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2 Bells: Related Coast Guard and World History
An open web page consisting of information supplied
by former crew members
and friends of the USCGC Taney. Please submit your name and/or story to the
webmaster garretconklin @ gmail.com
This is a copy of
an unknown publication, by Henry Berry, provided by Homer Compton,
a TANEY Pearl Harbor Survivor.
I feel that it is important and should be part of the USCGC Taney History. s/Vern Toler
“Why The Pacific War?” by Henry Berry Page 20 to 26
“For fifty years many historians have asked the same question, why was anyone amazed at what Adolf Hitler tried to do? After all, he had outlined all his plans in his book Mien Kampf . It was there in black and white for the whole world to see.
Well into 1936
the Telegraph Press of New York City published the translation of a Japanese
book entitled
Japan Must Fight Britain. Its author was
a lieutenant commander in the Japanese Imperial Navy named Tota Ishimaru.
In 1936 Great Britain was assumed to have the strongest navy in the world. It was the British Navy that Japan copied the most when it decided to build the Imperial Fleet. Japan’s dream of a Greater East Asia Empire could not be stopped by the British fleet, or so thought Tota.
He did point out the strong possibility of the United States jumping into such a conflict on the side of the British. He still felt the Japanese could handle both countries in a Pacific war.
Besides, he also felt that America would be inclined to stay neutral in a Japanese-British war. Japan would look to the U.S. for huge amounts of oil and military supplies.
This thought is, of course, a fantasy. But the important theme of the commander’s book is that it maps out Japan’s plans of conquest for Asia.
By 1936 the Japanese military was definitely gaining the upper hand in Tokyo. The cry was ‘Asia for the Asians’. They wanted the ‘round eyes’ no farther in the Pacific than the Aleutian Islands. They already controlled Korea and Formosa. But that was just for openers. In 1931 their plan for conquest really exploded with an extensive invasion of Manchuria.
The Japanese force was called the Kwantung Army. For the next decade this army waged war first against the Manchurians, then against the Chinese. It grew immensely powerful and, much to the chagrin of the Tokyo government, almost a law unto itself.
One Japanese officer, while serving in Manchuria, would grow in stature to such an extent that his fame became known through out the Empire. The troops called him "The Razor" due to his uncanny ability to slice through details to get things done. His name was General Hideki Tojo.
Because of the Kwantung Army’s aggression in Manchuria, Japan received sanctions by the League of Nations. Their emperor was embarrassed. But the Army thought it was a joke. Yosuke Masuoka, the Japanese delegate to the League, packed his bags and quickly returned home. This was just the first blow to the League of Nations during the 1930’s. The grip of the military was tightening. There was resistance in Tokyo, but it lacked the power and the resolve to stand up to the Army.
The next move concerned an incident at the Marco Polo Bridge near Peking. It started with a firefight between Japanese and Chinese troops on July 7, 1937.
Who fired first? Who knows? But on July 26 a Japanese ultimatum was delivered to the Chinese insisting that Chinese troops withdraw from the Peking area at once. Another Chinese versus Japanese war had started. It would not end until August of 1945 when Japan surrendered.
One world leader who was infuriated by the Japanese action was FDR. In a speech in Chicago he called for a quarantine of all aggressor nations. What could be considered Japan’s reply to FDR’s speech occurred on December 12, 1937.
The U.S.S. Panay, a gunboat, had gone up the Yangtze River toward Nanking. Its mission was to help evacuate American nationals from a war zone. In order to make sure the Panay was easily recognized as an American ship, it was flying an oversize American flag.
Nevertheless, a wave of Japanese bombers descended on the ship. It was quickly sunk. To make matters worse the Japanese pilots then strafed the swimming American sailors. Before it was over, four blue jackets of the American Navy were killed.
Tokyo may have been as shocked as Washington but not the Army in the field. The Japanese Air Force colonel responsible for the Panay attack admitted several years later that this was no mistaken identity. The pilots knew exactly what they were doing.
Of course there were apologies coming from all over Japan. There was no question but that Tokyo did not want war.
Neither did the U.S. With an army the size of the Netherlands’, America was in no shape to go to war with Japan. The President even sent a letter to the emperor telling him to put a bridle on the runaway cannon the Japanese had in China. The letter arrived in Tokyo, but it is doubtful it ever reached the emperor. After the war the U.S. Army had a chance to check all the emperor’s correspondence. The letter was nowhere to be found.
But what happened a few weeks after the sinking of the Panay was to show the world what they were dealing with when the Japanese Army captured Nanking. Back in the Middle Ages when an army captured a city, the victorious army was allowed to plunder the town.
And this is just what happened. The Rape of Naking belonged in A.D. 900, not in 1937. But it happened and over two hundred thousand civilians were massacred in a bloody orgy that lasted over two months. By the start of 1938 the average American was disgusted with the Japanese in general.
I was twelve years of
age at the time. It seems to me that the four dead sailors from the
Panay were better remembered by lads like me than by the so-called
adults. There were a series of cards you could buy with bubble gum.
They were called War Cards. I had cards showing tied-up Chinese prisoners
being bayoneted by Japanese soldiers.
There was another card entitled ‘The Rape of Nanking’. But the most valuable card of all was entitled ‘The Panay goes Down’. This picture showed a half-submerged American gunboat going under with the American flag still waving above the water. That card alone was enough to sour me personally on the Japanese of fifty years ago. At this time Japan was the epitome of what happens when a country comes under the iron hand of a military dictatorship.
During this period there were many people in Tokyo who were trying to halt the march of the military toward war. But it was like trying to stop a flood.
In 1924 the United States had passed an immigration law that the American mind against Imperial Germany. made it almost impossible for a Japanese to immigrate to the United States. Losing face in the Orient is a serious insult. Japan lost a lot of face when our government as much as said that their citizens were not wanted in the U.S.
There was a group in the French Air Force called the Lafayette Flying Corps in 1916. It was mainly made up of American college lads flying for the French. A glamorous lot, they received great press in the U.S. The dashing airmen played their part in the propaganda drive
Well, in 1940 a former U.S. Army pilot and stunt flyer started his famous Flying Tigers. His name was Claire Lee Chennault. He drew the same type of idealistic and adventurous young Americans to his group that had gone to France in 1916. Using revolutionary flying tactics developed by Chennault, the Flying Tigers were soon knocking down Japanese Zeros like kingpins. Japan protested to Washington, but this time it was the Japanese who ran into the blank stare. These excellent fliers remained a thorn in the Japanese side until the end of the war.
Well, as 1941 progressed so did hostilities between Japan and U.S. As a result of Roosevelt’s battle with the American First Committee, America’s relations with Japan never got the press that the U.S. relations with Nazi Germany did.
