Operation Swift: The Battle for Quế Sơn Valley and the Heroism of the 5th Marines

Talmadge Carnell served with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Mike Company, and was killed in action during Operation SWIFT. This operation aimed to protect the local population from intimidation before upcoming elections. Initially unplanned, Operation Swift began on the morning of September 4, 1967, when Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, was attacked before dawn by a larger PAVN force near the village of Dong Son.

In response, the battalion commander, Lt. Colonel Peter Hilgartner, sent Company B, 1/5 Marines—the only unit available at the time—to assist Company D. As both companies became heavily engaged, Companies K and M from the nearby 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, were sent to help. However, they too were ambushed and pinned down by the afternoon. During the intense fighting, several Marines displayed extraordinary heroism. Corporal Larry Benjamin Nunez earned the Silver Star for gallantry, while Sergeant Lawrence Peters received the Medal of Honor posthumously for leading his men in repelling enemy attacks. Navy Chaplain Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno also posthumously earned the Medal of Honor for saving wounded Marines under heavy fire. Sergeant Thomas C. Panian was awarded the Navy Cross for his leadership in defending Company I, 3/5 Marines, during eight hours of combat.

Marine artillery and air support, including a critical strike by an A-6 jet, prevented the companies from being overrun. A fresh Marine unit launched a counterattack on September 5, forcing the PAVN to withdraw. The official start of Operation Swift followed, with Marine forces recovering 130 enemy bodies at the battlefield. Marine losses totaled 54 killed and 104 wounded.

On September 6, two battalions of the VC 1st Regiment attacked Company B, 1/5 Marines. Though isolated and nearly overrun, Company B held its position, aided by artillery using tear gas. Sergeant Rodney M. Davis heroically shielded his fellow Marines from a grenade blast and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The PAVN suffered 61 dead, while Marines lost 35 and had 92 wounded.

Later that day, the 3/5 Marines were attacked as well. Company I, sent to take a hill held by the PAVN/VC, was nearly overrun before being relieved by Company K. Despite suffering significant casualties, the two companies managed to hold their ground, repelling two nighttime assaults before the enemy withdrew. The VC lost 88 men, while Marine casualties amounted to 34 killed and 109 wounded.

On September 7, the Marines discovered a large supply cache after a search of the battlefield. Days later, on September 10, Company H, 2/5 Marines, found an unoccupied bunker system, but when another platoon passed through the same area, they were ambushed. Supported by air and artillery, Companies H and M overran the enemy position, killing 40 PAVN at the cost of 9 Marine lives. Some Marines were found with their jammed M-16s broken open for cleaning.

On the same day, the ARVN 37th Ranger Battalion encountered a PAVN force north of the operational area, suffering 13 killed and 9 missing while inflicting 70 enemy casualties.

The fighting continued until September 12, when two PAVN companies attacked Company I’s night position. The Marines repelled the attack, killing 35 and capturing 4. On September 13, the PAVN attacked the ARVN 37th Rangers again, prompting the airlift of additional ARVN units and Marine forces. By dawn, the PAVN disengaged, leaving behind 49 dead. The Rangers lost 15 men.