!!! DANANG AND I CORPS !!!
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This account courtesy of Ed Fink
[An "old salty dog"]
EMAIL: EMochamanII[ at ]aol.com
We worked out of DaNang and most of our crews came out of the "Gator Navy". In '65, as a BM3, I got my assault coxwain training in Little Creek, Virginia. Went "in country" (DaNang) in January, '66. Initially, our unit went into DaNang in '65 as a shore based, CINPAC Fleet Amphibious unit and in late March or early April of '66 our change of command put us under Naval Support Activity, Danang (NSADANANG). Initially, we provided harbour shuttles for cargo using LCVP's and LCM's (Mike 8 boats). For harbour security patrols (Operation Stable Door), we used the older metal hull LCPL's with one, .30 cal. side mount. Our three man crews carried World War II issue "M-1 Gerands and .45 cal. pistols. One of our LCPL crews carried the old Thompson .45 cal. machine gun. It couldn't hit a floating 55 gallon drum at fifty yards but I clearly remember us always trying to "confiscate" it for our boat crew. I guess it looked better than the M-1's. We also carried percussion gernades and would randomly lob them overboard during night harbour patrols in the anchorage areas for the large merchant tankers bringing in the JP4 and JP5 fuels for the DaNang air base. We also provided patrol and small craft support for the POL operations down at ChuLai working with the shallow draft AOG's bringing fuel in for the air base at ChuLai. In mid '66, and for a very short time, we started working with 3rd Marine recon units and rifle platoons running the Mike 8's up river beyond DaNang and into "Elephant Valley" . I think the Marines preferred the helicopters rather than those slow moving Mike boats so those joint operations only lasted about two months. At the same time, we started using the LCPL's to do some patrol work close to shore just oustide of DaNang harbour checking out water traffic in support of Opperation Market Time; however, the only time we interviened was when there weren't any swift boats or Coast Guard WPB's close by. I went back to NSA DANANG in '67 for a 2nd tour. By then, if we weren't working the DaNang area, we'd take a long boat ride (approximately 12 hours) up to TanMy or CauViet. By then, we started seeing more Swift Boat's and for the first time, we encountered a PBR squadron on the Perfume River going up to Hue. Our old LCPL's were quite embarrasing compared to those PBR's!! From viewing your web pages, I can tell you the rivers up in I-Corps were just as brown as the Delta! I have some fairly good photo's of the first few hours of Operation Double Eagle (largest amphibious assault in Nam just south of ChuLai). Cruising through your web really brought back a lot of fond (good and bad but mostly good) memories and I thank you and those who helped.
This account courtesy of Dan Odenweller
EMAIL: DanOdenweller[ at ]compuserve.com
DREDGING A HOWITZER CHANNEL In the fall of 1966,"U"Boats from the Naval Support Activity, Danang, opened a clear channel from the ocean to Dong Ha. Using clamshell buckets on cranes, from the well deck, we cut a channel inland , up the Cua Viet. Later that year, two "U" Boats, left Danang with four self-propelled howitzers for the Marines at Dong Ha. We looked like floating turrets, with two barrels over the bow. The guns, I recall them at 175's (but they might have been 155's) were delivered on time, and we later ran projectiles (four to a pallet) ashore during a huge storm. We always worried about the narrow channel (and who might have us dialed in), but the Marines came to appreciate our deliveries, and often escorted us with LARC's (see the picture). We often traded potable drinking water, fresh fruit, veggies and steaks, for toys (assorted "non-issue" additions to our defensive armament). I was told that Hanoi Hannah warned us about shelling the north from our terror ships, but we never heard the broadcast. Given the thickness of plating left on the hull of our WWII leftovers, firing one would have sunk us.
This account courtesy of Doug Yelmen
EMAIL: dougyelmen[ at ]earthlink.net
ASSULT CRAFT UNIT 1 I was on a LCM-8. we were called assault craft div 12, that was changed to assault craft unit ONE while in vietnam. We were based at NAB, coronado. We left coronado aboard the U.S.S. Monticello (LSD-35) in feb. 68. We landed in danang in the middle of march 68. We spent some time there, then went up to Hue on the river of perfume, then from there up north to ride the cau viet river (what we called it) between Dong Ha and Quang Tri. Was there for the battle of dong ha. We were relieved in June 68 from guys from our unit at coronado.
DANANG AND
I CORPS PHOTO ALBUM |
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THE FOLLOWING
PHOTOS
ARE THE COURTESY OF BOB CROSS
EMAIL: Riverrat1475[ at ]aol.com |
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THE FOLLOWING
PHOTOS
ARE THE COURTESY OF DAN ODENWELLER
EMAIL: DanOdenweller[ at ]compuserve.com |
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THE FOLLOWING
PHOTOS
ARE THE COURTESY OF JOSEPH CRISCIONE
EMAIL: stewburn[ at ]hvc.rr.com |
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THE FOLLOWING
PHOTOS
ARE THE COURTESY OF JOSEPH CRISCIONE
EMAIL: stewburn[ at ]hvc.rr.com |
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