SwiftVets.com

rbshirley · Founder Joined: 07 May 2004 Posts: 394

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Highlighted in the most recent edition of the USNI "Proceedings" magazine,
a supposed professional journal for members of the sea services, US Coast
Guard Adm Yost authors an article titled Swift Boats: Hard Day on the Bo De

{Click on the title to read the article on your browser or download it}

Then Commander Yost was the Task Group Commander (CTG115.4) of the
southern region, and took command of an operation on April 12, 1969 up
the Rach Duong Keo, supported by Captain Roy Hoffman flying overhead
in a US Navy Seawolf UH-1 Gunship.

The operation was perhaps the most significant disaster for Swift Boats
during the entire war.

In this article, Admiral Yost attempts to put the blame for the results of
this operation on the incompetence of Roy Hoffman, the Swift sailors, and
the Vietnamese Marines. He specifically accuses Hoffmann of purposedly
failing to provide gunship support for the rescue attempts for a disabled
Swift Boat.

The timing and tone of the article appears to be a blatant attempt to again
discredit the leadership of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Here is my reply to the Proceedings magazine:

BuffaloJack · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:07 am Post subject:

I find that this is incredible. I've always had the utmost respect for the Coast Guard sailors in Viet Nam. When they were there, they always seemed to get the worst and most dangerous missions. For them to attack the swiftvets now is beyond belief. This has to be the action of a single isolated individual who has stewed on some isolated event for the past three plus decades and has grown bitter with time. I'm sure that this view is not shared by the other Coast Guard swiftees. Just like a few isolated Navy swiftees who support Kerry, there are probably a few Coast Guard swiftees who are doing the same.
Some of this probably stems from the fact that most of the public doesn't even know that the Coast Guard was in Viet Nam, much less that they had the highest casualty rate of any service branch there. Recognition for these guys has been neglected far to long.

3rd gen Navy · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:12 am Post subject:

I have long since switched my membership from the Naval Institute to the Naval Order and my subscription from from Proceedings to Naval History...unlike Proceedings, Naval History primarily deals with Facts. It is frequently rife with episodes that swell a patriotic heart with pride, as opposed to the soft, politically correct tripe that passes in Proceedings. Furthermore, there has been an ongoing debate in Proceedings for several years regarding the fact that people do not feel free to contribute without fear of reprisal for their dissenting or alternate views. It simply is NOT an objective, peer reviewed publication. This last is the latest in a long, slow downward spiral. What will be truly interesting is if Pro-Swifty responses are allowed in subsequent issues of Proceedings.
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Sean G. Smith,
RN, BSN, EMT-B, U.S. Navy, 1994 - 2003.
BS Biology, Business Administration, Nursing
The Deal with Life: Make decisions based on what you might gain, not on what you may lose.
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cgc · Seaman Recruit Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 47

I really don't know what the article is trying to say. I read it three times and still came away with the feeling this "Coastie" is trying to make ADM Hoffman somehow responsible for a lot of blind luck on the Viet Cong's part, and supposed poor planning on not sending in the helo's in on the initial run up the canal. Also he glossed over the role of the 43 crew and a lot of other people in removing the crew of the 43 boat from the bank. To be honest, I think this one is strictly political. I can't believe that he got the name of the canal wrong, anybody who was on that operation will never forget the day, the operation or the actions of all the crews during the ambush. By the way I remember the FWD gunner he talks about, I saw him after we beached and remember his wound. He wasn't that fat, just a big guy with ill fitting flak jacket and pants. Does anyone remember how hard it was sometimes to find a flak jacket or flak pants that fit.

cgc Swift Crew 6C, 68-69

BuffaloJack · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:09 pm Post subject:

I remember how hard it was to find a flak jacket. I never did did have the flak pants; I used to use two vests. I used one as a vest and tied the other on like a skirt. Anyone remember how freaking hot those things were?