But when it was all said and done, it got down to one word. OIL, The Japanese Imperial Fleet ran on oil. In 1941 Japan was buying most of its oil from the United States. In July of 1941 Washington froze all Japanese assets in the U.S. This would eventually make it impossible for Japan to continue its all-out war of aggression in China and the rest of Asia.
But the Japanese had anticipated this act. Admiral Nagumo had designed a fast-moving plan to use the whole Imperial Fleet to capture the East Indies oil-producing islands before the U.S. Pacific Fleet could get out of Pearl Harbor.
By the time the U.S. had arrived near Japan, the Japanese fleet, with its ten aircraft carries, could destroy the U.S. fleet in the Japan’s home waters. This had been mapped out in the late 1930’s. But the most prestigious man in the Japanese Navy, Isoroku Yamamoto, had other plans. He had visions of the bulk of the Japanese fleet being in the East Indies and the U.S. fleet coming over and finishing off what was left around Japan.
Anyway, Yamamoto had spent many years in the United States. He had even taken a two-year course at Harvard University.
Above all, he studied the American people. He knew not only of the mighty industrial power of the United States but also the pride Americans took in their country. It wasn’t an intensely paternalistic pride such as the Germans and the Japanese had; it was a much lower-key pride. But it was there and the Americans would fight for it.
So, Yamamoto came up with a different plan. The Japanese would load up six of their ten aircraft carriers. They would come at Pearl Harbor from the North on a Sunday morning in December. The damage done to Pearl Harbor would be immense.
Yamamoto knew a surprise strike at Pearl Harbor was so revolutionary that the Americans wouldn’t even consider it. And with a few exceptions he was right.
It was the same with the Japanese admirals. Would they or would they not fight the United States? This was definite; if the U.S. shut off their oil, they would have no choice but to fight.
There was one-man in the government who at least questioned the wisdom of going to war with the U.S. His name was Shigenori Togo, The foreign minister. After being told that as negotiations had broken down, the only choice was war, he commented: ‘Just because we can no longer negotiate with the Americans, must we bomb them?’ For that remark alone he should have been given a medal.
So be it. On October 17, 1941 General Hideki Tojo, Japan’s war minister, replaced Prince Konoye as prime minister. He retained his position as War Minister. Now, both the civilian government and the military were under one man.
Tojo was a career military man in the best samurai tradition. However, he was dedicated to the Japanese plans for expansion in Asia. While men like Tojo and Yamamoto were completely honest men, they, like most Japanese leaders, firmly believed that the Japanese people were the chosen people of the East, if not the world. They were borne to lead, or so these men thought.
So, while many historians think that the appointment of Tojo played a big part in starting the war, plans for the Pearl Harbor attack were made long before he got the big job.
So, with all the meetings and hoopla, the question of peace or war came down to one controversy. It was like teenagers playing chicken.
Japan said, ‘You must sell us oil’ America replied, ‘We will sell you oil as long as you start withdrawing your troops from French Indochina’.
The whole thing brings up a moral question. Did the United States have the right to tell Japan what she must do?
On the other hand, did Japan have the right to tell the U.S. to whom it must sell its oil? Take your pick.
An interesting aside. Would Japan have taken on the U.S., Great Britain, and the Netherlands if the Netherlands had not been conquered by Germany and if England wasn’t fighting Germany for its life? “
HENRY BERRY
Following are some stories by, and abou,t Warren Hartmen, a Taney Pearl Harbor Survivor who was the author of many stories under 4 Bells.
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
When not participating in parades, CGCVA member Warren Hartman spends much of his time speaking at schools and churches about patriotism. In regard to many of America’s youth he unfortunately doesn’t see patriotism as something high on their agenda and he urges all vets to get out and talk to the kids. And adults, about the high price of freedom. He reminds his audiences of that cost, citing the approximate death toll in our nation’s major wars: Civil War (600,000) WW1 (116,000); WW2 (400,000); Korea (34,000) and Vietnam (58,000). A total of 1.2 million deaths as well as uncountable millions of Americans crippled, wounded and missing. Truly ...freedom is not free. (From the Quarterdeck Log, Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association)
Sequel to Freedom:
Patriotism was born in America with the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock. Their first act was thanking God for deliverance from bondage, to a new land. The ensuring years were difficult and the Revolutionary War of 1775 found ill equipped colonist facing an invasion of British soldiers and outnumbered. By 1783 after years of bloody battles the British withdrew to England. Love and zeal of land united the colonists to fight and win against overwhelming odds.
During WW2 America faced overwhelming odds from dedicated enemies, but again patriotism bonded us together into an invincible force. Since those years two unpopular wars erupted, polluting the minds of youth away from love of country with respect for law.
Can we change the way of youths thinking about democracy and freedom?
Can we change the way of youths thinking about democracy and freedom? By the next generation through parents, teachers, and GI’s speaking at schools, we hope to instill patriotism in the hearts of youth. They are the leaders of tomorrow.
Warren Hartman
When called “Shallow Water Sailor” I
recalled:
Pearl Harbor anchorage, 6 fathoms.
Guadelcanal, AP’s offloaded 10 fathoms.
Utile Atoll, available anchorage, 20 fathoms.
Solomon Islands, Grounded in Typhoon.
New Guinea, LCI offloaded infantry, 1 fathom.
New Britain, we beached our LST’s.
Normandy APA’s anchored in 30 fathoms.
Iwo Jima, AKA’s off loaded ordinance, 15 fathoms.
Just to name a few.
Warren Hartman
Amphibious
Force USCG
I am America’s Symbol
Of our priceless heritage.
Freedom of Speech and Religion.
I represent love of country.
Dedicated to the sacrifices of our Armed Forces.
A friend to the downtrodden, throughout the world.
I am proud when someone salutes me.
I am sad when degraded, or burnt.
I am caretaker of our Constitution.
I fly high over the land of the free.
Warren
BIRTH OF FREEDOM
The Revolutionary War of
1775 found our Colonist poorly equipped and outnumbered against the
invading British, but through love and zeal of country, Patriotism was born. We
should strive to recapture these qualities.
In 1940 my decision to join the
U.S. Coast Guard was giddied by the humanitarian services it performed.
When
I enlisted my Service had 35,000 personnel but by 1945 we had grown to 268,000 ,
manning 1500 ships, boats and stations through out the world war zones.
The high price of the Civil war was 600,000 killed, WW1 116,000 killed, WW2
400,000 killed, Korea 36,000 killed, Vietnam 58,000 killed totaling 1.2 million,
-- uncountable millions more were missing, crippled, or wounded. – The
price of Freedom is America’s most expensive commodity, paid in blood!
