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RiverVet - Don Blankenship's site about River Boats in Vietnam
                                     
The Vietnam Combatant Craft Crewman pin. Learn more about
it here.
 
The Vietnam war impacted a generation.
These are the stories and pictures of one sailor's experiences in that war.
Hopefully, along the way I'll provide you information on the little known, yet valuable
contributions to the war effort by "The Brown Water Navy."
South Vietnam, especially the southern 1/3 of
the country, is covered with waterways, both natural and man-made. This created a
logistical nightmare for the ground forces. The Navy responded to this problem by
the creation of the Mobile Riverine Force, consisting of Armored Troop Carriers, Monitors
(similar to the Civil War variety), Command and Communication Boats, Assault Support
Patrol Boats, Flamethrower-equipped boats, and Refueling boats, all of which were served
and supported by a fleet of Troop Ships, LST's, Repair Ships, Barracks barges, and other
supporting vessels. The Mobile Riverine Force became the partnership between the
Army and Navy in fighting the war in the rice paddies, canals and treacherous waterways of
the south. While they were principally congregated in the IV Corps area, they were
also called into service in the rivers of I Corps, the area nearest the DMZ, and
at some times in the III corps area.
The Navy also had PCF's (Patrol Craft, Fast,
also known as Swift Boats) which principally patrolled the coastal waters from Vietnam's
border with Cambodia in the South China sea all the way up South Vietnam's eastern coast
to the Demilitarized Zone which separated the North and South. In addition to
patrolling the coastal waters, these boats made periodic raids into the inland waterways.
However, the patrolling and interdiction efforts of the inland waterways was the
primary responsibility of Task Force 116, made up of PBR's (Patrol Boat, River). The
PBR sailors, the Swifties, and the MRF's navy crews were collectively known as the
"Black Berets," although many of us opted for the camouflage
beret as well.
You can learn more about PBR's and Swifts by going to the links page. You'll
also find links to other Army and Navy elements.
Of course, the Navy's fleet off shore, the
Navy pilots, the Helicopter crews, the SEAL's, the Seabees, the
"Gator" Navy that supplied us, etc. all provided an extremely
valuable contribution to the war effort. While it was definitely a team effort, this
site will concentrate on the Mobile Riverine Force, especially the Navy's part of those
joint Army/Navy operations. For pictures of the different boat types, see the
Boats page on the menu above.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and
recollections. There are lots of pictures and some pages may load slowly.
Please be patient. I think you'll find it worth the waiting time. About
the picture quality... definitely amateurish. I bought a 35 mm camera in a pawn shop
and didn't have a light meter until I was in Vietnam for about a month or more.
Even then it was a guessing game for me. I sure wish I had an auto-focus, auto
everything camera back then, or at least a better understanding of camera basics.
If you have any comments please feel free to
sign the guestbook below. I can't guarantee I'll always be able to respond, but
it's nice to have the feedback, especially if you can correct information, or you
recognize yourself in a photo, or you can identify the location in any of the photos.
Thanks for stopping by. If you were not a part of the Vietnam War or even if you
were, you may have been exposed to numerous myths about it. Some of these myths
which continue to be perpetuated have caused untold damage to Vietnam veterans who really
deserve to be genuinely proud of their participation in an unpopular war. These
myths are exposed at the following site.
(Don't forget to hit your browser's back button after you review
the facts and
statistics). You can also see whether it was a worthwhile cause by reading this Vietnamese boy's thank you.
You may leave Vietnam, but Vietnam will never leave
you. Welcome home to all those who were fortunate enough to
return.
 
 
This Page Last updated 12/27/07
Of
Particular Interest!!
1. Here is my graduating
class picture at the Naval Inshore Operational Training Center. Please help me
identify my class mates. The picture may load slowly so please be patient.
2. Read this Thank You from someone truly affected by
the efforts of Vietnam Veterans. And read this poignant
story of a refugee following the fall of Saigon in April, 1975.
3. The story of Medical
Evacuation in the River Delta, thanks to Albert Moore, President of the Mobile
Riverine Force Association.
4. Historical Reports
such as Operations Reports, Histories and Summaries can be a great source of information
about the MRF.
5. Visit Albert Moore's USS Benewah site to see
the "Navy in
Vietnam" book. Drop back here after you've read it.
6. See this Navy
publication on Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT, one the most
influential interdiction efforts of the war.
7. Have you got your MRF Poster? Check
them out on this page.
8. See this modern
day British army beach landing. It's a comical look at a
situation not too uncommon for some the the 9th infantry we dropped off on muddy
river banks.
9. The sinking of the Whitfield
County LST-1169 for a reef.
10. See this tribute
to the men and women of today's military.
11. See this
tribute to veterans.
12. Keeping it all in perspective. See
this .pdf file if you'd like to
better understand the warriors who made and now keep this country free.
13. See these Warrior
Quotes. It's a 5 meg pdf file so be patient while it
downloads to your computer. It's worth it!!
Check out the New Riverine Navy information here.
Use your browser back button to return to this site.
Want to make a difference in a veteran's life? How about
writing to one of our deployed troops soldiers, sailors, marines or airmen overseas? Check out
this excellent
web site:
   
John Wayne Who??
RiverVet is a member of the Tonkin Gulf
Yacht Club Web Ring
This Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club
site owned by Don Blankenship
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Copyright 1999-2008 by Don
Blankenship. You may use the images, descriptions, stories or text within this site
for non-commercial, not-for-profit purposes only. In the event you wish to use any
material contained within this site for commercial, for-profit purposes, permission must
be obtained from the author, Don Blankenship, in advance of such use. All
rights reserved. Click email if you
have comments or feel free to sign the guestbook. Thanks for your
interest in learning about the Mobile Riverine Force.
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