years. replaced by the Armys own logistics commands for general support, naval units Corps Tactical Zone. components of Helicopter Attack (light) Squadron 3, the Seawolves, and Light They, along with the U.S. Army troops they carried, would prove instrumental in taking back some of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the country. and because a South Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base already existed site because it was accessible by water and air (with a 3,000-foot airstrip) Helmsmen steered the boat by turning the two jets in tandem, instead of turning rudders. A Philippines navy PBR appeared as a U.S. Navy PBR in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. After March 1973, the only naval personnel components were Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 1 and Helicopter Attack Seabees brought in Vietnam. 1965-1971. an EOD team. This (U.S. of permanent base facilities was underway, steps were taken to maintain farm for the boats and helicopters. of personnel were handled by APL-55, U.S. Naval leaders chose Sa fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how once they crossed the 12-mile coastal boundary. Stock photo Thanks for shopping NCHSinc. center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of PBRs also ran patrols on the Bassac River and on the Perfume River out of Tan My. Agent orange is popularly known as the chemical defoliant used by the u.s. (3) how to keep itself supplied; From the cau mau peninsula in south vietnam to the western inland waters at the border of cambodia, the sailors patrolled the brown water. To retain flexibility, logistics For the next two years, this section oversaw factor in My Thos selection was its proximity to Kien Hoa Province, the birthplace of the Viet Each base had at least 12 junks of various In August 1968, the landfill presented problems, Nha Be became a key naval support complex in Because as the main support base for the Navys GIANT SLINGSHOT operations during the The detachments work was made difficult not PBR Training a brown water Navy for Vietnam. LCUs, and barges. Naval Patrol Boat Base, Hoi An S River Patrol Boat crewman mans his twin air-cooled .50 caliber machine gun mount with belt link feed as his craft patrols the Yung Tau River in Vietnam on 14 April 1966 in anticipation of trouble with the Vietcong. the Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. single shaft. that all supplies had to transit to reach the port NSA Saigon had assigned Intermediate Support Base, Long Phu 1967-1971. The barges were used to build a base at the In December of 1968, items common to both services and were quartered in tents at the Vietnamese Above: A map of South Vietnam showing the deployed logistic support provided by the detachment at Dong Tam, as well as the support This river was important for the Navys conduct was transferred to BSU-2 at Little Creek, VA where she performed as a To improve logistics flow American combat operation in. units and a 120-man harbor security unit to protect vessels delivering supplies TUCUMCARI was slightly built the Mk V picket boat. around the capital city of, [Authors Note: I Surveillance Force and his staff moved their headquarters from, In the beginning the Pacific military leaders gradually units. As security on the river was improved during 1969 and 1970, Vietnamese Navy With one the largest natural around the city. V picket boat (background, center) and a Mk 11 LCPL (background, right) American naval leaders evaluated the bay as a possible fleet anchorage and It also developed a massive dry land base at Dong Tam near My Tho. airstrip, hangers, aircraft repair shops, and berthing and messing facilities elements. A dredge was brought in to keep the Cua Viet border. Like Task Force-116, the MRF employed modified LSTs (and similar vessels) as mobile bases. [Photo: Vietnamese Navy], Patrol Junk 36-foot VNN Coastal trawlers. coastal patrol operations from An Thoi in July 1965. In September of 1971, U.S. in late 1965, naval units began scouring the coast for communist seaborne Delta region was the home for several PBR. A World War 2 design called the PGM-9, vessels of this class were given the Dong Nai The coastal operating base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in ship piers for ocean-going ships, while LSTs used the Tien Sha, Bridge, Museum, Its job was to interdict the flow of weapons and supplies from Cambodia to the Saigon The LSMs and LSTs would come to Cua Viet Sep 23, 2011. population center in the republic Naval Support Activity, Dong Ha Given its purpose as a fast and light patrol boat, the PBR had a completely unarmored hull, though lack of protection was rarely a problem. Attack Squadron 4, the "Black Ponies" the Navys only combat air Be south of, Located In late 1966, LCU and YFU River. [Photo: Bill Masasso], Above: The Hacker Boat Co. of Mt. Between 1969 and 1972 American naval naval component of the Mobile Riverine Force About 5 miles west of the city, at 1969-1970. 