Researching the media revealed that patriotism among our youth was at
an all time low and the 60’s were Americans most demoralizing decade, along with
two unpopular wars and the introduction of drugs.
By the 90’s
concerned veterans began speaking at schools and organizations to instill
Patriotism into youth once again: Perhaps a generation of time is needed!
On 7 December 1999, the Navy commissioned the U.S.S. Pearl Harbor and
I was impressed by the inscription on her brass nameplate which read ‘FREEDOM IS
NOT FREE”
I began public speaking and carried my 2x4 foot
Freedom sign in four parades. Can we change youth’s hearts?
We
also faced dedicated enemies as did our forefathers, there history, but bonded
together saying “Land of the Free” – with help of teachers, churches, parents,
and GI’s. Perhaps love and zeal of country cane be reborn.
Our
youths are tomorrow’s leaders. – May God bless our cause.
WARREN
OKINAWA GUNTO
(This geography information was on a mimeographed
sheet probably provided by Homer
Compton.
I would guess
it was for general information for the crew) s/Vern Toler
Okinawa Gunto consists of Okinawa
Shima and numerous smaller islands. It is centrally located in a chain of
islands which run between Kyushu to the northeast, which is the southern most
part of the mainland of Japan, Formosa (Taiwan). It is 300 miles to Formosa, 450
to Shanghai, and 360 to Kyushu. The chain of islands of which the Okinawa Gunto
is a part is known as Nansei Shoto, or Ryukyu Islands.
The population of the
Okinawa group in 1940 was 463,000 Although the people are racially a mixed
group, they have the same basic characteristics as the Japanese. The
languages are Ryukyu and Japanese; both derived from the same archaic
tongue.
Economically, the Okinawa group is of little importance. However,
there are exports of marine products, meat, and vegetables. These exports
are primarily to the Japanese mainland
Militarily, the Okinawa
groups I of great strategic importance inasmuch as it is a good stepping-stone
between Japan and her possessions in Southeast Asia.
Health conditions are
poor. All drinking water must be treated. Fly and mosquito control are
necessary. Additional pests area mites, rats, wild boar, and four or five
species of poisonous snakes.
Okinawa Shima, the main island of the Okinawa proper, is 60 miles long and 3 to
10 miles wide. The northern 2/3 of the island is rugged and mountainous,
and about 80% heavily wooded. The southern 1/3 of the island is generally
rolling hills.
About 80% of this
portion is cultivated with sugar cane and sweet
potatoes.
Numerous towns and
villages are present in the southern part of Okinawa Shima, Naha, the
largest city of the entire Nansei Shot o, (Ryukyu Islands) has a population of
about 65,000. The only other principal city is Shuri, with a population of
17,000. Other localities on the southern part of the island with 5,000 or more
population area Itoman and Yonabaru. In the northern part of the island
are the cities of Okaneku (Population. 13,000), and Togughi, (Pollution
20,000)
All the town of the
Ryukyo chain is provincial in the sense of limited public utilities and lower
standards of living than in
Japan.
Roads in the Okinawa
group vary from 16-foot highways on Okinawa Shima, to rough trails on the minor
islands. The road system on Okinawa Shire is the most developed. Most roads
however, are narrow. There are some masonry and concrete bridges, but they are
not well constructed.
Communications are well developed on the main island of Okinawa Shima. There are
a number of radio stations (prewar), used for communications with the Japanese
mainland. There are no broadcasting stations there are telephone and telegraph
facilities between all the larger cities on Okinawa
Shima.
Underwater cable
facilities are available for communication between Okinawa Shima and all the
other major islands of the group, and to Kyushu, Formosa, and Yap Island in the
Carolines.
There is a railroad the full length of the
island, connecting the major cities.
There are a number of airfields
among the islands, 4 or 5 of which are on Okinawa Shima. The largest is at the
Capitol City of Naha, and the only one with extensive repair facilities
(peacetime).
The climate of the
Ryukyu Islands is temperate. The winds are from the north in winter, northeast
in spring and fall and from the south in the summer.
Rainfall is heavy
throughout the year, totaling about 85 inches to 100 inches a year. Moderate
temperatures prevail and average from 60 degrees in the winter to 83 degrees in
the summer. The extremes are 40 to 90 degrees. Humidity is high throughout
the year. About 16 to 20 thunderstorms hit the
islands each year, were occurring chiefly in the afternoons.
Typhoons occur about 12 times
each year. Freezing in the Okinawa group occurs extremely seldom.
HAPPY HOUR SONG SHEET
(WORKING ON THE RAILROAD)I’ve been chipping on the TANEY
All the live long day
I’ve been painting on the TANEY
Just to chase the rust away
Don’t you hear that whistle blowing?
Rise up and leave the hay
Don’t you hear the Bosun shouting?
Sailor it's the break of dayI’ve been working on the TANEY
All the live long day
I’ve been working on the TANEY
Just to pass the war away
Don’t you hear the whistles blowing?
The war is almost done
Don’t you hear the sailor shouting?
Our lives have just begun
copied by vern_toler May 2001
BRIEF HISTORY OF U.S. COAST GUARD
During World War 2 our
personnel grew to near 300,000 and we manned some fifteen hundred
ships and
stations in all theaters of war. The types of ships varied from 30,000 ton
attack transports
to 5 ton assault crafts requiring many new skills to
learn.
Our major duties included are:
1. "Ocean
Stations" maintaining an assigned sea area usually consisting of a 200 square
mile
block to patrol and aid in the rescue of ships
of aircraft in distress.
2.: Law Enforcement" this includes all
federal steatites prohibiting entrance of illegal aliens and
narcotics.
3. Search and Rescue
Stations" search and rescue stations were manned 24 hours a day by ships
and aircraft in the Pacific, the Atlantic, the
Arctic and the Caribbean.
4. Merchant Marine Inspections" this
was for hazards, the licensing of ships and officers, and for
determine sea worthiness.
5. Coast
Guard Auxiliary" This included training of some 17,900 civilian volunteers for
motor
boat inspections covering all 50- states and
also including inland waters.
6. "Port Security" Included the
protection of harbors, vessels, and docks and also the inspection
of hazardous cargo.
7. "Aids to
Navigation" the maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and LORAN stations.
8. "Military Readiness" involves drills, gunnery, seamanship,
land regulations.
9. "Ice Breaking" included keeping the sea
lanes open and iceberg surveillance in shipping lanes:
also the export of expeditions.
10.
"Oceanography" the enforcement of water pollution laws and the gathering of
ocean data.
