Art Diabo (second from right) and Mike 3/5 Marines Tom Russell (shirt off), Duane Stolldorf (with hat), and unknown). On Highway 1 during Operation HOUSTON II, May 1968.

Arthur Diabo, Mike 3/5  Served with 1st platoon Mike Co. from January to June '68. I was hit on June 14th during Operation MAMELUKE THRUST. I took an AK round through my left forearm, shattering it to pieces. I thought I was going to lose it, however through the miracles of modern medicine and a few dedicated doctors who promised they were going to save it, I'm here today with this constant reminder that life is worth living (most of the time).

I'm sort of a frustrated military/Marine historian. I read a lot about the Corps and Vietnam, in particular (of course) Mike 3/5. And quite honestly, there's little to read about us. Other line units experienced similar fates as Mike did. It was just a crazy time in an equally crazy place. Our youth was lost in '68, and as much as we try to reclaim it, it cannot be done. I know, I've tried and lost, you just can't go back. Art in Canada 

 

Operation HOUSTON II
Hill 1192 
May 8-16, '68

We were in an NVA base camp and the occupants were still home! The snipers were picking us off at their leisure. If you stood up, you were dead. We had no food. Our re-supplies were dropped outside our lines into enemy hands. The situation was getting more disheartening with every hour that passed. The wounded lay dying because we couldn't get them out. When a chopper came on station, they immediately came under fire and had to back off.  One such chopper counted over a hundred hits when it got back to Da Nang. My heart goes out to those guys in the wing, they really tried to get us out. Regiment knew how decimated we were after the Hill, but we're Marines and this what we do. On to ALLEN BROOK and MAMELUKE THRUST. 

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Mike Zang, Radio Operator, Phu Bai 1968

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Operation MAMELUKE THRUST

Ambush site in the Arizona, June 1968. Midway up the lower left quadrant is the body of an NVA. The ambush was from the far tree line. The dead NVA thought the Marines had left, and when he got close during the night the whole line opened up on him.

Operation AUBURN 

Operation HOUSTON

Operation HOUSTON II

Operation MAMELUKE THRUST

Mike 3/5 website

(Background by Redeye)