This article is a list of known military operations of the Vietnam War in 1965, conducted by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam, the United States and their allies. __NOTOC__ Date duration Operation name Unit(s) – description Location VC–PAVN KIAs Allied KIAs 1965–72 Operation Footboy MACVSOG covert operations in North Vietnam and North Vietnamese waters for the purpose of collecting intelligence, conducting psychological warfare operations, and other activities to create dissension among the populace, and for diversion of North Vietnamese resources North Vietnam Jan 5 Unnamed Six-company CIDG and Special Forces A-114 and A-411 Detachments operation Tây Ninh Province Jan 19-27 Operation Sherwood Forest U.S. Air Force (USAF) defoliation operation Boi Loi Woods Jan 21 Operation An Dan 70 ARVN 25th Division, 52nd Ranger Battalion and 22nd River Assault Group operation Vaico Oriental River 73 33 Feb 7–24 Operation Flaming Dart Phase I (February 7): USAF reprisal bombing attacks against PAVN units and military barracks near Đồng Hới and the Demilitarized Zone. Phase II (February 11): USAF and RVNAF strike the Chanh Hoa and Vit Thu Lu barracks, respectively, in North Vietnam. Đồng Hới, Demilitarized Zone, Chanh Hoa and Vit Thu Lu 8 Feb 9-11 Operation 21/Nguyen Van Nho ARVN 5th, 6th & 7th Airborne Battalions supported by the US 145th and 13th Aviation Battalions 24km northeast of Binh Gia 91 22 ARVN, 1 US Mar 2 – Nov 1 1968 Operation Rolling Thunder USAF, U.S. Navy and RVNAF sustained and escalating bombing campaign of North Vietnam to destroy military infrastructure, interdict supply routes and undermine the North's willingness to continue the war North Vietnam 20,000 est. 835 Mar 11 – 1972 Operation Market Time Combined U.S. Navy and South Vietnamese Navy effort to stop the flow of supplies from North Vietnam into South Vietnam South China Sea Mar 21 Operation Tien Giang 10/65 ARVN 7th Division security operation Kien Hoa Province 30 Mar 25-27 Operation Quyet Thang 3 ARVN security operation Phuoc Thanh province Mar 31-Apr 1 Operation Quyet Thang 512 ARVN 5th Airborne Battalion, MAG-16, HMM-163 and HMM-162 air assault near Tam Ky 40 km south of Da Nang, Quảng Tín Province 70 21 ARVN, 2 US Apr 3 – Nov 11 1968 Operation Steel Tiger (part of Operation Barrell Roll) U.S. 2nd Air Division aerial interdiction effort targeted against the infiltration of PAVN men and material moving south from North Vietnam southeastern Laos Apr 4 – 7 Operation Dan Chi 129 ARVN 21st Division operation Kiên Lương district 278 16 ARVN, 6 US Apr 28 – May 5 Operation Tien Giang 19/65 ARVN amphibious and airmobile assault on VC logistics area Thạnh Phú district 220 7 May 31 – Jun 3 Unnamed 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team first brigade sized operation in Vietnam, a series of airmobile assaults near Bien Hoa, Biên Hòa Province 7 Jun 18 – Aug 15 1973 Operation Arc Light B-52 Stratofortress bombing campaign against communist base areas throughout South Vietnam Jun 27–30 Unnamed 173rd Airborne Brigade first major offensive action by launching an operation, along with ARVN airborne units and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) War Zone D, Long Khánh Province Jul 6–9 Operation 17-65 173rd Airborne Brigade operation Phước Thành Province Jul 6–10 Unnamed 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1RAR and ARVN 43rd Regiment operation involving multiple air assaults just north of the Đồng Nai River War Zone D, Long Khánh Province Jul 8 – Aug 19 Operation Than Phong II ARVN II Corps operation to reopen Route 19 349 Jul 28 Operation Lien Ket 4 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, ARVN 51st Regiment and VNMC 3rd Battalion first combined land operation in the war Jul 28 – Aug 2 Operation 19-65 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1RAR operation to disrupt VC movement from the Rung Sat Special Zone into Phước Tuy Province Phước Tuy Province Aug 2 -3 Operation Blast Out 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and ARVN 4th Regiment first search and clear operation in Cam Ne village. The operation was filmed by a CBS news crew who showed the Marines setting fire to Vietnamese huts with their Zippo lighters 16 km southwest of Da Nang, Quảng Nam Province 7 Aug 3 Operation Dan Thang 5 52nd Aviation Battalion operation to lift 1,150 troops in six lifts from Camp Holloway to Duc Co airfield during the Siege of Duc Co Pleiku Province Aug 4–5 Operation Marble Mountain USMC search and destroy operation I Corps Aug 6–7 Operation Thunderbolt 4th Marines and ARVN 51st Regiment joint search and destroy operation against the 1st VC Regiment south of the Tra Bong River Aug 7–11 Operation Frag Order 12-65 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1RAR search and destroy operation Phước Thành Province Aug 7–11 Operation Frag Order 15-65 173rd Airborne Brigade] and 1RAR search and destroy operation Biên Hòa Province Aug 10–11 Operation Binh Dinh USMC search and destroy operation II Corps Aug 10–21 Unnamed 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division operation southwest of Nha Trang Aug 11 – Sep 8 Operation Barracuda 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, the newly arrived 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry search and destroy operation 19 km west of Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa Province 25 Aug 12 Operation Midnight 3rd Marines search and destroy mission Elephant Valley, about 16 km northwest of Da Nang, Quảng Nam Province 2 Aug 16–17 Operation Anvil Search and destroy operation III Corps Aug 17–24 Operation Starlite/Operation Starlight 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines and 3rd Battalion 7th Marines operation Van Tuong peninsula (south of Chu Lai), Quảng Trị Province 700 242 Aug 19–22 Operation Cutlass 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 5th Special Forces Group search and destroy operation south of Nha Trang Aug 25 – Oct 1 Operation Highland 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines route security operation to open Route 19 between Qui Nhơn and An Khe for debarkation and deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division Bình Định Province 692 21 Aug 25 – Sep 10 Operation Quin Thang 165 ARVN road clearing operation. 