On 17 March the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 1st Division had killed more than 50 soldiers of the Viet Cong (VC) 804th Battalion in the area south of the district capital of Phong Điền.

The operation plan called for Companies A and B of the 1st Battalion 4th Marines to be landed by helicopters north and south of Route 597 and then move 4 km southeast to sweep the hamlets of Ap Phu An and Ap Tay Hoang, which were believed to be held by the VC 802nd Battalion.

Low clouds ruled out air support, but artillery fire from the 4th Battalion, 12th Marines at Phong Điền softened up the landing zones.

Company B moved out from Landing Zone Robin and into a minefield around the hamlet of Ap Chinh An that wounded one Marine.

[1]: 69 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.