Combat· Vietnam War
Chu Lai
Chu Lai was the second major Marine enclave established in South Vietnam, set up on the coast south of Da Nang to provide an additional airfield and base from which the Marines could extend their operations.
Marines came ashore to secure the site and rapidly developed it, including the construction of a short expeditionary airstrip that allowed fixed-wing aircraft to operate close to the fighting. The base gave III Marine Amphibious Force a second anchor on the central coast and a springboard for the operations that soon followed in the surrounding countryside, including the regimental battles against the Viet Cong in the area. Establishing and defending Chu Lai was part of the broader Marine buildup, the steady expansion from the initial airfield-security mission at Da Nang into a network of coastal enclaves. From these bases the Marines projected force into the contested districts of the northern provinces.
Record no. 666