OPERATION JEB STUART III -

Black Knights

May 21 – July 31 1968 – “OPERATION JEB STUART III” - Ba Long Valley, Thua Thien Province, I Corps- OPCON 1st Cavalry Div.-

Ongoing Operation with the standard mission of perimeter security for Wunder Beach and LZ Hard Core, the 3rd/5th Cavalry was involved with route security, recon in force, cordon and search, search and clear, airborne hunter-killer operations and night ambush patrols.

Additional operation JEB STUART III information:

for 1 BDE 1 CAV
2 BDE 1 CAV
1 ARVN REGT
3 ARVN REGT

From date 680517 to 681103
1 BDE 1 CAV was a US Army unit
2 BDE 1 CAV was a US Army unit
1 ARVN REGT was a Vietnamese Army unit
3 ARVN REGT was a Vietnamese Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army

Operation JEB STUART III Quang Tri Province, I Corps, South Vietnam Location, Ba Long Valley

Description: The 1st Cav Division conducted continuing rice denial and cordons operations along the border of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces with four Infantry Battalions and the 1/9th Air Cav. The 1st and 3d ARVN Regiments participated. Casualties: US - 212 KIA, 1,512 WIA, enemy 2,016 KIA and 251 POWs

During the first week of May 1968, C Company continues search and clear operations in the area south of the Marines' base at Khe Sanh. The company is then airlifted to Dong Ha Marine Base near the coast as part of Operation Concordia Square helping the Marines combat the 320th NVA Division during the Battle of Nhi Ha. C Company operates near Highway 1 just south of the DMZ and once again experiences serious Communist artillery fire.

After aiding the Marines, 2/5 Cav begins Operation Jeb Stuart III on 17 May 68 and C 2/5 Cav returns to rice-denial search and clear operations along the coast in Thua Thien Province. This area, known as the "Street Without Joy" by French troops during the First Indochina War, consists of large expanses of rice paddies crossed by slow-flowing rivers and canals. Villages are generally strung along the watercourses and large cemeteries dot the paddies. The cemeteries are often the only dry land aside from the villages. These search operations will continue until the end of July 1968. (Written by Ken Burington)

Operation Allen Brook in southern Quang Nam Province is under way. Operation Jeb Stuart III, airmobile operations along the Quang Tn and Thua Thien Province borders, begins. Operation Nevada Eagle continues in Thua Thien Province