SwiftVets.com

Wondering · Seaman Recruit Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 19

I have researched this and have not been able to find the answer.

Kerry enlisted in the Naval reserves, is this common when going into OCS? He reports for OCS then is active duty 4 months later. Was he a naval reservist that got called up, or was he planning on going active duty?

My main question though is when he decided to transfer from the USS Gridley to swift boat duty, had their mission already expanded from coastal patrol to river and delta patrol? Or was he thinking that the boats would still be mainly farther away from the action?

skbarton13 · Seaman Recruit Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 15

sorry I do not know about the unit missions -- kerry had a reserve commission, not a regular commission, but he served in the regular navy -- he was in the reserve navy AFTER his active duty stint

Navy_Navy_Navy · Admin Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 5777

I posted this on another thread, but just in case you miss it:

From the Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

.
================================================
Kerry enlisted in the Naval reserves, is this common when going into OCS?

My main question though is when he decided to transfer from the USS Gridley
to swift boat duty, had their mission already expanded from coastal patrol to
river and delta patrol? Or was he thinking that the boats would still be mainly
farther away from the action?
=================================================

RE OCS: Yes, in order to go directly to OCS from civilian life, you were
required to enter the Navy as an enlisted man and remained so while
you were undergoing OCS training. If/when you completed OCS, you
were "mustered out" as enlisted and immediately re-entered with the
O-1 officer designation. Hence the 4 months enlisted service.

RE Change of Mission: Kerry arrived in VN in November / December 1968
See http://pcf45.com/sealords/sealords.htm for a description of the way
Admiral Zumwalt shifted strategy about that time.
.

Decom Reject

I was an OinC on Swifts in 1969-70. It was not unusual for someone to volunteer for "In-Country" duty and be allowed to move from their then-present duty station to an assignment like Swift boats.

The difference between Reserve and Regular has always been difficult for civilians. Reserve officers served at the pleasure of the President just like Regulars. We had to resign to be "separated" but typically were never "discharged" in the sense that enlisted people could fulfill the terms of their contract (or enlistment) and then "discharge" the agreement.

I was also a destroyer guy and know what it must take to have the CO of a destroyer let a good guy go - especially to something other than destroyers! That must have been interesting....

The sticking point is that 2 of the 3 "wounds" appear to have been unusually questionable. There does not seem to have been any enemy fire for #1 and one of his crew has stated that #3 was self-inflicted by much the same negligence or stupidity as #1 (an M-79 grenade round going off prematurely due to operator error). That crewman has since changed his story after - apparently - be allowed to ride on the family jet.

"23 firefights and not a single Purple Heart"

DEL · Seaman Recruit Joined: 08 May 2004 Posts: 49

For more info on swifts and other river units try: www.mrfa.org for swifts try links for CTF-115.