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Chapter 15
Rotation Rest
As time passed our Battalion’s ‘TAOR’ ( tactical area of responsibility ) changed —it became larger—our patrols extended deeper and deeper in the surrounding mountains and valleys—E co., F Co., G Co. and H Co. saturated the region around Qui Nhon known as Binh Dinh Province. 13@ Intelligence regarding enemy movements was gathered by our patrols, the Recon Platoon assigned to Bn., friendly forces ( the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Viet Nam
( ARVN ). The VC and the NVA ran their own recon patrols, ambush patrols and staged assaults on smaller units from time to time —as long as the numbers were in their favor.
Col. Utter developed a policy of rotating companies from the field back to a rest area within the battalion perimeter—it was something like seven days in the field and four days back to the Battalion perimeter. This allowed troops to get hot showers, hot chow, receive the mail, wash their uniforms, maintain their weapons and gear and—rest. Even though we were supposedly back in a ‘rest area’ there were still work details, guard duty, meetings and inspections—all part of the Marine Corps way—stay ready to fight—rest didn’t really mean ‘rest’ —it meant ‘recharge’!
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