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Swift Boat crew my ride Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Summer '69

 
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PhuCat to Phu Quoc
Lt.Jg.


Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 110
Location: California
PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 2:20 am    Post subject: Swift Boat crew my ride Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Summer '69 Reply with quote
Maybe somebody reading this forum crewed the Swift I rode from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Bay in summer 1969. I was off doing my thing for NAVSUPPACT Saigon ET shop around II-III and IV Corps and needed a lift. The boat OIC agreed to carry me to my next stop and the Hai Quan Vietnamese ACTOV crew all got sick. We departed Cam Ranh alone in the afternoon, arrived alone at dusk or just after dark in Cam Ranh. I sure would like to know what was the PCF hull number and the names of any of the crew. I later worked on Swift Boats at NAVSUPPACT DET Qui Nhon.

Richard Rongstad, ET1, RVN, 1969-1970
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Jack Hetherton, jr
Seaman Recruit


Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 45
Location: Soldotna, Ak
PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 12:02 pm    Post subject: PCF's Cam Ranh Bay Reply with quote
I was ET1 in Cam Ranh on pier crew, April 68/Dec 69. I have pictures of the 42, 44,46,and 48 boats. I believe thet were all there at time you are inquireing. I too, made similar trips to Phan Rang and Natrang to work on the swifts/ IUW, etc. boats on several times, usually for radar and crypto eqip assist. I was ET2 when arrived and made ET1 in 69. Hope this may give you some help. You might have better luck contacting the Swift Boat Sailors Association . Jack.
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Jack L Hetherton jr
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PhuCat to Phu Quoc
Lt.Jg.


Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 110
Location: California
PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:22 am    Post subject: Re: PCF's Cam Ranh Bay Reply with quote
Jack Hetherton, jr wrote:
I was ET1 in Cam Ranh on pier crew, April 68/Dec 69. I have pictures of the 42, 44,46,and 48 boats. I believe thet were all there at time you are inquireing. I too, made similar trips to Phan Rang and Natrang to work on the swifts/ IUW, etc. boats on several times, usually for radar and crypto eqip assist. I was ET2 when arrived and made ET1 in 69. Hope this may give you some help. You might have better luck contacting the Swift Boat Sailors Association . Jack.


Thank you Jack. If this actually narrows down to those four boats, that would be a tremendous help. My boat ride was from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh. I had flown in to Nha Trang AFB from where, I don't remember, maybe Phu Cat.
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I'm a U.S. Navy Vietnam War vet against John Kerry
Phu Cat to Phu Quoc 1969-1970

Did Jane Fonda help the North Vietnamese communists?
http://vikingphoenix.com/politics/polls/jfondapoll-1.htm
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seanote
Founder


Joined: 08 Jun 2004
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:46 am    Post subject: Boats at CamRanh Reply with quote
You mention 44 boat at CamRanh Bay: I think 44 was the boat that John Kerry took to An Thoi on Dec 6, 1968. I made a picture of that boat (44)during an operation at the Song Bo De (near AnThoi) about Jan 15 or 16 1969.

I don't know if it returned to Cam Ranh after that.
Lou
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PhuCat to Phu Quoc
Lt.Jg.


Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 110
Location: California
PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:59 am    Post subject: Re: Boats at CamRanh Reply with quote
seanote wrote:
You mention 44 boat at CamRanh Bay: I think 44 was the boat that John Kerry took to An Thoi on Dec 6, 1968. I made a picture of that boat (44)during an operation at the Song Bo De (near AnThoi) about Jan 15 or 16 1969.

I don't know if it returned to Cam Ranh after that.
Lou


Well actually Lou, it was Jack Hetherton, jr that mentioned the 44 boat at CRB. I can clearly remember the 11, 23, the 67 and maybe the 9 boat and the 62 boat from Qui Nhon, also some numbers in the 40s and 70s, maybe a 93 boat in Qui Nhon too.

That's kind of funny to say I clearly remember those PCF numbers, because I used to clearly think that I had worked on the 43 boat, but Steve Waterman cleared me up on that, because in my time reference, 43 boat had already been sunk according to Steve. Waterman was a diver/photog involved in the post-action reporting on the 43.

I wish I had paid closer attention to details like Swift Boat hull numbers and names of OICs and crews, especially the boat I rode from Nha Trang to Cam Ranh Bay.

It was fun to read Thomas Cutler's "Brown Water, Black Berets", because I recognized some of the sailors from Cutler's photos in the book, having dealt with their Decca radar, fathometer and comm problems on a regular basis. Cutler's book supplied the names I had forgotten over the years to go with the faces I hadn't forgotten.
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I'm a U.S. Navy Vietnam War vet against John Kerry
Phu Cat to Phu Quoc 1969-1970

Did Jane Fonda help the North Vietnamese communists?
http://vikingphoenix.com/politics/polls/jfondapoll-1.htm
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