Fighting began on August 17, 1965 and lasted for seven days. Combined elements of the 3rd Marine Division surprised, engaged and defeated the 1st Viet Cong Regiment, which had massed to attack and try to overrun the US Marine base at Chu Lai.
When the battle was over, there were 688 enemy dead. The Marines themselves suffered 46 deaths and 204 wounded.
Three Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines for outstanding acts of courage and sacrifice during Operation Starlite.
What spiritual lessons can we learn from this engagement?
1) Sometimes you have to go it alone
When the Marines planned and executed the operation, they didn’t inform the South Vietnamese leadership of the troop movements. The US military leaders felt they needed to execute this alone. Not enough time or trust to coordinate a joint operation.
As Christians, there are times when we have to make spiritual stands alone. Others may mean well, but God has given us the plan and He expects us to execute it. Others may actually hinder while meaning to help.
2) To be successful in battle, all available assets must be deployed.
Marines were deployed both by sea (landing craft) and by air (helicopter insertion). They also had Naval, ground artillery and air support to pound VC positions.
As Christians, we often fail to use all available weapons God has given us to engage the enemy of our soul. We may pray, but we won’t engage in spiritual warfare. We may quote pieces of scripture, but we don’t understand the power in the name of Jesus. We should use everything Jesus paid for when our soul is on the line.
3) A true brother in arms will never leave wounded comrades in the field unprotected.
Lance Cpl J. C. Paul, an automatic rifleman, was left to protect several wounded who were lying in the open. Paul had been wounded earlier that day and placed on a medevac chopper. Before the chopper took off, he decided that he wasn't wounded badly enough to leave the fight and rejoined his comrades. Paul came under attack while defending the wounded. A large number of VC tried to pick them off. The young lance corporal was hit once, then again with small-arms fire. He refused to leave his post and the wounded Marines under his care. By the time help came, he had been wounded again, this time mortally. He was carried to a medevac chopper, but Paul died on the way. J. C. Paul later was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Jesus said that there was no greater love than laying down one’s life for a friend. Soldiers have willingly sacrificed their lives for both the mission and their fellow soldiers. As Christians, we should be willing to lay down our agenda, our wants and needs for the greater Kingdom agenda and our lives for our brothers and sisters. The warrior’s motto is to never leave a fallen comrade in the field. This should be ours also.
4) After a battle, we must take inventory of what works and what needs to change.
The battle was fought in humid 112 degree-plus heat. Heat stroke caused many causalities during the battle. The military leadership learned that soldiers needed more water. The Marines also found that the bulky M-14 rifle, while an excellent weapon was too long, heavy and the wood stock was prone to warping in the jungle heat and humidity. They soon adopted the M-16, a shorter, and much lighter rifle with a plastic stock.
As Christians, we need to assess our strengths and weaknesses after a spiritual battle. Why can we resist in some areas but be so weak in others that we almost lose the battle? What worked and what didn’t? We need to adjust before the next conflict.
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