The Battle of Camp Fowler was a battle of the Vietnam War that was fought between a battalion of Viet Cong insurgents and a battalion of US Marines near Dong Ha in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam on 14 August 1971.
Intending to pressure the Americans to speed up their withdrawal from Southeast Asia, the Viet Cong launched several attacks on US forces in South Vietnam in 1971. On 14 August 1971, a battalion of Viet Cong insurgents assaulted the Marine Corps base at Camp Fowler, hurling hundreds of guerrillas at the American defenses. The Viet Cong quickly overwhelmed the American front lines, taking over the base itself as the Marines were forced to retreat to the aid station. There, the Marines dug in and put up a resilient defense, repelling Viet Cong attacks from the base with small arms fire, helicopter attacks, and napalm strikes. The Viet Cong suffered heavy losses, forcing them to call off their attack. The Marines launched a counterattack, reclaiming their base and sending out patrols to find the remaining VC. One Marine chanced upon another dozen Viet Cong fighters holed up in a small house, and he killed all twelve of them with his M16.
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