| Update Log | |
| 1/30/2012 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - This update has taken a bit of time
to compile for a multitude of reasons: the holidays, the weather, minor
health problems & my retirement from my position with Verizon Wireless, but
the major one is that it took me nearly three weeks to fully digest the find
I made on 18 December 2011 ... a thirteen page listing of the personnel who
served in An Thoi between 1 January 1969 and 28 February 1970. That's 528
listed names, of which 53 were totally new names to this site. This has
pushed the unique names listed in the "Crew Directory" past the 2,900 point,
for the people that served on or supported swifts during their Vietnam
service between mid-1965 and the end of 1972. These 53 newbees' are all listed at the top of the "Unknown Personnel" listings in Dark Green colored type. If you served out of An Thoi during the 1/69 thru 2/70 time period, I invite to check out these peoples names and to let me know if any of them were on YOUR crews or were close friends. This document also completed or corrected the listings of another 47 names on the site, so some of your buddies may now have a full name or a correctly spelled name, all thanks to this best find of the past ten years of my research. |
|
| - I have finally located a copy of the "Meritorious Unit Commendation" given to all personnel assigned to Coastal Division Thirteen and involved in "Operation Double Shift" for the period of 8 July through 8 August 1969. This citation is now available as part of the "Unit Awards." | |
| - Updated the Swift history according to "Janes Fighting Ships" pages of Malta, the Philippines and Thailand with the 2010-11 version of their naval forces. | |
| - There have also been numerous little changes made across the site, a new listing in the Guest Book, a new advisor listed for Cat Lo and the constant updates to e-mail addresses and current residence locations. | |
| 12/4/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Lots and lots of little changes and additions across the site; check them out. | |
| - My thanks to LT William Francis Trainer, who has provided the last names of his five enlisted crewmen, four of which are totally new names to the site. | |
| - Added a link to the bottom of the "Unit Awards" page that will take you to The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), where a veteran can request a copy of his DD-214 from the National Archives. NRPC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers, and internet access, to obtain copies of documents from their military files. | |
| 10/30/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My thanks to LTJG Jay Fleming, whose memory has provided us the three missing men from his crew on PCF 13. All these swiftees are totally new names to the site. | |
| - Added another career military name to the "Retired" page, the 37th Petty Officer First Class. | |
| - Added another name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: LTJG Gary Lee Suarez passed away 18 September 2011 in West Columbia, SC. He had served in An Thoi during 1969/70. |
|
| 9/19/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another story to the "Memories" page, a personal tale of the swifts at the US Naval Station, Rodman, Panama, as told by BM1 Scott Cruse. | |
| - Added another name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: GMG3 William Joseph Bonno passed away 16 February 2006 in Fond Du Lac, WI. He had served as a member of the Staff in Qui Nhon during 1968/69. |
|
| 9/8/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added a "Frequently Asked Questions" page to the site. I'm hoping this will get people a little more interested and cause them to do a bit more browsing on the site. | |
| - My sincerest thanks to William L. "Bill" Rogers for his work in polling the people at his 2011 Gig Harbor Reunion about their listings on my and site and then forwarding me a couple of pages worth of new and updated information about those attendees. Thanks again Bill! | |
| - Added another name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: LTJG James Carl Thorell passed away 10 December in Nesbit, MS. He had served on PCF 31 in Cat Lo and Qui Nhon from 4/66 thru 2 /67. - My thanks also to Doctor John Sherwood, historian at the Naval History & Heritage Command, Washington Navy Yard, for passing on the above notice about James Thorell's death. I do appreciate your assistance John! |
|
| 8/14/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another career military name to the "Retired" page, the 83rd Chief. | |
| - Added another story to the "Memories" page, "I am the "Dude!"" A tale of a year on swifts as told by RD3 William Bruce Dodd. | |
