on Jan 2, 2009 at 12:23 pm

My late husband Lt. Phil Menagh was there – would be interested in talking to anyone that remembers his actions that day.

Welcome home to all you.

Thank you.

Nancy Menagh

503-635-8187

By Nancy Menagh on Jan 8, 2009 at 12:49 pm

I was on operation Meade River in 1968 as Battalion Chaplain, 2/5. The weather was terrible but the Marines as always were superb and fearless in their mission. Many days and nights were were spent by all under constant fire and battle, esp the night I was with Hotel and the NVA attempted a southern breakout through us. Hotel and battalion support decimated the enemy by
fighting throughout the night. I had multiple worship services at the platoon level and to this day I feel blessed by given the privilege of serving with the best military unit in America. Semper Fi !!

By Richard Lippert on Jan 20, 2009 at 2:06 pm

I was with Lima Co. 3/26 Lost some Brave men that day.I was hit four months later in March sent to Great Lakes for 15 months.
Linesetter@charter.net

By wayne petty on Jan 26, 2009 at 7:22 pm

I was a Rifleman in India Co.3rd Bn.26TH Marines,3rd Plt.Meade River was a frigging meat grinder.Went 2 Hell @ came out the other side.Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue.Semper~Fidelis

By GRUENWALD J.E. 1Rip1 on Feb 1, 2009 at 9:52 pm

i was with echo battery 2/11 on hill 55 fired lots of firemission from there semperfi

By mike alkire on Feb 10, 2009 at 10:40 pm

I was on this operation along with the rest of Bravo 1/5 We had many casualties
By Tom Mueller on Oct 18, 2008 at 10:30 am

Tom,
I think my Dad (Bobby “Hood” Richard) was in your squad Bravo Co, 1stSPBn, 1stMarDiv(Rein). Anyone who fought bravely with him @ Dodge City like to share > email me at: abbybates1212@yahoo.com

By Bobby "Hood" Richard on Feb 16, 2009 at 11:08 pm

I was with Hotel 2/7 . Was wounded on the 20 th of Novemeber .I will never forget the med evac chopper 1 st one crashed .Taken to NSA DA Nang, Japan then Bethesda MD.I can’t believe it’s been forty years

By Russ Artuso on Mar 11, 2009 at 5:32 am

I have to respond to the very first comment: I am the writer- I clearly mentioned the number of casualties in the article and in my book, ‘Heart of the Third sector’– apparently the reader must have just scanned the section I wrote on Meade river.
That is the second complaint I have ever recieved regarding the one and only correct book on Hill 55 and op. Meade river section (long version is in my book, short version edited was in Nam magazine years back.) My other complaint was from a wannabe; he stated that no Marines were issued and used the M-14 in 1971 before the withdrawal- absolute BS! I have proof. I included the good, bad, and ugly in my book.

I am the author of the Meade River Op. above.
I could not list all and every unit, and their actions; I am sorry for the eliminations- I honnor all my fellow Marines. GAH

By George A. Hill on Mar 28, 2009 at 8:57 pm

I double checked this article, AGAIN- Bill Gee (first comment) was probably a good Marine, but he scanned, not read the entire article. Part #5 has the US death and wounded numbers as clear as they can be written. Semper Fi- George Hill , author of Heart of The Third Sector/Hill 55 — 352.222.1976

By George A. Hill on Mar 28, 2009 at 9:04 pm

My brother, Scott Lynn Smith, served at Meade River as a sniper. Our family knows nothing about his service because he refused to talk about anything when he returned home. He took his own life in 1975. Does anyone remember him?

