Abbott, Daniel W., GySgt

 
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Life Member
 
 Service Photo 
 Service Details
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Service Status
USMC Retired
Final Rank
Gunnery Sergeant
Last MOS
8412-Career Recruiter
Previously Held MOS's
0311-Rifleman
3516-Automotive Mechanic
5711-Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Defense Specialist
Primary Unit
1983-1984, 5711, Recruiting Station St Louis, MO
Service Years
1966 - 1987
Official/Unofficial USMC Certificates
Cold War Certificate
Plank Owner Certificate
Shellback Certificate
Gunnery Sergeant
Five Hash Marks

 Official Badges 

Vietnam Combined Action Platoon (CAP) US Marines Corps Honorable Discharge


 Unofficial Badges 

Marine Recruiter Cold War Medal Combined Action Company Shellback


 Military Associations and Other Affiliations
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)Marine Corps Association and Foundation (MCA&F)Mt. Olympus; Detachment 897
Military Order of the Purple HeartDisabled American Veterans (DAV)American LegionMilitary Order of the Devil Dogs
Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA)Fleet Reserve Association (FRA)
  1987, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
  1995, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
  1998, Marine Corps Association and Foundation (MCA&F)
  2003, Marine Corps League, Mt. Olympus; Detachment 897 (Past Commandant) (Port Angeles, Washington)
  2004, Military Order of the Purple Heart
  2005, Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
  2005, American Legion
  2006, Military Order of the Devil Dogs
  2008, Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA)
  2010, Fleet Reserve Association (FRA)


 Additional Information
What are you doing now:

Retired living the good life. Commandant, Department of Washington MCL

   
Other Comments:

Life member: MCL,VFW,DAV,AL,MOPH,MCA and TWS Member: MCRA

   


Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase II Campaign (1966-67)
From Month/Year
July / 1966
To Month/Year
May / 1967

Description
This campaign was from 1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967. United States operations after 1 July 1966 were a continuation of the earlier counteroffensive campaign. Recognizing the interdependence of political, economic, sociological, and military factors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that American military objectives should be to cause North Vietnam to cease its control and support of the insurgency in South Vietnam and Laos, to assist South Vietnam in defeating Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam, and to assist South Vietnam in pacification extending governmental control over its territory.

North Vietnam continued to build its own forces inside South Vietnam. At first this was done by continued infiltration by sea and along the Ho Chi Minh trail and then, in early 1966, through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). U.S. air elements received permission to conduct reconnaissance bombing raids, and tactical air strikes into North Vietnam just north of the DMZ, but ground forces were denied authority to conduct reconnaissance patrols in the northern portion of the DMZ and inside North Vietnam. Confined to South Vietnamese territory U.S. ground forces fought a war of attrition against the enemy, relying for a time on body counts as one standard indicator for measuring successful progress for winning the war.

During 1966 there were eighteen major operations, the most successful of these being Operation WHITE WING (MASHER). During this operation, the 1st Cavalry Division, Korean units, and ARVN forces cleared the northern half of Binh Dinh Province on the central coast. In the process they decimated a division, later designated the North Vietnamese 3d Division. The U.S. 3d Marine Division was moved into the area of the two northern provinces and in concert with South Vietnamese Army and other Marine Corps units, conducted Operation HASTINGS against enemy infiltrators across the DMZ.

The largest sweep of 1966 took place northwest of Saigon in Operation ATTLEBORO, involving 22,000 American and South Vietnamese troops pitted against the VC 9th Division and a NVA regiment. The Allies defeated the enemy and, in what became a frequent occurrence, forced him back to his havens in Cambodia or Laos.

By 31 December 1966, U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam numbered 385,300. Enemy forces also increased substantially, so that for the same period, total enemy strength was in excess of 282,000 in addition to an estimated 80,000 political cadres. By 30 June 1967, total U.S. forces in SVN had risen to 448,800, but enemy strength had increased as well.

On 8 January U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched separate drives against two major VC strongholds in South Vietnam-in the so-called "Iron Triangle" about 25 miles northwest of Saigon. For years this area had been under development as a VC logistics base and headquarters to control enemy activity in and around Saigon. The Allies captured huge caches of rice and other foodstuffs, destroyed a mammoth system of tunnels, and seized documents of considerable intelligence value.

In February, the same U.S. forces that had cleared the "Iron Triangle", were committed with other units in the largest allied operation of the war to date, JUNCTION CITY. Over 22 U.S. and four ARVN battalions engaged the enemy, killing 2,728. After clearing this area, the Allies constructed three airfields; erected a bridge and fortified two camps in which CIDG garrisons remained as the other allied forces withdrew.

 
   
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
July / 1966
To Month/Year
May / 1967
 
Last Updated:
Mar 16, 2020
   
Personal Memories

Memories
With November 2&3 CAP Units, 2nd CAG located in An HOA the Arizona Territories.
Served in Nam 1967-1969 Cpl

   
Units Participated in Operation

7th Marine Regiment

5th Marine Division

4th Marine Regiment

1st Marine Regiment

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1)

1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1)

Marine Air Support Squadron 3 (MASS-3)

Marine Attack Squadron (All Weather) 242 (VMA(AW)-242)

2nd Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion (2nd LAAM)

Marine Attack Squadron 542 (VMA-542)

1st Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 (HMM-262)

Marine Attack Squadron 121 (VMA-121)

3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (3/7)

Marine Wing Support Group 17 (MWSG-17)

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 (HMM-165)

3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (3rd CEB)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 (HMM-161)

26th Marine Regiment

Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152)

L Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines (3/7)

Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214)

3rd Marine Division

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115)

Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2)

4th Battalion, 12th Marines (4/12)

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232)

2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3)

H&MS-16, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 361 (HMM-361)

1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1/4)

2nd ROK Marine Brigade., Blue Dragons, ROK Marine Corps

Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352)

12th Marine Regiment

9th Engineer Support Battalion (9th ESB)

Marine Attack Squadron 323 (VMA-323)

2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (2/5)

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (HMM-163)

Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 163 (HMR-163)

H&S Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group (1st MLG)

Marine Observation Squadron 3 (VMO-3)

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367)

9th Engineer Battalion

 
My Photos From This Battle or Operation
CAP Unit Logo

  3492 Also There at This Battle:
  • Adair, Don, Sgt, (1964-1968)
  • Adams, Roy, Sgt, (1957-1966)
  • Adkins, Mars, LtCol, (1955-1976)
  • Aguglia, Biagio, LCpl, (1965-1968)
  • Allen, Bill, Cpl, (1964-1970)
  • Allen, Donald, Cpl, (1966-1969)
  • Allen, Frank, LCpl, (1965-1968)
  • Arcand, Paul, Cpl, (1963-1967)
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