_____________________________________________________________________ Swift Boat Sailors Association _____________________________________________________________________________ Monday, 3 June 2019 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Our Reunion in San Antonio, Texas was a success! PRESIDENT’S CORNER Those of us who attended the 2019 SBSA Reunion in San Antonio, TX were treated with a grand time. A special thanks to Orville Alleman and Bud Kittle for organizing this year’s reunion. They did a great job organizing the registration process, raffles, silent auctions and coordinating our stay at the Holiday Inn River Walk. Some of the highlights of the reunion were the Tours and other activities going on. I heard a lot of positive feedback from our
Monday, 3 June 2019 ____________________________________________________________________________________
Our Reunion in San Antonio, Texas was a success!
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Those of us who attended the 2019 SBSA Reunion in San Antonio, TX were treated with a grand time. A special thanks to Orville Alleman and Bud Kittle for organizing this year’s reunion. They did a great job organizing the registration process, raffles, silent auctions and coordinating our stay at the Holiday Inn River Walk. Some of the highlights of the reunion were the Tours and other activities going on. I heard a lot of positive feedback from our
attendees saying they were having a good time. Some of the tour activities included River Walk Barge Tours, a Military City USA Tour, a Fine and Fancy Fredericksburg Tour, a Dinner at the Ranch and the San Antonio Missions Tour. By all accounts, all who attended had a great time. The Hospitality Suite was the center of activity thanks to the spirited management of Jack Chenoweth who kept everyone happy with plenty of snacks, beer, wine, soda, and a number of other refreshments. The Master of Ceremonies for our Banquet was Mike Solhaug, our newly elected SBSA Chairman of the Board. I did the POW/MIA Table Ceremony along with bell ringer, EJ Fitch and our DJ, Ernie Calderone, who played Amazing Grace with Bagpipes on his music equipment. Toasts were made by Mike Solhaug to the USA and to all Veterans past and present. I made a toast to Swift Boat Sailors and Van Odell made a toast to all those Still on Patrol. Mike Solhaug entertained the audience with several jokes throughout the evening which made for a fun and hilarious time. He did a fine job imitating Dan Daly, who couldn’t attend this year’s reunion due to work conflict. Mike Solhaug presented the Ralph Singleton Patriot Award to “John Kelly” who brought PCF-816 back to life in San Diego. John Gordon presented the Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. Humanitarian Award to Chuck Rabel for his exceptional leadership in service to his community. We had a number of our Swifties donate Artwork and other items to our Silent Auctions and Raffles where the proceeds went to help support the SBSA. Total amount raised was $1,165. The following Swifties donated to the Silent Auctions: Bill Pfeffer Donated Artwork Autographed by Bob Hope
Bill Pfeffer Donated Artwork “In Flanders Field” WWI Battlefield Bill Pfeffer Donated two 50Cal Letter Openers Jack Sprat Donated COSRON ONE Clock Ken Briggs Donated Swift Boat Clocks (2) Jimmy Sanford Vietnam History – 25 book series Sue Edwards Swift Boat Mosaic – Raised the most money at $360 There were also a number of raffles from other items donated by Swifties and others donors that included autographed books, letter openers and a 50/50 drawing. John Paul Jones won the 50/50 raffle which took in a total of $300. John Paul made a generous donation on his share of winnings ($150) and donated it back to the SBSA. Our Reunion Project Manager from PRA (a company we hired as the Event Coordinator for the Reunion), Toncie Roberson, did an outstanding job in organizing all the Tours/ Activities and Registration. We received a number of recommendations for our next Biennial Reunion which is scheduled for the East Coast. The normal rotation for our biennial reunions is West Coast, Central U.S. and East Coast. Our Reunion Coordinators are currently looking at cost comparisons and other options for a number of sites on the East Coast. More information will be sent out to our membership as we do cost comparisons to narrow down our options on location. To close out our Reunion, a “Memorial Service” was held on Monday morning, 6 May 2019, in honor of our “50 Still on Patrol” and led by Joe Lavoie and other volunteers.
