Coast Guard Squadron One

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Coast Guard Squadron One
Coast Guard Squadron One patch
Active27 May 1965 – 15 August 1970
Country United States of America
Branch United States Coast Guard
Nickname(s)"RONONE"[1]
EngagementsVietnam War
DecorationsPresidential Unit Citation (U.S. Navy)[2]
Navy Unit Commendation[3]
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy)[4]

Coast Guard Squadron One, also known in official message traffic as COGARDRON ONE or RONONE, was a combat unit formed by the United States Coast Guard in 1965 for service during the Vietnam War. Placed under the operational control of the United States Navy, it was assigned duties in Operation Market Time. Its formation marked the first time since World War II that Coast Guard personnel were used extensively in a combat environment.

The squadron operated divisions in three separate areas during the period of 1965 to 1970. Twenty-six Point-class cutters with their crews and a squadron support staff were assigned to the U.S. Navy with the mission of interdicting the movement of arms and supplies from the South China Sea into South Vietnam by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese junk and trawler operators. The squadron also provided naval gunfire support to nearby friendly units operating along the South Vietnamese coastline and assisted the U.S. Navy during Operation Sealords. As the United States' direct involvement in combat operations wound down during 1969, squadron crews began training Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) sailors in the operation and deployment of the cutters. The cutters were later turned over to the RVNN as part of the Vietnamization of the war effort. Turnover of the cutters to RVNN crews began in May 1969 and was completed by August 1970. Squadron One was disestablished with the decommissioning of the last cutter.

The squadron was awarded several unit citations for its service to the U.S. Navy and the South Vietnamese government during the six years the unit was active with over 3,000 Coast Guardsmen serving aboard cutters and on the squadron support staff. Six squadron members were killed in action during the time the unit was commissioned.

Squadron One, along with American and South Vietnamese naval units assigned to the task force that assumed the Market Time mission, were successful interdicting seaborne North Vietnamese personnel and equipment from entering South Vietnamese waters. The success of the blockade served to change the dynamics of the Vietnam War, forcing the North Vietnamese to use a more costly and time-consuming route down the Ho Chi Minh trail to supply their forces in the south.

Background

As the United States military involvement in South Vietnam shifted from an advisory role to combat operations, advisors from

William C. Westmoreland, commanding general of MACV, for U.S. Navy assistance.[13]

The request was initially filled by U.S. Navy

minesweepers (MSO) in March when Operation Market Time was started, but these vessels had too great a draft to operate effectively in shallow coastal waters.[14] In April the U.S. Navy ordered 54 Patrol Craft Fast (PCF) (known as Swift Boats), 50-foot (15 m) aluminum-hulled boats with a draft of only 5 feet (1.5 m) and capable of 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h). At the same time, the U.S. Navy queried the Treasury Department, the lead agency for the U.S. Coast Guard at the time, about the availability of suitable vessels.[15][16] The Coast Guard had only a very minor role in combat operations during the Korean War and the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Edwin J. Roland, responded to the request by offering the use of 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutters (WPB) and 40-foot (12 m) utility boats, fearing that, if the Coast Guard were left out of a role in Vietnam, its status as one of the nation's armed services might be jeopardized.[14]

Mk 2 Mod 1 gun mount

The decision to use the Point-class cutter was one of logistics. The 95-foot (29 m)

berthing, and mess facilities for extended patrols offshore.[17]

On 22 April representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy signed a

.50 caliber M2 Browning machine gun. The mortar could be fired in both indirect and direct modes, and was equipped with a recoil cylinder.[20][Note 2] The cutters were loaded on merchant ships for shipment to U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay in the Philippines.[21] On 29 April President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Coast Guard units to operate under Navy command in Vietnam and to provide surveillance and interdiction assistance to U.S. Navy vessels and aircraft in an effort to stop the infiltration of troops, weapons and ammunition into South Vietnam by People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) forces.[22]

Commissioning ceremony for Coast Guard Squadron One at Base Alameda, 27 May 1965

Crew training and unit commissioning

While the cutters were being shipped to Subic Bay, crew members started reporting to

Treasure Island Naval Base. Additional weapons qualifications and live fire exercises were held at Coast Guard Island and Camp Parks, California, along with refresher training in radar navigation, radio procedures and visual signaling. Gun crews received mortar and machine gun training at Camp Pendleton.[24] Of the 245 personnel assigned to the unit only 131 were present at the squadron commissioning ceremony held at Alameda on 27 May with the remainder of the crews in the process of completing training elsewhere.[21][23] For service in Vietnam, two officers were added to the normal crew complement of eight to add seniority to the crew in the mission of interdicting vessels at sea.[25] All officers assigned to command cutters were required to be lieutenants and to have previously commanded a Cape-class cutter and had to volunteer for the assignment. The executive officer was either a lieutenant junior grade or ensign.[25]

USCGC Point Mast being loaded on board a merchant ship for shipment to U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines, May 1965

Naval Base Subic Bay

Divisions 11 and 12

The first crews arrived at Subic Bay on 11 June and a squadron office was established. On 12 June 1965, the squadron came under the operational control of the commander, Vietnam Patrol Force (CTF 71). Administrative control for personnel actions such as pay and personnel records was retained by the Coast Guard.

on-station time.[27] Modifications were made to the bow-mounted over-under machine gun mortar combination allowing it to be depressed below the horizon for close-range firing. Four additional M2 machine guns with ready boxes were added to the gunwales of each cutter.[26]

USCGC Point Marone leaving Subic Bay Naval Base for South Vietnam along with other cutters of Division 11, 24 July 1965

As the crews arrived from the United States, they began doing required modification work in the shipyard and

