"In the Que Son Basin - Operations Swift, Union I & II"
5 - 19 June 2009

Tour Director: Ed Garr

6 Jun Sat - (Day Two) Arrive Inchon & depart for Hanoi late in the evening. Check into ICC Hotel.

7 Jun Sun - (Day Three) A full day tour of sights of military interest in Hanoi, to include the National Army Museum, Hoa Lo Prison ("The Hanoi Hilton"), the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace, and other sites as time permits. In the evening, there will be a brief by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) on current their operations. Hotel: ICC (B/L/D)

8 Jun Mon - (Day Four) Depart Hanoi early in the morning for our flight to Da Nang. Proceed to the Bamboo Green Hotel followed by lunch at the Kim Do, one of Da Nang's oldest restaurants. There will be a short city tour to include Marble Mountain and the new China Beach, Dog Patch and Hill 34. Hotel: Hotel G Plaza (B/L/D)

9 Jun Tue - (Day Five) Early morning departure for a full day in the field covering the area of the "Rocket Belt" west of Da Nang, to include Dodge City, Hill 55, the Vu Gia/Tu Bon River Basin, Go Noi Island, Liberty Bridge, the Arizona Territory, and the An Hoa Combat Base. Other sites as requested, and as time allows. Hotel: Hoi An Hotel (B/L/-)

10 June Wed - (Day Six) Today we travel west into the Que Son Basin and explore all battle sites of Operation Swift and Union along the Ly Ly River. Hotel: Hoi An (B/L/D)

11 Jun Thur - (Day Seven) We continue to explore the areas in the Que Son Valley We will walk the ground of LZ Eagle where Lima Company went into a hot zone near Tam Ky on the 26 May a brief commemoration will be held here. Hotel: Tam Ky (B/L/D)

12 Jun Fri - (Day Eight) On this day we commemorate the 44th Anniversary of the Chu Lai landing. We proceed to the Chu Lai area of operations, with stops at Hill 69, Hill 43, and Tam Hiep. We will view the area of the landing and the Catfish Out-Posts. There will be a brief commentary on the landing from Hill 43. We then continue south to the Starlite operational area and after a briefing, we proceed south to My Lai for a visit and complete another full day in the field. Hotel: Hoi An Hotel (B/L/D)

13 Jun Sat - (Day Nine) We depart early in the morning for Hue, while viewing Red Beach, Nam O, the Hai Van Pass, and Lang Co along the route. Upon arrival in Hue, we check into the Huong Giang Hotel that was the former ARVN BOQ during the battle of Hue. After lunch we commence a walking tour south of the Perfume River. We follow in trace of 2/5 and 1/1 areas of operations to retake the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Sites covered will be the Phu Cam Canal, the old Texaco Station, MACV Compound, Hue University, and many other sites that were important to the battle. The late afternoon is free for R&R at the hotel pool. In the evening, a dinner cruise on the Perfume River. Hotel: Huong Giang (B/L/D)

14 Jun Sun - (Day Ten) A leisurely day starts by retracing 1/5's actions to retake the Dong Ba Market area and the Citadel. This will include a walking tour of the battle of the Phase Lines, the Airstrip, and the Forbidden City, within the walls of the Citadel. The afternoon is free for shopping on Le Loi Street and at the Dong Ba Market. In the evening, a dinner cruise on the Perfume River. Hotel: Huong Giang (B/L/D)

15 Jun Mon - (Day Eleven) Early morning departure for the drive North to the DMZ, "Leatherneck Square," Dong Ha Combat Base, the Dong Ha Bridge and other sites relevant to the events of the Easter Offensive, Cam Lo, The Wash-out, and Con Tien. We continue north to the old boundaries of the DMZ, the Ben Hai River. Hotel: Troung Son (B/Box L/D)

16 Jun Tue - (Day Twelve) This morning we go west along Route 9 with stops at Camp Carroll, Khe Gia Bridge, the Rock pile, the Razorback, Vandergrift and the new Da Krong Bridge. After lunch we proceed to Lang Vei on the Lao border. This was the scene of the first use by the NVA of tanks when they assaulted the Special Forces Camp in 1968. We then head back to the old Khe Sahn Combat Base. There will plenty of time for photo opportunities on the old airstrip. At this time we return to Hue with dinner on your own. Hotel: Huong Giang (B/L)

17 Jun Wed - (Day Thirteen) Today is basically a free day to shop or relax, and prepare for the trip home. Optional touring will be available to sites not visited (tours can be arranged cheaply at additional personal cost.) The group will have the tour bus to visit sites in Hue for last minute shopping bargains. The group will say farewell at a special dinner at one of Hue's famous restaurants. Hotel: Huong Giang (B/D)

18 Jun Thur - (Day Fourteen) Return to Hanoi on the early morning flight and check in at the ICC Hotel. After lunch, we will go to an Open House with the Marine Security Guard Detachment. Late evening departure for our flight to Inchon. Hotel: ICC (B/L/-)

19 Jun Fri - (Day Fifteen) We arrive Inchon, and after a short layover, we board our Korea Air flight #1 for Los Angeles, arriving the same date.