Operation Starlite was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War from 18 to 24 August 1965. The operation was launched based on intelligence provided by Major general Nguyen Chanh Thi, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) I Corps commander. III Marine Amphibious Force commander Lieutenant General Lewis W. Walt devised a plan to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Viet Cong (VC) 1st Regiment to nullify their threat to the vital Chu Lai Air Base and Base Area and ensure its powerful communication tower remained intact.
Vietcong prisoners (or civilians) await transport during Operation Starlite
Operation Starlite 18–19 August 1965
A MAG-16 helicopter evacuates casualties, while a Marine M48 Patton tank stands guard
Nguyễn Chánh Thi was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He is best known for being involved in frequent coups in the 1960s and wielding substantial influence as a key member of various juntas that ruled South Vietnam from 1964 until 1966, when he was overpowered by Republic of Vietnam Air Force chief and Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ in a power struggle and exiled to the United States. Known for his flamboyant style and hostility to US advice, Thi's ouster was supported by the American leadership, who backed Kỳ's pro-US regime.
Nguyễn Chánh Thi
Thi (left) and Thiệu (right) during the 1960s. Both were prominent in Saigon military politics in the 1960s.
Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, Thi's fiercest rival.
William Westmoreland, the US commander in Vietnam, disapproved of Thi and supported his removal from command.