| - Added another name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: LTJG Gary Robert Blinn passed away 27 July 2011 in Norfolk, NE. He had served on PCF 97 in Cat Lo & Cam Ranh Bay from 5/68 to 5/69. |
|
| 7/23/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 94th Captain and the 82nd Chief. | |
| - My thanks to RD2 Asa Lee Moore whose help & memory have put together the crew members of the third crew on board PCF 103. | |
| - Added another four names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: LTJG David Gary Koffler passed away 1 July 2011 in San Diego, CA. He had served on PCFs 49 & 60 in Qui Nhon from 10/68 to 6/69. LTJG Don Raymond Swartz passed away 30 June 2011 in El Cajon, CA. He had served on PCF 75 in DaNang from 10/67 to 7/68. RM1 Kenneth Andrew Mimms passed away 10 February 1999 in Lawton, OK. He had served in Cam Ranh Bay from 4/66 to 4/67. EN3 Vao Lemafa Sope passed away 23 September 1998 in Pago Pago, AS. He had served on PCF 58 in Qui Nhon during 1967. |
|
| 6/19/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another three names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: ENS Kenneth Frank Tryner passed away 9 June 2011 in Virginia Beach, VA. He had served on PCF 3 in March 1969. |
|
| QM2 Peter Edwin Hunot passed away 5
October 2008 in Fresno, CA. He had served on PCF 99 in in DaNang & Chu Lai
from 7/68 to 6/69. BM2 Elbert Lee Tharp passed away 4 September 2002 in Flora Vista, NM. He had served on PCF 49 in Qui Nhon from 10/68 to 2/69. |
|
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 80th and 81st Chiefs. | |
| 5/20/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another three career military names to the "Retired" page, the 77th, 78th and 79th Chiefs. | |
| - Added another four names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: GMG2 James Charles Edwards passed away 9 May 2010 in Aston, PA. He had served in Qui Nhon in 1968. GMG3 Burton Frank Dix passed away 11 November 1996 in Middletown, CA. He had served on PCFs 20, 43 & 81 in Cam Ranh, DaNang & Chu Lai from 7/66 to 6/67. BM1 William Joseph Calcutt Jr passed away 18 February 1984 in McKeesport, PA. He had served on PCF 57 in Qui Nhon and Chu Lai during 1967. BM3 Steven R. Lusk passed away 5 August 1967 in Portland, OR. He had served on PCF 40 in Cat Lo during 1966-67. - My thanks to ex-Ensign Michael Kirk Gann for providing the dates he and his crew were on PCFs 15 & 35, his crew is now back from the realm of the unknowns. - My thanks to BM2 Kenneth Michael Troutman whose memories have allowed me to add the first crew of PCF 40 to the website. His information also produced three previously unknown names that have been added to the site and allowed me to move two names from the unknown listings up to the swift boat they served on. - My thanks to GMG2 William George Thomasson whose records have put together four of the six members of the first crew on PCF 35 and included two totally new names for the site. - My thanks also go out to SN Stanley Slomovits for helping me put the crew of PCF 39, that was involved in the 11 March 1967 mortar explosion, back together again. |
|
| 3/27/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - The number of service questionnaires that have now come through to me is up to 62, barely 8.9%. The real problem with this turnout is that all 700 people who got a copy of this questionnaire in the mail are supposed to be the active members of our of nearly 3,600 who served on swift boats. You want to know why I'm frustrated about this ... if only less than 10% of our active members worry about preserving our history then my project, this website, is DOOMED! Cooperation from only 1.7% of our shipmates cannot make this happen gentlemen, this project needs and must have overwhelming support to succeed. Enough said! | |
| - I have added another new section to the website; the link on the main page is called "Memories". It's called that because that's what it is ... the personal memories of some of our shipmates. Over the years various people have sent me personal recollections of various events from the their time and service in Vietnam and I have decided that they should be shared with everyone else. Take the time to read them, it will be time well spent. | |
| - Some minor changes here and there, otherwise it has been a quiet five weeks since my last update. Everyone must be holed up in their homes hiding from the resurgence of winter weather. | |
| 2/21/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - I am very appreciative of the 51
people who have returned my service questionnaire, that Gene Hart, sent out
with this years dues notices, the problem is he mailed nearly 700 of them.
