Combat· Vietnam War
MAMELUKE THRUST - 1st MarDiv Central Quang Nam
Operation Mameluke Thrust was a major Marine search-and-destroy operation in the central part of Quang Nam Province, in the rugged hills and valleys west and southwest of Da Nang, aimed at finding and destroying North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces operating in the approaches to the vital base area. Marine battalions ranged through the difficult terrain in a prolonged campaign of patrols, sweeps, and sharp engagements, seeking out an enemy who used the broken country and its base areas to threaten Da Nang. The operation produced extended fighting across a wide area as the Marines pursued and battled enemy units among the ridges and river valleys, relying heavily on supporting arms and mobility. Mameluke Thrust was one of the larger 1st Marine Division operations of the period, part of the continual effort to keep the enemy off balance and away from the populous coastal region around the great base at Da Nang.
Record no. 691