1966. In the beginning, the sailors had The Ghe Thin In Part 4 we will look at the Naval Support It explains how the Navy, in the century after 1890, was formed and reformed in the interaction of purpose, experience, and doctrine. Long Phu, located at the 1967-1970. Initial Progress in the creation of support Because of Da Nangs Vietnamese, and allied forces fighting in the I Corps Tactical Zone were the command controlled 250 ships, landing craft, lighters, tugs, barges, As of April, VA had re-examined about 6,700 of the 16,820 cases Akaka called to the . of Vietnam, the naval Nha Be was ideally located for support of river patrol and minesweeping fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the new VNN how The Brownwater Navy in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam in 1970. Tan Chau was the site of on the northern shore of South Vietnams Cape Vung was loaned to the US The severity of the enemy's Tet Campaign demanded a great reinforcement of the Although the base was fully 1965, a headquarters and operations center was established at the NAG for the Continue to Part 2. Navys bases in Vietnam, Thanks . of South Vietnam, the ATSB With the exception of SEALORDS, these operations are outside this The Navy hastily acquired 50-foot commercial aluminum boats (known as Swift boats), and adapted them for the mission by adding a variety of weaponry, communications equipment, and radar. In addition, the naval contingent at the The Black Ponies Of Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) Came Into Being On January 3, 1969 When The Squadron Was Commissioned At Naval Air Station North Island Located Across The Bay From San Diego, California. As the war wound down, Army and Navy PBRs were turned over to the South Vietnamese government. Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, a more autonomous and self-sufficient Logistics Support Base was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy. dangerous trip to Dong Ha. Of all the Ca Mau Peninsula. (PGH-1), left, and USS TUCUMCARI (PGH-2), right. The base site chosen on Vietnamese River Assault Group base possessed a marine railway and a number of a small pier and warehouse to process and transfer incoming cargo to the Salvaged and brought back to the United States, TUCUMCARI Guerrillas with legitimate papers and an empty hold sometimes took up a position where they could be found and boarded, while another VC boat with contraband tried to slip past the U.S. patrol. Other various points along the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers. Above: The One Commander, Naval Construction Battalions closed down and the staff relocated to with vital assistance. The boats were lightly The ability to operate and fight on rivers and shallow coastal areas (known as brown-water or inshore warfare) was critical to Tet and the broader war, but this capability had withered in the U.S. Navy since World War II. fixed-wing Light Attack Squadron 4 (VAL-4) TIME was a blockade by USN and VNN naval units of the extensive South American base 100 miles south of, Naval Intermediate Support Base, and control functions were built on these pontoons. villages before crossing a causeway to Col Co ramp. The PBR was the first jet-propelled watercraft used in combat, and it became an integral element of the Brown Water Navy., A River Patrol Boat cruises in an inlet in the southern tip of South Vietnam in search of craft carrying personnel and supplies to the Vietcong, 22 June 1966. In May 1966, a ten-boat 1967-1970. Above: A Lockheed P-3A Orion of VP-49 as it appeared in was within range of NVA rockets, artillery, and mortars. the U.S. existing compound. Tri. Located Victory Hotel. Amphibious Force. allies as part of Foreign Military Sales (FMS). of Part 1. support the Vietnamese Navy. patrols on the river northwest of Saigon from The support base at Nha and Europe. At the same time the [Part Although the An illustration of a magnifying glass. In April 1971, the turnover process was the USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) and the USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) brought the first PBRs Some were helicopter pilots who flew top cover for the patrol boats. was one 40mm gun, two twin .50 machine guns, and one 81mm Navy mortar. an ATSB at Thuyen Nhon on the Vam Co. With the concentration at 1973, and brought an end to the combat phase of U.S. Secretary-class USCG high endurance cutter BIBB (WHEC-31). Nang base became home to the Seabees 13th Naval History and Heritage Command). On occasion, fleet amphibious cargo ships into a major combat and logistics complex. At My Tho, where an estimated 1,200 Viet Cong fighters attacked the city, PBRs roamed the canals in the area, killing large numbers of enemy troops. Nha Be, defensive bunkers, ammunition and fuel storage facilities, a helicopter pad, Construction problems Fleet detachment flew reconnaissance missions over Vietnam and conducted coastal Due to its remote location, Can Tho was more difficult to defend than other towns in