During World War 2, we crewed 350 major and minor vessels of the Navy, including
destroyer escorts, landing crafts, tankers, troop
transports, repair and cargo ships, gun boats
and
tenders. Other vessels included 288 Army ships and tugs along with over 600
Coast Guard cutters, fire boats and patrol craft.
During the Normandy invasion, sixty of our 83' picket boasts saved over 600
lives. On
December 7, 1941 we had about 400
personnel covering the Hawaiian Sea frontier along with
one major cutter, two large tenders, two rescue
vessels, five patrol boats and one fire tug. Our
peace-time surveillance covered an area west to Midway , south to Samoa, and the
Society
group on the "Line Islands" covering 5800
sea miles.
In
1942 we started establishing Search and Rescue stations on land and on the sea.
LORAN
stations (Long Range Navigation Signal) also
were installed and by 1945-46 stations were in
service. They covered Johnson, Midway, Ulithi, Iwo Jima and Yap Islands. By
1960, the
LORAN chain had stretched to Iceland,
Ireland, Gibraltar, Grand Banks, and Japan. This low
frequency transmitter sends out a homing signal up
to 800 miles by night and 1,600 miles by
day. This
was twice the distance and accuracy of previous systems and was a highly guarded
secret. Only allied ships and planes had special
equipment to receive this signal and was a real
blessing for navigation in bad weather.
Reflecting back to 1790. Alexander Hamilton officially established the "Revenue
Cutter
Service" hoping to halt the slaves, pirates
and law breakers, This was the start of today's
Coast Guard, but the real beginning started in England in the year 1711 when
they developed
fast sailing cutters for law
enforcement, these were privately lowed and manned by civilians.
This often led to bloody combat against law
breakers. Historically we copied their uniform,
terminology and customs.
By
1792, our American armed cutters had well trained uniformed crews and a growing
deterrent against pirates who plundered American
merchant ships. By 1830, our U.S. Cutter
Service
had a large fleet of ships of up to 170 feet and well gunned, serving the wars
of 1812
to the present.
By
1776, our U.S. Navy was officially born through Congress and around 1802 had a
fleet of
49 vessels including the "USS
Constitution" with 36 guns that greatly aided in the control of the
seas. In 1915, Congress renamed the U.S. Coast
Guard" and we took over the U.S.
Lighthouse Service
and the ships that had been established 50 years previously.
Hundreds of civilian yachts and crafts were loaned to us for the duration of the
war, which we
armed and manned. Some 11,000 women
enlisted (named S.P.A.R.S.) During the 40's
serving
in many capacities and women now are still a permanent part of this service.
Beach patrols saw horse mounted armed Coast Guard personnel with K-9 dogs
encompassing America's shores during WW , Iceberg
surveillance by cutters were replaced
by satellite
in the 70's and manned lighthouse keepers were replaced by automation.
Lifeboat surf stations have gradually been replaced since the 50'd, by air
bases. The Air Wing
of the Coast Guard had
increased ten-fold since the 50's , having pioneered helicopter
rescues. Their fixed wing fleets are invaluable
with the onset of drug abatement.
We have seen duty on many coasts of the world since 1790
S/Warren
THE COAST GUARD IN VIET NAM
The following is copied from the booklet provided at the
(cover page 1) "Decommissioning Ceremony, December 7, 1986 Portsmouth Virginia "
(Copied from ""The Coast Guard Reservist" published November 1996 by
vern.)
Bibliography/Sources
This article and charts from three main sources.
The Coast Guard in Vietnam
by PA1 Paul Powers, USCG Gung-Ho. November 1983
The United States Coast
Guard in South East Asia during the Vietnam Conflict,
by Lt. Eugent N.
Tulicyh, USCG, USCG Historical Monograph Program, USCG Public Affairs
Division (G-CP-1/H), Washington, D.C. 20593-0001, 1986
This is the Coast
Guard, by H.R. Kaplan and LCDR James F. Hunt, USCG.
Vietnam is usually remembered as a war fought jungles and rice paddies. Tut there was another conflict as well, a sailor's war, much of it fought from the decks of United States Coast Guard Cutters. The Coast Guard played a significant role in securing Vietnam's 1,200-mile coastline. Some 8,000 Coast Guardsmen and 56 different combatant vessels were assigned to duty there. Coast Guardsmen destroyed enemy supply ships, supported ground units, rescued American and other friendly forces, and performed many more duties, including carrying out humanitarian roles which are common to the Coast Guard. Yet The Coast Guard's involvement in Vietnam Was is still little known. So this year, as America salutes its servicemen and women on Veterans Day, We pause to remember in paraticular our Coast Guardsmen who served in a land thousands of miles from home, Vietnam, roughly three decades ago.
Early in
the Vietnam War, The Vit Cong and North Vietnamese obtained their supplies in
many ways. Forces allied with the Republic of South Vietnam could not stop the
enemy's flow of men, arms and supplies.
During February
1965, A U.S. Army pilot flying over Vung Ro Bay near Qui Nhon noticed an
"island" moving slowly from one side of the bay to the other. Upon closer
observation, he saw the "island " was a carefully camouflaged ship.
Intelligence sources determined the ship was North
Vietnamese and engaged in supplying enemy forces. Air strikes were called in and
the vessel was sunk.
A tight security and surveillance
system was necessary. Thi would be no easy chore with 1,200 miles of coastline
to patrol and over 60,000 junks and sampans to control. To provide this
coverage, the Coastal Surveillance Force was established in March 1965, Called
Market Time and after the native boats using the waterways for fishing and
marketing, this task force provided a single command to integrate sea, air, and
land-based units and coordinate U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and South Vietnamese
naval units.
Squadron One
The backbone of the Coast Guard Fleet was the 82-foot patrol boats (WBP). Known Squadron One, 26 of them saw action. The 82-footer's main job was choking off the enemy's sea borne supplies. Much of the action took place near the border, Division 12, out of Danang in the north, patrolled the 17th parallel. Division 11, based at An Thoi in the south, graded the border between South Vietnam and Cambodia. At first, these patrol boats formed a barrier from the shore straight out into the ocean. They were to cut off the enemy as they tried to enter South Vietnamese waters. But the North Vietnamese sent their supplies in large steel-hulled vessels far out to sea and beat the blockade by going around it.
So, the Coast Guard and Navy changed tactics. Rather than trying to catch the enemy as they entered Southern waters, the Coast Guard and Navy decided to hit them as they approached the drop-off points. The boats formed a picket line along the shoreline and covered the area with radar. When a target was spotted, they would attack.
