| We hope you enjoy our Vietnam Veteran's photo gallery – it's made-up entirely from submissions by members and visitors. If you have a picture you would like to submit, send it with caption information to GW President. [ Click on a thumbnail image for close-up view. Navigate through the pages using the text links at the bottom of each page. ]
|
|
The following image submitted by: Rich Doggett, who served as a Postal Clerk in charge at NSA Saigon, Detachment Nha Be from 12/1968-5/70. He got to know many shipmates, base support personnel, task force personnel and especially River Division 593.
|
|
|
|
|
|
NSA Saigon headquarters building located at NhaBe. The photo angle is towards the main gate. The quonset hut on the right is the Base Security Building which is right next to the main gate. Any of you that spent any time on NhaBe should recognize these buildings. 1969 photo.
|
One of several living quarters on the base at NhaBe. This particular one is directly across the street from the gally. 1969 photo.
|
RivDiv-593, boat number unknown (photo was made from Neal Willard's boat) 10/69
|
PC1 Rich Doggett, with RivDiv 593 on this patrol. 10/69.
|
|
|
|
|
| RivDiv 593, Boat number unknown. Boat captain Neal Willard can be seen in the water assisting with the line to pass to his own boat which will act as a tug. 10/69.
|
RivDiv 593's Paul Hopke adjusting his M-16 for a night scope. 10/69.
|
RivDiv 593's Paul Hopke sighting in a night scope. It is believed the person behind Hopke is PO2 Fry. 10/69.
|
Vietnamese boat inspection. I believe this to be Neal Willard on the left with the M-16 and Paul Hopke on the right. 10/69.
|
|
|
|
|
| PC1 Rich Doggett, with RivDiv-593 on a patrol. Neal Willard was the boat captain ...I forgot the boat number. Can you help to identify those in the background? 10/69.
|
RivDiv-593, forgot the boat number, however, Neal Willard was the boat captain. Who is this in the photo? ...Neal Willard? ...Neal was a bigger guy, right? Maybe it is Paul Hopke? ...or someone else? Can you help to identify? 10/69.
|
RivDiv-593 ...boat number unknown. 10-69.
|
This is on the Vietnam-Cambodia border. The Navy RAG unit is unknown ...would appreciate to identify if you know. 11/69.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The remains of a "Bird Dog" spotter plane was in a field along the shore between the village and base at SONG ONG DOC. It was along the path we took from the barges to the ville, the helo pad, and Dufflebag hootch. Looking at the photo, I think that it's the same one. Then again....30 years after the events...." Information provided by Bill Ferguson of River Division 572.
|
YRBM 21 on the Mekong River near An Long Village. I started off 1970 on the 21.
Info provided by Ralph Christopher
|
YRBM-20 ...at least I think the hull number is 20. All I can recall, this support ship/base is located in the Delta and I would know the name and place if reminded. Can you help to identify? 11/69.
|
This is on the Vietnam-Cambodia border.
The Navy units are unknown ...would appreciate to identify if you know. 11/69.
|
|
|
|
|
| This is the last leg of a ride I caught to NhaBe from a trip with the Navy Pay Team in the Delta ...boat or boat unit unknown. 11/69.
|
PBR support base on the Delta. Song Ong Doc PBR Support Base!!, identified by both Bill Ferguson and Tom Humerick of River Division 572. The "Belly Up" PBR (extreme right of photo) was the result of a firefight on November 3, 1969, when the boat captained by John E. Michelson had its transom blown off and sunk immediately.
Bill Ferguson was one of the three boat captains on that patrol. The other was Les Burchett. "Bill Ferguson's boat was the lead boat of a three PBR patrol on the Song Ong Doc. The initial enemy barrage hit and sank John Michelson's boat. Les Burchett maneuvered his boat to avoid hitting John's boat and beached in the kill zone. Bill Ferguson's boat rigged a tow line and pulled the beached boat to safety, just like they taught us in NIOTC." (Part taken from Bill Ferguson End of Tour Award Citation.)
No one was killed in the action and only a couple of minor wounds resulted.
"The Patrol Officer's Name on this three boat patrol was PO1 Roberts. It was a good thing he was there. His leadership was essential after the stuff hit the fan (...tail in this case)." Information provided by Bill Ferguson of River Division 572.
From: Roger Weisberg:
The boat that is "belly up" is the 119 boat. I was the gunners mate on her. Bill Ferguson's account on what happened that night is a little different than I remember.