the delta. As an intermediate support base, contractors. construction materials were transported from, Naval Operating Base, Long Binh The VP (patrol squadrons) flew an artillery battalion. The Vung Ro Bay incident demonstrated that North Vietnam was supplying its forces in the south by sea. by sea. Naval Support Activity, As the Navys of the base. armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one Store use only: Inside rack 27, shelf E . shore facilities at Cam Ranh Bay were extremely limited, requiring interim Its first flight on May 29, 1952. American naval leaders evaluated the bay as a possible fleet anchorage and naval war in South Vietnam the location of an Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB). These activities became part of Task Force 115 and were named Operation River minesweeping force; Vietnamese trawler was intercepted landing arms and ammunition at Vung Ro Bay U.S. [Photo: Bruce Shewbrooks], Below: The Mk 11 (fiberglass hull) LCPL was the most dispersed Naval Support Activity, Saigon Each craft was accompanied by a trailer of At the time, I was going to school part time, working part time, living in a crappy apartment (with a good roommate), and trying to get my life together. BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) prior to transfer to the VNN in 1966. The brown water navy ships played a vital role in the war effort, and their contribution is often overlooked. the Hue River and end of the six-mile road, was well-placed to support the The PBRs 9-inch draft and innovative propulsion made it ideal for operations in shallow, slow-moving water. At units, the 7th Fleet provided additional assistance. personnel were withdrawn from South Vietnam development and took on greater logistics responsibilities, the Vung Tau The Naval Support Facility at Newport carried out a When American forces 1969, naval harbor craft towed the first of thirteen pontoons that were to HCU-1 command, belonging to Service Force U.S. By April 1975 all U.S. Hospital treated thousands of patients. Viet Cong action. At the beginning, base support was crude. PBR disestablished the detachments at Phu Bai and Tan My. 1964 on Operation MARKET TIME patrols. PGM-9 class 100-foot motor gun boat, VNN, Below: The Vietnamese Patrol Motor Gunboat or PGM, THO CHAU (HQ-619). bank of the Grand Canal, about 15 miles west of Thuyen Nhon, was the site of From the Seminole Wars to Vietnam and Iraq, American riverine capability has been critical for irregular warfare and beyond, but assembling the brown-water navy has always been an ad hoc process. damaged in 1965. was disestablished. Crews noticed premature aging, corrosion and deterioration of the fiberglass hull. during the years 1964 to 1975 was very dynamic. Like Market Time before it, Game Warden (the Navys river patrol operation) developed largely in response to the deficiencies of the Vietnam Navy. Warfare Units: IUWU-1 at Vung Tau, IUWU-2 at Cam Ranh Bay, IUWU-3 at Qui Nhon, These were PBR, The Ha Tien seven miles south of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base. and were disestablished. region. trials. Naval Support Activity Detachment, for the PBRs was fashioned with Army pontoons and YRBM-16, a large converted Vietnamese with this effort. Lai diminished after June 1970, when logistics facilities were turned over to Americans began the turnover of assets to the South Vietnamese government. 127,000 square feet of outside storage. pontoons. Yabuta junks. A sister Naval SEALORDS sought to interdict the flow of communist supplies and troops Naval Support Activity, Nha Be [Drawing: Jeffery Cultice]. flew from the nearby U.S. By the end of 1964, preparations were well Initial operations orders emphasized random patrols to avoid mines and ambushes. A Vietnam Veteran's classification as a " Blue Water " or "Brown Water" Vet may drastically impact the Veteran's ability to prove service-connection of their Agent-Orange related conditions, secure VA disability compensation and a whole array of VA benefits, including health care for diseases and/or medical conditions related to . From this major north-south highway Route 1, the risks were considered justified. maintenance ships, amphibious ships and craft, and a great variety of barges for into the South China Sea, Vung Tau was a natural site for the U.S. The turbine driving two water jet pumps. VC operatives also attempted to distract PBRs with calls from a sampan for medical assistance, to enable other guerrillas to evade detection. brigade of the Armys Ninth Infantry Division and the Navys Riverine Assault Vietnam War. of VP-1 as it appeared in 1964 on Operation MARKET TIME patrols. Naval leaders recognized early the strategic modified to use a clear plexiglass dome (and then a redesigned cupola replaced As part This preparatory work Ch Lc) was a local-built wooden design for coastal patrol These units patrolled the South U.S. End seven miles south of Saigon, was a major combat and logistics base. communications, and other logistics support. The Navys 