South of Da Nang, South Vietnam, Nov. 25, 1968: A marine of G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division gunner sits atop his mud-crusted track vehicle. The marines are part of Operation Meade River, a cordon and search operation conducted by several regiments of the 1st Marine Div. and the South Vietnamese army.

The operation — which started November 20th and would end December 9th — had American Marines and South Vietnamese troops 7,000 strong systematically tightened a 15-mile circle in the “Dodge City” area south of Da Nang where between 200 and 900 VC and NVA were holed up in caves and dugouts. The nickname was given due to frequent ambushes, firefights and rocket attacks on U.S. troops.

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