 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.