Ca Lu
Encyclopedia
Ca Lu was a United States Marine Corps
base located at 16°41′31.51"N 106°53′8.49"E on Highway or Route 9
, near Krông Klang, Đa Krông District, western Quảng Trị Province
, South Vietnam
.
From 16 July to 31 October 1967 the search and destroy-mission
Operation Kingfisher
was conducted in the area, resulting in 340 U.S. Marines killed and 3,086 wounded. The body count
for North vietnamese casualties was 1,117 killed and 5 POWs. This was followed by "Operation Lancaster I" between 1 November 1967 and 20 January 1968, where the 9th Marine Regiment suffered 27 killed and 106 wounded and the North Vietnamese 46 killed.
In January 1968, Ca Lu was the western terminus of Highway 9 for the U.S. Marines since the road was cut between there and the Khe Sanh Combat Base. The 3d Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment under LtCol Gorton C. Cook manned both The Rockpile
and Ca Lu Combat Base in 1968.
"Operation Lancaster II" followed directly after "Lancaster I" and lasted until 23 November 1968, resulting in 1,801 known North Vietnamese casualties and 359 killed U.S. Marines and 1,713 wounded.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
base located at 16°41′31.51"N 106°53′8.49"E on Highway or Route 9
National Road 9 (Vietnam)
National Route 9 runs across Vietnam roughly in line with the 17th Parallel. The route includes two segments. The segment called National Route 9A begins at Dong Ha and ends at Lao Bảo on the Vietnam-Laos border and is entirely within Quang Tri Province...
, near Krông Klang, Đa Krông District, western Quảng Trị Province
Quang Tri Province
Quảng Trị is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former imperial capital of Huế.-Geography:Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Savannakhet Province of Laos on the...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
From 16 July to 31 October 1967 the search and destroy-mission
Search and destroy
Search and Destroy, Seek and Destroy, or even simply S&D, refers to a military strategy that became a notorious component of the Vietnam War. The idea was to insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, and withdraw immediately afterward...
Operation Kingfisher
Operation Kingfisher
Operation Kingfisher was a United States military operation that took place during the Vietnam War.July 16 - Oct 31, 1967Western area of Leatherneck SquareUnits:U.S. Marines: 2/9, 3/9, 3/3, 3/4 and 2/4NVA: 324B DivisionCasualties:...
was conducted in the area, resulting in 340 U.S. Marines killed and 3,086 wounded. The body count
Body count
A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate.-Military use:...
for North vietnamese casualties was 1,117 killed and 5 POWs. This was followed by "Operation Lancaster I" between 1 November 1967 and 20 January 1968, where the 9th Marine Regiment suffered 27 killed and 106 wounded and the North Vietnamese 46 killed.
In January 1968, Ca Lu was the western terminus of Highway 9 for the U.S. Marines since the road was cut between there and the Khe Sanh Combat Base. The 3d Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment under LtCol Gorton C. Cook manned both The Rockpile
The Rockpile
The Rockpile , known in Vietnamese as Thon Khe Tri, is a karst rock outcropping near the former DMZ of South Vietnam. It rises to an elevation of 240 m MSL, about 210 m above the surrounding terrain...
and Ca Lu Combat Base in 1968.
"Operation Lancaster II" followed directly after "Lancaster I" and lasted until 23 November 1968, resulting in 1,801 known North Vietnamese casualties and 359 killed U.S. Marines and 1,713 wounded.