The Magnificent Bastards: The Joint Army-Marine Defense of Dong Ha, 1968

Throughout 1968, U.S. Marine Corps units patrolled to the edge of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and manned combat outposts stretching from the Laotian border to the South China Sea in an effort to seal the demarcation line and prevent the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) from infiltrating large units into the south. As part of the post-Tet American counter-offensive, the 3d Marine Division was preparing to attack NVA units staging along the DMZ when, on April 29, the 320th NVA Division was spotted less than four miles from the Marines's Dong Ha Combat Base. Brutal fighting soon developed in nearby Dai Do as the 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, known as the "Magnificent Bastards", struggled to eject NVA forces from this strategic hamlet located just two miles from the division's headquarters and main supply base. Aided by the "Gimlets" of the U.S. Army Americal Division's 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, who became embroiled in a bitter battle at neighboring Nhi Ha, the "Magnificent Bastards" held their ground in a see-saw contest with the larger NVA force until they were relieved by the 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, on May 3. Keith Nolan's gripping account of this nightmarish struggle reminiscent of the horrific clashes along World War I's western front is sure to become a classic in the annals of Vietnam War literature. Keith Nolan is acknowledged as the foremost chronicler of the Vietnam War. He is the author of many Vietnam War combat histories, including Battle for Hue: Tet 1968; The Battle for Saigon: Tet 1968; Death Valley: The Summer Offensive, I Corps, August 1969; Ripcord: Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970, and House to House: Playing the Enemy’s Game in Saigon, May 1968. Nolan lives near St. Louis, Missouri.