We had left the VN Marine artery base after telling them our location for the ambush site we were going to set up that night. The 119 boat was the 2nd of the three boat patrol. SN Brown was in the forward gun tub and EN3 Swank was on the aft fifty. I was sitting on the engine cover getting things ready for the night. The first rocket hit the engine on the right side blowing me off and against the coxwain's flat. Mickelson radioed that we had been hit. The 2nd rocket hit the forward gun tub area. By this time the boat was about dead in the water. Mickelson went into the radio area to pull the "Kack Pacs" (spelling) from the radios. I tried to get up but my left leg and arm would not work. I grabed an M-16 and started shooting from a sitting position. "Mick" had no sooner gotten back at the helm when the 3rd rocket hit the radio room. Somebody was popping flares and I looked aft and saw the 3rd PBR that was behind us "beached", but was firing all the weapons it could. Also the water was now rolling over the stern of the 119. The 1st PBR had left the kill zone by this time. The next thing I knew I was under water. Then Mickelson pulled me to the surface and we sat on the forward gun tub brackets and waited for someone to pick us up.
Swank and Brown floated down river and were picked up by another boat. Brown and myself were MEDAVACed out. Brown had shrapnel in his butt and I had shrapnel everywhere and a big hole in my left leg. I spent 3 months in the hospital in Japan.
I was told later by our CO, Lt. Barry (who was also wounded later and sent to the same hospital I was in), that the 119 boat was almost ripped in half by the rockets.
Roger Weisberg
|
|
The following images submitted by: Ken Dunwoody
|
|
Phuoc Xuyen
Ken Dunwoody on tower #5 at the Forward Support Base Phuoc Xuyen on the Grand Canal. Cambodia in the background. Tower is armed with a single .50 caliber with night scope; M79 and lots of high explosive rounds; and an M-16 in the corner.
|
|
Floating Barracks YR-9 at Vinh Long Navy base with River Section 523 PBR's alongside. Taken February 1968. (Info provided by Dave Chapman, EN3 NSA 90.13).
Submitted by Ken Dunwoody and Ralph Christopher.
|
| |
|
|
Photos submitted by: Matt Eagan
|
|
This is MK I PBR 66-137 after it was returned to Nha Be. It was sunk on the La Grande Canal March 4th 69. I am holding the RPG 7 tail fin.
Left to Right: Petty Officer Tynan, Boat Captain Al Lambinus, Petty Officer Matt Eagan, Petty Officer Kline
|
| |
|
|
The following submitted by: Ralph J. Fries
|
|
At 1500, February 3, 2001 onboard PCF-104at CISM Field, Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Ca. was an extremely nostalgic sentimental time of day for QMCS John(Jack) C. Gallop, USNR.
Read the whole story here.
|
| |
|
|
The following images submitted by: Gene Geiger, River Section
543
|
|
|
|
Cua Viet Clubhouse
Left; Gene Geiger, PBR Boat Captain, River Section 543. Middle; BM1 We called him "Windy", can't recall his given name. He was a PBR Boat Captain, River Section 543. He also served in the Korean War. Right; PO2 Denehey or Dunahey. Taken in Cua Viet outside the Clubhouse, summer of 1968.
|
Cua Viet Clubhouse
Gene Geiger, River Section 543. Taken in Cua Viet outside the Clubhouse, summer of 1968.
|
Cua Viet Clubhouse
Gene Geiger, River Section 543. Taken in Cua Viet outside the Clubhouse, summer of 1968.
|
| |
|
|
|
Photos submitted by: John Goff
|
|
Leon Starck receiving his first Purple Heart
River Section 543.
(Submitted by Charles Goff.)
Leon passed away on April 3, 2004
(Submitted on Father's Day by Traci Starck, daughter of Leon.)
|
| |
|
|
Photos submitted by: Paul Guinn
|
|
RIPAFLOT-5 Staff in Binh Thuy Jun 69 (my last month in Nam) I'm the one with the dog “soa”
|
|
YN1 Nubia and myself (I'm the one with the AK-47.)
|
| |
|
|
Photos submitted by: Jerry Hamlin
|
 |
 |
|
Jerry Hamlin DaNang 67-68. |
China Beach(Jerry is the one with the green
cutoffs) |
| |
|
|
Photos submitted by: Heinz
Hickethier
|
 |
 |
|
Vinh Te Canal Map (PDF file 3.5K) |
South Vietnam, September, 1969 |
| |
|
|
South Vietnam, September, 1969: A river patrol boat heads into
the rising sun after a night on ambush in the Mekong Delta. The 31-foot,
27-knot, heavily-armed U.S. Navy boats built on fiberglass pleasure craft hulls
worked in groups of two and four on 24 to 48-hour missions in search of the
Viet Cong. (Jim Falk, Stars and Stripes © ) |
| |
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)