A year after the new defensive scheme was set up, enemy smuggling was stopped cold. In desperation, the communists tried a tactical change of their own. In February 1968, The North Vietnamese ran four large trawlers south all at once, in the hope of getting something through. Three were destroyed, and one retreated. After that, sea-born smuggling was largely carried out in small sampans.
The patrol boats also worked with the Navy SEAL's and reacon units. They also gave emergency support to Special Forces camps, transported personnel, evacuated wounded and provided navl-gunfire support. About two years in Operation Market Time, naval operations were extended further off-shore and expanded into the Gulf of Thailand.
Market Time units stopped many enemy vessels carrying supplies and men. The success of the operation forced the enemy to rely on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to transport supplies. As many of the trawler "kills" were in southern Vietnam near the Ca Mau Peninsula, the enemy hd to carry supplies over an extraordinary long distance.
Squadron Three
As time went on, the Coast Guard was asked to increase its support and did so by providing five high-endurance cutters ranging in size from 255 to 378 fleet. Coast Guard Squadron Three was born. The large cutters kept their peacetime white paint job instead of taking a coat of gray, like the patrol boats. They were quickly nicknamed "White Ghost" by the Viet Cong
Shortly after their arrival, Squadron Three ships began battling the Viet Cong. The cutter Rush, working with an Australian destroyer, brought its guns to the aid of a small Special Forces camp in the village of new Song Ong Doc. The village, located in the middle of Viet Cong-held territory, was being overrun. Gunfire from the two ships drove off the attackers and left 64 Viet Cong dead. Like the patrol boats, the large cutters were multi-mission ships. They supported amphibious assaults and gave logistical support for Coast Guard patarol vessels and the Navy PFC's (Patrol Craft Fast).
C.G. AvIators
In
addition to the patrol boats a nd high endurance cutters, 12 Coast Guard
aviators flew in Vietnam between 1968 and 1967. They flew with the Air
Forces as part of a service exchange program out of Tuy Hua and Da Nang,
Vietnam, as well as from Thailand and the Philippines.
Helicopter pilots flew Air Force HH-3s (known as the Jolly Green Giants) and
later HH-53s, while fixed wing pilots flew Air Force C-130s. These
aviators flew hundreds of rescue missions over enemy-infested jungles.
Their actions kept a lot off pilots out of prison camps.
One of the Coast Guard's pilots was Lt. Jack
Rittichier, who served as a pilot with the Air Force's 37th Aerospace Rescue
and Recovery Squadron. He was the first Coast Guard combat casualty in
Vietnam. --- killed in a mountainous region west of Danang, while
attempting to rescue a downed U.S. fighter pilot. Rittichier's helicopter
came under hostile enemy fire and crashed in a ball of flame. A hanger at
Coast Guard Air Station Detroit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., is
named in Ritticher's honor.
Other Support Roles
Along
with their combat role, Coast Guardsmen played an essential support
mission. Coast Guard Port Ssecuritymen a Reserve-only rate, were on hand
as experts for safe loading and unloading of ammunition. Explosives Loading
Detachments (ELD teams) were also set up. With one officer and seven
enlisted men, they could stop any U.S. flag vessel from loading or unloading any
cargo, and basically had carte blanch to enforce safety regulations. EDT teams
encountered their share of bizarre and deadly situations as they struggled to
keep the harbors from blowing up. Fire was a constant enemy. Vietnams
families living aboard ammunition barges cooked with open flames, while both
Vietnamese and American stevedores would smoke as they unloaded the cargoes.
Enemy attack was a constant threat. In February 1968, a merchant
ship offloading took nine reciolless-rifle hits at Ca Lai. Fire started immediately.
ELD team, battling against time, rushed onto the burning ship, charged the hoses,
and dowsed the fire before the ship exploded.
Merchant Marine Detail personnel helped keep the merchant
vessels sailing by providing investigative and judicial services, and
diplomacy. They served the merchant sailor both float and ashore.
Other Coast Guardsmen were also assigned to keeping the harbors safe. Before ships could reach the docks, they had to safely navigate into the harbors. Coast Guard buoy tenders marked the channels to help keep the traffic moving and replaced batteries used in the lighthouses along the coast Long Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) stations were set up and manned by the Cost Guard. The stations sent out electronic signals to help mariners and aviators fix their positions.
Lifesavers At Heart
Perhaps
the most intangible, but no less important item a Coast Guardsman brought with
him from the Unites States was his humanity. Lifesavers at heart, they
never left that behind, even in combat. Coast Guardsmen performed many medical
missions but also gave of themselves to Vietnamese program was phased in.
The 26 WPBs and several large high-endurance cutters were turned over to the
South Vietnamese. They became the core of their Navy.
By the time they left, Coast Guard cutters had cruised
over 5.5 million miles, participated in nearly 6,000 naval gunfire missions, and
boarded nearly 250,000 junks and sampans.
The services
main job was to dry up the enemy supply routes --- which they did. With
Coast Guardsmen guarding the coast, and enemy junk had only a 10-percent chance
of slipping through. A steel-hull vessel had no chance at all. Not a
bad job for the low-key warrior of the United States Coast Guard.
(the article contained several pictures, captions only below)
Lt. Robert Nelson of CGC Point Glover, shows recovered riffles and ammo from a Viet Cong Junk, Sep... 1965.
Coast Guard 82 foot patrol craft of Squadron One, Division 12, arrive in formation at Saigon, South Vietnam. Insert above CGC Basswood works a buoy as Vietnamese fishermen ply the waters near Vung Tau.
CGC Point Comfort's BMC Green F. Treat fires an 81 mm mortar at suspected Viet Cong staging area, one mile behind An Thoe, Plu Quoe Island. Also shown area CS2 Lee Roy Bradshaw, Jr., left and GM2 Edward J. Hanson, right.
Coast Guardsman discuss inspection of the junks with the Vietnamese Liaison Officer.
Five cutters of Squadron Three assigned to "Market Time" coastal surveillance in South Vietnam, shown after arriving at Subic Bay, Philippines, Aug. 4, 1967. Left to right: Half Moon, Yakutat, Gresham, Barataria, Bering Strait.