Phu Quoc Island[5] and Division 12 operating near the port of Da Nang[6] close to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).[26][29] Division 11 consisted of nine cutters and Division 12 consisted of eight cutters. At 16:00 on 16 July, Division 12 got underway and once out of the harbor they formed up on USS Snohomish County, the LST permanently assigned to support the division at Da Nang. Division 11 and USS Floyd County, the division's LST support ship, left Subic Bay bound for Phu Quoc Island at 08:00 on 24 July[28]

Division 13

Coast Guard Squadron One is located in Vietnam
Phu Quoc Island (Div. 11)
Phu Quoc Island
(Div. 11)
Da Nang (Div. 12)
Da Nang
(Div. 12)
Cat Lo (Div. 13)
Cat Lo
(Div. 13)
class=notpageimage|
Squadron One division locations

After reviewing a study of the overall infiltration threat, MACV requested additional aircraft and patrol vessels for Operation Market Time. A request for an additional division of Point-class cutters to be added to Squadron One was made on 5 August 1965 and preparations for deploying the additional cutters started in late October with the new division of nine patrol boats to be named Division 13.

Vung Tau to 120 miles (193 km) south.[35]

Operations

Arrival in South Vietnam

Division 12 arrived at the port city of Da Nang at 07:00 on 20 July 1965 and was the first U.S. Coast Guard unit to be stationed in South Vietnam.[36] The morning after their arrival five of the division's eight cutters prepared to get underway for their first patrol accompanied by the Navy destroyer USS Savage, which coordinated the Market Time assets in the Da Nang area.[37]

Division 11 arrived at Con Son Island[38] on 29 July taking shelter from heavy seas and monsoon rains that had developed during the transit. Point Banks was the only cutter to have engine problems during the transit and repairs were made in the cramped engine room while underway so that no time was lost by the division during transit. During the lay over at Con Son minor repairs were made and repainting was completed on some of the cutters' hulls which had been partially stripped of paint by the storm. Three RVNN liaison officers reported aboard the cutters just before the division departed for Phu Quoc Island and the same three cutters started patrol work as the rest of the division put into Phu Quoc harbor on 31 July.[39] On 30 July operational control of all Market Time elements, whether U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard or RVN, was transferred to the Commander, Task Force 115 (TF115).[40]

Market Time operational theory

Main article: Operation Market Time

Market Time planners sectioned off nine patrol areas numbered in order from the DMZ in the north to the Cambodian border in the south. The areas varied in size, measuring 80 by 120 miles (130 km × 190 km) wide and running 30 to 40 miles (48 to 64 km) out to sea. The outer two-thirds of each area was covered by the U.S. Navy DER and MSO fleet and was identified by the area number with the suffix "B". After May 1967 high endurance cutters (WHEC) from

board and search for contraband material and persons on board without proper identification.[44] The rules of engagement that Market Time forces operated under allowed any vessel except warships to be stopped, boarded and searched within three miles (4.8 km) of the coastline and from the area three miles to twelve miles (19 km) from shore, identification and a declaration of intent could be demanded of any vessel except a warship. Outside the twelve-mile limit only vessels of South Vietnamese origin could be stopped, boarded and searched.[45][46]

While on patrol the cutters operated under orders from an operational commander at the CSC and not the division commander to which they were assigned.[47][48] The division was responsible for seeing that each cutter was ready to perform her assignments and properly supplied with trained personnel, supplies and equipment.[47] Each division's staff performed regular readiness reviews on each assigned cutter; riding with the crews to judge their effectiveness.[48]

On 30 September 1968, Vice Admiral

Naval Forces Vietnam and he redirected the focus of interdiction operations conducted by TF115 to areas nearer the DMZ as a part of Operation Sealords (Southeast Asia Lake, Ocean, River, and Delta Strategy). The result was that all but four Division 11 WPBs were transferred to Divisions 12 and 13 and the shallower draft U.S. Navy PCFs that had been used for patrol duties at the DMZ were used to patrol the canals and rivers.[49]

Major cutter operations

1965

Gun crew aboard USCGC Point Comfort firing 81mm mortar during bombardment of suspected Viet Cong staging area one mile behind An Thoi. The machine gun has been removed from the Mk 2 mount, August 1965

Soon after patrol operations started in Division 12's area of responsibility (AOR),

skipper of the Point Orient that the paint scheme used by the Coast Guard in the U.S. was too visible at night and shortly thereafter the white paint was replaced by deck gray on all WPBs in Squadron One.[40] On assuming control, the TF115 commander changed the way patrols were conducted in the DMZ. Future patrols were concentrated along the DMZ for most of the WPBs and PCFs with only a few assets placed in the Da Nang area. Assets were concentrated where vessel traffic was encountered; most traffic near the Da Nang area was interdicted further out to sea by the DERs and WHECs and fewer shallow draft assets were needed there.[50][51]

19 September was a busy day for Division 11 in the Gulf of Thailand with

Ha Tien[53] but the junk ignored a warning shot across her bow and attempted to evade boarding while firing at the cutter and throwing hand grenades. Point Glover was nearby and assisted Point Marone in engaging the junk with machine gun fire. The junk caught fire and started sinking. Unable to keep the junk afloat the cutter crews marked it with a buoy and let it sink in shallow water. Salvage operations conducted later found rifles, ammunition, hand grenades, documents and money.[54] Eleven VC were killed in the action and one badly wounded crewman was captured ashore.[52]

1966

After Division 13's arrival at Cat Lo on 22 February 1966, operations started at nearby