In Brotherhood, Bob Barnett
P.S. While my wife, Judy, and I were out walking one night on the
San Antonio RiverWalk looking for a place to have dinner a young lady approached and asked if she could read a card to me. I said sure (I think the reason she stopped me was because of the Swift Boat ball cap I was wearing!). The card she read was very sincere
and emotional. As she handed me the card after reading it she asked if she could give me a hug. After the hug she asked me about my ball cap and I told her a short story about Swift Boats and the Vietnam War … then she looked back up at me and asked if she could give me another hug. Amazing! The photo below shows the card and the Star the young lady gave me:
RESULTS New Board Officers Elected/Appointed to the SBSA at the 2019 General Business Meeting were: POSITION NAME TERM EXPIRES Chairman of the BoD Mike Solhaug 2021* President Bob Barnett 2023 Executive VP Dave Bradley 2023 Treasurer Henry Inabnett N/A VP Secretary Van Odell 2023 VP Registered Agent Don Hammer 2023 VP Ship’s Store/Membership Terry Boone 2021* VP Reunions Orville Alleman 2021* VP Reunions/Public Relations Bud Kittle 2021* VP Gifts/Donations John Paul Jones 2021* * Elected in 2017 for 4 year terms.
MEMORIAL FOR 50 SWIFT BOAT SAILORS STILL ON PATROL
A “Memorial Service” was held on Monday morning, 6 May 2019, in honor of our “50 Still on Patrol” and led by Joe Lavoie and other volunteers. Joe read a poem that reflected honorably on those who served and who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation and Richard Gorman performed the Invocation and Benediction. Taps was played at the end of the Memorial Service to conclude the service. We had five volunteers read the names of our 50 Swift Boat Sailors Still on Patrol to honor them during the Memorial Service at the San Antonio Reunion. Our Honor Crew’s names were read to the ringing of a ship’s bell provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. Here are the names of the readers and bell ringer:
Jack Cook Howard Emerick Jim Hartkemeyer – Gold Star Family Lee Fry Richard Gorman Dewey Williams – Bell Ringer
ZUMWALT, JR. HUMANITARIAN AND THE RALPH SINGLETON AWARD
John Kelly won the “2019 Ralph Singleton Patriot Award” for the countless hours and resources he dedicated to bring PCF-816 back to life. He has helped to insure PCF-816 will continue to tell the Swift Boat story, as well as honor our Brothers on “Last Patrol.”
Chuck Rabel won the “2019 Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Humanitarian Award” for his long standing, unwavering and impactful service on behalf of veterans, and his exceptional leadership in service to his community. We honored and saluted him for his unselfish, devoted service.
PCF-816 UPDATE Well 816 is now almost as complete as she was when some of us trained on her in Coronado and Sausalito. Thanks to the efforts of the San Diego Maritime Museum (Kevin Sheehan), the San Diego crew (Bob Brown, John Kelly, Carl Werden & a host of SDMM
workers) the new mount was installed and has been an impressive sight to all our passengers. With the addition of a demilled 81mm round and belted .50 cal rounds attached to both Mt 51 & Mt 52, she’s an impressive view. The Association thanks everyone who made a donation to help raise nearly $10K to purchase the 81mm Mortar and Mortar Round. This new mortar is a great addition to the 816 Boat and will help in telling the story and history about the different weapons used aboard the Swift Boat. On Memorial Day we participated with the USS Midway in a wreath laying ceremony. The Midway placed wreaths for each of the 5 uniform services and we placed one for all the Swiftboat Sailors still on patrol. Throughout the Memorial Day weekend, we ran 30 minute runs with some at full capacity and were able to tell her story as well as ours.
MEMORIAL DAY PHOTOS CLICK HERE to see Memorial Day photos of PCF-816 and USS MIDWAY CV-41
- Through Membership - Through Donations to the SBSA Treasurer SBSA Treasurer P.O. Box 2684 Silverdale, WA 98383-2684 - Through Donations to the Maritime Museum of San Diego Maritime Museum of San Diego Attn; Ray Ashley 1492 N. Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101 Please indicate on the check to the Maritime Museum that it's for PCF-816. Planned Giving- Restricted Bequests through the Maritime
Museum of San Diego for PCF-816
Contact Maritime Museum San Diego Director of Development
and specifically mention you want to make a Restricted Bequest.
If you are considering a Restricted Bequest but would like to ensure
that your bequest will be used for a specific purpose, please let us
know.
We would be happy to work with you to help you identify ways to
give and meet your charitable objectives.
We will also work with you to craft language to accomplish your
goals.
