10 Nov 2005 Gary Allen served with Golf company of the 7th Marines and we (the 700 members of Golf who have been located) wish to perpetuate and honor his memory. If you knew him please feel free to contact us. Travis Skaggs tskaggs6@yahoo.com Visit Golf 2/7

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Operation UTAH involved the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines; the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines; and elements of the ARVN Airborne Battalion. These units were tasked with locating, fixing, and destroying two reinforced battalions of the 36th NVA Regiment dug in around the Chau Ngai village complex about 6 miles northwest of Quang Ngai City in Quang Ngai Province. D-Day for Op Utah was 04 March 1966. On that date the ARVN Airborne Battalion elements led the way into several landing zones near Chau Ngai, followed by the 2/7 Marines. The Marines almost immediately found themselves engaging entrenched NVA troops in what rapidly became a bitter close-quarter fight. The last significant fighting was at 2145; by the next morning the enemy had withdrawn from the area, leaving over 140 NVA/VC bodies on the battlefield. That was usual; the NVA/VC were normally meticulous in taking their dead with them whenever possible. The 2/7 Command Chronology states the 2/7 Marines lost 43 men killed in action and 84 wounded in action on 04 March 1966. Corporal Wesighan, a combat photographer from HQ 3rd MarDiv, was killed in action during the 2/7 fight at Chau Ngai, making the total US loss 44 men. Four of those men were from Golf 2/7: LCpl Heriberto Armenta, Los Angeles, CA LCpl Lester R. Atherden, Bridgeport, CT LCpl Isiah Baker, New Orleans, LA Pvt Gary C. Allen, Pleasant Hill, CA On 05 March the withdrawing NVA forces encountered the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, which had established blocking positions astride the NVA's probable withdrawal routes. That too became an exceedingly bitter fight, with 42 Marines and sailors from 3/1 killed in action.

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