That makes the reply rate a LOUSY 7.2%. ***Gentlemen, I don't know who or how our history is ever going to be recorded, because no where in the US Navy's archives does it exist, if YOU, that's right "YOU" don't help. It exists in your memories, it exists in that pile of papers you stashed away when you returned home from Vietnam duty and it exists in the stories we all tell when we are together with other ex-military personnel. I need you to share those memories, facts and stories with me so they can be written down so your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the general public will remember what it was we were so very proud of that we did during our service on SWIFT BOATS!*** ***Please help me, it's not just my history I want to preserve, it's YOURS too.*** - A fantastic new find has yielded 20 totally unknown Cam Ranh Bay "1967" Swiftees/Staff names. This is the biggest group of names unearthed in the last five years of research for this site! The problem is that this one piece of paper says it is page (1) of (2) ... but I didn't find a copy of page #2. - Added another five career military names to the "Retired" page, the 76th Commander, 23rd Master Chief, 75th & 76th Chiefs and 36th Petty Office 1st Class. |
|
| - I have redesigned the "Individual Awards" listings by adding "click on links" or "bookmarks" that will immediately take you to the various sections of the page. This should make your navigation much simpler and faster. | |
| - I have added another new section to the website to answer the questions about how the various CTF 115 task force pieces fit together, a "Who reported to Who" graphical layout of the numerous pieces of the organization. You will find it on the opening page as a link named appropriately CTF 115 Organization, enjoy. | |
| - Added another two names to
the listings of deceased Swiftee's: SN Dan Clyde Field passed away 25 November 2010 in Hinsdale, NH. He had served on PCF 694 in An Thoi and Cat Lo during 1970. EN3 Joseph Robert Clements passed away 19 November 2010 in Tulsa, OK. He had served on PCF 91 in Qui Nhon from 7/67 to 3/68. |
|
| 1/1/2011 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Little bits of miscellaneous information about all types of people scattered nearly everywhere across the various records of the site. "ENJOY" | |
| - Added another
five names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: EN1 Gene Leopold Herrera passed away 29 December 2010 in Trinidad, CO. He had served on PCF 65 in Qui Nhon during 1967. RD3 William Bruce Dodd passed away 30 November 2010 in Springfield, MO. He had served in Cam Ranh Bay, Cua Viet and DaNang from 6/67 to 1/68. GMG3 Seward Finis Ketterman passed away 8 August 2009 in Lowry, MO. He had served on PCF 45 in Cam Ranh Bay & Chu Lai from 2/67 thru 2/68. |
|
| LTJG Harry Brown Watters Jr passed
away 1 August 1994 in Houston, TX. He had served in Qui Nhon from 2/68 until
2/69 as the OinC of crew 16B. BM2 David John Heisler passed away 3 March 1969 in Pelican Rapids, MN. He had served in Qui Nhon from 2/68 until 2/69 as a member of crew 16B. |
|
| - My special thanks to QM2 David
DeWayne Hoover for providing me with some previously unseen paperwork
listing the crew members names/boat assignments in An Thoi at the end of
1968. It has provided seven previously unknown swiftees names and cleared up
a number of names that were incomplete before. Thank you so much David! |
|
| 12/3/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - I have
finally received copies of four additional personal citations. It
has been over 10 months since I last made an update to this section of my site,
as I am still waiting on nearly 50 of you that have told me you would be
forwarding copies. Gentlemen, if you want to preserve your/our history,
for the generations that will follow our demise, then you have but one
choice, YOU MUST HELP!!! So
GET OFF YOUR BIG FAT POSTERIOR'S, dig through
those records of your service, and tell the rest of the world about what you