(the article had three charts shown below)
Coast Guard Squadron One
82-foot patrol boats assigned
Division 11
Cutter name Date of Turnover
Point Banks (WPB 82327) 26 May 1970
Point Clear (WPB 82315) 15 Sep 1969
Point Comfort (WPB 82317) 17 Nov 1969
Point Garnet (WPB 82310) 16 May 1969
Point Glover (WPB 82307) 14 Feb 1970
Point Grey (WPB 82324) 14 July 1970
Point Marone (WPB 82331) 15 Aug 1970
Point Mast (WPB 82316) 16 Jun 1970
Point Young (WPB 82303) 16 Mar 1970Division 12
Point Arden (WPB 82309) 14 Feb 1970
Point Caution (WPB 82301) 29 Apr 1970
Point Dume (WPB 82325) 14 Feb 1970
Point Ellis (WPB 82330) 9 Dec 1996
Point Gammon (WPB 82328) 11 Nov 1969
Point Lomas (WPB 82321) 26 May 1970
Point Orient (WPB 82319) 14 Jul 1970
Point Welcome (WPB 82329) 29 Apr 1970Division 13
Point Cypress (WPB 82326) 15 Aug 1970
Point Grace (WPB 82323) 16 Jun 1970
Point Hudson (WPB 82322) 11 Dec 1970
Point Jefferson (WPB 82306) 21 Feb 1970
Point Kennedy (WPB 82320) 16 Mar 1970
Point League (WPB 82304) 16 May 1969
Point Partridge (WPB 82305) 27 Mar 1970
Point Slocum (WPB 82313) 11 Dec 1969
Point White (WPB 82308) 12 Jan 1970Squadron One Statistics
(27 May 1965 --- 15 Aug. 1970)
Miles Cruised ...............................................4,215,116
Vessels Inspected ...........................................283,527
Personnel Detained...........................................10,286
Naval Gunfire Support Missions .........................4,461
Enemy Killed/Wounded-in-Action .......................1,055
Coast Guard Wounded-in Action .............................59
Coast Guard Killed-in-Action .....................................7
* All WPBs listed here
were turned over to the South Vietnamese government as part of
Vietnamization.
Coast Guardsmen Killed in Action in Viet Nam
|
NAME |
HOMETOWN |
RANK/RATING |
AGE |
DATE OF DEATH |
PANEL/LINE |
| David Charles Brostom |
Los
Altos, CA |
LTJG |
25 |
08/11/66 |
09E/126 |
| Jerry Phillips |
Corpus
Christi, TX |
EN2 |
27 |
08/11/66 |
09E/128 |
| Jack Columbus Ritticher |
Barberton, OH |
LT |
34 |
06/09/68 |
58W/014 |
| Heriberto Segovia Hernandez |
San
Antonio, TX |
FN |
20 |
12/05/68 |
58W/014 |
| Morris S. Beeson |
Pitkins, LA |
ENC |
37 |
03/22/69 |
28W/008 |
| Michael Harris Painter |
Moscow,
ID |
EN1 |
26 |
08/08/69 |
20W/115 |
| Michael Ward Kirkpatrick |
Gainesville, FL |
LTJG |
25 |
08/09/69 |
20W/199 |
note--Panel/Line refers to position on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C.
Coast Guard Squadron Three
High Endurance Cutters Assigned
First Deployment
Cutter Name Date of Deployment
Barataria (WHEC 381) 4 May 67 ------- 25 Dec 67
Half Moon (WHEC 387) 4 May 67 ------- 29 Dec 67
Yakuta (WHEC 380) 4 May 67 ------- 1 Jan. 68
Gresham (WHEC 387) 4 May 67 ------- 28 Jan. 68
Bering Strait (WHEC 382) 4 May 67 ------- 18 Feb. 68
Second Deployment
Duane (WHEC 33) 4 Dec. 67 --------28 July 68
Androscoggin (WHEC 68) 4 Dec. 67 ---------4 Aug. 68
Campbell (WHEC 32) 14 Dec. 67 ---------12 Aug. 68
Minnetonka (WHEC 67) 5 Jan. 68 --------- 29 Sep. 68
Winona (WHEC 65) 25 Jan. 68 ----------17 Oct. 67
Third Deployment.
Bibb (WHEC 31) 4 July 68 ----------28 Feb. 69
Ingham (WHEC 35) 16 July 68 --------- 3 Apr. 69
Owasco (WHEC 39) 23 July 68 ---------21 Mar. 69
Wachusett (WHEC 44) 10 Sep. 68 ------- 1 June 69
Winnebago (WHEC 40) 20 Sep. 68 ------- 19 July 69
Fourth Deployment
Spencer (WHEC 36) 11 Feb. 69 ------- 30 Sep. 69
Mendota (WHEC 69) 28 Feb. 69 ------- 3 Nov. 69
Sebago (WHEC 42) 2 March 69 ---- 16 Nov. 69
TANEY (WHEC 37) 14 May 69 ------- 31 Jan. 70
Klamath (WHEC 66) 7 July 69 -------- 3 April 70
Fifth Deployment
Hamilton (WHEC 715) 1 Nov. 69 -------- 25 Nov. 70
Dallas (WHEC 716) 3 Nov. 69 --------- 19 June 70
Chase (WHEC 718) 6 Dec. 69 -------- 28 May 70
Mellon (WHEC 717) 31 Mar 70 ------- 2 July 70
Pontchartrain (WHEC 70) 9 May 70 ---------- 3 Sep. 70
Six Deployment
Sherman (WHEC 720) 22 April 70 -------- 25 Dec. 70
Bering Strait (WHEC 382) 17 May 70 --------- 31 Dec. 70 ++ +
Yakutat (WHEC 380) 17 May 70 ----------31 Dec. 70 ++ +
Seventh Deployment
Rush (WHEC 723) 28 Oct. 70 ---------- 15 July 71
Morgenthau (WHEC 722) 6 Dec. 70 -------- 31 July 71
Eight Deployment
Castle Rock (WHEC 383) 9 July 71 ------------21 Dec. 71 +
Cook Inlet (WHEC 384) 2 Jul. 71 ---------- 21 Dec. 71 +Other Cutters
Buoy Tenders:
Basswood (WLB 388) . Blackhaw (WLB 390) Ironwood (WLB 297) Planetree (WLB 307)Cargo Vessel:
Nettle (WLB 169)Squadron Three Statistics
(4 April 1967 -- 31 Jan. 1972)
Miles Cruised --------------------------------------------1,292,094
Vessels Inspected ------------------------------------------50,000
Personnel Detained --------------------------------------------138
Naval Gunfire Support Missions --------------------------1,368
Enemy Killed/wounded-in-action ----------------------------722+ Turned over to the South Vietnamese government.
++ Second deployment.
"A Date That Will Live In Infamy"
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT
Most everyone has heard
of the battleship Arizona but few know that
there were a total of 145 Coast Guard and Navy vessels in the waters of
Oahu,
Territory of Hawaii on 7
December 1941. The names and designations of the
145 vessels and the eventual fate of each
vessel, where known, is detailed
below.
Ships names prefaced with USCGC (US Coast Guard Cutter) or USS (United States Ship) were commissioned ships. All others were in service.