Maritime Museum of San Diego
1492 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: 619-234-9153 Ext. 126
Kelli Lewis
Director of Development
Maritime Museum Website: https://sdmaritime.org/support-the-museum/
BOOKS AUTHORED BY AND/OR ABOUT SWIFT BOATS AND SWIFT BOAT SAILORS
The Bridges of Vietnam: From the Journals of a U.S. Marine Intelligence Officer written by Fred L. Edwards, Jr. Cat Lo: Memoir of Invincible Youth written by Virgil Erwin
Confession to a Deaf God Memoir of a Mekong River Rat written by Gary R. Blinn
Firefight on Vietnam Brown Water Navy written by Lynn Salsi
Still on Patrol written by William Henry Inabnett
Swift Boat Down: The Real Story of the Sinking of PCF-19 written
by James Steffes War on the Rivers: Swift Boat Sailor’s Chronicle of the Battle for the Mekong Delta written by Weymouth D. Symmes
White Water, Red Hot Lead: On Board U.S. Navy Swift Boats in
Vietnam written by Dan Daly
Vietnam Memoir: “Between the Letters: Life, Love, and War.”
WILL THE VA PAY FOR YOUR FUNERAL? THE ANSWER MAY SURPRISE YOU!
It's something none of us want to think about: our demise. What will happen after we're gone? Will we have a big funeral? Will anybody show up?
If you want to have a big funeral and a fancy tombstone in a nice cemetery, it will cost a lot. That's OK. You're a veteran; the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay. Right? Well … not so fast. The High Cost of Dying. Before we discuss what the VA will pay, let's discuss the major costs associated with dying. Funeral Prices. According to the National Funeral Directors
Association, the average cost of a funeral with burial in 2017 was
$8,755; the average cost of a funeral with cremation was $6,260.
That's just the cost of transporting and preparing the body, and holding a small viewing. If you want a service and a wake, expect to pay more.
EMAIL MESSAGE FROM ADMIRAL ZUMWALT’S DAUGHTER, MS. ANN ZUMWALT
My dear Swift Boat Veterans, My mother was the Sponsor of the USS BREWTON and my Dad was the keynote speaker as the CNO at the Commissioning of the USS Brewton. While reading his words I felt compelled to share this speech. It conveys his deep feelings for you all. Please feel free to share with other Viet Nam Veterans, etc. From Sea to Shining "Z"......
An INCREDIBLY PRESCIENT speech by Dad in 1971 at the commissioning of the USS Brewton in which my mother was the
Sponsor. [While my Dad was in Viet Nam , LT John C. Brewton a Navy Seal, was in the nearby US hospital. Dad asked Lt. Brewton’s mother, father and his fiancé to stay with him in his villa in Saigon for several months till John passed away. My mother also stayed in the Villa days at time to comfort the family.]
Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., then Chief of Naval Operations, gave a speech at the launching ceremony for the USS Brewton on Saturday, 24 July 1971 at Avondale Shipyards in Westwego, Louisiana. Admiral Zumwalt graciously donated the text of that speech. [See below]
Admiral Zumwalt's wife Mouza was the ship's sponsor, and christened her on 23 June 1971. Admiral Zumwalt also knew John Brewton personally, and his speech is a testament to the courage and honor shown by John, and the other young men and women that served in Vietnam.
Mrs. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Sponsor, breaks the traditional bottle of champagne over the bow of the USS BREWTON (DE 1086) while
Henry Zac Carter, President and Chairman of the Board, Avondale Shipyards, Inc., and Miss Cheryl Kurit look on.
The USS Brewton (DE 1086) slides gracefully down the ways as she is side-launched at Avondale Shipyards, Inc., main yard.
JOHN C. BREWTON
Remarks by Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., USN Chief of Naval Operations
Launching of the USS Brewton (DE 1086)
Avondale Shipyards Westwego, Louisiana
10:30am Saturday, July 24, 1971
As Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, it is always a source of pleasure and satisfaction to me to witness the addition of a new warship to our Naval forces.
Today, however, I am also an active participant in this ceremony whereby the sleek and beautiful example of the art of the designer and skill of the ship builder is introduced for the first time to the waters - waters which will carry her from this day forward to make her mark in history as a unit of the United States Navy.
This alone is privilege and satisfaction enough for any man.
But in addition, I am favored today with two further sources of pride and honor.
First, my own wife, Mouza, is to christen this ship - giving it a name it will bear on and over the wide seas for decades into the future - perhaps into the next century, the beginning of a new millennia.
Secondly, the name this ship is to carry is one which has a unique place in my own heart and memory.
Lieutenant John C. Brewton, United States Naval Reserve, served under my command in Vietnam. He died on 11 January 1970 of wounds received from the enemy in action six weeks earlier while serving as Assistant Platoon Commander of a Navy Seal Team Detachment.