Long Thành peninsula[58] on 26 March, Division 13 cutters had taken fire from the shore almost every night during patrol operations. Some of the most intense combat operations that Squadron One encountered occurred during March 1966 in support of Operation Jackstay.[57] The joint operation ended 6 April with the withdrawal of the Marine Amphibious Force but the skipper of Point Partridge decided to continue the patrols after the operation ended. On the night patrols from 1 to 6 May Point Partridge engaged VC junks or received fire from the shore every night.[57]

While patrolling off the coast of the

aground 400 yards (370 m) from the shore.[59]
After daybreak Point Grey attempted to board the trawler but encountered heavy fire from the shore. After requesting assistance from the CSC, Point Grey stood off from the trawler until destroyer escort
bridge and wounded three of her crew manning the mortar on the bow.[60] With evening approaching it was decided by CSC to destroy the trawler and Point Grey assisted by USCGC Point Cypress began mortaring the trawler. During the shelling an explosion on board the trawler broke it in two pieces and caused it to sink in the shallow waters. Salvage operations began the next morning and included the recovery of six crew served weapons and 15 short tons (14,000 kg) of ammunition of Chinese manufacture.[59] The destruction of the trawler marked the first instance of the capture of a trawler by Market Time assets.[61][62]

While on patrol near the mouth of the

scuttling charge resulting in a large fire. At 07:15 destroyer escort USS Haverfield arrived on scene and assumed control of the operation. With the assistance of two U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre aircraft providing close air support, resistance from the shoreline was finally controlled. It was decided by the commanding officer of the Haverfield that salvage of the trawler would be attempted in order to learn more about the trawler, its origins and the cargo on board.[64] The crews of the two cutters were joined by Point Hudson and dock landing ship USS Tortuga and several RVNN junks in fighting the fire and beginning salvage operations.[30][64] After patching the hull and dewatering; the trawler was eventually towed to the RVNN shipyard at Vung Tau. The 99-foot (30 m) trawler yielded valuable information about the capabilities of that particular class of trawler. It was carrying about 100 short tons (91,000 kg) of small arms and ammunition of recent manufacture in China and North Korea. The surviving log and navigation charts helped determine the trawler's origin and two possible destinations.[64]

Point Welcome incident
Main article:
USCGC Point Welcome (WPB-82329)

Point Welcome was patrolling Area 1A1 immediately south of the DMZ in the early morning hours of 11 August 1966. At 03:40 the cutter was illuminated by a U.S. Air Force

combat "V" device for his actions.[69]

After eight days of testimony the findings of a board of investigation conducted by MACV were forwarded to the Commandant of the Coast Guard:

It is evident from the record that there was a lack of communication between different forces operating in the same area, and that existing orders and instructions pertaining to identification and recognition of friendly forces were not observed.

— extract from 9 November 1966 letter from MACV to Commandant, USCG[70]

As a result of the investigation, lines of communication were set up between the Navy and the Air Force. The Air Force knew nothing of Operation Market Time and did not routinely communicate with Naval Forces, Vietnam. To avoid a repetition of the incident, aircraft patrolling near the DMZ were instructed not to attack vessels without first contacting CSC Da Nang for clearance.[70][71]

1967

In the late evening hours of 1 January 1967 USCGC Point Gammon along with two U.S. Navy vessels, PCF-68 and PCF-71, intercepted a trawler attempting to land supplies on the Cau Mau Peninsula. After running the trawler aground the PCFs managed to hit it with several mortar rounds while Point Gammon kept the trawler illuminated. Several secondary explosions occurred and the trawler disappeared. Investigations later concluded that the trawler could have successfully escaped to a nearby river although heavily damaged.[72]

A more successful action was fought in the early morning hours of 14 March 1967 when a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft spotted a trawler near

Cu-Lao Re, an island 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Da Nang.[73] USS Brister and two PCFs along with USCGC Point Ellis closed on the trawler and forced it aground near the village of Phouc Thien on the Batangan Peninsula.[74] The patrol elements continued to exchange heavy gunfire with the trawler and land-based VC units until dawn when the trawler was scuttled with a massive explosion. Investigators later discovered a heavy machine gun, a recoilless rifle, sub-machine guns, rifles and carbines along with thousands of rounds of ammunition. Also in the wreckage was a complete surgical kit for a field hospital and medical supplies.[75]

A similar conclusion was the result of the capture of a steel hull trawler 15 July 1967 after three days of tracking by patrol aircraft and the radar picket,

AK-56 rifles and B-40 rocket launchers.[76]

On many occasions during the months of October, November and December 1967, the cutters Point Hudson,

Soc Trang.[79][80] These missions resulted in the destruction of several sampans and structures as well as bunkers used by the Viet Cong.[81][82][83]

1968

During the morning hours of 31 January 1968, combined PAVN/VC forces initiated coordinated attacks on military installations throughout South Vietnam in what would be later be referred to as the Tet Offensive. Because of monsoon weather in the northern provinces of South Vietnam and a general curfew imposed by South Vietnam on most sampan traffic, routine boardings by Squadron One vessels during February were far below normal.[84] However, requests for naval gunfire support by land-based U.S. Army and U.S. Marine units increased significantly after Tet. The cutters Point Gammon, USCGC Point Arden, Point Grey, Point Cypress, Point League and USCGC Point Slocum were involved in multiple naval gunfire support missions throughout February.[84] The use of Squadron One cutters as a blocking force against exfiltration by PAVN/VC forces operating along the coastline also increased at this time.[84]

During an

Ho Chi Minh Trail or through the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia.[9]

