Vietnam, 1967–1971 3d Force Reconnaissance Company was activated, trained, fought and deactivated during the Vietnam War. Activated in September 1965 as one of the first group of add on units to meet demands of operations in
South Vietnam, 3d FORECON formed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and satellite on 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company that was under strength due to the demands for trained Force Recon Marines assigned to 1st Force Reconnaissance Company in country. Facilities, cadre and equipment for training were provided by 2nd FORECON. Volunteers were solicited from throughout the Marine Corps and the first four months were devoted to bringing 3d FORECON up to strength in personnel. Beginning in January 1966 all operational personnel departed Camp Lejeune to train in the Caribbean and Panama. Returning to North Carolina in March, final preparations were carried out to meet the projected deployment date in May 1966. The expected deployment of the entire 3d FORECON did not occur, but a two-platoon detachment embarked on the , transited through the Suez Canal, and arrived in country in time to be introduced to combat in
Operation Hastings as part of the Special Landing Force Alpha in early July 1966. 3d FORECON (-) dropped to a not-combat-ready readiness status. Headquarters Marine Corps transferred several commissioned officers and numerous enlisted ([staff] non-commissioned officers) immediately after the Detachment departed. In mid-June, 3d FORECON (-) was alerted to deploy immediately. Due to the reduced personnel readiness status, HQMC changed the deployment plan and ordered that a Platoon be assigned to deploy with 1st Battalion, 26th Marines (1/26) that had been activated at Camp Pendleton. The remainder of 3d FORECON was ordered to move to Camp Pendleton to refit. At the conclusion of Hastings the Detachment was attached to 3d Reconnaissance Battalion that had just arrived at
Phu Bai Combat Base from
Da Nang, having been replaced by the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion that had just begun arriving with the 1st Marine Division. Shortly, they were joined by the Platoon that had come in country with 1/26. They patrolled in
Thừa Thiên Province, until early January, 1967, when a task-organized "Special Purpose group" carried out a prisoner rescue attempt. The remainder were sent to
Khe Sanh Combat Base where they developed the intelligence of a large enemy buildup, that was the prelude to
The Hill Fights that occurred in April 1967. Reunited, what was left of the three platoons, returned to Phu Bai to await the arrival of the 3d FORECON (-). Having been brought up to strength and operational readiness, 3d FORECON was reunited on 27 May 1967, just in time for the
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) offensive to seize
Quang Tri Province. The logistics element arrive at the "Ramp" at
Đông Hà Combat Base just in time for the opening salvos of the PAVN artillery attacks that would continue daily until late Autumn. The operational element experienced a mortar attack in Phu Bai at the same time resulting in several shrapnel wounds, only one of which, required evacuation. The new arrivals were integrated with combat veterans and the entire eighteen teams conducted a zone reconnaissance in the CoBi-Than Tan valley northwest of
Huế before displacing to Đông Hà. Upon arrival at Đông Hà in early May the Commanding Officer assumed command of 3d Recon Battalion (Forward), which had reconnaissance responsibility for all of Quang Tri Province except the Khe Sanh Tactical Area of Operations (TAOR). 3d FORECON patrolled the area north of
Highway 9 to the
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), while a recon company from 3d Recon Battalion was targeted south of Highway 9 to the Thừa Thiên provincial border. Occasional circumstances caused deviation from that concept, but, for the most part, those deviations were rare. 3d FORECON continued that operational commitment until the 3d Marine Division
left the country in November 1969. 3d FORECON was placed under command of the III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) and operated in general support of III MAF until deactivated in July 1970.
1990s In January 1998, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company was placed under the command of
4th Marine Division. ==Training==