For his heroism in that final action, Lieutenant Brewton was posthumously awarded the Silver Star - our nation's third highest combat decoration.
His Task Force Commander, Captain J. R. Faulk, USN, is present in the audience today, as is his Task Group Commander, Commander C. J. Wages, USN, now serving as my personal aide.
To us who knew him, nothing could be more fitting than to place John Brewton's name on a warship designed for anti-submarine warfare.
In tracking down and sinking a hostile submarine, the qualities so evident in John Brewton, the man, will be equally essential to USS BREWTON, the ship. Anti-submarine warfare demands:
- perseverance in the goals of the mission despite adversity or setbacks.
- technical skill and proficiency to steady with confidence and certainty those led into battle and to lend security to those to be protected from danger.
- endurance to stay in the contest until the issue is decided through victory or defeat.
- determination to win through, whatever the odds, however long it may take.
- most of all, courage to face death without flinching, even when the chill of its shadow is felt on the wind.
John Brewton displayed these qualities in full measure. Yes, Lieutenant Brewton was a very special young man to us - but he also was a very ordinary young American among those Navy men who served in Vietnam.
In 1945, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, when speaking of the Iwo Jima campaign, said that it was a time when "Uncommon valor was a common virtue".
So it also was for our Navy men in the jungles and on the rivers of Vietnam.
Our young sailors and officers there had willingly chosen the road of danger and personal challenge in defense of freedom.
They did so because of their faith in America and their belief that freedom is indivisible - that it must be defended on far away shores if we are to avoid defending it on American soil.
The heroism in battle and courage in adversity or death shown by our Navy men in Vietnam serves as a constant inspiration to those who share this uniform - both in the U.S. Navy and that of our brothers-in-arms of the Vietnamese Navy.
We know that only so long as our Navy and our Nation can produce men of such caliber, such quality, and such devotion will America be secure against those who may in the future seek again to challenge our commitment to the cause of freedom.
Although all Americans wish it could be otherwise, our Naval forces, with those of our allies, must continue to stand ready to demonstrate that commitment in coming decades. This means that young Americans like John Brewton must continue to stand ready to pay, possibly with their "last full measure of devotion", the price of freedom.
But men of courage and spirit are not enough. They must have the tools with which to do the job. This ship we see before us today is
one of the many tools our men must have if our country is to remain free. It is a warship, capable of dealing death and destruction when called for - but it is also a "Peace-Ship" which, by its existence in conjunction with the other necessary instruments of military power, can prevent war - and this is its primary reason for being.
But, men and weapons together are still not enough to ensure peace.
Our Armed Forces must also have the physical and moral support of their fellow countrymen if American courage, devotion and technology are to be fruitful.
There are trends in our society today which have tended to undermine and erode public confidence in our Armed Forces - indeed, in our nation's entire way of life.
America was once widely thought of as a land of affluence and plenty, with opportunity to succeed for all who wish to excel.
In recent years we have more searchingly turned our gaze inward, and now see with greater clarity the deficiencies of our society.
There is poverty - there is crime - there is inequality of opportunity - and we are rightly moving forward to bring the reality of America in line with the image we have long held of it.
But despite its flaws, our nation yet stands as the finest example of human organization and accomplishment in the history of man.
Our rise to pre-eminence among the nations of the world has not been without cost.
It can be said of America, as it was of Ancient Athens, that its "Grandeur was acquired by brave and valiant men, by men who knew their duty, who did not think it dishonorable for their country to need anything their valor could do for it, and so made it the most glorious present" - their lives.
And, as it was true of Athens, it is also true that those men and women who have died to make America the "last, best hope of earth" were not all in the uniformed service of the country.
The pioneers who pushed our boundaries westward across this continent and the seamen who extended our trading limits around the Horn to Asia and the Indies all shared in a dream of a greater
America in the future - and they found no dishonor in courage, heroism or death in pursuit of that dream.
Or martyred Presidents, from Lincoln to John Kennedy also held in their hearts and frequently spoke of such a dream.
But there are voices abroad in America today which imply that this dream is dead - interred with the remains of those thousands of young Americans who, out of patriotism and love, made this country a present of their lives in Southeast Asia.
For three decades now, brutality, destruction and death have been pressed on our society and its people to a degree unprecedented in the last hundred years of our history. It is not a surprise to find our people growing weary and the voices of defeat rising in the wings. To some Americans, the "Generation of Peace" our President so fervently seeks seems beyond our grasp - the burden of that "long twilight struggle" foreseen by John Kennedy only a decade ago already seems to them to be intolerable - many of our institutions and symbols of authority are being questioned or undermined - it is advocated that we turn our back on the world beyond our shores - that we leave our partners to their fate, and turn our energy to a life of isolation, ease and physical comfort.