While on patrol just south of the DMZ in the early morning hours of 16 June 1968 USCGC Point Dume reported seeing two rockets fired from an unidentified source hit U.S. Navy PCF-19, which sank very quickly with the loss of five crew.[85] Shortly thereafter, Point Dume came under fire from an unidentified aircraft along with the heavy cruiser USS Boston and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Hobart. The duration of the attack was about one hour with little damage to the cutter and Boston but considerable damage to Hobart with two sailors killed and eight wounded.[86] Evidence during a board of inquiry later showed that it was a friendly fire incident involving U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft mistaking the ships for enemy targets.[85][87] This incident and the 11 August 1966 friendly fire incident involving Point Welcome caused several procedures for the identification of naval vessels by U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine and U.S. Air Force aircrews to change.[70]

Operations conducted by

South Vietnamese Regional Force troops on Phu Quoc island in September were assisted by Market Time assets. Point Partridge and Point Banks assisted with naval gunfire support on 9 September which destroyed three bunkers, killing four and wounding several others. Ten VC were captured.[88] On 20 September, Point Cypress and RVN MSC-116 assisted Regional Forces troops that had been ambushed by VC forces by lending naval gunfire support. Point Hudson, USCGC Point Kennedy, and U.S. Navy PCF-50 and PCF-3 arrived shortly after the action started and joined in the gunfire support. Small boats from the cutters helped evacuate wounded Regional Force troops.[88]

Heavy weather in the form of monsoons in the northern half of South Vietnam reduced indigenous coastal traffic during October 1968 and the U.S. Navy's PCF support of Market Time was limited by heavy seas; however, Market Time units including Squadron One cutters fired a record number of naval gunfire missions for the sixth month in a row. The 1,027 missions conducted during October was 19 percent higher than the previous record.[89]

On 5 December 1968, three crewmen operating the small boat from Point Cypress in a small stream on the Ca Mau Peninsula were ambushed, severely wounding two and killing the third, Fireman

"V" Device posthumously to Hernandez for his heroic actions in saving his fellow crewmen's lives.[91][92]

1969

In February 1969, Squadron One personnel began training RVNN engineers in the maintenance and repair of the Point class cutters that would eventually be turned over to the South Vietnamese under the Vietnamization program.[93]

On 22 March during routine operations involving the inspection of fishing craft for contraband arms and supplies, the chief engineer, Chief Engineman Morris S. Beeson of the Point Orient was killed by ambush fire from three shore positions while attempting to board a sampan near

Qui Nhon.[65][94][95]

On 27 March, Point Dume was notified by a unit of the U.S. Army's

173rd Airborne Brigade that a VC unit was located at a village 40 miles (64 km) north of Qui Nhon and Point Dume was requested to perform a blocking patrol while the brigade's troops conducted a sweep. Point Dume assisted with naval gunfire support. Additionally, in the aftermath, a landing party helped to destroy 41 sampans that had been used to transport VC supplies.[95]

The first turnover of Squadron One cutters occurred on 16 May with the transfer of Point League and Point Garnet to the RVNN. An elaborate ceremony was held at the Saigon Naval Shipyard with dignitaries from many area naval activities witnessing the turnover of the two cutters.[96] On 5 June, Division 11 was disestablished and its cutters were transferred to Division 13.[97] The need for Squadron One cutters had been supplanted by the shallower draft PCFs and Patrol Boat, River (PBRs) that were being concentrated in the Mekong Delta region for use in Operation Sealords. With better foul weather stationkeeping abilities than the U.S. Navy craft, the Point-class cutters of the Squadron were shifted for use during the northeast monsoon season in the northern half of the country.[78]

On 9 August while conducting a harassment and interdiction mission aboard Point Arden, a misfire occurred with the mortar killing Lieutenant Junior Grade Michael W. Kirkpatrick, the cutter's executive officer, and Engineman First Class Michael H. Painter.[41][65][98]

1970 – Vietnamization and disestablishment

With the growing dissatisfaction of the American public about the war in Vietnam in 1969, high officials in the

Nixon Administration sought a way to disengage the United States from the war.[99][100]
Part of the strategy to placate public opinion was to remove most U.S. combat troops from Vietnam and turnover supplies and equipment to the South Vietnamese military, known as Vietnamization.[101][102][103] Other parts of the plan, referred to as Accelerated Turnover to Vietnamese (ACTOV), included the training of Vietnamese in the use of equipment that was to be turned over to them and a gradual phase-in of responsibilities for the conduct of the war by the South Vietnamese.[99][104][105] The first assets turned over to the Vietnamese under ACTOV occurred on 1 February 1969 when 25 mostly smaller U.S. Navy vessels were transferred to the RVNN to be used in supporting Operation Sealords in the Mekong Delta.[106]

The disestablishment of COGARDRON ONE upon turnover of the final WPBs to South Vietnam marks a significant step in Vietnamization. The Coast Guard performance in Vietnam operations has been characterized by the highest professionalism, traditional with the Coast Guard, and has been recognized by every Navy man, both U.S. and Vietnamese, who have had occasion to work with and receive support from WPBs. The record and reputation achieved by COGARDRON ONE have earned our highest respect.

