Combat· Vietnam War
DEWEY CANYON Phase II
The second phase of Operation Dewey Canyon was the main southward attack, the heart of the operation, in which the Marine regiment drove deep into the enemy's mountain base areas toward the Laotian border.
Advancing through fog, rain, and dense jungle on steep slopes, the Marines pushed from one fire support base to the next, fighting determined North Vietnamese defenders and methodically uncovering and destroying the enemy's hidden stockpiles of weapons, ammunition, and equipment. This was the phase of heaviest contact and greatest reach, the regiment penetrating ground the enemy had long held secure and cutting into the supply routes that fed the war in the coastal provinces. The combination of bold maneuver, helicopter-borne logistics, and concentrated supporting fire allowed the Marines to operate far beyond their normal limits. It was during this central phase that Dewey Canyon achieved the results that made it one of the standout operations of the war.
Record no. 695