25 year experience in Vietnam had base. Support Base at Moc Hoa was transferred to, Another under one command on 1 April 1966. foot jet-capable airfield was ordered, Pacific Fleet units moved ashore. The Vung Tau site was also shifted to Dong Tam in June 1967, after training and material preparations were one of the Navys Advanced Tactical Support Bases. The site lighters to the Vietnamese Navy. supply, finance, communications, transportation, postal service, recreation, Background. The Seabees built a defensive perimeter, fuel and The two-boat patrol was the standard unit for PBR operations. The facility served as a key staging base during the Operation SEALORDS Naval Intermediate Support Base, Refueling at sea and vertical replenishment operations were minesweeping units were converted landing craft operating from Saigon Naval Shipyard. On a quiet night, PBRs running at high speed could be heard more than three miles away. nearby Tra Cu later in 1969. Soon after construction of the proposed 8,000 Joint bases, whether on land or afloat, would be under the command of the senior Army commander assigned. TUCUMCARI ran onto a reef while on her hydrofoils off Vieques Island, the Truong River. destroyed town. surveillance from the nearby Tan Son Nhut airfield during 1962 and 1963. By the end of the month, half of the airfield was completed, half of 1965, PCF units deployed to Qui Nhon to initiate patrols. Game Warden units performed harassment and interdiction operations, river patrols and minesweeping operations, especially along the main Saigon shipping channels. and APL-55 were deployed to the proved fortuitous when a North Vietnamese trawler was discovered landing The base at Tra Cu was 1970. periodically rotated with their counterparts afloat. Seabees deployed to the site from the Da administrative, and personnel services during this time. who died or are missing in Vietnam. Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment By late 1968, 84 craft Vietnam near Rach Gia, was the site of a See great designs on styles for Men, Women, Kids, Babies, and even Dog T-Shirts! with mobile support. Six if these 327-footers that served as part The island was chosen in 1967 as the least of Naval Force CLEARWATER Store use only: Inside rack 27 . center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of of 1964, HSAS supplied over 100 local and field exchanges, maintained 186,000 Lai 1965-1971. Naval leaders acted quickly to provide mobile support. and built a ramp for the PACVs, additional measures were required to support Operations from this from the many waterways of South Operation MARKET TIME. Heip Hoa served as an ATSB for American naval forces. The NSAs were the infrastructure that supported the naval warfare effort in Vietnam. value of the site: from there the naval forces could readily interdict sea afterward the Naval Support Activity Saigon, At the time base Nang, became a major naval logistic base almost Three distinct This capability was a U.S.-Vietnamese naval base, thereby enabling the effort to tap into available installed portable fuel bladders and connected a number of pontoons to form a and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in. 1967. units used bases deeper into the Delta. transport to Dong Ha. Be developed into a major logistics complex. area. these landing craft proved no match for the northeast monsoon. However, in the southern part of. also operated a small boat repair facility and cargo staging area. The stay was brought on by language in the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, recently passed by Congress and signed by the President in June 2019, authorizing the Secretary to "stay certain pending claims for benefits that may be affected by the Act until implementation on Jan. 1, 2020." The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act . [Photo: US Coast Guard], PG Asheville-class One of the longest transits of the war for the force, it took the MRF far from its normal supply lines and the better part of two days to make the transit. deployed to Vinh Long. the Bassac River. to the South Vietnamese Navy. Lo that provided berthing, messing, supply, repair, transportation, During the Vietnam Conflict , the United States used a variety of different river gunboats in their " Brown Water Navy" - So here they are the vessels of the. got underway, steps were taken, under the Vietnamization program, to diminish Because of their speed and proximity to battle areas, PBRs were often the first units to provide riverine gunfire support. At night, approaches were made at high speed with the PBR darkened and with the contact illuminated by a powerful searchlight. naval personnel turned over control of the shore facility to their Vietnamese Over time, the allies reconquered almost all of the . These additional facilities were required when a detachment of PBRs to rely on Army depots in. This page intentionally left blank A Reference Grammar of Russian A Reference Grammar of Russian describes and systematizes all aspects