[1]: 313 [2] On 16 April 1968, Company A 1st Battalion, 9th Marines began a patrol southwest of Hill 689, when it was ambushed by PAVN soldiers in bunkers concealed in the thick vegetation.

Two more companies from 1/9 Marines were dispatched to save them, but they became ensnarled in this confusing battle and were unable to disengage until the early morning of 17 April.

[1]: 320 [2]: 5–112 At 04:00 on 31 May the PAVN supported by artillery fire attacked Company E 2/3 Marines on Foxtrot Ridge but were beaten back.

[1]: 320–4 From 19 June Task Force Hotel conducted Operation Charlie, the evacuation and destruction of the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

The battle continued until late afternoon when the PAVN disengaged leaving over 200 dead, while the defending Marines lost two men.

[1]: 324–6 The abandonment of Khe Sanh base was part of a change in U.S. strategy following the replacement of General William Westmoreland as COMUSMACV by General Creighton Abrams and the increased availability of helicopters saw the Marines move away from being tied to defending large bases along the DMZ and refocussing on mobile operations to engage PAVN units and their logistics network.

On 17 September PAVN units were observed near the site of the abandoned Khe Sanh base and air and artillery strikes were ordered in with negligible results.

[1]: 406–8 On 5 October Task Force Hotel commander BG Frank E. Garretson (who had assumed the command in August) commenced a new operation west of Khe Sanh, landing the 3/4 Marines and 2/4 Marines north and south of the abandoned Lang Vei camp and then sweeping east along Route 9.

[1]: 453–5 By early November Task Force Hotel controlled the following forces in the Scotland II operational area: 1/4 Marines defended and patrolled from Firebases Cates (16°40′24″N 106°48′22″E / 16.6734°N 106.806°E / 16.6734; 106.806) and Shepherd and Hills 691 (16°40′23″N 106°48′22″E / 16.673°N 106.806°E / 16.673; 106.806) and 950;[2]: 5–95 [2]: 5–464 [2]: 5–234  3/4 Marines defended Firebase Gurkha (16°42′34″N 106°42′45″E / 16.7094°N 106.7126°E / 16.7094; 106.7126) and patrolled the Khe Xa Bai and Song Rao Quan Valleys;[2]: 5–206  and 2/4 Marines was deployed to Hill 1308 to construct Firebase Argonne approximately 10 km northwest of Khe Sanh and 2 km east of the Laotian border.

[1]: 451 On 7 December 2/4 Marines was landed on ridgelines east of LZ Mack and 3 km north of Dong Ha Mountain.

[3] The Marines withdrew to evacuate their casualties and following air and artillery strikes resumed their assault on the PAVN positions.

Over the next two weeks 2/4 Marine searched the ridgeline but without engaging any more PAVN and on 26 December they were redeployed to the Cửa Việt Base.

On 10 January a large bunker complex was discovered north of Firebase Neville indicating that the PAVN were preparing for operations in the area and on 1 February elements of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and 2/4 Marines swept the southern half of the DMZ north of Neville discovering further caches but without gaining any useful intelligence on PAVN plans.

The PAVN remained deployed around Firebase Neville and continued to hit it with mortar fire for several more days despite air and artillery support, until swept from the area by Company G, 2/4 Marines.

[4]: 23  In early April outgoing 3rd Marine Division commander MG Raymond G. Davis stated that "we totally control Quảng Trị Province.

"[4]: 52 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.