Derl Horn was a married, twenty-three year old mortarman when he received orders to Vietnam after being drafted in 1966. LCpl Horn was a member of the 60mm Mortar Section of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines during the most costly Marine engagement of the Vietnam War — OPERATION BUFFALO. Derl joined ALL MARINE RADIO as part of our BATTLEFIELD STUDIES SERIES to discuss the events of early July 1967 and hopefully lessons that any Marine or student of “peer to peer” warfare can learn.
In Part 2 of this interview Derl the events of July 2, 1967 when Bravo and Alpha Companies of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines headed north from Con Thien towards the DMZ in search of North Vietnamese Army units that were operating in the area. July 2, 1967 would mark the greatest loss of life for a Marine unit during the Vietnam War. Derl’s account is riveting and mandatory listening for any small unit leader who is studying peer-to-peer warfare.
Derl authored a great book about his experience in the Marine Corps entitled Blood, Sweat and Honor: Memoirs of a “Walking Dead” Marine in Vietnam
The area of northern South Vietnam know as “Leatherneck Square”
This is a Google Maps image with the schematic of the Con Thien Base super-imposed on it; it also shows the movements of Bravo and Alpha Companies (1/9) on July 1-2, 1967 during OPERATION BUFFALO
USMC map of Con Thien and the axis of advance for Alpha & Bravo Companies, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment during OPERATION BUFFALO on July 2, 1967
Podcast: Play in new window | Download