CHAPTER 18

Logistics, 1970-1971

Supplying III MAF—FLC Phases Down—The End of Naval Support Activity Da Nang Engineer Support—Motor Transport—Medical Services

Supplying III MAF

Throughout its last year and a half of operations in Vietnam, III MAF continued to rely for supply, maintenance, and service support on Force Logistic Command (FLC). At the beginning of 1970, Brigadier General Mauro J. Padalino commanded FLC. A New Jersey native and combat veteran of World War II and Korea, Padalino as a colonel in 1965 had headed FLC's predecessor, the force Logistic Support Group. The fol­lowing year, he helped plan the organization of Force Logistic Command. He subsequently spent two years at the Marine Corps Supply Center, Barstow, Califor­nia, and in June 1968 took command of the 3d Force Service Regiment (FSR) on Okinawa. He received his star in September 1969 and returned to three Logistic Command two months later.

General Padalino had under him 396 Marine and 18 Navy officers and 7, 391 Marine and 145 Navy en­listed men, most of them concentrated at Camp Books, the large FLC cantonment northwest of Da Nang. FLC, under operational control of III MAF and administrative control of FMFPac, was organized around the Headquarters and Service, Supply, and Maintenance Battalions of the 1st Force Service Regi­ment and also included Force Logistic Support Group (FLSG) B, the 7th Motor Transport Battalion, and the 1st and 3d Military Police Battalions.*1

The three 1st FSR battalions conducted most of the centralized logistic activities of FLC. Headquarters and Service Battalion provided administrative, communi­cations, and motor transport assistance to other ele­ments of Force Logistic Command and units of III MAF. It also operated the III MAF Transient Facility, through which passed all incoming and outgoing per­sonnel, and the R&R Processing Center. Supply Bat­talion received, stored, and distributed all types of supplies. It also manned a central control point for stores accounting, operated ammunition supply points (ASPs), baked most of III MAF's breadstuffs, and packed and cleaned equipment for embarkation. Maintenance Battalion repaired all types of Marine ordnance and ground equipment, except for items requiring extensive overhaul or rebuilding, which were shipped to 3d FSR on Okinawa or to bases in Japan and the United States.**2 The 3d FSR also provided critical supply, maintenance, and service support, and dispatched contact teams as requested by Command­ing General, FLC and approved by Commanding General, FMFPac.

Force Logistic Support Group B, also headquartered at Camp Books, directly supported the 1st Marine Di­vision. Composed of the Headquarters and Service, Maintenance, Supply, and Truck companies of the 1st Service Battalion,*** the FLSG maintained logistic sup­port units (LSUs) at Hill 55, An Hoa, and LZ Baldy to serve respectively the 1st, 5th, and 7th Marines. Each LSU consisted of two officers and an average of 65 en­listed Marines. It drew rations, fuel, and ammunition from FLC for issue to the battalions of its supported regiment, repaired many equipment and ordnance items, and operated a laundry. At Chu Lai, Sub-Unit 1 of FLSG-B, redesignated LSU-4 in April, issued am­munition and provided maintenance and laundry serv­ice for the 9th Engineer Battalion, MAGs -12 and -13, and the 1st Combined Action Group.****3

* The MP units were under III MAF operational control. For de­tails of their operations, see Chapter 14.

** Under Marine Corps doctrine, a force service regiment furnishes all types of logistic support to a division, a wing, and force troops when deployed, and when reinforced provides the nucleus for a MAF logistics group. The FSR requisitions, stores, and issues all classes of supplies to the ground forces and to Marine airbases. When autho­rized, the FSR also coordinates with other Services and theater com­mands to obtain common item support. The division and wing, through their own organic logistic units, perform most of their own internal maintenance and supply distribution. A unique feature of the FLC, as organized in Vietnam, was the assimilation of the divisions' organic service battalions into the centralized FLC struc­ture as the nucleus of the FLSG.

*** This was the organic logistic support element of the 1st Ma­rine Division bur in Vietnam such battalions were merged into FLC, which meant, among other things that they ceased to maintain their own separate supply stocks and accounts.

**** Until the 3d Marine Division redeployed in November 1969, FLC had controlled two FLSGs: FLSG-A/lst Service Battalion at Da Nang and FLSG-B/3d Service Battalion at Dong Ha and Quang Tri. In November 1969, the 3d Service Battalion redeployed to Okinawa. FLSG-A then was deactivated and FLSG-B moved to Da Nang, where it assumed control of the 1st Service Battalion. FMFPac MarOps. Overview, pp. 56-57; FLSG-B ComdC. 15Mar66-16Sep70. in FLC ComdC, Sep70. 315