In March, 1966, the Marine Corps lost a good man, a family lost one of their favorite sons and a bunch of fighter-writers lost a best friend. On March 4-5, LtCol. Leon Utter, the Battalion Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, was ordered into in the village of Chau Ngai in the Quang Ngai Province of Vietnam. The mission: to engage the NVA. It was called Operation Utah. With Utter's battalion was Cpl. Lester Wesighan, a Marine Corps combat correspondent and Cpl. Ken Henderson, a Marine Corps combat photographer/a fighter/writer/photographer team.
During the same operation, LtCol. (later General) P.X. Kelley's 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines was ordered into the fray to assist Utter. I was assigned to 2/4, also as a 4312, combat correspondent. We began landing shortly after 08:30 and our helicopters were immediately taken under fire. Several helicopters were put out of commission before all the Marines were on the ground and moving towards our objectives. Two Companies of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines engaged the NVA in close quarters but persevered until all the companies reached LtCol. Utter's battalion and established night defensive positions.
North of Utter's and Kelley's Marines, units from the 1st Marine Regiment slugged it out with a persistent enemy who was dug into a network of interconnected tunnels, bunkers and spider holes. At approximately 12:40 on 6 March, the three Battalions advanced but the North Vietnamese were no longer there. Gone. Left the scene. No longer wanted to fight.
During Operation Utah, 44 Marines were killed and 84 wounded on the same day. Les Wesighan was one of the 44. Wesighan was shot in the head by a sniper on March 4, 1966 while attempting to rescue wounded a Marine William Brown. Les was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on March 20, 1966. Those of us who knew this remarkable young man, and talented writer, will remember him until the day we draw our last breath. Attached is a photo of 2/4's landing in Chinooks during Operation Utah.
Semper Fi,
Sgt. Dan Bisher,
1963-1969, RVN 65-66
Sgt. Dan Bisher,
1963-1969, RVN 65-66