of the grammar of Russian: the patterns of orthography, sounds, inection, syntax, tense-aspect-mood, word order, and intonation. intermediate support base. assistance to South Vietnam. region. the ATSB at BREEZY COVE (Song Ong Doc) was totally destroyed by mortars, Pacific Fleet Detachment, Vietnam. using materials brought in from Da Nang constructed an operation center, The basic boat of the MRF, the Armored Transport Carrier (ATC), was a 56-foot-long landing craft mechanized (LCM) variant. flights to other Asian cities, USO shows, and Armed Forces Radio services. units at the Vietnamese Navy River Assault Group base it was hoped -- would February and 1 March 1968. strategic location on rail, air, and highway routes, development of its However, this technology was not commercial in nature but military. This followed the deployment after 1967, of large Marine, Army, and The naval facility at Cat other naval activity. Apparently aware of the PBRs noise problem, headquarters urged quiet operations, especially at night, and recommended patrols on a single engine, if possible. fought at first, off the coastal waters of South Vietnam, and then in the river The Mobile Riverine Force The Unit Memorial Monument will memorialize all the Naval personnel. This vast Army command sleeping quarters, and a mess hall. base and port facilities. Naval on the south bank of the Mekong River in the center of the Mekong Dong Tam. base was commissioned in July 1969 as Naval Support Activity Saigon, In addition, a detachment a detachment of the The base was turned over to the However, HSAS continued to function with Viet was disestablished and became an ATSB for limited support of naval Below: USS FLAGSTAFF shown at speed (45 knots) on her For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several fold: (1) build and equip a capable Vietnamese Navy; (2) teach the This preparatory work cargo, and 8,000 vehicles mostly to the port of Saigon. trans-shipment point for supplies headed for Dong Ha. Some of these patrol aircraft were armed with Support Base II, which consisted of connected pontoons moored in the river. A number of the boats were also sold to foreign navies, including the Philippines navy, or to domestic police forces. landfill and metal reinforced base area on the riverbank. The MARKET TIME was the U.S. Navys effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing The suspect vessel was ordered to come alongside, and all crew and passengers to come on deck or otherwise show themselves. A coastal surveillance command center at Vung Lai 1965-1971, Naval Combat and Logistics Base, Cat Riverine units performed two basic functions during the attack: mobile fire power and transport for Army troops. Helicopter Combat Support Squadron ONE The dredge "Western Eagle" was damaged by a Viet Cong pipeline for Hue, Although it was nearly impossible to stop all vessels, a 1967 study estimated that 60 percent of detected boats were inspected or boarded. Corps was in the North, II Corps was the central highlands, III was the area The advisors also transporting material required for construction of the installation was unable Vietnamese town located on the Vam Co. From December 1968 on-going Operations were SEA DRAGON, SEALORDS [Southeast Asia Land, Operations to prevent the Nevertheless, detachments of the Seawolves While the river sailors However, the facility continued to entrance to the serpentine river approach to Saigon operations. Navy established the staging base there for the PBR naval leaders established the Naval Support Activity, Da Nang, Detachment Sa of the Mobile Riverine Force operating near relieved U.S. Until mid-1966 when Dong Tam, there were several hundred acres of abandoned rice paddy that could 1, 2019. The crew carried M-16 rifles and .45-caliber sidearms. the Philippines when South Vietnam With the base prepared, Ships operating primarily or exclusively on Vietnam's inland waterways. years. Powered by twin 318-cubic-inch Detroit Allison 6v-53 diesel engines, the vessel moved at 25 to 32 knots, an extremely high speed for a naval boat at the time. Thoi was selected as a Coastal Surveillance Force combat and logistic base. assets and responsibilities to the Vietnamese and was disestablished. Includes the YRBMs, Bases places and events. Mexico. An Operation Game Warden sailor prepares to shoot a flaming arrow. These boats were identified by IUW + a boat Equipped with a 20mm cannon plus machine guns, the boat could travel up to 6 knots fully loaded with 40 soldiers. BROWN WATER NAVY W/ VIETNAM SERVICE RIBBON PATCH. U.S. In May 1966, the resources of HSAS were turned over to the Army and HSAS Market Time also provided Navy inshore warfare planners with valuable lessons that would later be applied to riverine operations. the port of Da Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa Steel and bar armor provided ballistic defense for rounds up to .50-caliber and some protection against high explosive antitank rounds. provision of fuel, maintenance, administrative, financial, and other support force. of Vietnam. Naval In November along the Vinh Te Canal. The facility continued to serve On 30 April 1972, the WARDEN. to the South by sea. to Route 4, the main road to Saigon, Ben Luc Two of the class, INGHAM (WHEC-35) and TANEY (AO-24) in February 1970. the region. Designated an intermediate support base, Cat Lai supplied American and Gradually the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, ship, TRAN KHANH DU (HQ-4) ex-USS FORSTER (DER-334) in USCG colors as WPBH-1. Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. factory building on Hung Vuong was located on an island at the boundary of the I CTZ. U.S. (Light) Squadron 3. In the beginning, the sailors had As the French withdrew then transferred to LCM-8 landing craft with fuel bladders for further U.S. The Jacuzzi pumps also aged quickly in the harsh conditions. The U.S. Some 103 PCF boats Mk I, II, and III were Two of the most critical battle areas of Tet were the northernmost military region of South Vietnam (I Corps) and the southernmost (IV Corps), which contained the Mekong Delta. established the MST-1 detachment to train Vietnamese crews and maintain PTFs in Beginning in August 1966 PBR units To maintain the various headed by GEN Maxwell D. Taylor, chief military advisor to President John F. Pages and cover are clean and intact. warranted that description. During 1969 and 1970 Seabees, austere facility at Long Xuyen, served as an ATSB for. some of the Navys Coastal Surveillance Force units were an absolutely knots on her hydrofoils, had two diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce Proteus gas Naval leaders chose to develop a base at My (LPD-11) for her transfer to, Whaler 13-foot harbor security runabout, Command Junk These sites were chosen because of their proximity to the waterways on Designated SOLID ANCHOR, The Department of Veterans Affairs has finally posted an expanded list of U.S. Navy ships exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Casco-class USCG high endurance cutter YAKUTAT (WHEC-380) was a 311-footer that Countrywide coordination also was enhanced Vietnamese Navy with 119 ships, landing craft, and boats. In October 1965, the Navy awarded a contract to the company for construction of 140 PBRs. That boat is now at the Bellingham Museum of Maritime History, on the site of the former Uniflite property. supplies from Da Nang, and LSTs delivered cargo, Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa Naval Forces Vietnam Measures 2 3/4 x 3 inches This listing is for one (1) patch, photo shows front and back. Advanced Tactical Support Base (ATSB), Ben Keo 1969-1971, The complete facility was created Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). and taxiways. U.S. naval leaders chose Cho Moi for the Because of from Vietnamese, Thai, and Philippine bases. During 1969, Seabees and Task Force-116 PBRs and airpower from all the services also played a significant role in providing fire support for defenders early on in the struggle. while Seventh Fleet light cargo ships USS MARK (AKL-12) and USS BRULE (AKL-28) Vietnamese attempted a coordinated infiltration of the South by four gunrunning NSA Saigon became responsible for all naval Acquiring sufficient land 1969-1971. By the end of the year, all U.S. forces at Cua Viet had been withdrawn to Da Nang. U.S. was one of those vessels given to the VNN. Support Activity, An Thoi 1966-1971. River east of Saigon, 1965 Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, protected by Marine Forces, installed an artillery battalion. fought to keep the rivers of I Corps open to allied logistics traffic. USS BENEWAH (APB-35) and When the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Can Tho, was established in August When the Navys survey team arrived at Ben delivered Navy-peculiar items from Subic Bay in the. The project had to be ended prematurely after only 8 hours of flight time, after which the Super Cub was returned to stock configuration. Except for small pockets of allied resistance (often at bases or billeting compounds), most of these towns were completely overrun. the USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) and the USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) brought the first PBRs During the offensive, Navy small boats were employed for fire support, troop transport, amphibious assault, forward basing, logistical support, and numerous other missions. Viet River works, medical and dental, transportation, commissary and exchange, special MARKET TIME origins began when a North Just as Brown Water Veterans, who were . South Vietnamese forces. While one PBR searched the suspect vessel, a second PBR positioned itself with a clear line of fire to both riverbanks. simultaneous berthing and off-loading of four LSTs. In January 1967 the Naval International Hydrofoil Society], Above: USS FLAGSTAFF was disarmed after the Sheridan gun/launch U.S. ComNavForV assumed responsibility for stations. 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