Market Time operations were then already in their twentieth week. The records in this collection were collected at the naval headquarters in Saigon by naval officers who acted as historians and were assigned to the staff. Over all hung the specter of the French defeat, "in the streets of Paris rather than on the battlefields of Indochina.. To what degree this public display reflected allegiance to the government in Saigon was difficult to determine, but that the people enjoyed a measure of safety and prosperity long denied them was indisputable. These were given the nicknames Friendship and Platypus. Food, clothing, and other necessities were of course obtainable locally through the levying of Viet Cong "taxes on the regions inhabitants. In 1955 after the French defeat in Indochina the Navy Section became part of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam. The daily average employment of those Sea Force and River Force units available for work at sea (and many were unavailable) was roughly 50 per cent. In IV Corps Tactical Zone, this situation would plague Sea Lords operations from beginning to end. The enormity of this undertaking could not be measured solely in terms of the numbers of the Vietnamese naval personnel it would be necessary to recruit and train. See if you can find any more photos for positive ID. It is a bitter pill for a whole generation of American "nation builders to swallow, but the brutal fact is that no Vietnamese Government until possibly the present one inspired in its people the loyalty, the unhesitating support, the patriotism and spirit of self-sacrifice essential to the welding of an effective defense force. This proposal received strong backing from ComNavForV and from Commanding General, II Field Force Vietnam. The LSM anchored offshore for the night, and the requested air services again mysteriously failed to appear. "Civil Engineers, Seabees, and Bases in Vietnam, by Captain Charles J. Merdinger, Civil Engineer Corps, U. S. Navy, in Naval Review 1970. Concurrent with this announcement, Rear Admiral Norvell G. Ward, the first Navy flag officer to be assigned to Vietnam, was ordered to relieve Captain William H. Hardcastle, Jr., U. S. Navy, as Chief, Naval Advisory Group. At the time, the Military Assistance Advisory Group was the only U.S. military headquarters in South Vietnam. Gradually, however, as it became evident that the campaign was not going to be of short duration, visitors to the MATSB came in ever increasing numbers. A joint organization, it contained an Army, Navy, and Air Force section, each responsible for advising its counterpart in the Vietnamese armed forces and for assisting the chief of the advisory group in administering the Military Assistance Program. MACV was first implemented to assist the Military Assistance Advisory Group(MAAG) Vietnam, controlling every advisory and assistance effort in Vietnam. Selected Documents prepared by the U.S. Marine Advisory Unit, Naval In the summer and fall of 1966, the establishment of a "Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force (MDMAF) was the subject of discussions between ComUSMACV and ComNavForV. Finally, the Report indicated that U. S. Navy forces might have to ' be deployed in the Delta rivers to stop Communist infiltration, thus anticipating later Game Warden operations. Effective pacification would deny the enemy a strategic haven and source of material and financial support. The LSTs has lieutenants or lieutenant commanders. As a result, on 1 April 1966, Naval Forces, Vietnam, was established to control the Navy's units in the II, III and IV Corps Tactical Zones. The roofs of huts were strengthened for defense against mortar attack, and the sides were heavily sand-bagged to afford protection from small arms fire. On 11 May the Government of South Vietnam granted formal authorization for U. S. Navy Market Time units to stop, search, and seize vessels not clearly engaged in innocent passage, inside the three mile limit of the Republic of Vietnam's territorial waters. During the long months of the northeast monsoon the climate is probably the countrys worst, with cold, grey and rainy days following each other in seemingly endless succession. It was the only uncut supply line of any consequence for allied military forces there. Find USMC Advisory Team Rung Sat Special Zone (RSSZ), Naval Advisory Group Vietnam unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. River Assault Groups seldom went on combat missions. By the middle of October 1969, it was estimated that more than 3000 people were living under Vietnamese control in the Nam Can. They recommended that, since there was no apparent threat to the French in Indochina from the sea, the American naval aid program should be concentrated on a build-up of river and coastal forces of employment against the Viet Minh insurgents. The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was alerted for assignment to Southeast Asia on 11 March 1966. Vietnam: Tonkin Gulf Collection - history.navy.mil The Junk Force at this time was "paramilitary rather than "military because it was manned by civilian it" regulars, and was but nominally officered and led by the Vietnamese Navy, which was charged with its operation and support. A concerted and innovative psychological operation might succeed in winning the people to active support of the government of