Mark: 362 days to go. . .

I was sent to Cat Lo, Vietnam in the fall of 1969 as a Gunner’s Mate attached to US Coast Guard Squadron One. My first day I arrived I was told I would be flying out the next morning so I got on the bus to go to temporary quarters for the night. On the bus I was greeted by calls of ‘what are you doing here Coastie”. The next morning I was put on a C123 to Vung Tau then driven another 30 miles up river to Cat Lo, a Navy Swift boat base. I reported in to HQ and was assigned a boat and by about 3 in the afternoon I was walking aboard my boat when the Gunner’s Mate I was relieving walked off and said “good luck”. The “skipper” (CO) welcomed me then told me we were leaving at eleven that evening for a SEALORD Operation. Since I was responsible for the weapons on the boat, (5 - 50cal.,MG; 1- 81mm mortar; 2- M60’s and misc. small arms). Needless to say I was puckered up pretty tight. The Skipper put me on the helm as we were leaving, he wanted to talk to me on what I should expect. I couldn’t have slept if I wanted to. We rendezvoused with the two other boats around 7 am. We were going up a canal off the Co Chien river on a “maximum destruction raid” where anything was fair game. The Skipper put me on the roof with a M79 and told me to watch for bunkers and “willie -pete” any hootches. I was sweating bullets, this was my third day in country, I’m the FNG, trying to learn the ropes. I was given a flack jacket and helmet and was told by some of the crew “relax“; “you should see your face“; “good luck“. I didn’t know all they’re names, I was spooked! The rpm’s of the engines kicked in with the Skipper saying ‘here we go“.

About 200 yards up the canal the boats started to recon by fire. I fired several rounds to relieve the tension. The canal was small enough that we couldn’t turn around, we were supposed to go through the canals and comeback out into the river. About a mile up the canal, the lead boat started picking up small arms fire. Being on the roof I could see the lead boat. I saw a geyser ahead of the lead boat then I heard the report, then another one, then I heard the lead boat on the radio saying he’s receiving mortar fire and that they had the canal registered. Then I seen this cloud of smoke off to the side of the middle boat, my first B-40 (RPG) and it’s only day 3 only 362 to go. Things were getting intense, I could hear all the radio traffic. We started to receive automatic weapons fire. Then the first boat started to tell all boats to turn around. The Skipper turned the boat hard and ran the bow on the bank and pivoted the boat around, I was scared but impressed, I would learn this maneuver over time. Once we were turned around I was glad to hear the sound of increased rpm’s from the engines. Then a B-40 went high over us and the auto fire picked up. I went through all the M79 rounds I had, I climbed off the roof and started shuffling .50 cal ammo to the guns. We were out of the canal and things settled down. I was in aw. The skipper said ’welcome to SEALORDS”, he said that was the second or third time the boats been chased out of there. He said we were suppose to have overhead air support but they were called away. Some of the crew came over and gave me a pat on the shoulder for taking the initiative for getting them ammo without being told, made me feel better. The chief engineman said “hey guns, only 362 to go“. That was a long day! The Skipper said to me “day 3 and a combat action ribbon, that was quick”.