- February 4, 2026
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Capt. George Phillips of Sarasota never wanted to revisit his service during the Vietnam War.
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran never reads war books, has never been to a Vietnam movie, and never wanted to return to the site of Operation Swift.
Nonetheless, when asked to tell his story for a group of young, active-duty Marines and Sailors in the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit who were on their way for a memorial visit to the site, he agreed to do so.
“I told the story again, probably about the 300th time, and I was very glad to do it,” he said.
From Jan. 9-11, the group conducted the visit to the site of the battle, which took place in the Quế Sơn Valley along the border of the Quảng Nam and Quảng Tín Provinces.
About 127 Marines died in the battle.
Among those killed were two Medal of Honor recipients, Navy Chaplain Vincent Capodanno, who was serving with the Marines, and Sgt. Lawrence Peters, a squad leader.
Their citations were read out loud during the gathering.
Phillips is involved with, and also ran for a time, the Capodanno Guild, an organization that advocates for Capodanno’s canonization as a saint by the Roman Catholic church.
He says his admiration of the chaplain and his sacrifice motivates him to tell the story.
Phillips called in by mobile phone to walk the group through the battle in detail as it unfolded nearly 58 years earlier, able to view the site through his screen.
“This was one of many battles, but this was one of the worst,” said Phillips, who is the recipient of two Bronze Star Combat V medals and two Purple Hearts.
During the operation on Sept. 4, 1967, about 165 U.S. Marines from Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, engaged an estimated 2,500 North Vietnamese Army troops.
Phillips detailed how the engagement began, and the 14 hours of relentless combat that followed.
“I was about the fourth guy back from point,” Phillips told the group in a quote provided by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “The point guy… said, ‘I think I saw a bush move,’ and Sully, who was the platoon sergeant, yelled back to him, ‘If it moves again, shoot it.’ Well, you know, the bush moved, he shot it, and then the whole world just opened up.”
According to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Chaplain Vincent Capodanno ran through enemy fire to reach a platoon, administering last rites and shielding and caring for the wounded while refusing medical aid for himself.
Sgt. Lawrence Peters repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire as he led the troops, rescued the wounded, and directed evacuation, inspiring the Marines to regain the fight.
Phillips notes that the chapel at the Navy Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island, was dedicated the Capodanno Memorial Chapel, meaning most people who become Navy chaplains are familiar with his name.
He describes the chaplain as having been exceptionally courageous in accompanying Marines on patrols every day.
“I felt, and I still feel, that I owe Father Capodanno a lot,” he said. “He changed the way I think about things, brought me closer to the church, and it's not every day you meet somebody that you meet him for the first time, look in his eyes, and know he's something special. Never saw that before, never seen it since.”
Phillips closed out his speech with advice to young service members.
“I hope you never have to go through a day like this while you're serving the Corps, but if you do, you remember that there are 250 years of Marines and Corpsmen behind you," he recounted saying. "Don’t let them down.”
