This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Cpl David R. Evans (D.R.)
to remember
Marine 1stLt Michael Hugh Breeding (Mike).
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On 12 February 1970 an F-4B (BuNo 151454) of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122, based at Chu Lai, failed to return from a mission near Quang Tri. The MAG-13 Command Chronology for February 1970 contains the following entry: "On the 12th of February, VMFA-122 was flying a section TPQ with Quang Tri ASRAT. When the second aircraft attempted to get into position, it descended into an overcast and contact was lost. The pilot and his radar intercept officer have been declared MIA." Oddly, the pilot's casualty record is coded as an operational accident, while the radar intercept officer's record is coded as a combat loss. In any case, the bodies of the two crewmen were not recovered: * 1st Lt Michael H. Breeding, pilot * 1st Lt Robert S. Bradshaw, radar intercept officer.
This Veteran has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii, with another memorial in Marysville Cemetery Marysville, Marshall County, Kansas
Description This campaign was from 1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970. An increase in enemy-initiated attacks, at the highest level since 4-5 September signaled the start of the first phase of the Communist winter campaign. This was highlighted by intensified harassment incidents, and attacks throughout the Republic of Vietnam. In November-December these were heaviest in Corps Tactical Zones III and IV (around Saigon), primarily directed against Vietnamese military installations in order to disrupt the pacification program. The most significant enemy activity occurred in November with heavy attacks upon By Prang and Duc Lap in CTZ II (Central Vietnam).
By February 1970 the focus of enemy activity began to shift to CTZ I and II. Attacks increased steadily, reaching a peak in April 1970. Hostile forces staged their heaviest attacks in the Central Highlands near Civilian Irregular Defense Group camps at Dak Seang, Dak Pek, and Ben Het in I CTZ. The enemy also conducted numerous attacks by fire and several sapper attacks against U.S. fire support bases. This high level of enemy activity began in I CTZ in April and continued through May.
During the period 1 November 1969 through 30 April 1970 U.S. and allied forces concentrated on aggressive operations to find and destroy enemy main and local forces, the penetration of base camps and installations and the seizure of enemy supplies and materiel. These operations sought to deny the enemy the initiative and to inflict heavy losses in men and materiel. Further progress was made in Vietnamization through improving the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces. As a result of these advances three brigades of the 1st U.S. Infantry Division and several major U.S.M.C. units were withdrawn from Vietnam during this period.
The enemy made several efforts to take the offensive at Dak Seang, which was attacked on 1 April 1970 and remained under siege throughout the month, and at Quang Duc in the By Prong-Duc Lap area which ended on 28 December. Only Vietnamese forces were engaged in both of these operations, the Quang Duc campaign involving some 12,000 ARVN troops. South Vietnamese forces again took the offensive on 14 April in a bold 3-day operation in the Angel's Wing area along the Cambodian border. The Vietnamese Army completed this mission in an aggressive professional manner without U.S. support-further evidence of their growing proficiency.
