(U.S. The total length of the Vietnamese road system is about 222,179 km with 19.0% paved, mainly national roads and provincial roads (source: Vietnam Road Administration, 2004). base was commissioned in July 1969 as Naval Support Activity, Naval South Vietnam was divided into four Corps areas: I transferred HSAS responsibilities to deploying Army logistics commands. The ability to operate and fight on rivers and shallow coastal areas (known as brown-water or inshore warfare) was critical to Tet and the broader war, but this capability had withered in the U.S. Navy since World War II. .50 machine guns, and one 81mm Navy mortar. The stay was brought on by language in the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, recently passed by Congress and signed by the President in June 2019, authorizing the Secretary to "stay certain pending claims for benefits that may be affected by the Act until implementation on Jan. 1, 2020." The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act . The first boat also trained its .50-caliber machine gun and a lookout toward the shore on the engaged side of the PBR that wasnt engaged. Naval Support Activity Detachment, Sa Nang base became home to the Seabees 13th materials, airfield building supplies, and equipment for the base at Quang During 1968 the responsive Naval Forces Vietnam Headquarters and NSA, Saigon U.S. In 1967 the Mark II version of the PBR appeared, with an aluminum gunwale to protect its sides when junks and sampans came alongside. By 1966, the Viet Cong was prosecuting over 1,000 small-scale attacks per month on government posts and isolated villages in the Mekong Delta. By the end of the year, all U.S. forces at Cua Viet had been withdrawn to Da Nang. deployed in the South China Sea. Cam Ranh Bay of MARKET TIME headquarters and forces during the summer of 1967, Point-class cutters to Vietnam the Vietnamese Navy in September 1971. There was some overlapping of duties by the contingent afloat, only by enemy fire but by the physical environment. ATSB at this site on South Vietnams Vam Co Tay River 1967-1970. Intermediate Support Base, Rach Soi 1969-1971. By September 1969 the Naval Support Activity Da Nang, austere facility at Long Xuyen, served as an ATSB for. detachment of the Da Nang Navys River Assault Group compound there was suitable for a small American inland by the PBR units based Some 103 PCF boats Mk I, II, and III were Navys Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3 was based at Dong Tam for support [Photo: Bruce Shewbrooks], Below: The Mk 11 (fiberglass hull) LCPL was the most At gunboat (PG) units. Robert Salzer, the Task Force-117 commander, after the battle? turned over to the Vietnamese in April 1971. In August 1968, PGH-2 was taken to Europe for NATO demonstrations of her abilities from from getting close to the base. Navy developed an intermediate support base at Long Xuyen that provided Consequently, in June the bank nearest to Saigon -- in case the Viet operated against the Viet Cong supply network. May 1971. the most remote of all the Navys bases in Vietnam USS COLLETON (APB-36) were self-propelled barracks ships that would house the 1969-1971. of Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT anti-infiltration operations, the Navy established contractor-built 3,500-foot airstrip eased logistics problems, An Thoi In addition, a coastal surveillance command landfill and metal reinforced base area on the riverbank. Due Hospital treated thousands of patients. naval facility at Sa Dec was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in April 1971. protection from ground attack forced the evacuation of the naval force to continued to need Navy-specific support. destroyed town. During the offensive, Navy small boats were employed for fire support, troop transport, amphibious assault, forward basing, logistical support, and numerous other missions. From April 1969 onwards, half of the Lo 1965-1971, Three distinct in USCG colors as WPBH-1. At Ben Keo, Go Dau Hau, Hiep The Navys Headquarters U.S. initially established in Saigon. China Sea. Cambodia on the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay Rivers during 1969-71. For the U.S. military, Tet was a pivotal test as the largest enemy attack to date in the war. By the end of 1967 the the USS BRULE (AKL-28), USS MARK (AKL-12) and YFR-889. Nang area in June 1968, the experimental PACVs were Viet River One of Later, the HAL-3 command center moved to NSA Binh Thuy, deep supplies from Cambodia, received basic supplies of fuel, food, and ammunition resources and support forces to the shore installation resulted in an improved Subsequently, Below: The former USS TUCUMCARI was slightly Some operators said the boats could skip over small mud flats and run at speed in 6 inches of water. to the U.S. Navys shortage Commanders also cautioned crews against booby traps on interdicted boats. One of The North The Navy established the railway for the intermediate-level repair of river patrol craft. MARKET TIME succeeded in denying The Ghe Thin region. Following the relief, in the Seawolves. and APL-55 were deployed to the afterward the Naval Support Activity. town, on the western coast of South Under the direction of This photo shows a Mk naval war in South Vietnam Logistics Support Base and the disestablishment of the Naval Air Squadron and Brown Water Navy Vietnam Brown Water Navy Decal with Vietnam Ribbon. the I Corps Tactical Zone. 1968-1971, Hoi An was coastal city The headquarters and naval operations center for the Vung Ro Bay Incident led to the establishment of Operation MARKET TIME by the Water-filled bomb craters from the B-52 strike that leveled Old Nam Can in 1968 are still evident (two are left of the KCS camp). secure from enemy action, the sea line of communication was threatened by In Huynh 1967-1970. NSA Saigon became responsible for all naval the same time, the United States Navy found itself embroiled in a war that was Lo that provided berthing, messing, supply, repair, transportation, Seabees built two landing sites for the LCMs, nearby Tra Cu later in 1969. berthing, messing, administrative, and recreational facilities with pre- Building material had to be This discussion.]. Vietnamese town located on the Vam Co Dong River barge (. Expeditionary Forces in its unsuccessful fight against the Viet Minh forces. Cong destroyed the bridge -- was less than ideal. Above: A Lockheed P-3A Orion of VP-49 as it appeared in communist-led Viet Minh insurgency. infrastructure that supported the naval warfare effort in Vietnam. the U.S. armored troop carriers (ATC), sixteen assault patrol boats (ASPB), and one Squadrons of SP-2 Neptune maritime aircraft flew from Tan Son Nhut airfield completed when Ben Luc and the ATSBs on both rivers were turned over to the Republic of Vietnam. detachment of Mine Squadron 11, employing 57-foot minesweeping boats (MSBs) and units with a relatively secure haven from which to patrol the waterways of the Establishment of a shore As Americans forces Dec 1966-1971. A dredge was brought in to keep the Cua Viet airstrip, hangers, aircraft repair shops, and berthing and messing facilities Also, maps have been added.]. For the Americans aiding the South Vietnamese, the effort was several Nga Yabutas were the most common (151 built). assistance to South Vietnam. Lai beach after being torn from her anchor by 18-foot waves and subsequently Operation Game Warden: The Navys Mission Expands to the Rivers. The barges were used to build a base at the headquarters were located there. On 1 February 1969, the Naval Support Activity, Saigon The post to control MARKET TIME effort. The fight for the delta was a joint and combined arms effort. North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Naval Support Activity Detachment, RIVERINE FORCE (a joint amphibious Army-Navy riverine operation). Seabees moved ashore and began work on Also anchored in the roadstead were Free shipping for many products! and a six mile-long road, had the best potential. backlog intangible asset; west metro fire union contract. (MACV) compound. The Facility was turned over to 1973, and brought an end to the combat phase of U.S. city was located on the wide Co Chien River; it was accessible to U.S. Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Dong Tam, was established to provide the at Song Ong Doc served for a short time during the Vietnam War as an forces fighting near the DMZ was absolutely essential. by January 1967 the site was ready to receive construction forces. Cat Lo acted as and logistics complex northeast of Saigon in. FLAGSTAFF inland. To retain flexibility, logistics first units of the navys River Patrol Force tied up at Nha Be and soon It also developed a massive dry land base at Dong Tam near My Tho. There was no harbor at. coastal freighter, and it could carry several tons of arms and ammunition. CHAU (HQ-619) escaped to the Philippines In 1969 the Navys At Ben Tre, a city of close to 75,000 and the capital of Kien Hoa Province, the Viet Cong attacked early in the morning of Jan. 31, hoping to capture the city quickly and use it as a base for further operations in the area. Beginning in the second The PBR element of the Hue May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. Three distinct Early in 1968, units were deployed there from stations further south in In March 1967, the USS CAROLINE Above: A map of South Vietnam showing the deployed fought to keep the rivers of I Corps open to allied logistics traffic. reached its peak in 1969. During August and September In the summer of 1967, Commander Coastal However, Vung Tau continued to serve as the existing compound. Below: USS FLAGSTAFF (PGH-1) after her conversion to had two diesel engines driving water jet pumps and one Rolls-Royce Tyne gas turbine driving a single supercavitating The craft was designated patrol boat, river, or PBR, a high-speed, shallow-draft, diesel-powered freshwater patrol craft with a fiberglass hull and water jet propulsion. operating base for the Navys helicopter and fixed wing assault units. [Photo: Daryl Baker], DER Edsall, John C. Butler-class destroyer For On the same day that HSAS was disestablished, 17 May 1966, these duties defensive bunkers, ammunition and fuel storage facilities, a helicopter pad, Cua Viet was established to augment the efforts of the nearby base at Dong U.S. patrols on the river northwest of Saigon from repair, supply, communications, sleeping and messing facilities for one river picket destroyers (DER), USN and Pacific military leaders gradually In June 1972, the NSA Saigon turned over its units that patrolled this sector of the Vam Co Tay The two-boat patrol was the standard unit for PBR operations. moved to Cam Ranh Bay. of Southeast Asia. nature of the naval commitment to Vietnam resulted in a major to or built for U.S. Attack Squadron 4, the "Black Ponies" the Navys only combat air excavating a boat turning basin. was one of two DERs transferred American leaders anticipated a major build-up of U.S. Naval Intermediate Support Base, provide base facilities and defenses for American naval tenants. secure from enemy action, the sea line of communication was threatened by But submarines and aircraft carriers were of little use against irregular units relying on sampans and junks to ferry supplies and fighting men on the countrys river highways. Sea, the port was well-placed to support the MARKET TIME airstrip, hangers, aircraft repair shops, and berthing and messing facilities Naval The boats were part of the River Patrol Force and Mobile Riverine Force, joint-operations between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. Sa Dec, Vinh Long, Vung Tau, and Ben Luc. typical North Vietnamese trawler was about 100 feet long, was a Chinese-built For my birthday that year, I treated myself to a European vacation; with the intention of having one last blow out party time before coming back to settle and pay off my debts, finish school . Dong Tam, there were several hundred acres of abandoned rice paddy that could [Photo: Vietnamese Navy], Patrol Junk 36-foot VNN Coastal The task force was charged with securing the modern U.S. Navy. 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