The Coast Guard in Viet-Nam

Bill Verge, Former City Commissioner and USCGC INGHAM MUSEUM

I had recently graduated from the University of Miami and was serving in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve as a Lieutenant and received a call from the Commandant’s office asking me if I would volunteer to be re called to active duty to serve in Viet-Nam as an Executive Officer on a CG-82 footer. The Navy in early 1965 had requested the Coast Guard to provide 17 of the cutters to Viet-Nam to provide Coastal Interdiction and inland river patrol inasmuch as they had no small craft at that time. The boats were shipped to Subic Bay in the Philippines and after outfitting, Coast Guard Squadron One was commissioned. We crossed the South China Sea in five days and split into two divisions. Eight Cutters stationed themselves in Da Nang on the East Coast and the other 9 stationed themselves in the Gulf of Thailand on Phu Quoc Island off the West Coast. The Navy provided maintenance and support from LST’s for both divisions. Each Division was divided into patrol areas with patrols being 6 days out and two days for maintenance and provisioning. At the end of the first year we assisted the Navy in establishing small 50 foot patrol boats called SWIFTS and helped train the Naval Personnel as the Boats arrived. They were manned by both Navy and Coast Guard Personnel and penetrated further up the rivers than the 82’s could. The entire operation was called “Operation Market Time”. In the first year the Squadron Accomplished the following: Patrolled more than a half million miles, Underway 70% of the time, Detected more than 160,000 junks, Inspected and boarded over 30,000 junks, accounted for close to 100 Viet Cong confirmed killed, destroyed or captured 22 enemy junks and two steel hulled trawlers, blocked 250 tons of ammunition, and participated in over 40 gunfire support missions.

Radm Ward awarded the Squadron the Navy Unit Commendation Medal citing “The Squadron has responded magnificently and I am proud to have them on my Team.”

 

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