(Kim Ki Sam/Stars and Stripes)

Somewhere near Dien Ban, South Vietnam, November 25, 1968: Pfc. Richard Villareal, left, and Lance Cpl. K.D. Johnson Jr. of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, relieved of their wet and muddy boots, enjoy a post-lunch cigarette while on blocking position near Dien Ban. The Marines were part of Operation Meade River, a cordon and search operation conducted by several regiments of the 1st Marine Div. and the South Vietnamese army.