and your shipmates did THAT MADE HISTORY. I cannot do this without your
help. My thanks to EN3 Charles Wilbur Hunt and QM3 Raymond John Poons for their input. |
|
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 22nd Master Chief and 35th Petty Officer 1st Class. | |
| - My thanks to EN3 Raymond Robert Nelson for his help in filling out the names of four people on the first crew of PCF 67. | |
| - Updated the Swift history according to "Janes Fighting Ships" page for Cambodia after locating new information about the origin of their 20 PCF Mark III swift boats and also their final disposition. I have also updated the Swift history according to "Janes Fighting Ships" pages of Malta, the Philippines and Thailand with the latest version of their naval forces and I have changed the opening page of the Jane's section to include pictures and details about the swift boats that are still in use in various navies of the world. | |
| - Added another three names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: GMG3 Daniel P. Englert passed away 21 October 2008 in Rochester, NY. He had served on PCF 14 in DaNang, Cua Viet & Chu Lai from 3/67 thru 8/67. EN2 Timothy Peter Cummings passed away 13 September 2007 in Belfair, WA. He had served on PCF 92 in An Thoi from late 1966 to late 1967. BM1 Philip George McCool passed away 8 April 1999 in Bryan, TX. He had served on PCFs 47 & 81 in Cam Ranh Bay from mid 1966 thru 1968. |
|
| - Lots of new bits of info about your swiftee crewmates, scattered all across the site. | |
| 9/14/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - This may seem to be a strange update but the research that has come together in this new update has been ongoing for over a year. As you can see, from the next item listed below, our career military numbers just increased by another thirty-seven personnel, to a total now of 350 LIFERS, a full 10% of the possible people who served on swift boats ... an ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENOL, UNBELIEVABLE number !!! | |
| - Added another thirty-seven career military names
to the "Retired" page, the 75th Commander; 36th & 37th Lieutenant
Commanders; 9th & 10th CWO-4s; 2nd CWO-3; 7th CWO-2; 19th thru 21st Master Chiefs; 29th
thru 31st Senior Chiefs; 59th thru 74th Chiefs
and 26th thru 34th Petty Officers 1st Class. - The research that culminated in the people listed above also brought about a huge number of additional facts about those people and their crewmembers (full, complete names; locations; e-mails, etc, etc). These are scattered all over the site, look around and see what you can find, it might just surprise you. |
|
| - One other interesting fact appeared during this last month, I didn't locate any new deaths in our small, select group of ex-navy personnel, that's a first since I started that listing some thirty months ago! | |
| 8/29/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another three career military names
to the "Retired" page, the 35th Lieutenant Commander and the 57th
& 58th Chiefs. - Added nine new Biographies to the "Career Military Retired Swiftees" page. You really should check these out. - Updated the retiree statistics on the "Normal Crew" complement page. Absolutely amazes me just how successful a group of people the SWIFTEEs are!!! - My thanks to GMG3 David Hughes Borden for giving the name of another long lost swiftee, RDSN Gary Robert Regester of Parkersburg, PA, deceased on 7/1/1998 in an auto accident. |
|
| - Added another two names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: | |
| QM2 Virgil Eugene Tayler passed away 15 August 2010 in Lynn, MA. He had served on PCF 99 in DaNang in late 1967-68. | |
| GMG3 Ernest Kendall Music passed away 6 March 2007 in Millwood, GA. He had served on PCF 99 in DaNang & Chu Lai from 11/66 to 5/67. | |
| 7/11/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My thanks to LTJG Thomas Stephen O'Keefe for his help in putting most of his crew back together again, we don't have the boats numbers pinned down yet, but we have five people listed together again and the base at DaNang. | |