I've re-read the article several times now. I don't think anyone is really attacking the swifts. Two different commanders will conduct an operation in two different ways and both will be right. Hoffman was concerned with getting the helos there with sufficient fuel to support. Yost was on the scene and had consented to going another mile in at the request of the marines. Yost should have confirmed the receipt of the radio message to Hoffmam. All this is hindsight. This was one of those classic fog of war situations. The VC had some remarkedly good luck that day and we didn't. Any discrepancies between the account today and the real thing many years back is attributable to just failing memories.

kmudd · Master Chief Petty Officer Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 825

I wonder if anyone in the Kerry camp had any contact with Guard Adm Yost before he wrote the article?

MrJapan · PO1 Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 465 Location: Chiba, Japan

RogerRabbit · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:10 pm Post subject:

ccr · Commander Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 325

Tom Poole · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:01 pm Post subject:

I've read this material a few times now and it seems to me Yost was wrong or lying about the presence of helicopter gunships, he was wrong or lying about the name of the river, he was wrong or lying about the number of swift boats in the operation and wrong or lying about its reputation as a success or a disaster. That's four wrongs or four lies. I'd say that pretty well debunks Yost's version of events, whether he lied or simply forgot the details. We'll never know if it was politically inspired because Slick Kerry and his gang of charlatans are masters of nuance, not too much unlike another slick liar we know about.
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'58 Airedale HMR(L)-261 VMO-2

GoophyDog · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:39 pm Post subject:

As a retired coastie I stand ashamed. Under Yost's watch resources were stretched so thin that the service was very hard pressed to accomplish the basic missions. His knee jerk reaction to the drug war in the carribean set the stage for an entire coast (the west) to become a virtual hiway into the U.S. not just for drugs but illegal immigrants from China. This was proven true after his departure with the interdiction of some of the largest tonnage of drugs in history and the interdiction of shiploads of chinese trying to make it to the U.S. and the ensuing decades of virtual slavery they faced.

It was under his watch some of the most damaging oil spills hit our shores, most visibally the Exxon Valdez incident. I lay that one right in his lap when he civilianized the VTS without allowing for noted and needed improvements in the system that dated back to the opening of the center.

Further, when Desert Shield came around it was his relief that had to scramble to find the resources to respond to the increased demands and frankly, the CG almost fell short in that regard. We lacked the training, the equipment and if it wasn't for the unwavering will of the coasties dedicated to doing their job I seriously doubt we could have accomplished the mission.

Admiral Yost lacked the "chutzpah" to stand his ground to get the resources and manpower he needed. From his oral history and from what I experienced under his command, it appears to have been more than just a one-time event.
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Why ask? Because it needs asking.

RogerRabbit · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 6:51 pm Post subject:

DADESID · Seaman Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 157

Bob,

I read Admiral Yost's commentary and your response. I can't imagine that the commentary was intended to discredit the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, and, as has been pointed out in a previous post, it was probably written long before this Presidential Campaign. While there probably were serious differences in the assessment of the tactical situation of that particular engagement between the On Scene Commander (Admiral Yost) and Admiral Hoffmann at the time, I can't see any connection to anything about Kerry.

What is most distressing to this Coastie is that this commentary seems to have been taken as an example of oppositon by Coasties in general to the objectives of SBVT.... (Title of thread). I think that is unfortunate.

RogerRabbit · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:05 pm Post subject:

Tom Poole · Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:01 am Post subject:

Cool it guys. I read and reread this with great interest. I did not interpret rbshirley's posting in a way that all Coasties are just like Yost. In fact, it seemed to me that he singled out Yost and the story was painted narrowly for just this one officer who differed from one other officer. It seems to be a simple "choice of words" problem. In haste, I've been criticized several times ove the last month, each time for typing something in haste that I later wished I had not. Our enemy is not each other. We have only 27 days left and need to focus on the real bad guy. Now, shake hands and come out fighting.
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'58 Airedale HMR(L)-261 VMO-2