The suggestion is that we should turn our resources and attention to problems closer to home, even at the expense of our defensive military capability.
The debate rages now ever-louder, and some predict that this is the course our people will choose to follow - that those same Americans who so swiftly responded to the call of greatness in the past have had enough of struggle and tension and will be persuaded to take the road of easy decision.
I do not believe it; nor would any man who knew John Brewton and thousands of young Americans just like him.
To turn our backs on the heritage of freedom and greatness handed down to this generation by those who for two centuries struggled and died to build it would imply an American poverty of spirit far in excess of any poverty of pocket book known in history.
If such a poverty exists, I have seen none of it reflected by those young Navy men who served so courageously in the rivers and
jungles of Vietnam, nor do I see any of it now as our Navy men and women steadfastly go about their daily tasks on sea and shore around the globe.
Certainly, these young Americans have not abandoned their heritage, and I do not believe that their parents will be swayed to do so - however tiresome the burden may be. For, of all generations of Americans, we know that we live in an imperfect world - we are now inseparably a part of it, and there can be no going back to earlier and less difficult days.
We also know that no thug ever attacked a well-armed man, while history is replete with the examples of the price ultimately paid by weakness.
The frontiers of our national interest are now spread across the seas - pressed outward by ancestors of energy, imagination, courage and venturesome spirit. Our way of life, our very existence as a nation, is now inextricably bound to the economic and security prospects of dozens of other nations.
We are tied to those remote lands by sea lines of communication - and the ability of our Navy to control these sea lines of communication in support of outposts increasingly to be manned by allies and partners is crucial to the future survival of America as we know it.
Let us abolish poverty - let us overcome crime in the streets - let us break down the barriers to equal opportunity - but let us always remember that we cannot do so in a vacuum.
The voices of defeatism and dissent are loud and powerful. But I am certain that the spirits of those thousands of Americans who have died for freedom in the last two hundred years join us in our prayer that this nation will see the shoals ahead and put about before it is too late.
The course ahead is shrouded in the mists of complexity, and there are no wise men who can perceive or would advocate simple answers to the difficulties we face.
But at least one thing is clear - USS BREWTON and the officers and men who will man her in coming decades will make their just contribution to the security of this land and all it represents - they
will bear the burdens needed to perpetuate our heritage - and the challenges they will face together will be increasingly more difficult than those we all face today.
Finally, in readying themselves to meet the tests ahead, I can assure them that they could have no higher goal to pursue than to match the example of honor, courage and patriotism set for them by their ship's namesake.
May God bless them in their journey to the next century.
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS ADMIRAL E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., USN
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS
7 July 1972
Dear Captain,
My best wishes go to you and your ship's company on the
commissioning of BREWTON (DE-1086).
BREWTON represents a significant step forward in the development
of new ships to deter the threat of modern submarines. She
perpetuates the memory of Lieutenant John C. Brewton, USNR,
leader of a Navy "Seal" team in South Vietnam. Distinguishing
himself in action against the enemy, he led his men in a
successful firefight although himself seriously wounded. Even
after the action had been completed, he refused assistance until
after all of his wounded had been cared for. His selfless
concern for his men and for the success of his mission cost him
his own life. His spirit of competence and dedication is now
yours to carry on. I know that you will make your ship worthy of
the man whose name she honors.
Your selection as Commanding Officer of BREWTON is a tribute to
your past performance and attests to your ability to meet the
challenge of Command, the most cherished experience of a Naval
career. You know the truth of Admiral Arleigh Burke's remark
that any ship is "good because of the people in her; without
them, she is an inert mass of steel." Our need for highly
motivated, experienced personnel has never been greater. I urge
you to be keenly aware of the welfare of your men. There is no
substitute for a crew who is well informed and whose talents are
recognized. I encourage you to delegate responsibility down to
the lowest level and in so doing, develop a real sense of being
part of, what I know will be, one of our Navy's finest fighting
units.
On behalf of the Navy, I welcome BREWTON to the fleet.
PRIORITY CLAIM PROCESS With this amendment, Purple Heart recipients who submit initial disability compensation claims on or after April 1, 2019, will be added to nine categories of emergent claims requiring priority processing from VBA.
