From the S&S archives:
Marines, Vietnamese trap Red unit, kill hundreds

SAIGON — U.S. Marines and Vietnamese troops, fighting fiercely and continuously for more than 24 hours, had a north Vietnamese regiment boxed in 10 miles northwest of Quang Ngai Saturday. More than. 450 of the enemy have bin killed.

The action is taking place in a valley where Marines blocking the north and south, Vietnamese paratroopers the east, and Vietnamese Rangers the west, are squeezing in on the north Vietnamese regiment

Two battalions of the communists are facing the Leathernecks, while two others are engaged with the Vietnamese. Essentially, the Marines are preventing the guerrillas from slipping into the hill country to the north and south of the valley.

A Vietnamese commander has identified the north Vietnamese regiment as the 36th.

The operation, dubbed Utah by the Marines and Lien Ket 26 by Vietnamese forces, was kicked off Friday morning and contact with the enemy was made immediately.

A U.S. military spokesman here reported 258 VC killed. A Vietnamese official at a separate briefing claimed that ARVN troops killed 208.

(UPI (quoted a Marine Corps spokesman as saying the death toll had climbed "well past 500" early Sunday. Late Saturday night the Marines had piled up a confirmed 443 communist bodies in front of their guns, the spokesman said, and were too busy shooting to count any further.)

"Every bit of fixed wing air was used throughout the night:," a high-ranking marine official at Quang Ngai said, `'and 1,000 pounds of 155 mm artillery" also was hammering the trapped VC.

Seventeen Marine helicopters have been lost. Brig. Gen. Jonas Platt, senior American in the operation, said, `"The helo's took a lot of 50 and 20mm antiaircraft fire, but Marine air power knocked out the gun emplacements and two 20mm guns were captured."

Col. William G. Johnson, Marine Aircraft; Group 36 commander, said, `'We've spent. 26 of the last: 28 days in the field chasing the enemy. Now that we have them in the box they are not gong to get out."

When Utah got underway the Marines had committed only two companies to the action. But Vietnamese paratroopers clashed with the VC almost immediately as they landed. Additional Marine support was called in.

By mid-Friday the Leathernecks had two battalions engaged in heavy fighting.

About five miles to the south of the Marines, Vietnamese soldiers attacked a fortified Viet Cong stronghold.

A Vietnamese official in Saigon reported that an additional battalion had been added, along with 12 armored personnel carriers.

During the clash, Vietnamese soldiers took moderate casualties, but maintained a 1 to 10 kill ratio against the VC.

Marines initially committed in the action had moderate to heavy casualties, But as reinforcements arrived, the casualties dropped to light.

Marine wounded are being flown to the hospital ship Repose, which has been moved to waters off the operational area to receive medivacs.

Viet Cong bodies and weapons were boobytrapped, according to Capt. Alex Lee, who took over a company when all other officers except one were killed in the fighting.

In Operation Harrison, south of Tuy Hoa, the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne killed an additional 172 Viet Cong Friday, bringing the total to 246.

There were 105 VC killed when a company of paratroopers found an estimated reinforced VC company about 2 p.m.

Fierce fighting was reported throughout the afternoon and early evening, and a second Airborne reinforcement company was sent in.

The battle ceased about 9 p.m.

Saturday morning battalions of 3d Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. fought it out with an estimated VC battalion north of Saigon, killing 47 and capturing 4.