WARSHIPS (50)
BATTLESHIPS (8)
USS Arizona, BB-39: sunk 7 Dec 41; U.S. National Memorial at Pearl
Harbor
USS California, BB-44: sold for scrap 7-59
USS Maryland, BB-46: sold for scrap 7-59
USS Nevada, BB-36: sunk in weapons test 7-48
USS Oklahoma, BB-37: capsized 7 Dec 41; raised 1943 but not repaired;
parted tow line enroute San Francisco and sank 5-47
USS Pennsylvania, BB-38: scuttled off Kwajalein 2-48
USS Tennessee, BB-43: sold for scrap 7-59
USS West Virginia, BB-48: sold for scrap 8-59
HEAVY CRUISERS (2)
USS New Orleans, CA-32: sold for scrap 9-59
USS San Francisco, CA-38: sold for scrap 9-59
LIGHT CRUISERS (6)
USS Detroit, CL-8: sold for scrap 2-46
USS Helena, CL-50: sunk in Kula Gulf, 7-43
USS Honolulu, CL-48: sold for scrap 11-59
USS Phoenix, CL-46: sold to Argentina 10-51; sunk during Falklands
War
USS Raleigh, CL-7: sold for scrap 2-46
USS St. Louis, CL-49: sold to Brazil 1-51
DESTROYERS (30)
USS Allen, DD-66: sold for scrap 9-46
USS Aylwin, DD-355: sold for scrap 12-46.
USS Bagley, DD-386: sold for scrap 10-47
USS Blue, DD-387: sunk off Guadalcanal 8-42
USS Case, DD-370: sold for scrap 12-47
USS Cassin, DD-372: sold for scrap 11-47
USS Chew, DD-106: sold for scrap 10-46
USS Conyngham, DD-371: sunk as target 7-48
USS Cummings, DD-365: sold for scrap 7-47
USS Dale, DD-353: sold for scrap 12-46
USS Dewey, DD-349: sold for scrap 12-46
USS Downes, DD-375: sold for scrap 11-47
USS Farragut, DD-348: sold for scrap 8-47
USS Helm, DD-388: sold for scrap 10-47
USS Henley, DD-391: sunk in Huron Gulf 10-43
USS Hull, DD-350: sunk by typhoon 12-44
USS Jarvis, DD-393: sunk off Guadalcanal 8-42
USS Macdonough, DD-351: sold for scrap 12-46
USS Monaghan, DD-354: sunk by typhoon 12-44
USS Mugford, DD-389: sunk off Kwajalein 3-48
USS Patterson, DD-392: sold for scrap 8-47
USS Phelps, DD-360: sold for scrap 8-47
USS Ralph Talbot, DD-390: sunk as target 3-48
USS Reid, DD-369: sunk off Leyte, PI 12-44
USS Schley, DD-103: scrapped 1946
USS Selfridge, DD-357: sold for scrap 11-46
USS Shaw, DD-373: sold for scrap 1946
USS Tucker, DD-374: sunk off Espiritu Santo 8-42
USS Ward, DD-139: sunk off Leyte 12-44
USS Worden, DD-352: sunk off Amchitka 1-43
SUBMARINES (4)
USS Cachalot, SS-170: sold for scrap 1-47
USS Dolphin, SS-169: sold for scrap 8-46
USS Narwhal, SS-167: sold for scrap 11-45
USS Tautog, SS-199: sold for scrap 7-60
MINE WARFARE SHIPS (23)
HIGH SPEED
MINESWEEPERS (4)
USS Perry, DMS-17: sunk off Palau Is 9-44
USS Trever, DMS-16: sold for scrap 11-46
USS Wasmuth, DMS-15: sunk off Aleutian Is 12-42
USS Zane, DMS-14: sold for scrap 10-46
LIGHT MINELAYERS
(8)
USS Breese, DM-18: sold for scrap 5-46
USS Gamble, DM-15: scuttled off Guam 7-45
USS Montgomery, DM-17: sold for scrap 3-46
USS Preble, DM-20: sold for scrap 10-46
USS Pruitt, DM-22: sold for scrap 1946
USS Ramsay, DM-16: sold for scrap 11-46
USS Sicard, DM-21: sold for scrap 6-46
USS Tracy, DM-19: sold for scrap 1946
MINELAYER (1)
USS Oglala, CM-4: to Maritime Commission 7-46
MINESWEEPERS
(6)
USS Bobolink, AM-20: sold 10-46
USS Grebe, AM-43: destroyed by hurricane 1-43
USS Rail, AM-26: to Maritime Commission 1-47
USS Tern, AM-31: sold 7-47
USS Turkey, AM-13: sold 12-46
USS Vireo, AM-52: to Maritime Commission 2-47
MINESWEEPERS,
COASTAL (4)
Cockatoo, AMc-8: to Maritime Commission 9-46
Condor, AMc-14: to Maritime Commission 7-46
Crossbill, AMc-9: to Maritime Commission 3-47
Reedbird, AMc-30: to Maritime Commission 11-46
PATROL SHIPS (13)
GUNBOAT (1)
USS Sacramento, PG-19: sold 8-47
MOTOR TORPEDO
BOATS (12)
PT-20: stricken for obsolescence, 12-44.
PT-21: stricken for obsolescence, 10-43.
PT-22: badly damaged in storm, 1-43; scrapped.
PT-23: reclassified as small boat, 10-43.
PT-24: reclassified as small boat, 12-44.
PT-25: reclassified as small boat, 10-43.
PT-26: reclassified as small boat, 10-43.
PT-27: reclassified as small boat, 12-44.
PT-28: wrecked in storm, 1-43.
PT-29: stricken for obsolescence, 12-44.
PT-30: stricken for obsolescence, 3-44.
PT-42: stricken for obsolescence, 12-44.
AUXILIARY SHIPS (28)
AMMUNITION SHIP
(1)
USS Pyro, AE-1: sold for scrap 3-50
CARGO SHIP
(1)
USS Vega, AK-17: sold for scrap 8-46
DESTROYER TENDERS
(2)
USS Dobbin, AD-3: sold 1951
USS Whitney, AD-4: sold for scrap 3-48
GENERAL STORES
ISSUE SHIPS (2)
USS Antares, AKS-3: sold 1947
USS Castor, AKS-1: sold 12-68
HOSPITAL SHIP
(1)
USS Solace, AH-5: sold 1948
MISCELLANEOUS
AUXILIARIES (3)
USS Argonne, AG-31: sold 1951
USS Sumner, AG-32: to Maritime Commission 9-46
USS Utah, AG-16: capsized 7 Dec 41; remains a partially submerged hulk
off Ford Island, Pearl Harbor.