Vietnam, the majority of whom were judged to be apolitical. When the Navy became involved in port security (basically an Army responsibility), the incidence of minings at anchor fell off. APPAREL; OUTERWEAR; HEADWEAR; FOOTWEAR; TACTICAL GEAR; . Wages, U. S. Navy, and in concert with his Vietnamese Navy counterpart, Commander Nguyen Van Tan, he proposed that the RSSZ area of operations be enlarged temporarily to permit sweeps against the enemys "sanctuary in the Nhon Trach. Designated as Task Force Oregon, it included the 196th Infantry Brigade; the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Chu Lai Base Area; and the 1st Brigade, 10lst Airborne Division. The Junk Force was viewed by many Vietnamese naval officers with something akin to disdain. This requirement was strongly re-emphasized later in the month when General Abrams returned from a visit to the United States. That night (16-17 February) the requested air strikes and illumination failed to materialize. Collection Number: HDCL/34 (Formerly COLL/353). 3 Operational Command is the authority to assign missions or forces. As a result of recommendations made to the Secretary of Defense during his July 1965 visit to Vietnam, additional Swift boats were ordered, bringing the approved total to 54 from the 36 originally planned. Significantly, this marked the formal recognition of the Naval Advisory Group's new role as an operational as well as an advisory command. I had a great time and intend to go again next year. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Wikipedia The Naval Advisory Group continued its advisory role as a subordinate command under COMNAVFORV. Advisors reported that even these statistics did not reflect the true situation, since units were frequently only "administratively employed. Near the firing line, supply operations had to be carried out in the shortest possible time. The enemy was unable to infiltrate and stockpile sufficient material in the Delta to sustain any significant offensive action, much less repeat the violence unleashed in the 1968 Tet offensive; Enemy forces in the Delta were gradually starved for supplies and ammunition, and hard pressed to maintain themselves; and. For this reason, the MAAG was retained as a separate headquarters. Joint-service command of the US Dept. Outside the river mouth, there are restless shoals and a pounding surf. If you served in Advisory Team 143, Naval Advisory Group Vietnam, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. As planning progressed, the concept gradually evolved to provide a floating base, with accommodations for a full Army brigade and associated Navy support elements. Naval Group An International Group With an initial authorized strength of 216 men (113 Army), MACV was envisaged as a temporary HQ that would be withdrawn once the Viet Cong insurgency was brought under control. The Roman Catholic Church advised its adherents to abandon ancestral homes and fields and seek sanctuary in the South. "Fighting Boats of the United States, by Captain Richards T. Miller, U. S. Navy, in Naval Review 1968. There was a great deal of flexibility built into ACTOV. 1 The patrols along the seventeenth parallel, and near the Brevie Line in the Gulf of Thailand in late 1961 and 1962, in which U. S. Navy MSOs and des participated in a very limited way (using their radars to vector VNN ships to suspicious contacts), did not indicate large scale infiltration from the sea. Rear Admiral Lorenzo S. Sabin, U. S. Navy, Commander Amphibious Group Western Pacific, was assigned responsibility for aiding the exodus from the North. The EOD and UDT teams were often used interchangeably to destroy the enemy's fortifications. Two months later, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), recently reorganized from an infantry formation, reported in country, and the rest of the 1st Infantry Division arrived in October. Vessels in the contiguous zone, extending 12 miles from the coast, suspected as infiltrators were also made subject to search and seizure. NAVAL ADVISORY GROUP VIETNAM? - VetFriends [3]:601 It supported the combat signal battalions of the divisions and field forces in each corps area. This "balloting by feet was acutely embarrassing to the Communists, and during the latter part of the regroupment period the agreement on freedom of movement was openly violated and would-be refugees were prevented from leaving. A rumor, the authenticity of which could not be determined, circulated on Sea Float that "Hanoi Hannah" herself had taken note of the new operation and she had warned that the MATSB would be "at the bottom of Song Cua Lon by 17 July." These recommendations were approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and on 1 April 1966 in ceremonies at Saigon, Rear Admiral Ward established Naval Forces, Vietnam and became the first Commander. In some respects, of course, the effectiveness of such an operation was probably not measurable, for like the tariff in international trade, Market Time may have discouraged certain Communist arms shipments from ever being attempted. The swampy Rung Sat controls the waterways connecting Saigon with the sea. "River Patrol Relearned, by Commander S. A. Swarztrauber, U. S. Navy, in Naval Review 1970. The battlefield supply of ammunition for all of these assorted weapons was a difficult and vexing problem. The latter unit formed the naval component of the joint Army-Navy Mobile Riverine Force. A new task organization, TF 194, was created for Sea Lords, and assets were chopped to "First Sea Lord" for Specific operations by the commanders of Market Time, Game Warden, and the Mobile Riverine Force. The military decisions that were taken at this time were not, nor could they be, based solely on our operational experience in the war. Thousands of bicycles from the towns also carried food and munitions to the front. [8]:270. [7] COMUSMACV was in one sense the top person in charge of the U.S. military on the Indochinese peninsula; however, in reality, the CINCPAC and the U.S. ambassadors to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia also had "top person in charge" status with regard to various aspects of the war's strategy. The motivation of the men concerned was expected to be high. Provision for systematic screening of materials declared excess by all military commands. The following morning LSM 405 arrived at Tuy Hoa to embark the company of troops, but the Province Chief refused to provide them, asserting that the area surrounding Vung Ro Bay and the Cap Varella peninsula was too strongly held by the Viet Cong. These sailors brought a high level of enthusiasm and dedication to their unconventional assignment, and as a result of their labors dozens of austere "Levittowns sprang up at remote base sites throughout the country. The Special Forces company commander reported that he couldnt hold the beachhead overnight and that with "very little arms and ammunition remaining, it was not worthwhile to land again. The U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the proposed operating concept on 16 March, and on that very day the first U. S. Navy ships reported for duty, the destroyers Higbee (DD-806) and Black (DD-666). In July 1965, in response to the growing size of U.S. Army forces in the country, United States Army Vietnam was established, and both the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as well as the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, deployed from the United States. Naval Advisory Group Vietnam, HQ, Military Assistance Command Vietnam Additional naval forces, U. S. and Vietnamese, were committed to the operation. The Trn Hng o site subsequently became the headquarters of Republic of Korea armed forces in Vietnam. The second task was to wrest the initiative from the enemy in the Rung Sat Special Zone through aggressive military and psychological campaigns in order to secure the vital Long Tau shipping channel to Saigon. The holding ground was good and the moor was successful. His forces were divided into three area commands; North, Central, and South Vietnam. Three were destroyed, and the fourth was forced to turn back before she entered the "contiguous" zone. The consequences of this bitter infighting for the operational effectiveness of the Vietnamese Navy, in this period, may well be imagined. [11]:52 The DAO was activated on 28 January 1973 with United States Army Major General John E. Murray, formerly MACV director of logistics, as the Defense Attach and United States Air Force Brigadier General Ralph J. Maglione, formerly the MACV J-1 (Director for Manpower and Personnel), as deputy Defense Attach. In spite of greatly increased levels of military assistance, the situation in South Vietnam continued to deteriorate. Public services broke down in the crush. Light sniper fire was taken, but by mid-afternoon the immediate area near the sunken trawler was secured and the LDNN began salvage operations. The Junk Force put only an average of 40 per cent of its available boats to sea on any given day. The number of people then living under Vietnamese control in the area was estimated to be about 9,000. New fishtraps were hammered into the river beds and wired into place. Despite an avowed intention late in the war to increase the combat role of the Vietnamese, particularly under the ill-starred Navarre Plan, the war ended with the Vietnamese Navy operating only one Infantry Landing Ship Large (LSIL), one LCU, and some thirty smaller amphibious craft. [9]:18, The DAO was established as a subsidiary command of MACV and remained under the command of commander of MACV until the deactivation of MACV on 27 March 1973. This leaves a tremendous gap for the student of the navy in Vietnam for the . Group. By September the Nam Can population figures were growing at a rapid rate, doubling the number of people in the Sea Float area of operations every 25 days. The "Commander, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam" was known by the abbreviation COMUSMACV (/km.jusmkvi/ "com-U.S.