I was privileged to serve as a gunners mate on one of the 82-footers, 1969-70, USCGC Point Lomas -- out of DaNang for 6 months, after which the boat transferred south to Cat Lo duty.
Served USCG 1980-1984 through the Cuban and Haitian boat lift along with Drug Interdiction and Search and Rescue in the Flordia Keys while waiting for Rescue swimmer school out of Anchorage. They screwed me out of school unless I re-upt, which I decided I'd been jerked around long enough. Saw my share of crazy, fighting boat fires, going out in Hurricanes to assist with distress calls and ship crew rescues, along with seizing drug smuggling in our 3 man crew on a 41 footer
I was doing aids to navigation in nam and going up rivers to light houses to replace batteries in the jungles. One was two miles south of the DMZ. It was heavily sprayed with agent orange which floated on the surfice of the river. It was called quangtri river. It was just after tet offence. Even we were shot at.
"Just in the Coast Guard." That's why I make the USCG Model kits I do. To honor these largely unsung brave, resourceful, American Officers & Men of the United States Coast Guard. The lively, agile 82' WPB is my favorite Cutter.
I was ET aboard USCG Point Cypress in 1969. We ran the rivers south of Saigon. We were one of the last boats that were turned over to the Vietnamese. Most people don't have a clue that the Coast Guard ever left the States.
Jim, this is a short clip from the one hour documentary we produced for the Military Channel which still airs. If you're interested you can purchase the DVD on Amazon. There is a longer segment devoted to the Point Welcome and we didn't fail to bring out Jerry's story.
Wait a minute....you get ordered to the RVN but you have to bum food, water, fuel from the other services? Hopefully, they got paid or did they have to stand on a street corner and bum that too? What kind of half assed operation were the higher ups running there?
26 " 82fters , 5 High Endurance Cutters , a Bouy Tender , LORAN ( long range aids to navigation) station ...dock safety for unloading munitions..and much more...the quite unsung service..." Always Ready" U.S.C.G. EM-2 "70 to 74 "
Before I joined the Army in 2007, I was a member of the USCG Aux. While I was in Afghanistan with the Army, the Coast Guard had to go through our equipment & personal property for shipping back to the States, so I was familiar with their rank insignia.
I am a retired Marine, and I always respected and appreciated what the Coast Guard does!!
My Dad Peter. Swenson served on the Point Partridge 69-70. I am very proud if his service
I was privileged to serve as a gunners mate on one of the 82-footers, 1969-70, USCGC Point Lomas -- out of DaNang for 6 months, after which the boat transferred south to Cat Lo duty.
Served USCG 1980-1984 through the Cuban and Haitian boat lift along with Drug Interdiction and Search and Rescue in the Flordia Keys while waiting for Rescue swimmer school out of Anchorage. They screwed me out of school unless I re-upt, which I decided I'd been jerked around long enough. Saw my share of crazy, fighting boat fires, going out in Hurricanes to assist with distress calls and ship crew rescues, along with seizing drug smuggling in our 3 man crew on a 41 footer
Man, the more I see, the more I realize that the US Coast Guard is far underappriciated
Courage and sacrafice like this should be remembered and appreciated.
I was there in 1970-71 onboard USCGC Rush
I was doing aids to navigation in nam and going up rivers to light houses to replace batteries in the jungles. One was two miles south of the DMZ. It was heavily sprayed with agent orange which floated on the surfice of the river. It was called quangtri river. It was just after tet offence. Even we were shot at.
"Just in the Coast Guard." That's why I make the USCG Model kits I do. To honor these largely unsung brave, resourceful, American Officers & Men of the United States Coast Guard. The lively, agile 82' WPB is my favorite Cutter.
That’s pretty cool learning about stuff my branch did in vietnam
I'll bet the rules were pretty loose on those 82 footers. It must have been kind of fun when you weren't getting shot at.
I was there 67-68 on the Point Hudson
I was ET aboard USCG Point Cypress in 1969. We ran the rivers south of Saigon. We were one of the last boats that were turned over to the Vietnamese. Most people don't have a clue that the Coast Guard ever left the States.
the coast guard should be the most dangerous soldiers in the water.
Jim, this is a short clip from the one hour documentary we produced for the Military Channel which still airs. If you're interested you can purchase the DVD on Amazon. There is a longer segment devoted to the Point Welcome and we didn't fail to bring out Jerry's story.
Wait a minute....you get ordered to the RVN but you have to bum food, water, fuel from the other services? Hopefully, they got paid or did they have to stand on a street corner and bum that too? What kind of half assed operation were the higher ups running there?
26 " 82fters , 5 High Endurance Cutters , a Bouy Tender , LORAN ( long range aids to navigation) station ...dock safety for unloading munitions..and much more...the quite unsung service..." Always Ready" U.S.C.G. EM-2 "70 to 74 "
Yep, we were just in the Coast Guard....Semper Paratus
Before I joined the Army in 2007, I was a member of the USCG Aux. While I was in Afghanistan with the Army, the Coast Guard had to go through our equipment & personal property for shipping back to the States, so I was familiar with their rank insignia.
Worked ATON in Vietnam on the Cutter Blackhaw 69 through 70