Allen, Gary Charles, Pvt

Gary the son of Mary R. Tyler of Pleasant Hill CA and William I, Allen Jr., enlisted in the US Marine Corps on February 17, 1964 in San Francisco CA. He was serving with Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 3d MARDIV (Rein) FMF when the unit engaged NVA forces on Operation UTAH.

The first wave of Marines were taken under fire but managed to secure the landing zone and begin to move towards their objectives. Advancing in a general easterly direction, the Marines pushed forward for a few hundred meters before that were taken under heavy enemy fire. Company G penetrated the enemy positions in two places but couldn't take advantage of these minor gains because of the lack of reserves. Company H on the right, made some progress until the NVA counterattacked in force.

The attack was repulsed with the use of 81 mm mortars on the NVA troops pouring across open rice paddies. The NVA then stuck Company F with a heavy volume of fire; casualties were piling up from the devastating enemy fire for all the Marine units battling the hardened enemy troops they encountered in the open paddies, in the hedgerows and tree lines. The NVA attack was finally repulsed by air strikes, using bombs, rockets and napalm that were dropped on the NVA until the Marines reached their night defensive positions near the hamlet of Chau Nhai.

Pvt Allen died as a result of multiple fragmentation wounds, one of forty-tow Marine casualties from the 2d Battalion killed in action by the enemy during the battle. Five Marines from Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines were also killed.

Casualties:
H&S Company: Nine Men Killed in action

Casualties:
Company F: Twelve men killed in action, one Died of Wounds

Casualties: Company G
Gary Charles Allen
Heriberto Armenta
Lester Robert Atherden
Isiah Baker III

Casualties:
Company H: Sixteen men killed in action