— Admiral John J. Hyland, USN, Commander, Pacific Fleet,
25 August 1970[107]

ACTOV

The naval assets portion of the ACTOV plan consisted of two parts: SCATTOR (Small Craft Assets, Training, and Turnover of Resources) and VECTOR (Vietnamese Engineering Capability, Training of Ratings). While SCATTOR trained Vietnamese replacement crews for the patrol boats of Squadron One, VECTOR trained and prepared Vietnamese repair personnel to maintain them.[108]

Background

Since the patrol boats of Squadron One were an essential part of the blockade of war supplies entering South Vietnam from North Vietnam, it was decided that they would be transferred to the RVNN after crews had been trained to operate them effectively. On 2 November 1968, Zumwalt, Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam, presented a plan to General Creighton W. Abrams, Commander, MACV to turn over all U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard resources to the RVN by 30 June 1970.[99] Abrams approved the Navy's plan with the caveat that any equipment turned over to the Vietnamese would have to be in first-class condition and that they would have to be properly trained in its use.[108] The Navy plan called for the enlisted Vietnamese personnel to report aboard vessels for training first with the officers finally reporting aboard after the crews were trained. In a recommendation made 14 January 1969, the Commander, Coast Guard Activities Vietnam, Captain Ralph W. Niesz, suggested that English speaking Vietnamese officers report aboard first and be given the chance to receive extensive procedural training with Coast Guard crews before any junior personnel report aboard. Neisz cited cultural imperatives that required seniors to be more knowledgeable than subordinates and that it would be very difficult for officers to accept instruction from junior personnel without losing face. Zumwalt agreed with the Coast Guard plan and ordered it implemented immediately.[108][109]

On 3 February 1969 the first RVNN officers reported aboard Point Garnet and Point League for an 18-week pilot training program. Each cutter's executive officer was relieved and assigned staff duties ashore with the commanding officer assuming his duties. The two spare bunks on each cutter were utilized by the new Vietnamese personnel reporting on board. As experience was gained by the Vietnamese crew members, new junior personnel reported in pairs replacing Coast Guardsmen that were then assigned ashore to assist with the VECTOR phase of training.[99][109] The first transfer of Squadron One cutters occurred at the Saigon Naval Shipyard during joint decommissioning and commissioning ceremonies held 16 May 1969 by the Coast Guard and the RVNN. Point Garnet and Point League were the first cutters transferred under the ACTOV plan.[96]

Problems

SCATTOR training was not easy for either the trainers or the trainees. Cultural differences and language barriers had to be breached by both. English–Vietnamese dictionaries were used extensively and Vietnamese sailors who spoke even broken English were often pressed into service to help translate the training syllabus for each job on the cutter. Coast Guardsmen that had maintained their cutters could not understand the Vietnamese sailors seeming lack of care about housekeeping chores.

AWOL rates for Vietnamese sailors often interfered with training schedules as well as patrol operations. Morale of the Coast Guardsmen charged with the training of the replacement Vietnamese crew was often very low and this caused friction between the two parts of the crew.[111] Because of political pressures in the United States to end involvement in the war as soon as possible, the SCATTOR program of training was accelerated to a 15-week program and eventually an 11-week program. This caused overcrowding on the cutters and further problems with the mixed crews.[110][111]

All of the Squadron One cutters eventually completed training of the Vietnamese crews and as cutters were transferred to the RVNN each division shrunk in size until they were consolidated with other divisions. Division 11 was disestablished on 5 June 1969 with the remaining cutters in the division moving to Cat Lo. Division 12 was consolidated with Division 13 at Cat Lo 16 March 1970.[96]

South Vietnamese navy crewmen board a former Squadron One cutter during re-commissioning ceremonies at Cat Lo Navy Base, 15 August 1970.

Last patrols

After Point Grey and Point Orient were turned over to the RVNN on 14 July only Point Cypress and Point Marone were left in Division 13. On that day the remaining two cutters were given orders to report to the lower Mekong Delta and provide support for operations in the Than Phu Secret Zone.

explosive ordnance disposal soldiers aboard cruised the My Thanh River and destroyed fortifications.[112][113]

On 4 August 1970, coincidentally

mess deck and the forward berthing space. The deck aft of the bridge was covered with three inches of mud.[99] After patching and painting, Point Marone was prepared for a final Operational Readiness Inspection to check the RVNN crew readiness for the pending turnover of both Point Marone and Point Cypress.[112][115]

Last turnover

With the turnover of Point Cypress and Point Marone to the RVNN on 15 August 1970, Squadron One and its remaining division, Division 13, were decommissioned. Over 3,000 Coast Guardsmen had served with Squadron One in South Vietnam since May 1965. Administrative and liaison functions that had been carried out by the Squadron One staff were turned over to the Office of the Senior Coast Guard Officer, Vietnam (SCGOV).[96][116][117] Several officers of Squadron One were assigned temporary duties as advisors to former Squadron One cutters to further assist the new RVNN commanding officers in their new duties.[117] The Coast Guard continued to provide technical assistance and training under the SCATTOR/VECTOR programs for the RVNN after Squadron One was disestablished through the formation of four Technical Assistance Groups. Each group was composed of an officer and eight to eleven engineers reporting to SCGOV. The groups were located at Da Nang where there were six cutters assigned; Cam Ranh Bay, six cutters; Vung Tau, eight cutters; and An Thoi, six cutters. As tours of duty for each Coast Guardsman ended, U.S. Navy personnel gradually took over the training duties.[116][117]

Civic action

Chief Boatswain's Mate C. C. Gardner of the Coast Guard Cutter Point Mast gives a package of pencils, paper, candy, and plastic toys to a young Vietnamese girl during the cutter's civic action visit to Hon Nam Du Island.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel stationed in Vietnam were encouraged by their commands to donate off duty time to assist in various civic action programs supporting the Vietnamese people. Squadron One personnel participated as time permitted in an island adoption program that was designed to provide educational materials and medical treatment to inhabitants of the many coastal islands in their area of operation. This program was offered to counter VC

