Combat· Vietnam War
Operation DOUBLE EAGLE
Operation Double Eagle was the largest amphibious operation the Marines had mounted since the Korean War, a major landing on the coast of central Vietnam intended to trap and destroy Communist main-force units operating in the border region between the Marine area and the provinces to the south. A special landing force came ashore across the beaches while other battalions maneuvered inland, the operation combining amphibious assault with a sweeping search-and-destroy effort across a wide area of difficult coastal and hill terrain. Despite its scale and careful preparation, the operation made less contact than hoped, as the enemy main force largely declined battle and slipped away through the rugged country, leaving the Marines to fight scattered actions and clear fortified hamlets. Double Eagle demonstrated the Marines' capacity to project a large amphibious force at will along the Vietnamese coast, even as it showed how readily an elusive enemy could evade a set-piece sweep.
Record no. 669