The Godbehere Patrol River Section 511 Ambushed 1968

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

This first person account was published by Jere Beery, crewmember and gunner of a PBR with River Section 511 in Vietnam. Be sure to watch it to the end where there are interviews of the crewmen who received combat awards for this action 22 years after the fight.

 

THE GODBEHERE PATROL [The Jere Beery Story] This 25 minute video is a 1992 rough-cut work-copy of a true story documentary film about the life and death struggle of 5 badly injured men ambushed by the Viet Cong in 1968. It is the intensely bloody true untold story of combat on a river in the Mekong Delta as told by the men that where there. You will hear the story of survival of a badly damaged PBR river patrol boat and her critically wounded crew.

 

ENDORSEMENT: "The intrepidity and courage of the Godbehere Patrol and the heroic story of the combat reported in this history had become legendary by the time I had become Commander of US Naval Forces, Vietnam, in September of 1968. The remarkable performance and the human tragedy involved in this experience are, in my judgment, most deserving of publication and of use in the production of a movie. It would be of great interest to the many millions who now understand the true nature of the Vietnam war and who increasingly revere the men who served in that war." E. R. Zumwalt, Jr., Admiral, USN (Ret.)

 

STORYLINE: "Tonight we were under the command of one of our favorite officers, Lieutenant Richard Godbehere. The Lieutenant was in his early thirties and had been with River Section 511 for about eight months. During the period of time, the Lieutenant had encountered the Viet Cong many times, including having one boat shot out from under him, sunk. Because he was a "Mustang," we all felt a little closer to him than some of the other officers, and his name 'GOD-BE-HERE' was considered good luck and sort of a divine blessing on our boats and our patrols". I have recently decided to share this video at the request of many close friends and fellow veterans. This video is being shared with the full consent and permission of all parties appearing in the video.

 

For more information on THE GODBEHERE PATROL and battle damage photos of the PBR taken by a Navy Diver visit: http://www.tf116.org/stories/after37.html

 

[manayunkman]

Thanks for posting this.

 

They just stacked his intestins into his stomach and put a bandage on it.

 

Other than that I don't know what to say.

 

Better men than I'll ever be.

[Bearmon]

WOW!

[KRIS FORD]

Awesome.

 

The Diver, Steve Olson was a HT striker as well and retired as HTC...nice! (SNIPE pride!!!)

[Salvage Sailor]

Half a century later.....

[BagmanL6]

Semper Fidelis

[skautdog]

Salvage Sailor, thanks for posting. The "River Rats" never got the credit they deserved.

 

Ken