Coast Guard and the TET offensive, 50 years ago

[MastersMate]

Most current day Coast Guardsmen seem to have little interest in the services history during the Viet Nam war. It is over 50 years since the Coast Guard got involved...

From the CG Historians website..

Cruise book of USCGC Androscoggin, Coast Guard Squadron III

“On 29 February to 1 March 1968, she assisted in the destruction of an SL-class North Vietnamese trawler near Cu Lao Re island, 70 miles southeast of Danang. On the afternoon of 29 February 1968 the USCGC Androscoggin took the trawler under surveillance after it was first detected by a P-2 Neptune aircraft 150 miles south of the demilitarized zone.

The Point Welcome and Point Grey, along with two Navy Swift boats, waited close to shore as the trawler approached, with Androscoggin trailing. In the early morning of 1 March 1968 as the trawler closed to within seven miles of the coast, Androscoggin closed and challenged the trawler. After receiving no response, Androscoggin illuminated the target with 5-inch star shells. The trawler, positively identified as a North Vietnamese SL-class vessel, opened fire on the cutter with recoilless rifle and machine gun fire. Androscoggin then opened fire with her 5-inch battery, scoring one hit on the trawler's "after starboard side." The trawler then headed for the beach. Two helicopters took the trawler under fire while the 82-footers and Swift boats closed. The Point Welcome illuminated the target with illumination rounds fired from her 82mm mortar while the Point Grey and the Swift boats fired their .50 caliber machine guns into the trawler. It grounded 50 yards from the mouth of the Song Tha Cau river. Point Welcome then hit the target with two high explosive mortar rounds fired from her 82mm mortar. The trawler soon thereafter exploded, leaving little trace. The cutters were hit with debris but suffered no personnel casualties.” Three trawlers were destroyed that night and one turned tail with a cutter in hot pursuit. Took them a couple of years before trying the coastal infiltration route..

I put it up once over at military.com, but deleted it. Kind of figured it just didn't really matter. Then I had second thoughts about this, might just be some semi - geezers from that era with a slight interest.

 

 

[squidney86]

Interestingly enough, the Coast Guard has taken the History questions out of the EPME portion of the Service Wide.

[Garandomatic]

I find this interesting as hell...

[MastersMate]

" Interestingly enough, the Coast Guard has taken the History questions out of the EPME portion of the Service Wide. "

 

That is indeed sad to hear.. The Coast Guard has a "company" history that sometimes is slightly different from the actual history.. The lines sometimes get blurred between the two..

 

As an aside topic, the Coast Guard had for years noted that the new Coast Guard had the highest percentage of combat losses in World War 1.. The loss of the TAMPA, with all hands, off the coast of Milford Haven, Wales in September 1918 accounts for most all of them. There is still one Coast Guardsman buried in Lamphey, a little village near the site of the torpedoing. It would be a great gesture if the current cutter TAMPA paid a port call this September to honor the crew that was lost..

[squidney86]

I truly dislike the course writers taking them off the test. Without them there, outside of Basic, when will you really study our Services history. Now its replaced with leadership topics and regulations.

 

I had never heard that we claimed to have the highest death ratio but it doesn't surprise me. People tend to claim what is not theirs too often.

 

The TAMPA going to that village would be fantastic but I highly doubt it will happen. I know the FLORES usually goes to Tampa for the Blackthorn menorial as it is named after the most 'famous' person from that horrible disaster.