| - After many, many months of no new
individual citations, I have finally been given the opportunity to add, one
each, additional Purple Heart and Navy Achievement medal listings. - Added a new feature to the "Career Military Retired Swiftees" page, a BIOGRAPHY link associated with the name. Right now there is but one link up on the page, RADM Roy Hoffman, but I hope to have more and encourage those of you whose name is listed there to send one to me we can work getting it posted. You can use RADM Hoffman's biography as a model of how a good one is constructed. I hope you enjoy this new feature! |
|
| - Added another eleven names to the listings
of deceased Swiftee's: BM1 Albert W. Porter passed away 17 March 2010 in Port Hadlock, WA. He had served on PCF 43 in Cam Ranh Bay in 1966-67. |
|
| BM3 Edward Patrick McCauliffe passed
away 14 October 2009 in Wellsboro, PA. He had served on PCF 24 in DaNang &
Cat Lo in 1969-70. RD3 Samuel Irving Abolafia passed away 12 March 2009 in Lake Worth, FL. He had served on PCF 28 in Cat Lo in 1968-69. BM3 Charles Lester Trahan passed away 26 February 2007 in Abbeville, LA. He had been in Qui Nhon during 1968. GMGSN Eugene Raymond Popp passed away 11 October 2005 in Ceres, CA. He Had served on PCFs 21 & 75 in DaNang, Chu Lai & Hue. RMSN Wesley Maxwell Dubose passed away 7 November 2004 in Longview, TX. He had served on PCF 25 in Cat Lo during 1966. BM3 Steven E. Burdette passed away 22 July 2004 in Ladoga, IN. He was one of the original crew on PCF 47 in Cam Ranh Bay starting in April 1966. |
|
| EN3 Robert Carroll Lehman passed away
on 12 June 2004 in Largo, FL. He had served on PCFs 19 & 20 in DaNang in
1966-67. GMG2 Roy Eugene Stafford passed away on 29 May 2002 in Dickinson, TX. He had served on PCF 23 in Cat Lo during 1966. BM2 George Archer Sayres passed away on 15 January 1996 in San Bernardino, CA. He had served on PCF 19 in DaNang in 1968. BM2 Merhle E. Grable passed away 29 May 1992 in Newark, DE. He came into Vietnam in July 1968. |
|
| 6/13/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Five new swiftee names have been added, one Nha Be advisor and and four long lost crewmen. | |
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 59th Commander and the 28th Senior Chief. | |
| - Added another eleven names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: RD2 Ronald Bruce Gagnon passed away 3 June 2010 in Cape Coral, FL. He had served on PCF 89 in Qui Nhon in 1967-68. EN2 Walter Lee Ball passed away 18 May 2010 in Mountain Rest, SC. He had served on PCF 62 in Qui Nhon during 1967. |
|
| EN1 Ronald Mack Rinehart passed away
1 April 2010 in Dayton, TX. He had served on PCF 79 in DaNang and Chu Lai
from 3/67 thru 1/68. LTJG David Garner Wilbourne passed away 18 January 2010 in Corpus Christi, TX. He had served on PCFs 77 & 101 in DaNang during 1966-67. SN John Thomas Oliver passed away 11 January 2010 in Carthage, NC. He had served on numerous boats in An Thoi during 1966-67. |
|
| BM3 Preston M. Nelson Jr passed away
11 December 2009 in Wagoner, OK . He had served on PCF 5 in An Thoi from
12/65 to 5/66. QM1 Edwin Bernard West Sr passed away 3 December 2009 in Virginia Beach, VA. He had served on PCFs 32, 65 & 87 in Cat Lo from late 1969 to mid 1970. GMG2 William Byers Grundy Sr passed away 28 February 2000 in Louisville, KY. He was one of the original crew on PCF 3 in An Thoi starting in October 1965. BM2 Wallace James Hogue Jr passed away 19 January 2000 in Simsonville, SC. He was one of the original crew of PCF 16 in DaNang starting in January 1966. SA John Newton Thompson passed away 28 August 1998 in Jasper, AL. He had served on PCF 16 in DaNang and Chu Lai from 10/66 thru 7/67. |
|
| EN2 Wayne Joel Drumm passed away 6 December 1994 in San Diego, CA. He served in An Thoi during late 1970. | |
