Vietnam Remembered

[BuoyJumper]

The Blackhaw is ambushed by an enemy
      rocket attack on the Bo De River

[MAGForce]

Well you certainly cannot see any landmarks and I came into Qui Nhon harbor on board the USS General John Pope, a troop ship.  I ran across it again on the Internet, a few years ago and someone had Posted pictures of its exterior and interior as it was laying in general disrepair.

Really sad pictures... which I never would have envisioned.  I was aboard, along with the crew and 1500 Marines... 18 days from the Golden Gate Bridge to Okinawa, then straight into a Typhoon as we left that little island to run for the safety of the sea through 70 - 80 (maybe even a 90 footer) waves and the puke was at least 6" - 8" as it slooshed and hit the airlocks or water tight doors.

We were in the lowest section of the bow and the angle of attack was severe.

                 The USS General John Pope departs San Francisco for Vietnam             Qui Nhon Harbor with fuel depot and Navy Swift docks

I was the only one left not sick and I figured it was just a matter of time, so I went up top.  Opening a door to the outside, I stood there watching the waves crash against the bow as the little ship rode down to the bottom of the wave and the crest crashing over the ship.

At one time, off in the distance... I could see a large cargo ship that had apparently been caught on a reef and as the water subsided, you could actually see daylight under the hull as it sat above the water, balanced like a tinker toy.

I asked a guy later about it and they said the ship had gotten caught and had broken up with all hands lost at sea. 

The last three days, however, were like the birdie you make on 16 or 17... the one that keeps bringing you back to the course again.  We passed through the most picturesque islands with beaches and palms...

...right out of the movies and there was even a sloop at anchor in one cove.

I made a promise to go back one day... a promise I have yet to keep!

Here is an aerial picture of the harbor and although it is not how Vietnam greeted me from the sea view, I can visualize the land more like this, with high range surrounding the small bay. They must have cut this little mountain down in the seventies or something.

Qui Nhon harbor

Coming through that narrow stretch was my first introduction and it could not be more appropriate.

Leaning on the rail, I watched the greenery on either side of the narrow passage slide by, with the ocassional color of the Macaws flitting to safety... I witnessed a doll floating off our starboard bow.

As the ship came closer and the perspective started to kick-in, I realized at my height, that could not be a doll... it was in fact a person floating face up in the water, without any clothes on.

I pointed it out to an Officer nearby and I assume he informed the bridge.  The ship passed by the man, almost hitting him at its widest girth and by the time we had passed by the body, a small launch had come to pick it up.

I knew right then and there, that no matter how beautiful the sights were... I would never allow myself to be distracted by them, as this wonderful and exciting excursion into an exotic and beautiful country... could be the last thing I did on Earth.

[BuoyJumper]

 \  MAGForce
Thanks so much for posting and what you said here, "I knew right then and there, that no matter how beautiful the sights were... I would never allow myself to be distracted by them, as this wonderful and exciting excursion into an exotic and beautiful country... could be the last thing I did on Earth"  I imagine that was the reality that set in for most who were for the very first time facing their vulnerability.  That would have to be a very sobering time for any young man (or woman now) far away from home for the very first time.   


                      The village of Qui Nhon and U.S. Navy facility overlooking the harbor


                                The U.S. Navy Swiftboat Maintenance facility at Qui Nhon


              The U.S. Navy Swiftboat and Coast Guard Patrol Boat docks at Qui Nhon

[Tnafbrat]

Awesome pictures!  Were they taken with that cannon?

[vftb]

Awesome pictures!  Were they taken with that cannon?

Although I've got some pictures of the Swift Boat facilities at Qui Nohn (which I'll post when I get back to town) I can't take credit for these.  Don't know where Buoy got them.  But, you're right, great pictures.

[BuoyJumper]

  Diesel, my brother went to Nam with the first deployment of 82's.  He was a BMC....Hal Robbins.  Ever run across him? 

Stan, you mean this BMC Hal Robbins is your
brother?  Holy crap, ran across the pic of him
doing research on Division 13 for this thread.


Photo from Jerry Sampont

[CGRDCS]

Stan,

Here's the page from the RUSH's Vietnam Cruisebook.

Jungle Jim and Who????

Jack

[attachment deleted by admin]

[BuoyJumper]

Coast Guard Wins Battle off Viet-Nam

SAIGON, June 20, 1966 – United States Coast Guard cutters intercepted a gun-running trawler off South Viet-Nam today and drove it aground in flames after a battle at sea.  A boarding party seized a large amount of Red Chinese made ammunition and weapons, apparently intended for the Viet-Cong.  The 125-foot trawler of unidentified nationality was grounded 80 miles southwest of Saigon.  Communists ashore kept a boarding party from the cutter Point League (WPB-82304) at bay, so a second cutter, the Point Slocum (WPB-82313), and the Navy landing ship Tortuga joined the battle.  Two helicopters from the Tortuga poured fire at the beach and other helicopter gunships joined the fray. It was the 2nd gun runner stopped by Allied vessels in a month and the 3rd this year.