By Tom Edwards who served in with Coastal Squadron ONE, An Thoi, Vietnam
Approximately three and a half years before my deployment to Vietnam General William Westmoreland, Commander of the Military Assistance Command in Saigon had requested shallow water craft to support the newly formed Coastal Surveillance Force.
Their assignment - curtail the flow of North Vietnamese troops and supplies to the south via waterways.
Prior to the arrival of Swift Boats the Viet Cong had unbounded access to rivers, canals and the coastline for smuggling and infiltration operations.
The Navy had tested a variety of boats to address the specific needs of combating that type of guerrilla warfare before opting to utilize a craft built by Sewart Seacraft, a Louisiana based manufacturer.
The Swift Boats were transported to the Philippines; An Thoi and Da Nang were selected as the two areas most critical to the needs the new craft could address. The 50 foot long 25 knot quarter inch thick aluminum hull Swift Boats had twin 50 caliber machine guns above the pilot house and a single 50 over an 81 mm mortar aft. Swift Boats quickly proved to be the perfect fit for the type of warfare underway on the rivers and along the coast.
During Operation Market Time Swift Boats maintained a 24/7 schedule and interacted with hundreds of 'junks' (fishing vessels) daily. Consequently, keeping Swift Boats up and running was vital to the new 'Small Boat Brown-Water Navy'.
The majority of junks that Swift Boat sailors encountered were operated by legitimate fishermen. That gave the sailors the opportunity to engage in good will gestures such as giving cigarettes and candy to those on the junks that were being inspected for contraband.
Click HERE to continue reading story and see photos
When naval construction battalions weren’t building bases, they
were fighting the enemy.
On the morning of July 1, 1967, Chief Petty Officer Joseph Herrara of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 was driving a truck near Da Nang Air Base when a lone Viet Cong soldier fired a poisonous
dart that shattered a window and caused a deep gash in the chief’s arm. Realizing he was under attack, Herrara switched off the engine and got out. As he ran toward the back of the truck, a bullet struck his belt loop. He drew his pistol and made his way to a ditch across the road. He spotted the Viet Cong and fired four rounds before chasing him. The Viet Cong threw a grenade, and Herrara hit the ground, waiting for an explosion that didn’t come. He slowly rose and inspected the grenade; its safety pin was still partially in place. The Navy construction man had survived the sudden attack.
Two years earlier, on June 10, 1965, steelworker Petty Officer 2nd Class William C. Hoover from the same battalion was less fortunate. When Viet Cong attacked the U.S. Army Special Forces camp at Dong Xoai, about 55 miles northeast of Saigon, Hoover was wounded in the initial mortar shelling but continued firing and was killed later in the battle. Posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a “V” device for valor, Hoover was the first person from the Navy’s construction battalions—abbreviated CBs and called “Seabees”—killed in the Vietnam War.
Trained for combat as well as construction, Seabees frequently found themselves in the thick of the fighting and just as often distinguished themselves with their heroism. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., includes 85 Seabees among its list of war dead—a tribute to their motto, “We build, we fight,” which is symbolized in their logo of a bee holding a wrench, hammer and machine gun.
I served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 as a swift boat maintenance and repair electrician aboard the landing craft repair ship USS Krishna. We were anchored near An Thoi, a fishing village on the southern tip of Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Thailand. When the site became the home of the first swift boat division in Vietnam in December 1965, the Seabees were short on virtually everything needed to build the base, so the Krishna served as their supply depot. That all changed after Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze visited in 1966. After living in a tent for a few days and taking part in some swift boat patrols, Nitze made sure the Navy delivered the materials needed to make life at least a little more bearable. In short order, the Seabees, with a hand from the Krishna and swift boat crews, had the buildings up and occupied, including Quonset
huts, the military’s old standby in prefabricated metal structures used for officers housing, storage and recreation.
The Seabees at An Thoi were continuing a tradition that began in the summer of 1940 when the Navy’s Bureau of Yards and Docks began to build Naval Air Station Quonset Point, near Davisville, Rhode Island. The new huts were designed in two primary sizes—20 feet by 48 feet and 40 feet by 100 feet—and could be connected side-by-side and end-to-end, offering numerous configurations.
Click HERE to continue reading the story.
“Reprinted with permission of Vietnam magazine” and note that that the article was originally published in the magazine’s December 2018
If you disagree with a VA decision, you can choose one of the following review options to continue your case. If you aren't satisfied with that review, you can try another option. The Appeals process has changed for VA decisions you received on
or after February 19, 2019. You'll need to follow a different process
