SwiftVets.com

khigggs · Seaman Recruit Joined: 19 May 2004 Posts: 1

To any swift boat vets: Just wondering about your duty assignemnts Best I can figure it Kerry was in Nam for 15 weeks. Most of the first week was in country intro getting to unit, getting assigned etc etc That leaves 14 weeks he could have served. Now I'm an army vet and we worked 24 on 24 off with some 2 and three day weekends thrown in.
Question on a swift boat how often were you out on patrol ? Obviously not 24/7 just trying to figure out in those 14 weeks how often was Kerry actually out in the field to earn three purple hearts and a bronze star --seems to me in 14 weeks (98 days) he must have earned more in less time than anyone in history! Higs-

Buddy · Seaman Recruit Joined: 08 May 2004 Posts: 18

As far as Coastal Division 11 goes (the one Kerry was assigned to in Jan.'69) our base was at An Thoi on the southern tip of Phu Quoc Island. That was where our barracks ship and medium repair facility was located. Most of our inderdiction missions were about 90 miles south of there on the Cau Mau peninsula. There was usually an LST or Coast Guard cutter stationed a few miles off of the operating area. Once leaving An Thoi for a patrol operation, we were in the Cau Mau area running the various rivers for a few weeks at a time. Patrols might be from sunrise to near sunset. Returning to the LST or cutter at night. Then starting another mission the next day. Night ambushes were from sunset to sunrise siyying alone on one of the canals waiting for VC movement. We returned to An Thoi for any repairs and hole patching. There were always approx. 10 boats operating off of the LST at any one time. Another 10 or so were being repaired or resting at An thoi. That was how we rotated. But after Nov. '68 and Operation Sealords began casualties mounted and boats were needing hole patching everyday. Crews would switch boats to replace casualties and boats that were off patrol would be back on to replace shot up boats. After June '69 a mobile base was set-up in the Cua Lon river. That was where we returned to after patrol. So we were always in the VC's front and back yard.
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Buddy