Dewey ordered a reinforced Marine battalion to send landing parties ashore and put Marines free of logistical duties through jungle training. Reconnaissance parties comprised an officer and 25 enlisted men, supplied with weeks of provisions. They practised armed reconnaissance, searched for possible enemy landing sites, and established defensive positions against an attacking force. Hendrix connects the scale and realism of these activities with a possible Venezuela contingency, while acknowledging that the after-action report does not mention Venezuela. Dewey's final report stressed the experience the exercises had provided for later use.
Notable Point · 2:20-3:16
Dewey, Marine reconnaissance, and a possible Venezuela contingency
Marine reconnaissance and defensive preparations suggest a practical contingency behind Dewey's exercises, although the official report did not name Venezuela.