| Birth: | May 22, 1944
Fall River
Bristol County
Massachusetts, USA | | Death: | Mar. 4, 1966
Quang Ngai, Vietnam | 
Raymond the son of Raymond A. Blanchette and Marie Blanchette of Tolland CT enlisted in the US Marine Corps on September 25, 1962 in Hartford CT. He was assigned to Company H, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 3d MARDIV (Rein) FMF during Operation Utah.
The first wave of Marines were taken under fire but managed to secure the landing zone and begin to move towards their objectives. Advancing in a general easterly direction, the Marines pushed forward for a few hundred meters before that were taken under heavy enemy fire. Company G penetrated the enemy positions in two places but couldn't take advantage of these minor gains because of the lack of reserves. Company H on the right, made some progress until the NVA counterattacked in force.
The attack was repulsed with the use of 81 mm mortars on the NVA troops pouring across open rice paddies. The NVA then stuck Company F with a heavy volume of fire; casualties were piling up from the devastating enemy fire for all the Marine units battling the hardened enemy troops they encountered in the open paddies, in the hedgerows and tree lines. The NVA attack was finally repulsed by air strikes, using bombs, rockets and napalm that were dropped on the NVA until the Marines reached their night defensive positions near the hamlet of Chau Nhai.
LCpl Blanchette died from an enemy gunshot wound, one of forty-four Marine casualties from the 2d Battalion killed in action by the enemy during the battle. Five Marines from Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines were also killed.
Casualties:
H&S Company: Nine men Killed in Action
Company F: Twelve men Killed in Action, one died of wounds
Company G: Four men Killed In Action
Casualties: Company H
Richard Graham Allen
Raymond Blanchette
Rupert Sadler Carven III
John Jay Edwards
Andrew Lalone Hastings
Klaus Jurgen Herms
Henry James Hooper
William John Hrinko
William Johnson
Lewis Albert Kimmel
Franz Joseph Kolbeck
Vinford Franklyn Michael
Henry Duane Odom
Peter Gary Scavuzzo
Robert Lee Smith Jr.
Charles Robert Wetzel
Family links:
Parents:
Raymond Blanchette (1924 - 1993)
| | | Burial:
Saint Bernards Cemetery
Rockville
Tolland County
Connecticut, USA
Plot: Section C, Row 3, Lot 33 |
Created by: Victor Vilionis
Record added: Apr 29, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 69088890 |
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