| 3/28/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My special thanks to LTJG Richard Colton Kern for the tremendous amount of help he has given me in putting his crews back together again on PCF 40 and then their move to PCF 44. Four new swiftees names are included in these listings. | |
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 10th ex-enlisted Lieutenant Commander and the 18th Master Chief. | |
| - Added another three names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: | |
| EN2 Ronald Lee Wood passed away 18 April 2004 in Denton, MD. He had served on PCFs 78 & 101 in DaNang and Chu Lai from 2/69 thru 1/70. | |
| GMG1 Arnold Thomas Castleman passed away 21 April 2002 in Kuna, ID. He had served on PCF 21 in DaNang, Chu Lai & Hue from 3/66 thru 1967. | |
| GMG1 Stephen J. Carney passed away 29 May 1990 in San Leandro, CA. He had served on PCF 66 in Qui Nhon from 6/66 thru 5/67. | |
| 2/14/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another
career military name to the "Retired" page, the 27th Senior Chief. - Added another six names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: EN2 Charles Ray Dorsey passed away 20 November 2009 in Corpus Christi, TX. He had served on PCFs 3 & 92 in An Thoi during 1968. EN2 Jack Edwyn McDaniel passed away 31 December 1999 in Ozona, TX. He had Served on PCFs 16 & 69 in DaNang and Chu Lai from 11/68 thru 6/69. EN2 Henry Baker Akiu Sr passed away 17 August 1998 in Kailua, HI. He had served on PCFs 22 & 50 in DaNang and Cam Ranh Bay during 1966. GMG2 Gailen Peter Rhinehart passed away 25 August 1997 in Riverside, CA. He had served on PCFs 47 & 51 in Cam Ranh Bay during 1966. SN John Arthur Fenton passed away on 5 October 1993, in Milford, MA. He had served on PCF 42 in Cam Ranh Bay & Cua Viet from 2/67 to 10/67. EN2 Merle Ernest Oliver passed away on 1 February 1980 in Benton, ME. He had served on PCF 60 in Cat Lo from 6/69 to 11/69. |
|
| - Added a new "Individual Award Citation" to the Navy Commendation medals listings, my thanks to QM1 David Dewayne Hoover for providing me a copy. This is the first new input since 31 May 2009, COME ON guys if you won't help preserve your history ... IT WON'T GET DONE! | |
| - My thanks to SN Richard Dale Bostick for providing the information to complete the original crew listings of PCF 19 and putting GMG3 Douglas Owen Yeaman back with the crew he served with! | |
| 1/1/2010 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added Virg
Erwin's new book, Cat Lo - A
Memoir of Invincible Youth, to the "The Published Swiftboat" page.
Check it out! - Added another three names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: RDSN George Edward Cleary passed away on 30 September 2009, in Cleveland, OH. He had served on PCFs 49 & 99 in Qui Nhon and DaNang during 1968/69. |
|
| EN2 Gary Arnold
Helvey passed away on 30 August 2006 in Beloit, KS. He had served on PCF 100
in Cat Lo during 1969. GMG1 Robert James Kajer passed away on 6 March 2003 in Mesa, AZ. he had served on PCF 9 in An Thoi during 1966. |
|
| 12/16/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - New copies of the "Individual Award Citations"
have totally evaporated. The past seven months have brought in only one
person's citations, I have received them from only 16 of the 49 of you
that have told me you would be forwarding copies. Gentlemen, if you want to
preserve our history, for the generations that will follow our demise, then
you have but one choice, YOU MUST HELP!!! So
GET OFF YOUR BIG FAT BUTTS and dig through those records of your service and tell the rest of the world about
what you and your shipmates did that made history. - Added another "Swift Family Line" Newsletter from CosDiv 12 - DaNang, dated 1 October 1968. Check it out!!! |
|
| - Added another six career military names to the "Retired" page, the 26th Senior Chief, the 56th Chief, the 23rd, 24th & 25th Petty Officer First and the second Petty Officer Second! | |
| - Added another seven names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: | |
| EN1 Dolen Wade Littleton passed away on
