Operation Oklahoma Hills

Operation Oklahoma Hills
	Part of Vietnam War
	; Marines search for enemy supply caches during Operation Oklahoma Hills
Date	30 March – 29 May 1969
Location	Quảng Nam Province, South Vietnam
Result	U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States	North Vietnam
Strength
7th Marine Regiment; 3rd Battalion 27th Marines	Unknown
Casualties and losses
43 killed, 439 wounded	589 killed

Operation Oklahoma Hills was a clear and search operation during the Vietnam War mounted by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions, 7th Marines, the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines and the 51st Regiment of the ARVN from 1 March to 29 May 1969. Its objective was to clear out NVA units from their base camps and infiltration routes in the hills and valleys of Quảng Nam Province, southwest of Da Nang, particularly Happy Valley and Charlie Ridge.^[1]

In the course of the operation, the Marines encountered and cleared the base camps of the 31st and 141st NVA regiments. Though these NVA units largely avoided major confrontation with the Marines and ARVN during the operation, the Marines inflicted 589 casualties on them.

Forty-four Marines were killed during the operation and 439 suffered injuries requiring medical evacuation. 456 non-combat injuries were also reported.^[2]

Gallery

Marine in action
Marines, led by a Vietnamese Kit Carson Scout
Marines eating Easter dinner at a fire support base during the operation
Villagers of Bon Ton Village conduct ceremony for Marines

References

^ Charles Richard Smith, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown, 1969 (Washington, D.C.: History and Museums Division, Headquarters U. S. Marines, 1988), pp. 103-116.
^ Smith, US Marines in Vietnam, p. 116.

[1] Charles Richard Smith, U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown, 1969 (Washington, D.C.: History and Museums Division, Headquarters U. S. Marines, 1988), pp. 103-116.

[2] Smith, US Marines in Vietnam, p. 116.

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