Dai Do battle tour Jones' Creek boat ride from Bo Dieu river to the DMZ

Dai Do battle tour Jones' Creek boat ride from Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province, Vietnam - exclusive tour to visit the DMZ

A major battle developed along the DMZ in 1968 as the NVA attempted to do what they had failed to do at Khe Sanh earlier - open an invasion into the South. The first step was to crack the U.S. 3rd Marine Division DMZ defenses by overrunning the Marine combat base at Dong Ha.The battle of Dai Do (the battle of Dong Ha) was fought from 30 April to 3 May 1968 between 48th and 52th regiments of 320 NVA Division and Battalion Landing Team 2/4 Marines (nicknamed The Magnificent Bastards) is one of the bloodiest epic battle of the Vietnam war. At Dai Do, fighting was often hand-to-hand, bunker-to-bunker.

Dai Do battle tour Jones' Creek boat ride from Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province, Vietnam - exclusive tour to visit the DMZ

The battle of Dai Do began on April 30, with the ambush of a U.S. Navy utility boat (LCU) by elements of the 320th NVA Division at the junction of the Bo Dieu and Cua Viet rivers. These rivers were vital logistics links for U.S. Marine forces deployed along the DMZ. From the Gulf of Tonkin, supplies flowed up the Cua Viet to its junction with the Bo Dieu, and then up the Bo Dieu to the Marine combat base at Dong Ha. From there supplies were transported by land and air to the Marine outposts at Khe Sanh, Camp Carroll, the Rockpile, and to numerous fire support bases, including Con Thien. (Source: Historical Atlas of Vietnam war by Harry G. Summers, Jr)

Tour program:

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at Dong Ha city going to a pier/wharf/dock on Bo Dieu river for taking a boat down the river to the T-junction of Bo Dieu river and Cua Viet river where you can disembark to visit the Dai Do village on the bank of Bo Dieu river - the place where the battle of Dai Do took place in April and May 1968. In this battle, the 2/4 Marines nicknamed "The Magnificent Bastards" and B company 1/3 Marines supported by boats of Navy River Assault Group had succeeded in stopping attack of 48th, 52nd regiments of the 320th NVA Division. NVA reinforcements were turned back by the "Gimlets"of the Army's 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, who occupied blocking positions at Nhi Ha to the northeast.

Dai Do battle tour Jones' Creek boat ride from Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province, Vietnam - exclusive tour to visit the DMZ

After visiting Dai Do village, we continue the tour with a car ride from Dai Do to Mai Xa Chanh village and Jones' Creek where you'll take a sampan boat ride from Cua Viet river to Ben Hai river. On the boat ride, you'll admire the really amazing countryside landscape of the DMZ area of Quang Tri province with flocks of ducks swimming on the creek's water; green rice paddies stretching to the skyline; water buffalos dipping the mud; cows grazing grass in the distant; flat grassland riddled with burial mounds.

Upon request, after having finished Jones' Creek boat ride, we'll be going across Ben Hai river to visit Tung Luat wharf - a gathering point for the NVA crossing Ben Hai river to fight in the South more than 78,000 times, transporting millions of personnels, weapons and food for the South revolution from 1968 to 1972. We can spend the rest of the day visiting Hien Luong bridge, Vinh Moc tunnel or just riding around the countryside of Gio Linh district to value the tranquility that peace can bring to us. Or you can request for more visits to old firebases (Cua Viet, Rockpile, Camp Carroll, Khe Sanh, or you can have a ride of leatherneck square to visit Dong Ha, Gio Linh, Con Thien, Cam Lo including firebases like Alpha 1, Alpha 2, Alpha 3, Alpha 4, Charlie 1, Charlie 2, Charlie 2A, Charlie 3A, Charlie 3B)

Dai Do battle tour Jones' Creek boat ride from Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province, Vietnam - exclusive tour to visit the DMZ

Tour price: $US 200

Inclusive: