TEWSPilot
Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 1235
Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject: California Vietnam Memorial--Swift Boat PCF-4 Boyle Honored |
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Got this from a friend. I thought you might want to see it.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge and Elkhorn, California Vietnam Memorial--Swift Boat PCF-4 Boyle Honored
DAVID JOSEPH BOYLE
On Valentines Day, 1966, Boyle was aboard the Swift Boat PCF-4 conducting routine patrols in Rich Gia Bay off the coast of South Vietnam under the command of Charles Lloyd. According to Lloyd’s report, towards the end of PCF-4’s daily patrols the crewmen spotted a small raft flying a Viet Cong flag. They approached the raft cautiously and determined it was unmanned. Once near the raft Lloyd ordered crew members to throw hand grenades near it in an attempt to detonate possible explosives on board. When the grenades warranted no reaction from the raft Lloyd maneuvered the Swift boat along side the raft and a crewman attempted to remove the Viet Cong flag it was flying in defiance of the US Navy presence in the Rach Gia Bay. While this was happening a Viet Cong on shore set off a command-detonated mine that burst open the PCF’s hull and sank the boat at once.
Four of the six crewmen were killed in the blast, including Boyle. The PCF-4 was the first Swift boat lost in the Vietnam War. According to the Navy, lessons learned in the examination of the PCF’s ruptured hull led to vast improvements in the design of the Swift Boats used in the Vietnam War and undoubtedly helped prevent further losses of life when other Swift Boats fell prey to Viet Cong mines. |
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