Operation AUBURN
28 December 1967-3 January 1968

This is NOT an official USMC combat operations page, but my personal attempt to recover as much information as I can about the operations my husband Brad and his fellow 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines participated on in Vietnam.~DR

3rd Battalion, 5th Marines After Action Report
Operation AUBURN
(submitted by John Gundersen, I/3/5)

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January 1968
(submitted by John Gundersen, I/3/5)

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Earl Gerheim, USMC Correspondent

I was with 3/5 off and on from Nov. '67 to Aug. '68. I was on Operations JUNCTION, DENVER, AUBURN, HOUSTON I, II, III, and IV, ALLEN BROOK and MAMELUKE THRUST. Because of my job as correspondent, I had to rotate around because there were so few of us. I basically moved around looking for trouble. I also spent quite a bit of time with Echo 2/3, 1/5 in Operation Hue City and 2/5.

Both India and Mike 3/5 were on Operation AUBURN, a bloodbath that started Dec. 28, 1967 on Go Noi Island. I went in with Echo 2/3, known as Rent-A-Battalion because it was a Third Div outfit under the operational control of the 1stMar Div. The plan was for Echo to go in first, followed by India and Mike. Echo tripped a massive ambush by a VC Main Force until augmented by NVA. In the initial contact Echo suffered Nine KIA and 5 WIA. By day's end, the company had 17 KIA and something like 35 WIA. 

Because of the heavy fire, India and Mike was landed far to the west of where we were. We formed a defensive position. Later up came a platoon from India commanded by Lt. Corr. Corr was a really nice guy who used to kid around with me about my putting rolls of film in ammo pounches. Moments later, he was shot in the chest and killed.

I remember the air strikes coming in so close that a Marine was hit in the face with a large bomb fragment. He screamed for a corpsman, who grabbed the metal with his bandage scissors and pulled it out of his face. I was hit by AK-47 fire about four hours after the op began while another Marine and I were trying to carry a casualty to cover.

One man who seemed to stand out was the 3/5 chaplain, Father John Lepore. Father was with us on several forays forward to bring back casualties. I recall him giving last rites to a dead Marine and I felt how tragic it was that this man's family didn't know he was dead, and I did. They were going about their daily routines in the States, not knowing their son, brother, husband and friend was lying dead in the muck of a hellhole called Go Noi. 

Father was hit in the elbow and was medevaced with me and several others on a CH-46. When we got unloaded at the NSA Hospital in Da Nang, Father held his injured arm behind him, and said he was going back out to the battle. He did. I have never forgotten his courage and devotion to us. A bunch of us were sent to the USS Sanctuary. When the ship arrived two weeks later in Hong Kong for five days, Father took an R and R, and met us there for a visit. What a man!

While near the LZ with the rest of the casualties, I noticed Capt. Mitchell, the Mike CO, meeting with Lt. Col. Rockey. My thought was that Mike Co. was here, too. I spent 23 days on the USS Sanctuary before getting back to RVN. Mitchell commanded Mike at least through August, if I recall correctly. Semper fi, Earl.

Killed in Action on Operation AUBURN

2/LT. JOHN GEYER CORR
I/3/5 
Born on July 25, 1944
From WILTON, CONNECTICUT
Casualty was on Dec. 28, 1967
in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
Panel 32E - - Line 85
Memorial page

PFC. CHARLES D. TOWNSEND
I/3/5
Born on Jan 30, 1949
From FT WORTH, TEXAS
His tour of duty began on Nov 21, 1967
Casualty was on Dec 28, 1967
in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
Panel 32E - - Line 90

Pfc. Charles Townsend (3rd from left)
(picture courtesy of Ric Lee, I/3/5)

PFC. RAYMOND A. NIEDECKEN
M/3/5
Born on Aug 12, 1947
From MIDLAND, TEXAS
Casualty was on Dec 28, 1967
in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM
Panel 32E - - Line 88

 

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