A Note from The Virtual Wall The 2nd Bn, 4th Marines (2/4) arrived in Chu Lai in May 1965, but initial contacts with the enemy were minimal. OPERATION STARLITE, the first regimental-sized battle for American forces since the Korean War and the first major engagement for 2/4, was an assault against the 1st Viet Cong Regiment's positions on the Van Tuong Peninsula, 15 miles south of the Chu Lai airstrip. Three Marine battalions (2nd Bn 4th Marines, 3rd Bn 3rd Marines, and 3rd Bn 7th Marines) and supporting units were involved. On 18 August 1965 Mike 3/3 approached the area on foot, while the remaining forces were landed by amphibious and heliborne assault. Hotel 2/4 was landed in the middle of the Vietcong 60th Battalion's position and immediately surrounded. Two miles north India 3/3 was heavily engaged by another VC battalion. 18 August cost the lives of 50 sailors and Marines, but set the stage for decisively defeating the 1st VC Regiment, killing 614 Viet Cong. Hotel 2/4 lost 16 men as a result of the day's fighting: GySgt Albert H. Raitt, Neptune City, NJ SSgt James A. Smith, Warsaw, KY Sgt Jerry D. Tharp, Kemp, TX Sgt Peter C. Towne, Morris, CT Cpl William W. Nickerson, Sarasota, FL LCpl James R. Brooks, Anderson, SC LCpl James P. Dewitt, Fruita, CO LCpl Eddie L. Landry, Gonzales, LA (Silver Star) LCpl Joe C. Paul, Dayton, OH, DoW 08/19/65 (Medal of Honor) LCpl Mitchell C. Short, Canoga Park, CA LCpl Kenneth D. Stankiewicz, Buffalo, NY (Silver Star) Pfc Bruce J. Henrich, Detroit, MI Pfc Henry C. Jordan, New York, NY Pfc Harry L. Kaus, Dunkirk, NY (Silver Star) Pfc James H. Sawyer, Morgantown, WV Pfc John B. Tette, Rochester, NY

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