U.S. COAST GUARD IN VIETNAM:
A GALLERY OF HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
COAST GUARD SQUADRON ONE (Part
1 of 3)
U.S. Coast Guard Squadron One, commissioned 27 May 1965.
Commander, Naval Forces Vietnam considered maintaining surveillance and patrols on the inland and coastal waters of the Republic of Vietnam. The Secretary of the Navy asked the Secretary of Treasury about the availability of Coast Guard units to support this effort. . .Coast Guard representatives and the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet met and decided that the Coast Guard would provide seventeen 82-foot patrol boats. The Navy promised two repair ships (ARL’s) in support of the seventeen. On 6 May 1965 the Coast Guard ordered the deployment of the seventeen patrol boats and only twelve days later they were loaded on merchant vessels in New York, Norfolk, New Orleans, Galveston, San Pedro, San Francisco, and Seattle. At Coast Guard Base Alameda, Coast Guard Squadron One was commissioned in a ceremony that took place at 1000 hours, 27 May. [Eugene Tulich, The United States Coast Guard in South East Asia During the Vietnam Conflict.]
Map of Vietnam displaying patrol areas for the three divisions of U. S. Coast Guard Squadron One:
"A map of South
Viet Nam shows the approximate locations of the bases from which Divisions
11, 12 and 13, comprising U. S. Coast Guard Squadron One, operate as part of
the U.S. Navy Coastal Surveillance Force.
The divisions are strategically located to help
provide as much coverage as possible along the 700 miles of South Viet Nam
coastline, roughly the length of the California coastline. The total
number of 82-foot Coast Guard patrol vessels presently attached to the
Squadron is twenty-six, each manned by eleven men, including two officers.
Division 11 (nine 82-footers) operates to the south
out of An Thoi, Phu Quoc Island. Division 12 (eight 82-footers)
patrols out of DaNang to the north, while Division 13 (nine 82-footers)
patrols in the central area out of Cat Lo, near Vung Tau, about 40 air miles
southeast of Saigon.
Divisions 11 and 12 first arrived at South Vietnam
on July 29, 1965. Division 13 was added months later, arriving at Cat
Lo on February 22, 1966."
| Photos (Click on image to see full-size) | Original caption; Description; Date; Photographer (if known). Unless otherwise stated all are official U.S. Coast Guard photographs. |
|---|---|
| "LT Melscheimer, Coast Guard
Liaison Officer, Amphibious Base, Coronado--greets Coast Guard
trainees--Group II--upon arrival at Base at start of 5 days
training."
No date; photographer unknown. |
| "Chief [Warrant] Gunner Elmer L.
HICKS, USCG, has designed an adapter for a .50 caliber Browning
machine gun on top of the recoil cylinder of the 81mm seagoing
mortar mount which may eventually be standard armament on all Coast
Guard cutters. The accompanying picture shows Chief Gunner
HICKS beside his mount. The 81mm is designated a mortar but it
can also be fired by trigger. It is light weight, has a simple
pedestal mount and can be operated in train and elevation by one
man. A variety of ammunition types are available to this gun
making it a very effective weapon for WPB Class Coast Guard
Cutters. The stability provided by using the 81mm mortar as a
platform also increases the accuracy of the .50 caliber gun."
No date; photographer unknown. |
| Another view of the piggyback mortar;
No date; photographer unknown. |
| Briefing of Coast Guard officers
prior to duty in Vietnam.
No date; photographer unknown. |
| Commissioning ceremony, Coast Guard
Squadron One.
No date; photographer unknown. |
|
| "Three 82-footers being loaded on
to the Pvt. JOSEPH MERRIL -- U.S. Naval Base, Long Beach. The
3 82-footers [were] from Long Beach, Los Angeles area."
No date; photographer unknown. |
| "Three 82-footers being loaded on
to the Pvt. JOSEPH MERRIL -- U.S. Naval Base, Long Beach. The
3 82-footers [were] from Long Beach, Los Angeles area."
No date; photographer unknown. |
| "Coast Guard Squadron One
82-footers, bound for Vietnam."
Subic Bay, Philippines; 17 July 1965; Nichols, PH1, USCG, photographer. |
| The cutters begin the journey to
South Vietnam from the Philippines, July, 1965.
No date; photographer unknown. |
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