-mack-vee"). The Naval Advisory Group (NAG) of MACV assumed the responsibilities of the old Naval Section. Naval Advisory Group Vietnam Patch. It literally rebounded from battle to battle and was later credited by General Westmoreland with having "saved the Delta." * In a third category are the divisional records of particular offices (i.e., Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations). Vigorous efforts had been made, beginning in 1966, to clear the area of the enemy to prevent the ambushing and mining of the ships in transit. The addition of 17 more craft in October brought the force very close to its authorized allowance of 182 boats. The first capture of infiltrators by a U. S. Navy ship occurred late in May, when the USS Back (DD-761) boarded a junk near the seventeenth parallel. Naval Advisory Group Vietnam - Marine Unit Directory - Together We Served An additional LST was recommended for providing radar coverage of the mouths of the Mekong (three were already providing this service, but the normal needs of rest and maintenance meant that that number was insufficient to provide constant cover). These were normally collected by armed sampans which took up stations on the heavily traveled water routes. On their return from market they brought potable water, rice, cloth, beer, and other staples. Size: 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" SKU# P303. The advisory role was taking second priority and receiving less command attention than the growing direct involvement of U. S. fighting units. On 1 April 1966 the two roles were separated with the establishment of Naval Forces Vietnam (NAVFORV). The final link in the chain of barriers was forged on 2 January 1969 when Operation Barrier Reef was established on the La Grange-Ong Lon Canal. A great deal of attention was of course paid to weather forecasting, and the transit was accomplished in the Gulf of Thailand's "good weather" part of the year. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. It was hoped that this move would increase the morale and the performance of the force. It was readily apparent that French transportation alone could never cope with the staggering demands placed upon it, and the assistance of the U. S. Government was requested. It was obvious that from an operational standpoint the establishment of a permanent base on the Cua Lon or Bo De Rivers, capable of supporting PCFs, junks, and river assault craft, was highly desirable. "Market Time in the Gulf of Thailand, by Captain James A. Hodgman, U. S. Coast Guard, in Naval Review 1968. On 14 April 1967, the first of the permanent Riverine Assault Force support ships, the USS Kemper County (LST-854), arrived at Vung Tau. In the meantime, TF 116, Game Warden, had been established (on 18 December 1965) with an assigned mission "to assist the Government of South Vietnam in denying the enemy the use of the major rivers of the Delta and the Rung Sat Special Zone. Rear Admiral Ward was assigned additional duty as CTF 116. If you served in USMC Advisory Team Rung Sat Special Zone (RSSZ), Naval Advisory Group Vietnam, Join TWS for free to . They eat with them. Vice Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, Commander, U.S. In June the first operational test of the offshore support ship concept was initiated when the USS Tortuga (BD-26), which had arrived in May, anchored near the mouths of the Co Chien and Bassac Rivers. U.S. Navy advisors helped transform the Vietnam Navy from a small collection of landing craft and minesweepers to the world's fifth largest navy - a modern service of 42,000 sailors and 1,500 surface vessels capable of fighting not only on the rivers of Vietnam but also far out to sea. PC 04 and LSM 405 immediately began a run to the beach, but at a range of about 500 yards encountered small arms and automatic weapons fire. History [ edit] A logistics establishment already existed at Saigon when major U.S. forces came ashore in South Vietnam in 1965. The issuance of a personal appeal to the Navy League for donations of construction materials, which could be transported to Vietnam on deploying Navy ships. Naval Advisors and the Vietnam Navy - U.S. Navy Museum As is true for much of the Delta, waterways are vital routes to and from markets, and roads are virtually non-existent. The Archives Branch originally filed the records in the order in which they arrived. Heavier timbers are sawed into short lengths, split, and sold to the charcoal makers. As a final step in the ACTOV program, the advisory effort would be phased out. First, until late 1968 the operational and logistic capability to mount such a naval patrol did not exist. It was decided, therefore, to shift to a standard family of small arms, using the same caliber of ammunition, and provide more modern supporting weapons. American-furnished material doubled and redoubled the Vietnamese Navy inventory. It was reorganized on 15 May 1964 and absorbed MAAG Vietnam to its command when combat unit deployment became too large for advisory group control. Without the reforms introduced and enforced by this officer, the later "Vietnamization of the naval war would have been virtually impossible. At one time charcoal preparation was an important source of the areas meager wealth. This, so it seemed to the Navy, ignored the potential of the region and the history of its use by the Viet Cong. Whereas 19 attacks on merchant shipping occurred in June prior to the start of the operation, a high for the war, none at all occurred during the remainder of the month, and only two occurred in July. Harkins had the task of advising the South Vietnamese government on security, organization, and employment of their military and paramilitary forces. Interim Game Warden bases were established at Nha Be and at Cat Lo. A new family of fighting craft appeared, newly built or adapted from older boats in our inventory. In mid-1970 cyclo drivers in Saigon were earning more than Vietnamese Navy Lieutenants, and it was not at all uncommon to encounter beggars in uniform on the streets of the capital city.
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