By Sue Anger on Apr 8, 2009 at 4:44 pm

I remember Mead River very well. We landed on road and swepted in and we heard that one of the other companies got hit so we pulled back to the road and stayed all night. Me and Muhr shared a 2 man hole all night. Next day we moved out got to the bend in the river and set up that night in what I think was a vill. The next morning we tried to corss the river. While waiting as 2nd plt I was sitting on a paddy dike and this new guy set next to me and I told him to get the hell away from and set about 10 yards away. When 1st plt was caught in the ambush this FNG was hit in the arm bad. Never seen him again. We immidatly went into the trinch line and started firing back. We must have put out a heavy volume of fire as the firing slacked off. We lost all but 6 men of the 1st plt and most of the Co Hq Plt. I was asked to go across the river with 3 other Marines and help pull back a dead a Marine, radio and an M60. We smoked the area and the first thing I ran into was the gun, I grabed it and ran like hell back to the river. The Marine and the radio was picked up by the other 3 Marines. I remember seeing a Maring shot through the throat. He could talk but very low. I have always thought about him. We were shot to hell that day. The rest of the operation was no picnic either. Most of use was medivaced for emerison foot. I saw one Mrine from 1/7 crying because his feet were so bad. I felt sorry for him. Mine wasn’t that bad but they hurt. You couldn’t take your boots off to dry your feet. I tried once but all hell broke out and that was the last time until I got on ship to sickbay by then I could hardly walk.
I remember seeing before I was medivaced seeing piles of bloody duce gear and weapons. That day stood out for me more than Aug 18th did.

By Bill Dyer on Apr 9, 2009 at 9:39 pm

I was with Bravo 1/5 which was attached to 3/5 at Operation Meade River. I was WIA on December 2, 1968.
Bravo Company took severe casualties that day. When I got back to my platoon after taking small arms fire ( waiting for Medivac)
I only saw 7 of my brothers from my platoon in the trench.
My Medivac consisted of 3 wounded marines and 6 of my brothers in body bags. I always wonder about December 2, 1968 because that day i took a bullet in the neck and survived but a lot of my buddies didn’t..

By P.F.C. HENRY MATAK on Apr 23, 2009 at 12:03 am

I participated in operation Meade River with Delta Co 1/1. We were given the name Dying Delta because of the casualties we sufered. I remember moving at night, pitch dark, couldn’t see the man in front, I fell in a B52 bomb crater and lost contact with my unit but later caught up with them the next morning. That was the most scariest time of the war for me. It seemed the NVA was all around us, and we had to fight our way out. I remember some of my squad members: John Henry Richardson, AKA Turtle, Duke, Tuffy (Samoan), Sysock, and the corpsman, Doc Adams. Can’t remember the others, most of them were WIA’s and KIA’s. Note: I tried to carry an M14 for sniper and for regular combat but it was too heavy and required too much ammo, so I went back to the M16. I do hope all the Marines I served with are doing well and that one day we will all be together again.

By Eugene Collett on Jun 4, 2009 at 1:24 am

i to was ther as Plt Sgt my XO was Sam Vanness from Tx.City some of my brother where Bony,Rudy Wepons Plt Sgt Goodwin Daniel Davis from California a kit from El Paso Tx and many more that did not make it back.
Hope someone out there remembers us we where there.
cell 956-693-0138

By James R Rendon on Jun 13, 2009 at 3:00 pm

I had been with BLT 2/7 for 2 weeks before Meade River was launched. Barely 18 and a half, I ended up at the heart of things because I had studied Vietnamese at the Defense Language Institute before being deployed to Vietnam. Consequently, although an 0311, I was made the 3.5 A gunner so I would be close to our Company commander (Fox Co., 2/7). To this day, almost 41 years later, I can still remember the incredible stillness and quiet before all hell broke loose. I also remember being posted on watch in a foxhole on top of the railway berm, watching white tracers arc toward my position, and thinking of the three crates of 3.5 rockets, each containing three rockets, located by the foxhole. I was so concerned they would be hit and explode. Finally, I remember the bodybags, and helping load them on helicopters to be flown back to the USS Tripoli (LPH-10), where they were placed in the meat locker for storage. I also remember Armed Forces Radio talking about “light casualties” in Vietnam that week.

My compliments to George Hill for writing this superb article. I just ordered his book. And my deepest and warmest regards to all who served there; especially those who did not return.

