Battle of Trà Bình

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Short description|Part of the Vietnam War (1967)}}

{{sources|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Trà Bình

| partof = the Vietnam War

| date = February 14–15, 1967

| place = {{ill|Trà Bình|vi|Trà Bình|lt=Trà Bình village}}, Trà Bồng District, Quảng Ngãi, South Vietnam

| result = Both sides declared victory

| combatant1 = {{flag|North Vietnam}}
{{flagicon|Republic of South Vietnam}} Viet Cong

| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Third Republic of Korea}}
{{flag|South Vietnam}}
{{flag|United States}}

| commander1 = {{flagicon|Republic of South Vietnam}} Hà Văn Trí{{cite web |title=Nguồn gốc danh hiệu "Gọn như Ba Gia" |url=https://ct.qdnd.vn/ho-so-tu-lieu/nguon-goc-danh-hieu-gon-nhu-ba-gia-519952 |website=ct.qdnd.vn |access-date=October 25, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Lòng dân Hòa Châu |url=https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/201212/long-dan-hoa-chau-2211550/ |website=baodanang.vn |access-date=October 25, 2021}}

| commander2 = {{flagicon|Third Republic of Korea}} Jeong Kyung-Jin{{cite book|title=파월한국군전사|publisher=국방부|location=Republic of Korea|edition=Volume II}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vietvet.co.kr/sugy/trabin/trabin.htm|website=Vietvet|publisher=Vietvet.co.kr|access-date=May 6, 2015|title="짜빈동의 청룡 영웅들" www.vietvet.co.kr}}

| units1 = 40th and 60th Battalions, 1st Ba Gia Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division{{cite web |title=Trận đồi Quang Thạnh – Trà Bình Đông – Battle of Tra Binh Dong |url=http://chientruongvietnam.com/2019/02/20/tran-doi-quang-thanh-tra-binh-dong-battle-of-tra-binh-dong/ |website=chientruongvietnam.com |date=February 20, 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2021}}

| units2 = 11th Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Brigade

Sub-Unit One, 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

| strength1 = {{flagicon|North Vietnam}} 240+[http://www.ec47.com/storage/UserFileFolder/1967_Timeline_-_February_-_Blue_Dragons_&_Tally_Ho_Article.pdf The Battle of Tra Binh Dong] ec47.com
{{flagicon|Republic of South Vietnam}} 600{{cite web |title=General Nguyễn Chơn and anecdotes |url=https://baodanang.vn/channel/5399/201601/tuong-nguyen-chon-va-nhung-giai-thoai-2462173/ |website=baodanang.vn |access-date=October 24, 2021}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.quangngai.gov.vn/vi/sovhttdl/pages/qnp-ditichdoitranhquangthanh-qnpnd-587-qnpnc-20-qnpsite-1.html |title=Sở Văn hóa, Thể thao và du lịch Quảng Ngãi |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202034650/http://www.quangngai.gov.vn/vi/sovhttdl/pages/qnp-ditichdoitranhquangthanh-qnpnd-587-qnpnc-20-qnpsite-1.html |url-status=dead }}

| strength2 = 294

| casualties1 = South Korea claim: 246 killed{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/koreas-myth-making-marines.htm|title=Korea's Myth-Making Marines|publisher=Historynet|author=James Durand|date=October 2008|access-date=May 4, 2020}}
30 weapons recovered
PAVN claim: Heavy/No specific number

| casualties2 = {{flagicon|South Korea}} South Korea claim: 15 killedhttp://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php?topic=3422.0 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208094536/http://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php?topic=3422.0 |date=February 8, 2013 }}. Multiple Korean articles state losses of 15 killed quoting a book titled "파월한국군전사" (translated as Battle History of Korean Army sent to Vietnam), which was published by Ministry of National Defense of Korea.
PAVN claim: 420 casualties

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Vietnam War}}

}}

The Battle of Trà Bình ({{langx|vi|Trận Quang Thạnh}};{{Cite web |title=Trận Quang Thạnh - Battle of Tra Binh Dong, 15/2/1967 |url=http://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php?topic=3422.0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208094536/http://www.vnmilitaryhistory.net/index.php?topic=3422.0 |archive-date=2013-02-08}} {{langx|ko|짜빈동 전투 Tjabin-dong}}) was fought in the Trà Bình village, Trà Bồng District, on February 14–15, 1967 during the Vietnam War. The 11th Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Brigade defeated a regimental-sized attack in four hours of close quarters combat. The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) penetrated the company's perimeter on two occasions. The 11th Company Marines fought using every weapon available; much of the fighting was hand-to-hand.{{Cite journal|last=Durand|first=James|date=May 2005|title=The Battle of Tra Binh Dong and the Korean Origins of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program|journal=Marine Corps Gazette}} Two U.S. Marines assigned to Sub Unit One, 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), Lance Corporals Jim Porta and Dave Long, were instrumental to the company's success, killing enemy infiltrators, coordinating air support, joining a counterattack to restore the perimeter and aiding the wounded.{{Cite journal|last=Durand|first=James|date=February 2016|title=ANGLICO Marines at Tra Binh Dong|url=https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/2017/02/anglico-marines-tra-binh-dong|journal=Leatherneck|volume=100|access-date=June 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620154916/https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/2017/02/anglico-marines-tra-binh-dong|archive-date=June 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}

The battle took place after a VC defector, a former commander of a training camp, revealed that the PAVN was planning an attack on the ROKMC's 11th Company. On February 14, the PAVN 40th and 60th Battalions moved into their positions in the forest surrounding the perimeter of the ROKMC 11th Company. The regular PAVN battalions were also supported by one VC local force battalion from Quang Ngai. With their troops built up around the area, the PAVN/VC forces planned to cut all communication lines and wipe out the South Korean forces in the area.