regiment at Da Nang. By the end of February, the 2nd Battalion relieved the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and the 3rd Battalion relieved the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines in the southwest Da Nang tactical area of responsibility (TAOR). During March the 1/27th Marines remained in reserve while the other two battalions conducted over 2,900 small unit patrols throughout its TAOR resulting in about 310 contacts, 182 initiated by the Marines and the remainder by the Vietcong (VC). At the end of March 1/27th Marines was moved north to provide security of Route 1 between Huế and Phu Bai Combat Base and the protection of Tân Mỹ Base. On 5 May a seven-man ambush patrol from the 1st Battalion murdered five South Vietnamese civilians near Huế. Five of the seven Marines were convicted of murder. On 13 May elements of the 3rd Battalion joined Operation Allen Brook. The entire regiment later joined the operation and assumed operational control until 3 August. The deployment of the regiment overseas was only intended to be temporary and in March Johnson instructed that it was to return to the U.S. by 15 July, but this was delayed until September due to delays in the training of replacement United States Army forces. The deployment had put a severe strain on manpower in the Marine Corps. While the regiment was preparing for its redeployment to the U.S. in August the VC launched their Phase III offensive and 1st Battalion participated in the defense of Danang Air Base while the 2nd Battalion participated in operations to cut off the retreating VC and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces. By late August the 1st Marine Regiment had arrived in the Da Nang TAOR and it began to relieve the Regiment. On 12 September, the first planeload of Regiment Marines left for Okinawa and on 17 September the last of BLT 1/27 arrived in Hawaii. A homecoming parade was presented as a Memorial Ceremony downtown San Diego to the lives the regiment had given in South Vietnam. The unit was then reassigned to Camp Pendleton within the area of the base called Camp Margarita or the 33 Area. Notable former members John Basilone, served with machineguns during World War II John A. Butler, served as Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion during the battle of Iwo Jima Jack Lummus, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines Donn J. Robertson, served