21st TASS FACs from Qui Nhơn directed fifty A-1E strikes, four F-100 strikes and one B-57 strike, against constant ground fire, ambushes and automatic weapons fire for sixteen days. Aug 28 – Sep 3 Operation Than Phong III ARVN II Corps operation to open Route 21 to Ban Me Thuot from Nha Trang. One hundred and thirteen air strikes were conducted by the USAF, Navy and Marines. Route 21 Sep 1 Operation Talon 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation An Khe Pass, Bình Định Province Sep 1 Unnamed 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry and supporting elements operation near Kon Tum, Kon Tum Province Sep 4 Operation Venture 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation An Khe area, Bình Định Province Sep 5–7 Operation Stomp 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation Ky Son Mountains, 16 km north of Qui Nhơn, Bình Định Province 26 Sep 6–9 Operation Tam Thang 118 ARVN II Corps operation near Ban Me Thout Sep 7 Operation Bayonet 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation as part of Operation Highland An Khe area, Bình Định Province Sep 7–10 Operation Piranha BLT 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines and 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and ARVN 2d Battalion, 4th Regiment and 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion operations on the Batangan Peninsula and An Ky Peninsula aimed at the remnants of the 1st VC Regiment and to counter seaborne infiltration Batangan and An Ky Peninsulas 183 2 Marines, 5 ARVN Sep 7 - Oct 8 Operation BIG RED 173rd Airborne Brigade, 1st Battalion, 1RAR, Search & Destroy Operation, in Ben Cat, Phuoc Vinh, Di An, Phu Loc Sep 9 Operation Cacti 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation as part of Operation Highland An Khe area, Bình Định Province Sep 10 Operation Than Phong IV ARVN II Corps operation near Qui Nhơn Sep 10–11 Operation Cold Steel US search and destroy operation II Corps Sep 13–14 Operation Cactus US search and destroy operation II Corps Sep 14–28 Unnamed 173rd Airborne Brigade search and destroy operation Ben Cat, Biên Hòa Province 46 Sep 14–28 Operation 24-65 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1RAR search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Sep 18–22 Operation Gibraltar 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division and ARVN operation Qui Nhơn Sep 21 – 1968 Operation Shining Brass A series of cross-border reconnaissance and intelligence operations conducted by mixed Special Forces and Montagnard teams to counter PAVN infiltration through Laos into South Vietnam, perform bomb damage assessment, and control airstrikes. Shining Brass was renamed Prairie Fire in 1968 and finally Phu Dung on 8 April 1971 eastern Laos Sep 22 – Oct 19 Operation Good Friend 2nd Battalion, 502nd Airborne Infantry Regiment relief of 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment at Cam Ranh Bay and securing the area for the arrival of the ROK 2nd Marine Brigade Cam Ranh Bay Sep 26–27 Operation Hard Rock USMC search and destroy operation I Corps Sep 28 – Nov 13 Operation Sayonara 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines area and route security operation to cover the deployment of the ROK Capital Division Qui Nhơn, Bình Định Province Sep 29 – Oct 25 Operation Red One 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy and area security operation Biên Hòa Province Oct Operation Phu Yen 7 ARVN rice harvest operation near Tuy Hòa Oct Operation Spread Out 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation Vân Canh Valley, Bình Định Province Oct 1 Operation Checkerboard I 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 1–9 Operation Blue Bonnet 3/1 Cavalry security operation Route 19, Bình Định Province Oct 1 – Nov 13 Operation Good Friend II 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and ARVN 22nd Division operation in the vicinity of Qui Nhơn to secure the area for the arrival of the ROK Capital Division Qui Nhơn Oct 2–4 Operation Quick Draw 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation Quảng Ngãi Province Oct 4–6 Operation Xray I 173rd Airborne Brigade search and destroy operation Biên Hòa Province Oct 4–25 Operation Hopscotch 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy and security operation Biên Hòa and Bình Dương Provinces 12 Oct 8–14 Operation Iron Triangle 1st and 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Regiment and 1RAR search and destroy operation following one of the first B-52 strikes of the war Iron Triangle, Bình Dương Province 8 Oct 9 – Nov 1 Operation Cobra 2/1 Cavalry security operation along Route 19 Bình Định Province Oct 10–14 Operation Concord 3/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation Bình Định Province Oct 10–12 Operation Shiny Bayonet 1st Cavalry Division and Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps operation in the Saui Ca River to trap elements of the PAVN 325th Division near An Khe, Bình Định Province Oct 10–31 Operation Happy Valley 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment pacification operation "Happy Valley" in Bình Định Province Oct 13 Operation Black Lion 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 14 Operation Checkmate 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 14–17 Operation Lonesome End 1/1 Cavalry route and area security operation Bình Định Province Oct 15 Operation Flip Flop 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy and security operation Bình Dương Province Oct 16 Operation Depth 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 16 Operation Fly Low 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 16 – Nov 1 Operation Settlement 2/1 Cavalry security operation on Route 19 Bình Định Province Oct 17 Operation Bushmaster Bravo 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation Bình Dương Province Oct 18–19 Operation Triple Play 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines search and