11 October 2009 in Gautier, MS. He had served in DaNang from January 1967
thru January 1968. GMG2 Norman Edward LeDuc passed away 10 October 2009 in Manchester, NH. He had served on PCFs 3, 9, 74 & 91 in An Thoi in 1965/66. |
|
| EN3 William Loyed Clark passed away on
28 September 2009 in McCloud, CA. He had served on PCFs 35 & 102 in Cat Lo during 1968/69. RMSN Kenneth W. Thorsson passed away on 27 August 2009 in Elgin, IL. He had served on PCF 16 in DaNang and Chu Lai from October 1966 thru early 1967. BM2 Dale Martin Goff passed away on 25 June 2005 in Tacoma, WA. He was part of the first crew on PCF 9 in 1965/66. EN2 Alton Raybou Gunter passed away on 28 July 1999 in Garland, TX. He was part of the first crews of PCFs 26 & 31 in Cat Lo and Qui Nhon in 1966/67. RD3 Richard Charles Rader passed away on 13 January 1976 in Los Angeles, CA. He had served on PCF 54 in Sa Dec, Cambodia and Cat Lo in 1967. |
|
| - My thanks to the daughter of LT Jack Adair Herriott II, Heather Cotton, for helping me correct the service and death listings of her father. | |
| 10/3/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another six career military names to the "Retired" page, the 9th enlisted LCDR/Major, 17th Master Chief and the 52nd thru 55th Chiefs! | |
| - Added another four names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's: | |
| BM1 Billy Keith Hyde passed away on 8
March 2005 in Carson City, NV. He had served on PCF 68 in Cat Lo during 1966/67. GMG3 Anthony Edmond Eulette passed away on 7 December 2003 in Santee, CA. He had served on PCF 20 from April 1969 thru March 1970. SN James Leon Jolivette passed away on 14 February 2001 in Scott, LA. He had served in CosDiv 11 and/or 14 in 1970. EN2 Carl Clayton Cloud passed away on 5 January 1995 in Las Vegas, NV. He had served as a part of Crew #1 on board PCF 3 in An Thoi during 1965/66. |
|
| - My thanks to RM3 Larry D. McNealy
for putting Crew 12A back where they belong, on board PCF 62. - My thanks also to SN Dan Clyde Field for forwarding a copy of his transfer orders of 1 December 1970 to the USS Satyr ARL-23, they provided the names of four previously unknown Swiftees and filled out the names of two others. |
|
| *********************************************************************************************** | |
| 8/16/2009 | - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 51st Chief and the 22nd Petty Officer First! |
| - Added another three names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: QM3 Lawrence Charles Kuentzel passed away on 22 June 2009 in Virginia Beach, VA. He had served on board PCFs 11, 20, 92 and 139 in DaNang and Cat Lo from October 1968 thru August 1969. |
|
| LTJG James Warren Rote passed away on 13 July 2006 in Carmel, CA. He had served in Cam Ranh Bay during most of 1966. | |
| GMG2 Stacy Lewie Parrish passed away on 16 July 2009 in Mobile, AL. He had served on PCF 24 in Cat Lo from October 1966 thru December 1966. | |
| - My sincerest appreciation to the former RM1 Ronald Charles Cint for putting the first crew of PCF 39 back together again. | |
| *********************************************************************************************** | |
| 7/3/2009 | - Copies of the "Individual Award Citations" have totally stopped coming in. The past three months have brought only one additional person's citations, I now have received them from only 16 of the 49 of you that have told me you would be forwarding copies. Gentlemen, if you want to preserve our history, for the generations that will follow our demise, then you have but one choice, YOU MUST HELP!!! So GET OFF YOUR FAT BUTTS and dig through the records of your service and tell the rest of the world about what you and your shipmates did that made history. |
| - Changes here and there across the site. I have NEVER seen you guys be as quiet as you have been of late, so any updates have been very hard to come by. | |
| - Added another career military name to the "Retired" page, the 25th Senior Chief! | |