USAID rural development programs.[118] Since medical personnel were normally not a part of the make-up of the Squadron One patrol boat crews, medical corpsmen were borrowed from Squadron Three cutters or nearby U.S. Navy units. Division 11 crews constructed a fresh water well and distribution system in addition to constructing voting booths on Hon Thom Island.[119][120][121] Division 12 cutters helped evacuate refugees from the vicinity of Cape Batangan when military operations intensified during 1967.[118] Division 13 personnel spent many hours of off duty time at the children's ward of the U.S. Army 36th Medevac Hospital and gave games, toys, clothing and candy to injured Vietnamese children.[122] During the Christmas holidays, at local orphanages all squadron personnel distributed gifts of candy and toys as well as clothing, soap and toothpaste that had been donated by Coast Guard families in the United States and brought to Vietnam on the Commandant's airplane.[121] Squadron One crews arranged for transportation of a small girl by a U.S. Air Force helicopter to USS Sanctuary for eye surgery while the squadron commander personally delivered a cornea for transplant.[118][123]

Legacy and impact

The cutters of Squadron One made a significant contribution to the success of Operation Market Time by forcing the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces to rely on the difficult Ho Chi Minh trail for most of their supplies and reinforcements.[124][125] During the period between 27 May 1965 and 15 August 1970 the squadron cruised 4,215,116 miles (6,783,572 km) and boarded 236,396 vessels while detaining 10,286 persons. During 4,461 naval gunfire missions they damaged or destroyed 1,811 enemy vessels and killed or wounded 1,232 enemy personnel.[126]

Unit and service awards

  • Presidential Unit Citation

The Presidential Unit Citation (Navy) was awarded for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance to units participating in Operation Sealords for the period 18 October to 5 December 1968 and included the Squadron One cutters Point Cypress, Point White, Point Grace, Point Young, Point Comfort, Point Mast, Point Marone, Point Caution, and Point Partridge.[2]

  • Navy Unit Commendation

The Navy Unit Commendation was awarded for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States Navy Coastal Surveillance Force (Task Force 115) which included the administrative staff of Squadron One and Division 11 for service during period 1 January 1967 to 31 March 1968; Division 12, 1 January to 28 February 1967; and Division 13, 1 January to 10 May 1967.[3][127]

  • Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

The

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation was awarded for meritorious service to units of the United States Navy Coastal Surveillance Force (Task Force 115) which included the following Squadron One cutters: Point White, Point Arden, Point Dume, Point Glover, Point Jefferson, Point Kennedy, Point Young, Point Partridge, Point Caution, Point Welcome, Point Banks, Point Lomas, Point Grace, Point Mast, Point Grey, Point Orient, Point Cypress, and Point Marone.[4]

  • Vietnam Service Medal

Although the

bridge wings.[128] Squadron One cutters were entitled to display the VSM by virtue of having served in Vietnam for more than thirty days during the eligibility period of 15 November 1961 to 30 April 1975.[129]

  • Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm

All units serving under MACV were awarded the

Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm by South Vietnam. Because U.S. Navy units serving in Vietnam were subordinate to MACV this included all Coast Guard Squadron One cutters.[130]

  • Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

The Vietnam Campaign Medal was an award of South Vietnam for those individuals who served in Vietnam for a period of at least six months. Although it was a personal award, Coast Guard regulations permitted its display on a cutter's port and starboard bridge wings since Squadron One's cutters served during the eligibility period of 1 March 1961 to 28 March 1973.[128][131]

Cutter assignment and disposition information

Legend:

