Combat· Vietnam War
Op UTAH MESA
Operation Utah Mesa was a Marine operation in the rugged country of the northern provinces, conducted alongside the larger A Shau Valley operations as part of the continuing effort to find and fight the North Vietnamese in the western mountains near the borders.
Marine forces, operating with supporting elements, swept the difficult terrain to disrupt enemy movement and base areas in the region during this period of intense activity in the highlands. The operation was one of the smaller, connected efforts that accompanied the major drives into the contested valleys, part of the broader campaign to deny the enemy his sanctuaries and infiltration routes in the mountainous frontier. Utah Mesa reflected the persistent Marine presence in the rugged western reaches of the northern provinces, where the fighting against an elusive enemy in remote country continued even as the larger operations drew the most attention. It contributed to the wider 1969 campaign in the highlands near the border.
Record no. 723