Kid from Richfield attached to U.S. COAST GUARD SQUADRON ONE VIETNAM

After ET School in Groton and a couple duty assignments on Washington's Olympic Coast, I transferred to the USCG Squadron One on the Mekong Delta. In 1969, I was attached as the boat crew Electronics Technician on the 82 foot Coast Guard Cutters Point Mast and Point Ellis. 

We sailed out of Vietnam Navy Bases in An Thoi and Cat Lo primarily for coastal surveillance, fire support, special forces ferrying, and most dangerous, boarding and searching local boat traffic. We teamed up with elements of the 9th Infantry 'Mike Boats' and Navy 'Swift Boats'. 

Our crew consisted of 12 USCG personnel and our Vietnamese Navy liaison. Never was one day like the last. Our final mission was transititioning the Point Ellis to the Vietnam Navy (VNN). Over a period of time one or two VNN sailors would come aboard for training and replace offgoing Coastguardsmen. The Skipper, Lt. Merle Smith, and I were the last two to depart the Ellis (WPB-82330).

My wife Ann and I returned to Vietnam twice, 2003 and 2015. Our son Mike, joined along during our 2003 odyssey. Vietnam has moved off onto the 21st Century..