  Denotes initial assignment to Division 11

  Denotes initial assignment to Division 12

  Denotes initial assignment to Division 13

Name Hull number Commissioned Decommissioned[Note 3] Homeport [132] Disposition [132][Note 4]
Point Caution
 WPB-82301 5 Oct 1960 29 Apr 1970 Galveston, Texas 61–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyen An
(HQ-716) 29 Apr 1970
Point Young
 WPB-82303 26 Oct 1960 16 March 1970 Grand Isle, Louisiana 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Tran Lo
(HQ-714) 16 March 1970
Point League
 WPB-82304 9 Nov 1960 16 May 1969 Morgan City, Louisiana 61–65; Division 13, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Le Phuoc Duc (HQ-700) 16 May 1969,[96]
Point Partridge
 WPB-82305 23 Nov 1960 27 March 1970 Beals and West Jonesport, Maine 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Bui Viet Thanh
(HQ-715) 27 March 1970
Point Jefferson
 WPB-82306 7 Dec 1960 21 Feb 1970 Nantucket, Massachusetts 61–65; Division 13, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Le Ngoc An
(HQ-712) 21 Feb 1970
Point Glover
 WPB-82307 7 Dec 1960 14 Feb 1970 Fort Hancock, New Jersey 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Dao Van Dang
(HQ-711) 14 Feb 1970
Point White
 WPB-82308 18 Feb 1961 12 Jan 1970 New London, Connecticut 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Le Dinh Hung
(HQ-708) 12 Jan 1970
Point Arden
 WPB-82309 1 Feb 1961 14 Feb 1970 Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey 61–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Pham Ngoc Chau
(HQ-710) 14 Feb 1970
Point Garnet
 WPB-82310 15 Mar 1961 16 May 1969 Norfolk, Virginia 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Le Van Nga (HQ-701) 16 May 1969[96]
Point Slocum
 WPB-82313 12 Apr 1961 11 Dec 1969 St. Thomas, VI 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyen Ngoc Thach (HQ-706) 11 Dec 1969
Point Clear
 WPB-82315 26 Apr 1961 15 Sep 1969 San Pedro, California 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huynh Van Duc
(HQ-702) 15 Sep 1969
Point Mast
 WPB-82316 10 May 1961 15 Jun 1970 Long Beach, California 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN 15 Jun 1970[Note 5]
Point Comfort
 WPB-82317 24 May 1961 17 Nov 1969 Benicia, California 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Dao Thuc
(HQ-704) 17 Nov 1969
Point Orient
 WPB-82319 28 Jun 1961 14 Jul 1970 Ft. Pierce, Florida 61–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyen Kim Hung
(HQ-722) 14 Jul 1970
Point Kennedy
 WPB-82320 19 Jul 1961 16 Mar 1970 San Juan, PR 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huynh Van Ngan
(HQ-713) 16 Mar 1970
Point Lomas
 WPB-82321 9 Aug 1961 23 May 1970 Port Aransas, Texas 61–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN 23 May 1970[Note 6]
Point Hudson
 WPB-82322 30 Aug 1961 11 Dec 1969 Panama City, Florida 61–65; Division 13, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Dang Van Hoanh
(HQ-707) 11 Dec 1969
Point Grace
 WPB-82323 27 Sep 1961 15 Jun 1970 Crisfield, Maryland 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN 15 Jun 1970[Note 7]
Point Grey
 WPB-82324 11 Oct 1961 14 Jul 1970 Norfolk, Virginia 61–65; Division 11, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huynh Bo
(HQ-723) 14 Jul 1970
Point Dume
 WPB-82325 1 Nov 1961 14 Feb 1970 Fire Island, New York 61–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Truong Tien[134]
(HQ-709) 14 Feb 1970
Point Cypress
 WPB-82326 22 Nov 1961 15 Aug 1970[135] Boston, Massachusetts 61–65; Division 13, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Ho Duy
(HQ-724) 15 Aug 1970[135][Note 8]
Point Banks
 WPB-82327 13 Dec 1961 26 Mar 1970 Woods Hole, Massachusetts 61–65; Division 11, RVN 66–70 Transfer to RVN 26 Mar 1970[Note 9]
Point Gammon
 WPB-82328 31 Jan 1962 11 Nov 1969 Ft. Bragg, California 62–65; Division 12, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyen Dao
(HQ-703) 11 Nov 1969
Point Welcome
 WPB-82329 14 Feb 1962 29 Apr 1970 Everett, Washington 62–65; Division 12, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyen Han
(HQ-717) 29 Apr 1970
Point Ellis
 WPB-82330 28 Feb 1962 9 Dec 1969 Port Townsend, Washington 62–65; Division 12, RVN 65–69 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Le Ngoc Thanh
(HQ-705) 9 Dec 1969
Point Marone
 WPB-82331 14 Mar 1962 15 Aug 1970 San Pedro, California 62–65; Division 11, RVN 65–70 Transfer to RVN as RVNS Truong Ba
(HQ-725) 15 Aug 1970

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Kelley (2002) reference is divided into several sections with each section starting its page numbering with page 1, therefore citations for this reference follows the same pattern.
  2. ^ A discussion of the history and characteristics of the Mk 2 Mod 0 and Mod 1 naval mortar and machine gun combination mount is at: Stoner, Bob. "Mk 2 Mod 0 and Mod 1 .50 Caliber MG/81mm Mortar". Patrol Craft Fast. pcf45.com. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  3. ^ Sources do not always agree on decommissioning dates. Those conflicts are noted.
  4. ^ Sources do not always agree on disposition information. Those conflicts are noted.
  5. ^ The Coast Guard Historian's Office cites Point Mast being re-commissioned Ho Dang La and no hull number. Scotti cites Dam Thoai and a hull number of HQ-721.[133]
  6. ^ The Coast Guard Historian's Office cites Point Lomas being re-commissioned with only a hull number of HQ-718. Scotti cites Van Dien and a hull number of HQ-719.[133]
  7. ^ The Coast Guard Historian's Office cites Point Grace being re-commissioned Dam Thoai and no hull number. Scotti cites Ho Dang La and a hull number of HQ-720.[134]
  8. ^ Larzelere cites 15 August 1970 as decommissioning date of Point Cypress[135] while the Coast Guard Historian's Office[132] and Scheina[136] cite a decommissioning date of 11 November 1969. Larzelere cites a picture of the event on page 239 and an extract of the August 1970 monthly historical summary of the Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam on page 240 as his source.[116]
  9. ^ The Coast Guard Historian's Office cites Point Banks being re-commissioned with only a hull number of HQ-719. Scotti cites Ngo Van Quyen and a hull number of HQ-718.[137]

