COMMAND CHRONOLOGY
1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 02 Sept. 1966, 39 pages.
This particular pdf document contains 39 pages subdivided into a variety of headings and subheadings. Along with "UNCLASSIFIED" stamped over the top of "SECRET" in the top left and bottom right of the pages, there are numerous filing stamps and handwritten entries on the pages.
https://www.etsy.com/fi-en/listing/1407560556/typewriter-font-type-font-american
A closer examination might reveal the model of the typewriter used.
Internet searches under "Marines corps field typewriter vietnam," returns a variety of compact, non-electric models, any one of which may have been used to type up the report. A Robert Messenger blog with extensive coverage of typewriters used by both sides in the conflict is listed below:
"...for reasons I cannot explain, images of typewriters related to the Vietnam War aren't all that common."
https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2013/09/typewriters-and-vietnam-war.html
The blog gives a close account of the models, portability, usage but doesn't go into detail on the font in each, except for one that could type in Vietnamese.
The pages are not numbered.
"....scheduled to come to Hill 54 on 5 Sept." (page 4.) Tracking down the location of a particular geographical feature can prove difficult in some of the command chronologies, while others list them in parentheses immediately following. Several coordinates systems were used during the war beginning with the letter AT, BT, some "Z" letters and others, depending on the scale. The most widely used was AT, but comparing it to others could prove an all day project just to locate the HQ or combat base, outpost, trail or road, or other significant feature.
For "Hill 54," the tracking down required a visit to several pages on the internet, although in some cases, the information is straightforward.
Google: "'hill 54' chu lai coordinates"...
an AI generated result:
"The location mentioned is Hill 54 in Vietnam. It's located west of Highway QL-1, about 10 km E-SE of Tam Ky, and 18 km NW of Chu Lai. UTM grid coordinates for this location are BT401145, according to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. Additionally, there are other locations also named 'Hill 54'. "
Typos were not uncommon in the chronologies and other missing data to confirm
or verify the information doesn't necessarily the blogs or war story pages are of any
help. The helicopter pilots lead in the AI result proved to be the correct query, in
reference to a crash of a helicopter.
UTM grid coordinates: BT401145 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT401145)
https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/incident/670705081ACD.HTM
the Legal Land Converter page shows the coordinates in current position.
https://landinfo.org/cgi-bin/shopmgrs201807.cgi
Another locater lists hundreds of points but the system is non-uniform, making it
difficult to track down according to the coordinates or AT-BT 6-digit groups given.
https://vietnamtripledeuce.org/Location%20of%20Bases%20in%20Vietnam.pdf
Chu Lai was to the southeast of this position, Tam Ky to the northwest. Part and
parcel to any and all of these pdf chronologies is the lack of information beyond
the style, format, font and other intrinsic built in values that have been overlooked,
forgotten and ignored for decades.
Heading-subheading format is as follows:
Page 1.
HQ data (TBC)
Subj: Combat Operations After Action Report; Operation COLORADO
Page 2.
1ST BATTALION, 5TH MARINES, COMMAND CHRONOLOGY (centered on page)
1. The following organizational data is .... (unreadable)
a. Designator/Location
b. Period Covered
c. Personnel Assignments/Attachments
Page 3.
2. Sequential Listing of Significant Events
a. Personnel
(1) Average Monthly Strength:
(a) USMC OFFICER/ENLISTED
(b) USN OFFICER/ENLISTED
(2) Present Onboard Strength
(a) USMC OFFICER/ENLISTED
(b) USN OFFICER/ENLISTED
(3) Current critical shortages based on manning levels are as follows:
MOS/PAY GRADE/NUMBER (underlined) Here the various duties and
ranks are listed along with the head count.
b. Intelligence
(1) Order of Battle
Page 4.
(2) CHIEU HOA
(3) Operation COLORADO
(4) Incident
(5) Scouts
c. Logistics
(1) Pot Shack
d. Communications
(1) ANC/PRC--
(2) ---
e. Air Support
(1) Helicopter Support
Page 5.
(2) Fixed Wing
f. Artillery Support (Letter "f" appears blurred with a symbol in front of it)
(1) COLORADO
(2) Other
g. Civil Affairs
(1) Pacification
Page 6.
(2) Rice
(3) English
(4) Shower in aid station.
h. Medical
(1) Personnel --BAS/COLORADO
(2) Health and Sanitation
(3) Civic Action
i. Psychological Warfare
(1) CHIEU HOI
(2) "County Fair"
Page 7.
(3) "County Fair"
The rest of page 6 is empty. Some of the differences show up in what's underlined and what's not. Under "Medical," all three of the subtitles are underlined, but not for Intelligence and Civil Affairs after. On page 4, the listing shows "CHIUE HOA," but on page
Page 8-9.
CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS (centered on page)
The next two pages shows a list of events including a reference to "D-Day," probably the COLORADO initiative.
Page 10.
A glitch in the order of pages occurs and the chronology reverts back to page 4, repeating the information all the way to page 14. Whether this was done due to the printing of the file and uploading to Texas Tech or inadvertently reinserted into the chronology ...will never be known. The original "Chronological Sequence of Events" starts all over again on page 14. This time it runs with 47 numerical entries all the way to page 20.
"47. 31 August 1966-1st Battalion, 5th Marines XO's command group returned to Hill 54" (no period after sentence)
Page 21.
From: Commanding Officer
To: Commanding General, 1st Marine Division, (-)(Rein), FMF
Via: Commanding Officer, 5th Marines
(Note the overtyped letter "A" in the word "COLORADO")
Ref: (a)-(f) Directives, orders map sheets.
Encl: (1)-(6) Overlays.
1.) Code Name and Type of Operation. Operation COLORADO (Search and Destroy)
2.) Dates of Operation. 6-15 August 1966.
3. (Locations)
4. Command Headquarters
Page 22.
ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT,
Followed by the scribbled signature of "H. L. COFFMAN."
DISTRIBUTION: SPECIAL
Page 23.
5. Task Organization
1st Battalion, 5th Marines
Company A (Rein)
Company B (Rein)
Battalion Reserve: Company C (Rein)
81 mm Mortor Plat (-) (misspelled > mortar)
6. Supporting Arms
a. Air Support
(1) Helicopter Support
Page 24.
(2) Fixed Wing
b. Artillery Support
Page 25.
7. Intelligence
a. Estimated VC Strength
(1) Forces Anticipated
Page 26.
(2) Intelligence (not underlined)
(3) Objective (not underlined)
b. VC Strength and Situation
c. VC Units
d. Significant Intelligence
(1) Documents
(2) Terrain
Page 27.
(3) Tunnels and Caves
(4) Demolitions
e. Terrain
(1) Critical Terrain Feature (Several Hills listed with BT-6digit coordinates following in parentheses.)
(2) Fields of Fire
(3) Cover
(4) Obstacles
8. Mission.
9. Concept of Operations.
10. Chronological Sequence of Events. (to page 30)
Page 31.
11. Results
(1) Personnel (a) to (e) (no underline)
(2) Equipment and Material (a) to (t)
Page 32.
(2) (u) to (oo)
12. Administrative Matters
a. Supply Maintenance
b. Casualties
Page 33.
c. Communication (1) to (4)
13 Commander's Analysis (no period after the number entry)
a. D+4 event
b. Helicopter support
c. Artillery-Naval gunfire.
Page 34-39: Maps.
Not all the command chronologies are this brief, lacking a string of log entries and teletype messages. This one is illustrative of not just the information provided, but the framework included, as well as the typographical layout and minor errors with respect to spelling and underling, to name just two.
https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/images.php?img=/images/1201/1201048006.pdf
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