SwiftVets.com

[MDunlap]

I need some help understanding something from a Swifty who was there at about the same time Kerry was. My question is simple. What did you do on a day to day basis. Did you patrol the river everyday, or was it only on assigned missions. If you were not on a mission did you stay in base. My reason for asking this is to evaluate numbers.

I am a police sergeant who works with squad numbers to evaluate how and if a person is working on patrol. I was looking at the report Costal Division Eleven Command History 1 January 1969 to 31 December 1969. The heading says Chronology of Highlights. It then lists everything done. I understand that Kerry’s boat was the 94. On Kerry’s web site, it lists only 15 missions that he went on. http://www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/combat_reports.html I could only find 12 missions on the Command History. Is this correct, or did you go on missions and if nothing happened you did not fill out any paper work?

How could anyone receive the medals he received in only 12 – 15 missions? That would be the same as an police officer getting into 4 shootings in less than 4 months on patrol. IT JUST DON’T HAPPEN.

Another question about mines. I keep reading about mines blowing up in front of and behind theses swiftboats. I thought a boat had to actually hit a mine before it blew up. That is the way they were designed, or I was told this. How does it actually happen?

[silenthunter]

Just passing through, Mr. Dunlap, and I have to say I can't help you. BUT you have a very good post with very good questions.

While an enemy of the state has corrupted this, I still have to say "help is on the way." Your questions will be answered in true, complete and honest swifty fashion.

(I was on a carrier a long way from where the real river fighters did their deeds. We fought in different places with different weapons for the same country.)
_________________
R.E. Gleason, YN2
Navy '67-'71
Staff, Rear Admiral James D. Ramage,
COMCARDIV7, '70-'71
USS Oriskany, CVA34, '69-'71

"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it won't be needed until someone tries to take it away." -- Thomas Jefferson

[mrhct]

Can't answer your question on the missions, but I can tell you that often mines that were remotely detonated were used.

[Abbey November]

Your question has several parts. When Kerry was operating out of An Thoi, there was a USN repair ship anchored just a little south of Phu Quoc island. Barges were tied along side to give the boats something to tie up to. The ship served as a repair and maintenance base, supply base, and Cos Div 11 headquarters. When the boats went on "inland" operations as opposed to costal patrol, they operated out of an Army base at Ha Tien or Rach Gia. When the boats operated "inland" down in the Cau Mau penninsula, they used a USN LST anchored just offshore as a temporary base. A patrol might last one or two days. After that it would take a day or so to rearm, perform some maintenance and sleep. When you went on missions and nothing occured you made verbal reports about your activities. When events occured that, for example, required the expenditure of ammuntion, you filed an after action report or a spot report. During the time Kerry operated, most patrols on rivers and canals in the Cau Mau/Nam Can area resulted in after action or spot reports.

Kerry did operate out of Cos Div 13 in December and before that out he had his boston whaler purple heart patrol out of Cam Rhan. So you won't find reference to those in the Cos Div 11 records.

Your reaction to the number of medals in a very short period of time is the same as a lot of others have made about the purple hearts...ie. three purple hearts, four months, no limp.

On the other hand, most of the patrols into the Cau Mau/Nam Can area (the southern tip of Vietnam) resulted in hostile fire. All of the boats and crews that conducted those operations expected an adverse situtation whenever they went in there. A lot of medals and awards were made. People just don't talk about them.

As for mines, they were usually detonated in the same way that many B-40/RPG's were, by wire. The mine or bundle of explosive would be put in the water with two detonation wires leading from it to a position in the brush. Two aiming stakes were set up for the operator. When a boat lined up with the two aiming stakes, the operator crossed the wires to detonate the mine. The same was often done for B-40/RPG's, in addition to the shoulder fired variety.