Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase VII Campaign (1970-71)/Operation Scott Orchard
From Month/Year
April / 1971
To Month/Year
April / 1971
Description Accordingly, III MAF on 7 April issued orders for the attack, codenamed Operation Scott Orchard. Under the plan, a provisional composite battery of 105mm and 155mm howitzers from the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines was to reopen FSB Dagger, used the previous autumn for Operation Catawba Falls. Then the 1st Marines, employing a reinforced infantry battalion, was to make a helicopter assault on the hills west of Dagger, where the POW camp was supposed to be located.
The infantry were to search the area and, if they found an enemy prison compound, try to free the inmates. Ill MAF alerted Company A, 1st Medical Battalion to receive and care for diseased, dehydrated, and debilitated former prisoners and ordered that the attacking infantry be equipped with bolt cutters. Advance information about the operation was to be closely restricted and aerial reconnaissance of Dagger
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
April / 1971
To Month/Year
April / 1971
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Operation Scott Orchard began when two teams from the 1st Recon Battalion air-assaulted into the abandoned FSB Dagger in the Que Sons at 1045 on 7 April. After a brief firefight with a small enemy force, the fire support base was declared secured. At 1100 helicopters started bringing in the howitzers of the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines. The next day five, rifle companies, three from 2/1 and one each from the 1st and 3d Battalions, 1st Marines, all opconned to 2/1, were inserted into separate LZs around FSB Dagger. From 8 to 11 April, the companies thoroughly scoured the rugged country west of FSB Dagger. Though they uncovered several small abandoned enemy camps, they found no evidence of a POW camp. On 11 April, the infantry companies were withdrawn from the AG and returned to their primary TAGI. At midnight that same day, Operation Scott Orchard, the last search and destroy operation for the Marines, ended. The rifle companies had suffered no casualties. The operation claimed just four enemy dead, three of whom were felled by supporting artillery fire.
While Operation Scott Orchard was in full swing, elements of the U.S. Army's Americal Division began moving into the Que Son Mountains, replacing the departing Marine units. On 13 April, the 1st Marine Division formally turned over the area south of the Thu Bon River to the Americal Division. That same day, 1/1 ceased com bat operations and began preparations for their redeployment un der Operation Keystone Oriole Alpha. The men of 2/1 altered their positions to fill in the resulting gap.
