Robert Seiber

I joined the marines in 1963 at the age of 17, at Davenport Iowa.

After boot camp I was assigned as a rifleman with Echo Company, second battalion, First Marines. After infantry training at Camp Pendleton, California, our battalion debarked for a thirteen month tour to the Far East and arrived at Okinawa in January of 1965. While on Okinawa our battalion was redesignated as Third Battalion, Third Marines.

In May, we landed at Chu Lai, South Vietnam. Our mission was to provide security for the navy's Tenth Construction Battalion, which were building an air base sixty miles south of Da Nang.

After consolidating the base, we began operations against local Viet Cong units, in Quang Tri Provence north of the Bong Son river. We eventually expanded our operations south of the Bong Song river in Quang Nia province.

During this period, my company made the first night time helicopter assault of the Vietnam war. In June our battalion, also made the first battalion sized operation of the Vietnam war against the Viet Cong south of the Chu Lai enclave. In August our battalion and the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines conducted a joint amphibious/helicopter assault against the First Viet Cong Regiment on the Van Tuong peninsula 12 miles south of Chu Lai. The operation lasted five days and resulted in the defeat of the communist regiment.

After operation Starlite, I was transferred to Da Nang, South Vietnam with Charley Company, First Battalion, First Marines, until my return to the United States in March of 1966.

After a brief duty as a brig guard at El Toro, California, I returned to South Vietnam for my second tour with Third Battalion, twenty Sixth Marines