Swift Boat Down

James Steffes

Description

A Swift Boat is sunk by two rockets from an unidentified aircraft near the border between North and South Vietnam. It is June 15/16th, 1968, around midnight, and now five sailors are dead or missing. Two survivors and several witnesses report seeing lighted aircraft that move and hover like helicopters flying in the area. U.S. Jets are scrambled to the scene and report hits on enemy aircraft.
The following night the jets return hunting the elusive helicopters and in the confusion, one American Cruiser and one Australian Frigate, are hit by air-to-air missiles. The result is two dead and eleven wounded aboard the Australian ship and minor damage to the American Cruiser.
An investigation, based on pieces of U.S. Missiles found on the two ships, determine that it was “friendly fire”.
This sailor was aboard another Swift Boat, PCF-12, patrolling south of the sunken boats position. Ordered to the scene to assist in the rescue, PCF-12 came under attack by helo type aircraft, identified as hostile, receiving one rocket and machine gun fire. This Swift Boat returned a deadly barrage of 50 caliber machine gun and other small arms fire causing the two helos to break contact and run away. The crew believes that one of the helos was damaged or shot down by this hail of gunfire.
The investigation findings were “friendly fire” mostly because of the lack of wreckage of the helos and the pieces of Sparrow missiles found on board USS Boston and HMAS Hobart. News accounts attempted to connect the two incidents by blaming the same pilots for attacking the ships and sinking the Swift Boat.
This book uses official records, logs, and message traffic to back up eye witness testimonies that refute the “friendly fire” decision.
There are many people affected by this story. Those of us that were there have carried pieces of this incident in our memories for 37 years. Families and friends of the dead and missing have wondered about the truth behind the decision of “friendly fire” vs “hostile fire”. This book will answer many of those questions and put many lives at rest again.
James W. Steffes ENC, USN Retired

Sujets

• History
• Vietnam War
• Military
• Histoire

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 09 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669856566
• Langue: English

Extrait

SWIFT BOAT DOWN
 
 

 
 
The Real Story of the Sinking of PCF-19
 
 
 
 
JAMES W. STEFFES, ENC, USN. RETIRED
 
 
Copyright © 2022 by James Steffes.
 

Library of Congress Control Number:
2022921731
ISBN:
Hardcover
978-1-6698-5658-0

Softcover
978-1-6698-5657-3

eBook
978-1-6698-5656-6
 
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 11/29/2022
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
848593
CONTENTS
Foreword
A Special Tribute
Chapter One: Market Time: The Mission
Chapter Two: Training For The Mission
Chapter Three: The Mission Begins
Chapter Four: First Patrol
Chapter Five: On Patrol June 5, 1968
Chapter Six: Allied Units in the Area and Their Locations
Chapter Seven: Moving Toward a Moment in History
Chapter Eight: Action in the Demilitarized Zone
Chapter Nine: The 1990’s Bring News and Old Friends to Light
Chapter Ten: Witnesses and Their Accounts of the Events of June 15/16 th
Chapter Eleven: Sunday June 16 th and the Aftermath of Tragedy
Chapter Twelve: June 17 th , Friendly Fire Causes Death and Destruction
Chapter Thirteen: June 17 th Rescue and Salvage of PCF-19 Continues, Investigation Begins
Chapter Fourteen: Doc Lail Remembers
Chapter Fifteen: The Aftermath of the Search and Recovery
Chapter Sixteen: Some Final Answers
Chapter Seventeen: Epilogue
FOREWORD
T HIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE CREW OF PCF-19, SUNK OFF THE COAST OF NORTH VIETNAM ON 16 JUNE 1968. FOUR MEN WERE KILLED THAT NIGHT UNDER VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. ONLY NOW CAN THEIR STORY BE TOLD. WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE A TRUE ACCOUNT OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AS RECALLED BY THE SURVIVORS OF PCF-19, PCF-12, USCG POINT DUME, U.S. MARINES ASHORE AND MEN STATIONED ABOARD U.S. NAVY SHIPS OPERATING IN THE AREA. THE FACTS NOW REVEALED IN THE OFFICIAL DECK LOGS AND THE MEMORIES OF THE MEN WHO WERE THERE DIFFER FROM THE NEWS MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE STORY. SUNK BY FRIENDLY FIRE WAS THE NEWSPAPER STORY, A STORY THAT REVEALS A RELUCTANCE TO ACCUSE AN ENEMY OF ESCALATION DURING A TIME WHEN THE PARIS PEACE TALKS WERE BEING ORGANIZED. THIS WAS A GREAT DISERVICE TO THESE BRAVE MEN ABOARD PCF-19 AND A TERRIBLE BURDEN FOR THE F-4 PHANTOM PILOT WHO WAS BLAMED FOR THE INCIDENT IN THE PRESS.
THE STORY WILL BE TOLD IN THREE PARTS. FIRST, I WILL GIVE SOME BACKGROUND INTO THE MISSION AND THE CONDITIONS IN THE AREA LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT. SECOND, THE INCIDENT AS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AS RELATED BY WITNESSES ABOARD SHIPS AND THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THAT NIGHT. THIRD, THE FOLLOWUP INVESTIGATION BY OTHERS AND MYSELF TO REACH THE CONCLUSION OF HOSTILE FIRE CAUSING THE SINKING OF PCF-19 WAS BASED ON OFFICIAL LOGS AND RECORDS AND EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS. A SUMMARY OF THE DETAILS BACKED BY DOCUMENTED PROOF OF HOSTILE FIRE WILL DETAIL THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE SINKING OF PCF-19. NOTHING CAN CHANGE THE “OFFICIAL FINDINGS” OF THE COMMAND AUTHORITY AT THE TIME BUT THE TRUTH AS I OBSERVED IT FROM THE DECK OF PCF-12 WOULD NOW BE TOLD.
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE
I n addition to the crew of PCF-19, this book is dedicated to all of the Swift Boat Sailors who lost their lives serving aboard these small but mighty gunboats. Here are their names;
PATROL CRAFT FAST DIVISION—101 (An Thoi)
 
