Operation Starlite
Operation Starlite was a battle fought in 1965 in what is now Vietnam. It was part of the Vietnam War, which ran from 1955 to 1975. The recorded result: Both sides claim victory. Recorded strength: 5,500 against ~1,500.
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Viet Cong prisoners wait in front of a U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse helicopter of Marine medium transport squadron HMM-161, during "Operation Starlight" south of Chu Lai, South Vietnam, . JUSPAO. (USIA), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons .
Fought 1965
Where Vietnam 15.299N, 108.840E
Outcome Both sides claim victory
Belligerents United States against Viet Cong
Where it sits in the Vietnam War Battle of Ap Bac, 1963 Battle of Go Cong, 1963 Battle of Nam Dong, 1964 Battle of An Lao, 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, 1964 Battle of Binh Gia, 1964 Operation Starlite, 1965 Battle of Dong Xoai, 1965 Battle of Ba Gia, 1965 Battle of Song Be, 1965 Battle of Dương Liễu–Nhông Pass, 1965 Attack on Camp Holloway, 1965 Battle of Núi Thành, 1965 Siege of Plei Me, 1965 Battle of Gang Toi, 1965 Battle of Ap Bau Bang, 1965 Battle of Ia Drang, 1965 Battle of Xa Cam My, 1966 Battle of A Shau, 1966 Operation Crimp, 1966 Battle of Bong Son, 1966 Battle of Suoi Bong Trang, 1966 Battle of Long Tan, 1966 Battle of Tra Binh Dong, 1967 Battle of Tam Quan, 1967 Operation Cedar Falls, 1967 Operation Bribie, 1967 Battle of Hill 881, 1967 Battle of Suoi Chau Pha, 1967 Operation Francis Marion, 1967 Battle of Ong Thanh, 1967 First Battle of Loc Ninh, 1967 Battle of Dak To, 1967 Battle of Saigon, 1968 New Year's Day Battle of 1968, 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968 Battle of Ban Houei Sane, 1968 Battle of Quang Tri, 1968 Battle of Lang Vei, 1968 Tet Offensive battle of Cholon and Phu Tho Racetrack, 1968 Action of 1 March 1968, 1968 Battle of Hue, 1968 Battle of Lima Site 85, 1968 Battle of An Bao, 1968 Battle of Kham Duc, 1968 Battle of Coral–Balmoral, 1968 Operation Speedy Express, 1968 Battle of Hat Dich, 1968 Operation Dewey Canyon, 1969 Battle of Hamburger Hill, 1969 Battle of Binh Ba, 1969 Battle of Kompong Speu, 1970 Battle of Prey Veng, 1970 Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord, 1970 Operation Ivory Coast, 1970 Operation Lam Son 719, 1971 Battle of FSB Mary Ann, 1971 Battle of Snuol, 1971 Battle of Long Khanh, 1971 Battle of Nui Le, 1971 First Battle of Quảng Trị, 1972 Battle of Loc Ninh, 1972 Battle of Đồng Hới, 1972 Battle of Kontum, 1972 Second Battle of Quảng Trị, 1972 Operation Linebacker II, 1972 Battle of Cửa Việt, 1973 Battle of the Paracel Islands, 1974 Battle of Kampot, 1974 Battle of Svay Rieng, 1974 Battle of the Iron Triangle, 1974 Battle of Phuoc Long, 1974 Battle of Ban Me Thuot, 1975 Battle of Xuan Loc, 1975 Fall of Saigon, 1975 1963 1975 Operation Starlite, 1965 75 placed engagements of the Vietnam War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.
Record
Date 1965 (year precision) Place Vietnam15.299N, 108.840E Kind Battle, Cold War Territorial change 15 miles south of Chu Lai on the border of Quảng Tín and Quảng Ngãi Provinces Strength 5,500 ~1,500 Casualties and losses U.S claim: 45 killed, 203 wounded; Viet Cong claim: 919 killed and wounded U.S body count: 614 killed; 9 captured; 42 suspects detained; 109 weapons recovered; Viet Cong report: ~200 killed, wounded or captured (including 50 killed) Commanders Lewis W. Walt Oscar F. Peatross
Operation Starlite Operation Starlite Battle of Ba Gia Battle of Núi Thành Battle of FSB Mary Ann Battle of An Lao Battle of Duc Duc Battle of Ba Gia Battle of Núi Thành Battle of An Lao Battle of Duc Duc Da Nang Hue Quảng Ngãi Kon Tum 100 km 15.299N, 108.840E The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.
Operation Starlite is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 140 in present-day Vietnam.
Sources
Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1477118 , released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Starlite , revision 1377753640, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.