                Photos from Jerry Sampont's website

IN MARKET TIME’S most significant capture to date Coast Guard cutter Point League (foreground) chased, outgunned and fought off shore fire as well to force aground and set afire the gun-running trawler shown in background.  Middle:  Point League’s crew battle the fire on board the 100-foot steel Viet Cong trawler.  Right:  U.S. and Vietnamese sailors offload part of the 250 tons of contraband seized from the vessel after Coast Guard crew extinguished the fire.  The trawler attempted to infiltrate MARKET TIME patrols to supply arms and ammunition to Viet Cong in South Vietnam.

[EX-CG-GM]

Jack, sure enuff, that's Jim.  I don't recognize the GM 2 with him.  Harken (or Harker?) was a big young guy with blondish hair.  Think he might have been from Iowa.

Buoy-  See, the deal is my brother and I were both in Nam at different times.  If I'd had a few more brothers we probably would have won that war.     

[vftb]

It's Friday night, and as usual, things are pretty slow around here.  On a whim I went over to the other place to see what's new; under PCP check out Squiter's (Ron's) post on Vietnam, good post  .  The silence is deafening  ??? .

[vftb]

Shoulda thought to provide a link; better late than never  :

Buoy's Post

[Eupher6]

Jack, sure enuff, that's Jim.  I don't recognize the GM 2 with him.  Harken (or Harker?) was a big young guy with blondish hair.  Think he might have been from Iowa.

Buoy-  See, the deal is my brother and I were both in Nam at different times.  If I'd had a few more brothers we probably would have won that war.     

Ex, while your comment was made in jest, please allow me to point out that you and ALL your brothers-in-arms, regardless of DNA background, who fought there won the war -- of that there is no doubt. The ****ing politicians, entertainers, and other moonbats ensured that a political defeat came out of Vietnam. None of that negates your service and the military victories that were the order of the day.  \

[vftb]

I'm kind of treading on thin ice here, because I have no idea whether anything about that war is still classified or not.  Let's leave it at, these boats didn't exist.  Don't have a full picture of one because I had to sneak this out of a port; pictures verboten.

I do have a humorous story to go along with the picture though.  This is no ****:  Tied up port side to on a floating dock at Cam Rahn Bay, yours truly is the QMOW, one of these non-existing boats is tied up directly across the dock.  I go down to use the head; come back on deck and my SN is pointing a .50 across the dock at a ROK whose pointing a 20 mm canon at my SN.  They were going to settle an argument as to who got to hook up to the fresh water supply first  .  Quick discussion with the OOD; SN with .50, ROK with 20 mm  , we got in line  .

[BuoyJumper]

The artwork of the Patrol Boat crews of Coast Guard Squadron One Vietnam

Can you match up the logo to the RONONE Patrol Boat?

The Patrol Boat logos shown are from the 82327 Point Dume, 82305 Point Partridge, 82329 Point Welcome, 82309 Point Arden, 82307 Point Glover, 82316 Point Mast, 82327 Point Banks, 82317 Point Comfort, 82330 Point Ellis, 82319 Point Orient and one is unknown at this time.

(Wherever possible I have used photos of the original handpainted images but in cases where the photo was too poor a substitution has been used.)

From what I have heard about the crews who manned the 82's in Vietnam they were an independent bunch of men.  One place this was demonstrated was in their individual cutter art for their patrol boat.  While each patrol boat had a unit number and Point class name most of the 82's I am told had some type of logo.  Some were displayed on the cutter' Flag Box as shown above, others were painted on the front of the wheelhouse and others on each side of the wheelhouse.  For illustration purposes and uniformity I have chosen to display the logos on Flag Boxes which seemed to be the predominant choice amongst the RONONE boats. 

                          ANSWER TO THE ARTWORK PUZZLE

[LTGunner]

K. 82000 Point xxxx  (Unknown toon)  THANKS TIM, I APPRECIATE IT!

Snuffy Smith
When Barney Google's adventures took him deep into the Kentucky hills to escape the law, he met Snuffy Smith, a bodacious hillbilly who soon eclipsed him in popularity. At one time the premier moonshiner of Hootin' Holler mountain, this card-playin', hammock-swayin', shotgun-sprayin' varmint made the headlines when he vowed to give up his still forever.



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