Private First Class during Meade River

By Gary L Rowell, Lt Col USAF (Ret) on Jun 16, 2009 at 5:12 am

I was also on Operation Meade River with BLT Golf Co. 2/7. I remember this paticular Operation (not that i don’t remember all the others) but i only had about a month before i was to go back to the States. My tour was about over. I got shot in the neck afew months earlier on Operaion Allen Brook, so i was a little nervous. i remember, how much the enemy wanted to get through our lines as we had them cordoned off. it was a visiouse few days. I remember when the F4 Phantom came right over my position to make a bombing run. It scared the hell out of me, because you didn’t even know it was comming until it was right over you with it’s glowing engine. All i can say, that i was with a great bunch of guys, and i still think of all the guys that never came back. They will never be forgotten. SEMPER FI

By Robert Strout on Jun 29, 2009 at 12:32 pm

I to was there as Plt Sgt with Bravo 1/5 my XO was Sam Vanness from Tx.City some of my brother where Bony,Rudy Wepons Plt Sgt Goodwin Daniel Davis from California a kit from El Paso Tx and many more that did not make it back.
Hope someone out there remembers us we where there.
Danang PhuLoc Phu Bia Cag>units north of Da Nang to Hue City
Hoi An Ben Qua Liberty Bridge and someother forsaken places the train tunnel
cell 956-693-0138

By james r rendon on Jul 8, 2009 at 4:47 pm

I was with BLT 226/1st Marines/Whiskey Battery

I worked resupply and transport out of Camp Booker and maintained Base Camp Security.

I was blew in to a roll of RAZOR WIRE AND CREASED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER 1968. WOULD NOT LET DOC GRASSI MAKE A REPORT AND I TURNED DOWN PURPER HEART. MAYBE I SHOULD NOT HAVE…..

SEMPER FI,

By Cpl Mike McLeod on Jul 9, 2009 at 7:46 am

Does anyone of you Marines remember being on the USS Daluth(sp) and going south in a Monsoon?

Cpl Mike McLeod
Motor T chief
Blt/226
Whiskey Battery

By Cpl Mike McLeod on Jul 23, 2009 at 1:15 pm

Thanks to all you who served in the Marines and especially those involved in the Meade River Operation.

I lost a very special first cousin, Cpl Connard Darrell Mallory. He was with I Co, 3rd Bn, 26th Marines and was killed on December 8th along with 15 other brave Marines as part of this operation.

I would like to talk with J.E. and any others who might have known Darrell during that time.

Thanks again and welcome home. I was Army in “Little America” Cam Rahn Bay 71-72 24th Trans.

By Jerry Gupton on Aug 5, 2009 at 9:27 pm

I was a grunt in Delta 1-1-1. Dodge city was our area. I remember the “Truss”, a favorate location for gook snipers. Many times Artillary had to be used to rid ourselves of these snipers. If it weren’t snipers, it was bobby traps. I lost 2 friends on the same day less than 3 min. apart. Both stepped on bobby trapped 105 artillary shells. Both lived….if you want to call it that. They lost there legs as well as other body parts . If I remember correctly the black guy was named Williams, the white guy was named Leech or lynch.

God I hated Dodge city. The night I got wounded was the most horrible day of my life. I just wanted to die. At least 3 times we were pinned down in rice patties by snipers. Everytime someone got hit,we had to carry their gear. my shoulers were bleeding from the weight. Water was everywhere from the weeks of rain. impossible to find anything dry.

We were told to dig in. I was one of the few who did. My hole filled with water while I dug. I had passed out in the mud outside my hole. The gooks had thought my position was the C P due to it,s slight elevation and a careless light cigerette and proceeded to walk mortors in on me and my squad. The last one fired was the one that got me in the shoulder as I lay on the prone position to scared to run. The ARVN solder who I had been paired up with was not so lucky. He tried to run as the last one hit. He died before our medivac chopper reached the Da Nang hospital. I will never, ever, forget Dodge City.

By James "woody" Watwood on Aug 28, 2009 at 9:16 pm

George,

Thanks a million for this professionally written article. I am sure when I read your book , I’ll be equally impressed with your work.

