Combat· Vietnam War
Operation BUFFALO
Operation Buffalo was a fierce battle along the Demilitarized Zone near Con Thien, fought when Marine units operating north of the strongpoint were ambushed by a strong North Vietnamese force in one of the costliest single actions of the DMZ fighting.
A Marine column moving along a trail, an area that became known by a grim name, was caught in a devastating ambush of interlocking fire, artillery, and flame, and a battalion suffered severe losses in the opening blow before the Marines could fight their way clear and bring their supporting arms to bear. The Marines committed reinforcements and counterattacked, battling the entrenched enemy across the scorched ground near the border in heavy fighting that raged for days. Buffalo inflicted heavy casualties on the North Vietnamese in turn, but it stood as a stark reminder of the lethality of the DMZ battlefield, where a single ambush could shatter a unit in minutes.
Record no. 678