OCEAN-GOING TUGS
(4)
USS Keosangua, AT-38: sold 7-47
USS Navajo, AT-64: sunk east of New Hebrides 9-43
USS Ontario, AT-13: sold 4-47
USS Sunnadin, AT-28: to Maritime Commission 1-47
OILERS (2)
USS Neosho, AO-23: sunk in Coral Sea 5-42
USS Ramapo, AO-12: to Maritime Commission 7-46
REPAIR SHIPS
(3)
USS Medusa, AR-1: sold for scrap 8-50
USS Rigel, AR-11: sold 1950
USS Vestal, AR-4: sold for scrap 7-50
SEAPLANE TENDERS
(2)
USS Curtiss, AV-4: sold 1-72
USS Tangier, AV-8: sold for scrap 7-61
SEAPLANE TENDERS,
DESTROYER (2)
USS Hulbert, AVD-6: sold for scrap 10-46
USS Thornton, AVD-11: beached and abandoned off Okinawa 4-45
SMALL SEAPLANE
TENDERS (2)
USS Avocet, AVP-4: sold 12-46
USS Swan, AVP-7: to Maritime Commission 10-46
SUBMARINE RESCUE
VESSEL (1)
USS Widgeon, ASR-1: sold for scrap 1948
SUBMARINE TENDER
(1)
USS Pelias, AS-14: sold 1971
UNCLASSIFIED
MISCELLANEOUS (1)
Chengho, IX-52: returned to owner 1946
SERVICE CRAFT (27)
DISTRICT YARD
CRAFT (2)
YP-108
YP-109
FERRYBOAT (1)
Manuwai, YFB-17: struck 9-54
FUEL OIL BARGES
(4)
YO-21
YO-30
YO-43
YO-44
GARBAGE
LIGHTERS (3)
YG-15
YG-17
YG-21
GATE
VESSEL (1)
YNG-17
HARBOR
TUGS (8)
Hoga, YT-146: leased to Oakland, California 1973-75
Nokomis, YT-142: sold 1973
Osceola, YT-129: sold 1973
Sotoyomo, YT-9: destroyed 2-46
YT-119
YT-130
YT-152
YT-153
MOTOR
TUG (1)
YMT-5
NET
TENDERS, BOOM (5)
Ash, YN-2: sold 1962
Cinchona, YN-7: sold 1962
Cockenoe, YN-47: to Maritime Commission 7-47
Marin, YN-53: to Maritime Commission 3-47
Wapello, YN-56.
TORPEDO TESTING
BARGE (1)
YTT-3
WATER
BARGE (1)
YW-16
COAST GUARD VESSELS (4)
BOAT (1)
CG 8
CRUISING
CUTTERS (3)
USCGC
Reliance, sold 6-48
USCGC Taney, struck 12-86. Now in
Baltimore, Maryland Maritime Musuem
USCGC Tiger, 152: sold
1948
Above
information compiled and provided by Jack McKillop.
References :
Brochure listing all the ships that were in PH during the attack supplemented
with information from various volumes of :
Naval History Division, US Navy Department : DICTIONARY OF
AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS. Washington,
DC: US Government
Printing Office, 1959-1981.
071700Z DEC 98
U.S. COAST GUARD "SEALS" ---"Frog Men"----"OSS"---"Operational Swimmers"
In Florence, Oregon Vern
Toler ran across a former Coast Guard Veteran, one Mr. Mac Donald, in Vern's
age bracket, who had a interesting story on Coast Guard history that needs to
be recorded. He was a Native American from the Piaute Tribe of Owens Valley,
California. (Interesting side note: his grandfather was the Sheriff during the
dispute over the Los Angeles Water Wars.) (Vern created a link to his"Military
memories" for additional information and a roster of some of the early
"Underwater Operations" teams.)
note: The OSS was the forrunner to the CIA so the
history of the military men attached to the OSS will be difficult to find,
except for stories from some of the men involved. s/vern It is unknown when the USCG adopted the motto "Always Ready".
The first known connection of the phrase /P>
He was sent to Catalina Island, California, where he received and conducted underwater
training, and thence to Missoula (MT?) for Parachute Training with the Smoke jumpers.
They used Silk round parachutes with "Derry Slots" for control. They were later
were assigned to O.S.S. units in the Pacific.
His main concern is that the U.S.
Coast Guard historians he contacted did not know of the Coast Guard involvement
in the UDT. He had many articles to support his stories of which I will put a
few parts in this story and try to create a separate web page other memories so
they will not be lost.
From page 41, unknown publication, by Brian; Danis, The
OSS Operational Swimmer. "Faced with a wartime shortage of personnel, the O.S.S.
obtained the majority of its manpower from the United States Army, Navy, Coast
Guard and Marine Corps." "From November 1943 to October of 1944 over 70 personnel
were trained as OSS Operational Swimmers. Preliminary training was conducted at
the OSS West Coast Training Center at Camp Pentiloneton and Catalina Island, CA."
(Page 42) "Today's' Special Operational Forces can take a lesson in joint operations
from the Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, Marines and Airmen who served in
the Operational Swimmer Groups. They were dedicated men with unique skills. They
pioneered a unique capability which for one brief moment in time, was theirs and
theirs alone." (the article also contained a list of several training groups of
which half were Coast Guardsmen s/vern toler)
From Memo to Bob Weaver from Jack Demmons, Dated
June 2nd 1993.
#3 "1943 again there was parachute training of rescue units form
the military services involving about 25 individuals of the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Air Observer Schools and the Army
Air Forces."
# 11 Missoula Sentinel 9/20/43 Coast Guardsmen, New Jumpers, Back
to Alaska. Art Cook and his crew of ten … had jumped in the Blackfoot country
(at Seeley Lake). "
#16 Missoula Sentinel. 8-30-43 Rescue Squad to Inaugurate
Chute Training. The Coast Guard rescue squad…. Is to
train at Seeley Lake as parachute jumpers under the Forest service…"
"SEMPER PARATUS"
with the USCG came during the Civil
War and was published in the 26 November 1864 issue of the Army and
Navy
Journal. The achievements of the Revenue Cutter Service was praised with the
following sentence --
"Keeping always under steam and ever ready, in the
event of extraordinary need, to render valuable service,
the Cutters can be
made to form a Coast Guard whose value it is impossible at the present time to
estimate."
The motto also appeared on the official stationary of Captain
Charles F. Shoemaker, Chief of the Revenue
Cutter Service, on 5 May 1897.
COPIED FROM WEB desertanchor.com
s/Vern