2/14/66
BM1 Tommy E. Hill, Knoxville, TN—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-4 Remote Mine Explosion Baie De Cau Dong River South of Rach Gia near Three Sisters Mountain Area (Kien Giang Province)
2/14/66
EN2 Jack C. Rodriguez, Jackson Heights, NY—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-4 Remote Mine Explosion Baie De Cau Dong River South of Rach Gia Near Three Sisters Mountain Area (Kien Giang Province)
2/14/66
GMG2 Dayton L. Rudisill, Greensburg, KS—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-4 Remote Mine Explosion Baie De Cau Dong River South of Rach Gia Near Three Sisters Mountain Area (Kien Giang Province)
2/14/66
SN David J. Boyle, Woodland, CA—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-4 Remote Mine Explosion Baie De Cau Dong River South of Rach Gia Near Three Sisters Mountain Area (Kien Giang Province)
10/18/66
BM2 Hubert Tuck Jr., Lenoir City, TN—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-9 81mm Mortar Explosion Conducting Shore Bombardment (Kien Giang Province)
10/18/66
EN2 Gale J. Hays, Falling Rock, WV—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-9 81mm Mortar Explosion Conducting Shore Bombardment (Kien Giang Province)
10/18/66
QM3 Eugene L. Self, Carteret, NJ—(Gulf of Thailand) PCF-9 81mm Mortar Explosion Conducting Shore Bombardment (Kien Giang Province)

 
COASTAL DIVISION ELEVEN (An Thoi)
 
9/4/68
RD3 Gerald D. Pochel, Otis, OR—(An Xugen Province) PCF-96 Cua Long River Ca Mau Peninsula
11/3/68
BM3 Richard C. Simon, Ellsworth, WI—(An Xugen Province) PCF-50 Song Ong Doc River Ca Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
12/6/68
BM2 Steve R. Luke, Provo, UT—(An Xugen Province) PCF-36 Bo De River Cau Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
1/5/69
BM3 Gerald R. Horrell, North Hollywood, CA—(An Xugen Province) PCF-71 Song Ong Doc River(Operation Seafloat)
4/12/69
LT Donald G. Droz, Rich Hill, MO—1100 (An Xugen Province) PCF-43 OinC Rach Duong Keo Canal (Operation Seafloat)
4/12/69
QM3 Thomas E. Holloway, New Castle, IN—(An Xugen Province) PCF-51 Helmsman Rach Duong Keo Canal (Operation Seafloat)
5/5/69
BM3 Richard L. Baumberger Jr., Mansfield, OH—(An Xugen Province) PCF-9 Rach Duong Keo Canal (Operation Seafloat)
5/15/69
EN3 Dewey R. Decker, Ionia, MI—(An Xugen Province) PCF-51 Song Bay Hap River Cau Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
5/15/69
GMG3 Richard W. Stindl, Beloit, WI—(An Xugen Province) PCF-51 Song Bay Hap River Cau Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
8/12/69
GMG3 Stephen J. Penta, Revere, MA—(An Xugen Province) PCF-57 Rach Cai Chon Nho Canan Cau Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
10/2/69
QM2 Richard L. Wissler Jr., Willow Street, PA—(An Xugen Province) PCF-27 Claymore Mine Song Ong Doc River Cau Mau Peninsula 2 ½ Miles South of ATSB Song Ong Doc (Operation Seafloat)
12/4/69
RD3 Martin S. Doherty, New York, NY—(An Xugen Province) PCF-50 Peak Tank Gunner Dam Doi River Cau Mau Peninsula (Operation Seafloat)
2/17/70
RD3 Craig W. Haines, Keyser, WV—(Kien Giang Province) PCF-22 ATSB Ha Tien
5/17/70
RD3 Frederick D. Snyder, Moab, UT—(An Xugen Province) (WIA 5/16/70) PCF-64 Song Dam Doi River (Operation Seafloat)
7/6/70
QM2 Lanny H. Buroff, Chicago, IL—(An Xugen Province) PCF-40 Underwater Mine Explosion while Alongside USS Krishna ARL-30 (Operation Seafloat)

 
PATROL CRAFT FAST DIVISION—102 (Danang)

 
10/29/66
BM1 Kemper S. Billings, Burlington, NC—(Thua Thien Province) PCF-56 Lost Overboard Hue River Monsoon Surf Conditions
11/15/66
BM3 Harry G. Brock, Odessa, TX—(Thua Thien Province) PCF-77 Hue River
11/15/66
MIA RM3 Bruce A. Timmons, Ft Lauderdale, FL—(Thua Thien Province) PCF-77 Hue River

 
COASTAL DIVISION TWELVE (Danang)

 
12/6/67
BM1 Bobby D. Carver, Richmond, CA—(Quang Ngai Province) PCF-79 Sa Ky River South of Cape Batangan Peninsula
6/16/68
BM2 Anthony G. Chandler, Warner Robbins, GA—(South China Sea) PCF-19 1 ½ Miles Off Shore 5 Miles South of Ben Hai River Mouth Near the DMZ (Quang Tri Province)