Marines in Vietnam

On the morning of 8 March 1965, the men of the United States Marine Corps prepared to land on Red Beach II in the Republic of Vietnam. The resulting conflict became the most protracted war of the Corps' history. The Marines evolved through early, nervous attempts to fend off the North Vietnamese enemy, to 'hearts and minds' programmes with the local population, and the larger operations Hastings and Dewey Canyon, where fighting resembled some of the worst in the Pacific arena of World War II. As the last Marines were evacuated by Communist-overrun Saigon in 1975, the countless battles, skirmishes and 'hill fights' had seen the Marines account for a third of all U.S. casualties in Vietnam. More than 100 rare and unusual photographs document the uniforms, insignia and equipment of the USMC, including the M14 rifle (later replaced by the M16); grenades, mines and flamethrowers; body armour flak jackets, helmets, camouflage and jungle boots; and transports such as the LVTP-5, Sea Knight and Chinook.