When it was first observed in July 1966, there was still a large enemy force operating at the base and in the shadow of the Rockpile.
The fight for the mountain occurred during Operation Hastings and involved 8,000 Marines and 3,000 South Vietnamese soldiers.
The base at Dong Ha was used as a staging area to mount an attack on the DMZ and the area around the Rockpile.
Brigadier General Lowell English, a commander in charge of Operation Hastings, stated that the Marines sought to take the North Vietnamese by surprise on their crucial infiltration routes and to smash and destroy their force in the DMZ region before they had a chance to regain balance or momentum.
The actions started with bombing and napalm strikes on potential future landing zone sites in mid-July 1966.
The initial helicopter assault of Operation Hastings was disastrous as two transport helicopters collided and crashed.
By the end of the day 15 Marines were dead with a further 10 soldiers injured; however, Operation Hastings was an overall success.
By the operation's end on 3 August 1966 the United States had accounted for at least 824 confirmed NVA soldiers killed and 214 captured weapons compared to the 126 Marines killed and 448 wounded.
The Rockpile officially came under the control of American troops by the end of July 1966 when a small observation team landed on the summit.
The NVA immediately attempted to remove the Marines from their defensive position, but several attempts at scaling the Rockpile and striking the top and sides with mortar rounds proved ineffective.
Operation Prairie swung the momentum for the mountain's fight after waves of Marines stormed into the area to reinforce the troops around the Rockpile and fortify its defenses.
From then on the Rockpile was often manned by at least a squad of United States Marines, who received supply drops by helicopters and would go on to launch numerous operations from the base of the mountain.

The military officially named the camp Elliott Combat Base, but more often than not it was simply known as the Rockpile.
The location seemed vulnerable to many of the soldiers that defended it due to its location in the center of an open valley, along a river, with elephant grass growing much closer to the perimeter of the base than most other camps located throughout northern South Vietnam.
Once inside the barbed wire boundary, the congested and disorganized layout of the base area was immediately noticeable.
Tents, low bunkers, and trenches commingled across the camp in no particular order or arrangement.
The three largest tents at the Rockpile all possessed dirt floors with canvas sides and served as a kitchen, a mess hall, and a first-aid station.
The dining tent had no chairs or tables, but instead long planks were positioned slightly over waist high so soldiers could stand and eat.

Battalions stationed at the Rockpile also had the responsibility of maintaining an outpost on top of the peak as well.
Generally a twenty man contingent, composed mostly of Army technicians, operated at the summit with sophisticated detection and communication equipment that was critical to the entire intelligence operation in South Vietnam.
Aside from visual observation, their exact purpose was top secret, however it is believed that their objective involved intercepting NVA radio transmissions.
The summit could easily be defended against attack and was well within the capability of such a small group to repel any attempt to overtake the mountain.
Typically the provisional Marine team, including an officer, was rotated every thirty days and became one of the most sought after positions in the DMZ as it was considered the safest place in the area due to its fortress-like pinnacle.
In fact, many Marines regarded the Rockpile and Elliot Combat Base as the ideal location to be stationed because there was a high likelihood they would make it through their tour, which typically lasted from a week to two months at the base, unscathed.
On top of the Rockpile was a large helicopter pad constructed from heavy timbers.
Most of the base'
When it was first observed in July 1966, there was still a large enemy force operating at the base and in the shadow of the Rockpile. The fight for the mountain occurred during Operation Hastings and involved 8,000 Marines and 3,000 South Vietnamese soldiers. The base at Dong Ha was used as a staging area to mount an attack on the DMZ and the area around the Rockpile. Brigadier General Lowell English, a commander in charge of Operation Hastings, stated that the Marines sought to take the North Vietnamese by surprise on their crucial infiltration routes and to smash and destroy their force in the DMZ region before they had a chance to regain balance or momentum. The actions started with bombing and napalm strikes on potential future landing zone sites in mid-July 1966. The initial helicopter assault of Operation Hastings was disastrous as two transport helicopters collided and crashed. By the end of the day 15 Marines were dead with a further 10 soldiers injured; however, Operation Hastings was an overall success. By the operation's end on 3 August 1966 the United States had accounted for at least 824 confirmed NVA soldiers killed and 214 captured weapons compared to the 126 Marines killed and 448 wounded. The Rockpile officially came under the control of American troops by the end of July 1966 when a small observation team landed on the summit. The NVA immediately attempted to remove the Marines from their defensive position, but several attempts at scaling the Rockpile and striking the top and sides with mortar rounds proved ineffective. Operation Prairie swung the momentum for the mountain's fight after waves of Marines stormed into the area to reinforce the troops around the Rockpile and fortify its defenses. From then on the Rockpile was often manned by at least a squad of United States Marines, who received supply drops by helicopters and would go on to launch numerous operations from the base of the mountain.
The military officially named the camp Elliott Combat Base, but more often than not it was simply known as the Rockpile. The location seemed vulnerable to many of the soldiers that defended it due to its location in the center of an open valley, along a river, with elephant grass growing much closer to the perimeter of the base than most other camps located throughout northern South Vietnam. Once inside the barbed wire boundary, the congested and disorganized layout of the base area was immediately noticeable. Tents, low bunkers, and trenches commingled across the camp in no particular order or arrangement. The three largest tents at the Rockpile all possessed dirt floors with canvas sides and served as a kitchen, a mess hall, and a first-aid station. The dining tent had no chairs or tables, but instead long planks were positioned slightly over waist high so soldiers could stand and eat.
Battalions stationed at the Rockpile also had the responsibility of maintaining an outpost on top of the peak as well. Generally a twenty man contingent, composed mostly of Army technicians, operated at the summit with sophisticated detection and communication equipment that was critical to the entire intelligence operation in South Vietnam. Aside from visual observation, their exact purpose was top secret, however it is believed that their objective involved intercepting NVA radio transmissions. The summit could easily be defended against attack and was well within the capability of such a small group to repel any attempt to overtake the mountain. Typically the provisional Marine team, including an officer, was rotated every thirty days and became one of the most sought after positions in the DMZ as it was considered the safest place in the area due to its fortress-like pinnacle. In fact, many Marines regarded the Rockpile and Elliot Combat Base as the ideal location to be stationed because there was a high likelihood they would make it through their tour, which typically lasted from a week to two months at the base, unscathed. On top of the Rockpile was a large helicopter pad constructed from heavy timbers. Most of the base'
The Rockpile