Their primary missions were to conduct pre-assault reconnaissance for
amphibious landing forces, this included conducting hydro graphic surveys of
proposed landing sites and including hinterland recon to determine ability
of egress from the beach head inland for troops and equipment. The other
primary mission was to conduct deep reconnaissance into hostile territory
and report on enemy locations, routes of communication, strength, equipment,
etc.

Their secondary missions included direct action activities such as combat patrols,
search and destroy, demolition and operations with other units.

The 1st Force Reconnaissance Company at Camp Delmar, and Camp Pendleton California and consisted of 6 reconnaissance platoons. 
One platoon every 13 months was rotated
 to Okinawa to support the 3rd Marine Division and  
to provide pre-assault beach reconnaissance and post assault deep recon
missions.

A Force Recon Platoons consisted of 16 Marines, 
1 officer, 
1 senior NCO, 
1 parachute rigger, 
1 dive NCO, 
3  reconnaissance teams of 4 Marines each

Cpl Les Herring  was a Team leader  with Sub Unit 1,  1st. Force Reconnaissance Co, 
back in the mid 60's.

 My platoon, Sub Unit 1 arrived in Okinawa in November 1964 and conducted training operations until December 1964 when we boarded a small destroyer specifically designed to carry Marine Recon and Navy UDT/SEAL teams to areas of operation. After spending Christmas day in Subic Bay, in the Philippines we sailed to southern Thailand to conduct recon patrols. 
Each of our 4 man teams had 1 Thai Marine attached as interpreter. After completing those operations we arrived in Vietnam and began conducting operations for the planned Marine amphibious landings that would beginning in March 1965.
 We began attachments to SF A-Teams in May 1965 and conducted recon and combat patrols in the  I Corps. We operated mainly  from  Da Nang, Phu Bai, Chu Lai, Gia Vuc and Kham Duc

May 1965: Sub Unit 1 platoon attached to Gia Vuc

November 1965: 2nd platoon attached to A-106 at Ba To.

A combine patrol from Ba To was attacked on the night of the 16 December, with catastrophic result, three Marines a SF Sgt and 10 CIDG were killed.
The three Marines were  Cpl. R.S. Joy, Moore and  R. Sisson. The aftermath was recorded in the I CTZ MOBILE STRIKE FORCE - MOPSUMS DECEMBER 1965
"The third Nung Company conducted refresher training from 1 through 15 December and was committed on a reaction mission at Camp Bato on 16 December. At 0430 17 December the company departed Camp Bato to retrieve the bodies of American and CIDG dead located approximately 6 kilometers east of Camp Bato. This operation was aborted just short of the objective area on the basis of new intelligence on the situation in the objective area. On 21 December 2 Nung platoons reinforced with elements of the weapons platoon acted as security for the force of CIDG, USSF and USMC personnel in to the objective area and secured the area while the combined force retrieved the bodies of CIDG and US personnel. The Nung Force then acted as security for the combined force and returned it to Camp Bato." courtesy of  Steve Sherman from Radix Press, After Action reports are available for the I, II, III,  IV Mike Force, use link

December 1965: 3rd platoon attached to A-107 at Tra Bong

The rest of the Force Recon Company (5 platoons) arrived in RVN in June '65.

SUB UNIT 1 1st Force Reconnaissance Company  November 1964- December 1965
Commanding Officer	Cpt D.W. "Dave" Whittingham                Deceased 1977
Platoon  Sgt	Gy/Sgt R.W. " Rocky" Burke,                          Deceased replaced by S/Sgt A. Mobley May 65
Parachute Rigger	Cpl D.W "Jaw" Robinson
Diving NCO	Cpl C.K.  "Rat" Thieman                        Deceased 1975
RECON TEAMS
Team leader	Sgt H.P. "Val" Vialpando                         Deceased 1975
Asst Tm Ldr	Cpl L.H. Merrell                                 KIA RVN 23/04/65
Radio Operator	Cpl D.M. Taylor
Scout	Cpl J.M. "Pappy" Boersma
Team leader	Sgt J.E Giles                                              Deceased 2002
Asst Tm Ldr	Cpl W.A. Frank
Radio Operator	Cpl R.E. Kindseth                Deceased 31th October 2010
Scout	Cpl  M.W. "Iron Mike" Paget
Team leader	Cpl L.R. "Bone" Herring            Deceased 7th July 2011
Asst Tm Ldr	Cpl A.P. "Habu" Rodriguez
Radio Operator	Cpl L.G. "Linus" Clark
Scout	Cpl J.J."CheChe's" Brown

Our first unit KIA was on the  23rd of April 1965 when seven of us  were ambushed while landing  for a recon patrol at a small beach at the confluence of the Son Bon Tran river  in  South Vietnam, Cpl L.H. Merrell was killed as well two sailors from our escort boat.

The rest of the Force Recon Company (5 platoons) arrived in RVN in June '65.

Richard Henry Langford, EN2  USS Bexar TAD to USS Cook APD 130

William Ralph Fuhrman, TM3, USS Cook APD 130

Bellow is an extract from I CTZ MOBILE STRIKE FORCE - MOPSUMS MAY 1965

"Twenty-five Marines of the 3rd Marine Division Force Reconnaissance have been assigned to
"A" detachments in I CTZ for specific operations as observers."
courtesy of  Steve Sherman from Radix Press, After Action reports are available for the I, II, III,  IV Mike Force, use link

Force Recon at Gia Vuc see Commo Bunker display 2007
 

Les Herring, 
photo taken at a high power rifle match while serving with the 12th SFGA

 All information and photos thanks to Les Herring , 
Cpl, 1st. Force Reconnaissance Co.  RVN 1965  
SSGT, Co. A 1st Bn. 12th , SFGA

Front row, from Left 
Tom Campbell on left, Les Herring, Phil Bradfield