Hill 119

Defending a Reconnaissance Marines' OP, Vietnam, 1969–70

Michael O. Fallon

• Publisher: Casemate
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781636245935
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

"You cannot read Fallon's book without gaining tremendous respect for those Marines who fought with courage and skill and served honorably where their country asked them to. I strongly recommend Hill 119 for those who wish to gain additional insight into the Vietnam war and how it was fought." — W.E. Boomer, General, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) The Marines and Corpsmen of Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division were surrounded by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) for six hundred days in 1969 and 1970 during the Vietnam War. Hill 119 is a rise on a finger of land. Located twenty-eight kilometers south of Da Nang that overlooks the Thu Bon River Basin and Go Noi Island. The hill provided Marines with an excellent 360-degree view of the region that was known as "Indian Country, " and so it was occupied as an Observation Post. Its original mission was to support Operation Taylor Common, Task Force Yankee's push west into Gen Binh's Base Area 112. The Observation Post produced immediate results with supporting arms inflicting casualties on the NVA. Based on its immediate and enduring success as a tactical obstacle for the NVA, the OP became a key piece in the defense of the Da Nang Vital Area. The Marines called supporting arms every day and every night. They rained fire down on the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), and killed over a thousand enemy fighters. They posed such a threat that Gen Binh assigned his elite T89 Sapper Battalion to eliminate the Recon Marines on Hill 119. Throughout this period, as part of a six-man team, each Recon Marine would run multiple adrenaline-filled patrols deep into enemy territory in small teams for six weeks and then serve for two weeks on the OP. Despite its danger, the Marines considered OP duty as a relaxing break. This first full account of Hill 119, written by historian Michael Fallon, who served as reconnaissance patrol leader on Hill 119, is based upon firsthand accounts from the Recon Marines, carefully cross-referenced with patrol reports and command chronologies. It covers the Marines' experiences in the bush, on the hill, and in the rear. The role of new battalion commanders, with their changing tactics is discussed: the six officers impacted the battalion with their personalities as well as their planning and execution of the changing missions with the always changing enemy situation, from classic Keyhole snoop and poop patrols to aggressive Stingray patrols, designed to inflict casualties.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• List of Maps
• List of Sketches
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Tactical Maps
• Chapter 1 - Year of Decision—1969
• Chapter 2 - Genesis of Hill 119, “Doi Chiem Son”
• Chapter 3 - New Month, New Leadership at Recon, February 1969
• Chapter 4 - NVA Flags, March 1969
• Chapter 5 - Grim Reaper, Pennywise, and Spooky, March–April 1969
• Chapter 6 - Booby-trapped Bodies and Civilian Medevacs, April 1969
• Chapter 7 - Team Barkeep and Night Fighting, May–June 1969
• Chapter 8 - Operation Pipestone Canyon and Team Grade Level, June 1969
• Chapter 9 - “We’ve Landed on the Moon!” July 1969
• Chapter 10 - Phu Loc Airshow, August 1969
• Chapter 11 - Business is Slow on 119, September 1969
• Chapter 12 - Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, and Integrated Observation Device, October 1969
• Chapter 13 - 194th Marine Corps Birthday, November 1969
• Chapter 14 - Christmas Gifts, December 1969
• Chapter 15 - Battalion Commander Down, January 1970
• Chapter 16 - Lieutenant Colonel “Wild Bill” Drumright, 1–20 February 1970
• Chapter 17 - Team Pal Joey, 20–26 February 1970
• Chapter 18 - Hill 119, West Orange, and Team Forefather, 23 February–5 March 1970
• Chapter 19 - Sapper Probe, March 1970
• Chapter 20 - The Raid, 10–14 March 1970
• Chapter 21 - Pathfinder, 13–27 March 1970
• Chapter 22 - The Shots, 28 March 1970
• Chapter 23 - Prisoner Snatch, Emergency Extracts, Bright Light Mission, April 1970
• Chapter 24 - Naval Investigative Service
• Chapter 25 - Caucasian Enemy, May 1970
• Chapter 26 - War: “At the Rear,” “In the Bush,” “On the Hill,” June 1970
• Chapter 27 - Article 32 Hearing, Da Nang, June 1970
• Chapter 28 - Teams Bad Actor, Segment, and Allen Town, July 1970
• Chapter 29 - NVA Attack, Hill 119, 9 August 1970
• Chapter 30 - General Court-Martial, 31 August–3 September 1970
• Chapter 31 - Lieutenant Colonel Leftwich Arrives, September 1970
• Chapter 32 - The Marine Withdrawal and Beyond
• Appendix 1 - Statistical Review, Hill 119
• Appendix 2 - Hill Commanders by Tour1
• Appendix 3 - 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Structure, Team Composition, Weapons, and Equipment1
• Glossary
• Endnotes
• Bibliography
• Index