Though I would never wish “dodge city” on anyone, I must say, it has been a real treat to read this article and the comments from others who were there and can relate and understand. It makes me feel less alone to know others experienced similar things in this sorry little piece of real estate called, “dodge city”. I lost a piece of my innocence, a piece of my soul, in that ugly little god forsaken place, and after reading the posted comments, I can see I am not the only one. Semper Fi, ,bless you for being there, and welcome home.

For those who didn’t make it home goes my deepest respect and a sorrow that goes all the way to the bone. There is an old saying that goes like this, “If it doesn’t kill you, you learn from it, it makes you a better person”. I have found this to be a lie. I have seen courage, valor, nobility, and honor, from those I served with I have seen these saintly qualities among those I have known. I see these qualities against a backdrop of a country called Vietnam , a country undeserving of the sacrifice of those with saintly qualities. In my tour of Vietnam I could not find a single instance (and I tried) anywhere of anything in that country worth a single American life. I cannot reconcile in my mind the quality of life given to a more worthless, and undeserving, cause as was Vietnam. What a foolish waste of resources.

So, here I am, Vietnam didn’t kill me. So, I got to ask you, what have I learned that is supposed to make me a better person?

NOTHING, that’s what!

By James "woody" Watwood on Aug 29, 2009 at 4:21 am

To James “Woody” Watwood,
I to struggled with Vietnam and was it worth it. I do believe if were allowed to go north and settle it, 2 million south vietnamese would not have been murdered by the north. I know our b-52’s had the north closed down several times and we could walked in and took over. It would have been hard but we could have ended it.Vietnam was a stepping stone to bring down the communist countries and free people. To little to late but we did not fight for nothing brother, don’t ever forget we fought hard and the cowards back home made it impossible to win. Be safe Woody and forever hold your head up.

Cpl Mike McLeod
USMC
Blt 2-26, 1st marines, 12th Div.
Whiskey Battery
I-corps

By Cpl Mike McLeod on Aug 30, 2009 at 11:38 am

I was platoon radio man with 3/5 Lima company. I remember Operation Meade River because on 1 December I was hit by a sniper. My god friend Clarence Love was killed on that Operation. I remember it weel because I picked him up and he hd been hit by RPG in the head. I went after another wounded Marine when I got hit. I had to crawl about 250 meters under fire to get to him but he was not there and that was when I was hit. Lt. Carl Schultz my platoon commander was hit with RPG that day as well adn we both medvac to Da. Nang. I lost contact with him. He was fine soldier and a great leader. We lost a good Marines on this OPeration but we inflicted a sever blow to the enemy. As I set in my office today, I think we all did superb job in Vietnam. To all my fellow brothers in arms I say job well done. As for me I will never forget the sacrificies made by all at Meade River.

Semper Fi,

Lawrence L. Hogue

By Lawrence Hogue on Sep 17, 2009 at 3:04 pm

I have read all the comments by the gentlemen that served in this particular mission called Meade River, and although my father did not talk about the specifics of what he did, it was enough to torture him mentally after he came home until his death a few years ago. I admired him for enlisting instead of being drafted. I discovered that he was in Operation Meade River, and I was trying to get a feel for what he went through by reading this article, I know I will never be able to truly know, because I wasn’t there. When I told him I was going to join the Army he conveyed to me his worry about my going to war in Desert Storm, and although I finished my term of enlistment without being deployed, all the time I spent in Fort Carson was training for that very purpose, and I would like to say “Thank you to all the Veterans that made it back, and of course I remember the fallen vets that didn’t make it back.” My father and I share the same name he was senior, and I was Junior. If anyone remembers serving with him, I would appreciate any corrospondence via my email. – randmeister@hotmail.com thanks, RMJ.

By Randolph Macias Jr. on Sep 18, 2009 at 6:56 pm

I am one of the marines,that ran Bull-dozer for this oper.there was 3 marnies and 3 army guys,we just went out an dropped every thing that grow,we wast a assinged to ARvnig unit,one nite got the s*** kicked out of us. THANK God i am still hear to tell about ,I had to dig hole and burie those deep vet-cong

By Bruce H King on Nov 10, 2009 at 10:26 am