Operation Starlite

Operation Starlite
Part of the Vietnam War
Vietcong prisoners (or civilians) await transport during Operation Starlite
Date August 18–24, 1965 Location Van Tuong, South Vietnam 15°17′56″N 108°50′24″E / 15.299°N 108.84°E / 15.299; 108.84 Result Both sides claim victory[1] Territorial changes 15 miles south of Chu Lai on the border of Quảng Tín and Quảng Ngãi Provinces
Belligerents
United States	Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
LG Lewis W. Walt Col. Oscar F. Peatross	Lê Hữu Trữ (commanding officer) Nguyễn Đình Trọng (commissar)
Units involved
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines 1st Battalion, 7th Marines 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines	1st Regiment 52nd Company One company of the 45th Weapons Battalion
Strength
5,500	~1,500
Casualties and losses
45 killed Viet Cong claim: 919 killed and wounded	U.S body count: 614 killed 9 captured 42 suspects detained 109 weapons recovered Viet Cong report: ~200 killed, wounded or captured[2] (including 50 killed[3])

Operation Starlite (also known in Vietnam as Battle of Van Tuong) was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War from 18 to 24 August 1965. The operation was launched based on intelligence provided by Major general Nguyen Chanh Thi, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) I Corps commander. III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) commander Lieutenant General Lewis W. Walt devised a plan to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Viet Cong (VC) 1st Regiment to nullify their threat to the vital Chu Lai Air Base and Base Area and ensure its powerful communication tower remained intact.

The operation was conducted as a combined arms assault involving ground, air and naval units. U.S. Marines were deployed by helicopter insertion while an amphibious landing was used to deploy other Marines. The VC used a variety of tactics to counter the Marine assault, fighting from prepared positions and then withdrawing as the Marines gained local superiority and ambushing a lost supply column. The VC were unable to withstand the weight of the Marine assault and U.S. firepower.