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NAVSUPPACT Salvors Saigon 1971 - Welcome to Vietnam!


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

A while back a storage locker auction cast a large Navy grouping to the winds. The contents belonged to a 30 year USN officer who began his career as a Gunner's Mate on submarines, making seven WWII war patrols in the Pacific. He had continued in the Submarine Service during the Korean War, advancing up the Warrant ranks. He served on several shipboard and shore gunnery assignments but also became a Navy Diver in 1959, commissioned officer and senior Salvage commander in Vietnam. The majority of his Submarine Service items went their separate ways, but I was able to keep most of his diving & salvage items together.

 

What was overlooked by the submarine, uniform and medal collectors were the piles of documents, photographs and ephemera of this seadogs career in Vietnam and his postwar service on Sealab and other oceanographic projects. Included in this horde was his complete welcome aboard packet from his assignment to Naval Support Activity Saigon as senior salvage officer in RVN.

009 Wolf Brown Officer hat 01.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Upon reporting to the USN activity in Saigon, he was given this packet as part of his check-in process.

 

 

004 USN RVN Welcome Aboard packet 01.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Included in the contents were several items which detailed the status of the Brown Water Navy and the Vietnamese Navy which was then transitioning into our equipment as a cornerstone of the Vietnamization policy.

 

005 USN RVN Welcome Aboard packet 02.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

He initially was billeted at the Annapolis BOQ. This booklet detailed all of the do's and don'ts of being quartered in Saigon.

 

 

007 USN RVN Welcome Aboard packet 04.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Also in the packet is a complete roster of all USN officers assigned to NAVSUPPACT Saigon at that time including their billets, phone numbers, duty assignments, etc.

 

You don't see one of these very often.

 

 

002 NAVSUPPACT Saigon Roster 01.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

It also contained a very interesting wrap up of the Brown Water Navy then being disestablished.

 

This document alone probably deserves it's own topic.

 

006 USN RVN Welcome Aboard packet 03.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

He also was briefed on the status of the growing Vietnamese Navy and their new capabilities. Part of his duty assignment was to oversee the training of Vietnamese divers and their diving platforms.

 

001 RVN Craft Pub 03.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

There's much, much more to this grouping, but I'll leave that for another day...

 

 

003 NAVSUPPACT Saigon Plaque 01.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Welcome Aboard - Summer 1970

 

Given to the LCDR when he checked in at Saigon for this third tour in December 1970

 

This is a great overview which touches on all of the USN In Country structure as it was during the transition from the Brown Water Navy to Vietnamization.

Welcome to Vietnam 001a.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

The inside cover has telephone exchange info, very handy for your shopping and sightseeing outings!

 

Welcome to Vietnam 002a.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Even though our Riverine force and Swift Boats had been turned over the Vietnamese, Market Time and the Coast Guard were still on the waters.

 

 

Welcome to Vietnam 007aa.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

EOD and SEALS

 

Besides EOD and SEALS, the USN Salvage forces (especially HCU-1) were busier that ever during this period having to support all US and RVN forces as necessary.

Welcome to Vietnam 010a.jpg

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