Coming Summer 2025

Hill 119

Defending a Reconnaissance Marines’ OP, Vietnam, 1969-1970

by Michael Fallon, Colonel,

U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

A narrative account of Reconnaissance Marines in Vietnam. Small Teams launching daring deep Stingray patrols in the bush. On the Observation Post, Hill 119 defending for 600 relentless days and nights. Surrounded by the NVA with the constant challenge of determining friendly Vietnamese civilians from hard corps Viet Cong and North Vietnamese regulars. Their lifeline were the Marine helicopters that flew out bringing water, ammo, food, and their replacement platoon. In 1969 and 1970, Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division manned the OP and ran patrols in Phu Loc Valley and Go Noi Island. This firsthand account of the Marines and Corpsmen who patrolled deep and occupied the OP describes their struggle to survive. Based on participant interviews and the detailed declassified debriefing reports compiled after each patrol returned to their rear base, at Camp Reasoner, Da Nang in the Republic of South Vietnam. This is their history!

  • The Rear

    “The Rear” was Camp Reasoner, named for Medal of Honor recipient, 1st Lieutenant Frank Reasoner, who died on patrol saving the lives of his Recon Marines fifteen kilometers south of the battalion’s base camp.

  • The Bush

    “The Bush” was adrenaline filled patrols where a six-man team went behind enemy lines into their base areas seeking information, capturing POWs, or creating havoc with supporting arms.

  • The Hill

    “The Hill” was where for two weeks every other month one of four Delta Company platoons would man the Observation Post.