Citations

  1. ^ "USCG in Vietnam Chronology" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard History Program. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b "Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)". Mobile Riverine Force Association.
  3. ^ a b "Navy Unit Commendation". Mobile Riverine Force Association.
  4. ^ a b "Meritorious Unit Commendation". Mobile Riverine Force Association.
  5. ^ a b Kelley, sec 5, p 400
  6. ^ a b Kelley, sec 5, p 129
  7. ^ a b Kelley, sec 5, p 95
  8. ^ Larzelere, p 6
  9. ^ a b Summers, p 100
  10. ^ Tulich, p 3
  11. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 541
  12. ^ a b Cutler, p 76
  13. ^ Karnow, pp 345–346
  14. ^ a b c Johnson, p 331
  15. ^ Cutler, p 81
  16. ^ Larzelere, p 7
  17. ^ a b Larzelere, p 13
  18. ^ Cutler, p 82
  19. ^ Larzelere, p 8
  20. ^ Wells II
  21. ^ a b Johnson, p 332
  22. ^ Scotti, p 9
  23. ^ a b Larzelere, p 18
  24. ^ a b Larzelere, p 19
  25. ^ a b Larzelere, p 15
  26. ^ a b c d Larzelere, p 21
  27. ^ Cutler, p 83
  28. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 22
  29. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 142
  30. ^ a b Larzelere, p 72
  31. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 74
  32. ^ Larzelere, p 75
  33. ^ Larzelere, p 76
  34. ^ Scotti, p 16
  35. ^ Larzelere, p 77
  36. ^ Larzelere, p 28
  37. ^ Larzelere, p 30
  38. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 116
  39. ^ Larzelere, p 48
  40. ^ a b Cutler, p 85
  41. ^ a b "USCG in Vietnam Chronology" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard History Program. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. p. 3.
  42. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 83
  43. ^ Scotti, p 19
  44. ^ Larzelere, p 37
  45. ^ a b c Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy (March 1966). "United States Naval Operations Vietnam, Highlights; March 1966". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  46. ^ Scotti, p 18
  47. ^ a b Larzelere, p 34
  48. ^ a b Scotti, p 173
  49. ^ Larzelere, p 66
  50. ^ a b Larzelere, p 31
  51. ^ Cutler, p 84
  52. ^ a b Larzelere, p 45
  53. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 208
  54. ^ Cutler, p 112
  55. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 450
  56. ^ Larzelere, p 109
  57. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 83
  58. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 303
  59. ^ a b Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (May 1966). "Monthly Historical Summary. May 1966". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  60. ^ Larzelere, p 64
  61. ^ Larzelere, p 61
  62. ^ Scotti, p 205
  63. ^ Larzelere, p 68
  64. ^ a b c Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (June 1966). "Monthly Historical Summary. June 1966". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 1–11. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  65. ^ a b c d "U.S. Coast Guardsmen Killed in Action during the Vietnam Conflict". Coast Guard History Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  66. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (August 1966). "Monthly Historical Summary. August 1966". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 24–26. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  67. ^ Larzelere, pp 24–28
  68. ^ Scotti, pp 101–105
  69. ^ "Patterson Bronze Star Citation", Point Welcome, 1962, U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
  70. ^ a b c Scotti, p 110
  71. ^ Johnson, p 337
  72. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (January 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. January 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 29–30. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  73. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 125
  74. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 44
  75. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (March 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. March 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 23–26. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  76. ^ a b c Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (July 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. July 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 2–11. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  77. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 443
  78. ^ a b Larzelere, p 35
  79. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 304
  80. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 502
  81. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (October 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. October 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  82. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (November 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. November 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  83. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (December 1967). "Monthly Historical Summary. December 1967". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. p. 7. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  84. ^ a b c d Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (February 1968). "Monthly Historical Summary. February 1968". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 1–20. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  85. ^ a b Cutler, p 114
  86. ^ Grey, pp 176–179
  87. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (June 1968). "Monthly Historical Summary. June 1968". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  88. ^ a b Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (September 1968). "Monthly Historical Summary. September 1968". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  89. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (October 1968). "Monthly Historical Summary. October 1968". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. p. 1. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  90. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 97
  91. ^ "FN Heriberto Segovia Hernandez, USCG" (PDF). Coast Guard History Program. U.S. Coast Guard Historians Office. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  92. ^ Thiessen, William H. "Heriberto S. Hernandez" (PDF). Human Stories. Atlantic Area Historian, USCG. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  93. ^ Cutler, p 373
  94. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 430
  95. ^ a b Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (March 1969). "Monthly Historical Summary. March 1969". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. p. 7. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  96. ^ a b c d e f g h Scotti, p 187
  97. ^ Larzelere, p 234
  98. ^ Scotti, p 164
  99. ^ a b c d e Larzelere, p 229
  100. ^ Mann, p 642
  101. ^ Karnow, p 593
  102. ^ Mann, p 644
  103. ^ Sorley, p 166
  104. ^ Karnow, p 595
  105. ^ Mann, p 652
  106. ^ Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (February 1969). "Monthly Historical Summary. February 1969". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. p. encl. 7. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  107. ^ Larzelere, p 225
  108. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 230
  109. ^ a b c Scotti, p 185
  110. ^ a b Scotti, p 186
  111. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 236
  112. ^ a b c d Scotti, p 188
  113. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 475
  114. ^ Larzelere, p 227
  115. ^ Larzelere, p 238
  116. ^ a b c Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam (August 1970). "Monthly Historical Summary. August 1970". Naval Historical Center, U.S. Navy. p. 74. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  117. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 240
  118. ^ a b c Tulich, p 19
  119. ^ Kelley, sec 5, p 248
  120. ^ Scotti, p 153
  121. ^ a b Tulich, p 20
  122. ^ Tulich, p 21
  123. ^ Scotti, p 160
  124. ^ Kelley, sec F, p 32
  125. ^ Johnson, p 336
  126. ^ Scotti, p 219
  127. ^ Larzelere, p 118
  128. ^ a b "Coatings and Color Manual" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard Coatings and Color Manual CG-263, 16 July 1973. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  129. ^ Medals and Awards Manual, Enclosure 16, pp 1–5
  130. ^ "Republic of Vietnam Galantry Cross Unit Citation" (PDF). General Orders No. 8. Headquarters, Department of the Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  131. ^ "Title 32 – National Defense, § 578.129, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal". Code of Federal Regulations. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  132. ^ a b c ""Point" Class 82-foot WPBs". Assets. US Coast Guard Historians Office. Retrieved 15 April 2013. Coast Guard Historian website
  133. ^ a b Scotti, p 211
  134. ^ a b Scotti, p 210
  135. ^ a b c Larzelere, p 239
  136. ^ Scheina, p 69
  137. ^ Scotti, p 209

Websites used

Public Domain This article incorporates

United States Government
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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from NHHC Organization Records Collections, Vietnam Operations. United States Navy.

References used

External links

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