Here’s some information on Marines in Vietnam from the Marine Corps history of the Vietnam War, in 21 volumes, published by the United States Marine Corps’ History and Museums Division, created from 1968 to 2009:
“On 14 April 1971, III MAF redeployed to Okinawa, and two months later the last ground troops, the 13,000 men of the 3d MEB, flew out from Da Nang.
Although Marine combat units were no longer in Vietnam, Marine advisors remained to assist the South Vietnamese.”
http://www.paperlessarchives.com/vw_marine_corps_official_histo.html
So, it appears that the last Marine Corps forces left Vietnam in June of 1971. Only ones to remain were the advisors and the embassy guards. It seems unlikely that Phillips would have been either an advisor or embassy guard at the age of 17.
Here’s some information on Marines in Vietnam from the Marine Corps history of the Vietnam War, in 21 volumes, published by the United States Marine Corps’ History and Museums Division, created from 1968 to 2009:
“On 14 April 1971, III MAF redeployed to Okinawa, and two months later the last ground troops, the 13,000 men of the 3d MEB, flew out from Da Nang.
Although Marine combat units were no longer in Vietnam, Marine advisors remained to assist the South Vietnamese.”
http://www.paperlessarchives.com/vw_marine_corps_official_histo.html
So, it appears that the last Marine Corps forces left Vietnam in June of 1971. Only ones to remain were the advisors and the embassy guards. It seems unlikely that Phillips would have been either an advisor or embassy guard at the age of 17.
Thank you for finding and posting that.
I’m sure all of the Fake News (cough cough CNN, et al) are getting right to this same info that you were easily able to access. /s
Interesting. My memory is hazy. Got me to looking up my records. Travels orders etc...
My active duty was to end 06/17/1971.
Got sent home, as an individual,(unit was still there) in May of 1971.
My orders were cut 5/8/1971 to leave in-country 05/09/71. They gave me credit through 05/12/71.(maybe time spent in Okinawa coming home ?). The Marines released me from active duty a month early - 05/17/71.
I didn’t realize we were that close to coming home as a unit.
Bingo. It’s not likely that he enlisted at 17, finished his training and sent directly to Vietnam at a time when everything was winding down and we were pulling people out of there.