| - Added another five names to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: BM3 Ronald Glenn Henderson passed away on 30 May 2009 in Sioux City, IA. He had served on board PCF 101 in DaNang from August 1967 thru August 1968. EN2 Kenneth Edward Ehrhardt Jr passed away on 11 April 2009 in Peoria, AZ. He had served onboard PCF 22 in An Thoi during 1969. RM3 Lawrence T. Kassha passed away on 19 March 2009 in Marinette, WI. He was a member of Crew 122 and spent a year in Qui Nhon during 1966-67. BM2 James Gratton Grimes passed away 7 May 2004 in Honolulu, HI. He had served on board PCF 65 in Qui Nhon from June 1966 to April 1967. LTJG Thomas N. Richman passed away 27 January 2003 in Millersville, MD. He had served as a member of Crew 124 in Qui Nhon during 1966-67. |
|
| 5/31/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My sincere appreciation to the former GMG2 James
Russell Wolf for putting his crew back together again. LTJG James Richard Lamping, EN1 William Mart Morgan, BM2 Richard Carlton Hall, QM? Polaski and an unknown RD. Now what we need is some help remembering the boats they served on! |
|
| - My thanks to Tom Hammerstone for providing copies of his Navy Commendation Medal citation and a copy of the Meritorious Unit Commendation given to Task Force 115 for service between 19 December 1969 to 16 November 1970, 23 November 1970 to 1 March 1972 and 2 March 1972 to 15 December 1972. | |
| - I have again had to add a name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: EN3 Ronald Norris Lantz passed away on 10 November 2007 in Houston, TX. He had served onboard PCF 693 at Sea Float/Nha Be from July 1970 thru November 1970. |
|
| 3/29/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - A new selection has been added to the site's "Training
Documents" link! This new selection contains the entire 281 pages of the 22 September 1967 version of the student handbook, used by all trainees during their 9 or 11 weeks of training time at Coronado. My heartfelt thanks to William L. "Bill" Rogers for his work in scanning all those pages and then providing them to me. Because of the sheer size of this project, it is being presented to you as a 173.304 megabyte (.pdf) file. - Again, my apologies to those of you who still use a SLOW modem to access the web, there is no better way to present this book than in one large (.pdf) file. |
|
| - I have also added a new section to the opening page, the link is titled "Corky" Trinidad. For those of you who know his work it will give you another chance to view some of it and for those of you who have no idea ... "Try it, you will definitely enjoy yourself!" | |
| - Copies of the "Individual Award Citations" continue to trickle in. I have now received them from 15 of the 47 of you that have told me you would be forwarding copies. Gentlemen, if you want to preserve our history, for the generations that will follow our demise, then you have but one choice, YOU MUST HELP!!! So get up off your fat butts and dig through the records of your service and tell the rest of the world about what you and your shipmates did to make history. | |
| - Added another career military name to the "Retired" page, the 11th Master Chief! | |
| - I have added another name to the
listings of deceased Swiftee's: LT Charles Louis Volk Jr passed away on 17 March 2001, the boat he had served on is unknown, but he and his crew were in Cat Lo from 1967 thru 1968. |
|
| 2/14/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added another name to the "Retired" page, the 22nd Petty Officer First Class! | |
| - I have added an additional three names to the listings of deceased Swiftee's, then EN2 Don Arthur Voss passed away on 1 February 2008 in Mesa, AZ, he had served on PCF 5, in An Thoi during 1966; EN2 Joseph Otto Sowards, who passed away on 19 March 2001 in Montgomery, WV, he had served on PCF 11, in An Thoi during 1966 thru 1967 and BM3 Fred Richard Cooper passed away on 28 January 2007 in Pelzer, SC, he served on PCF 11, 20, 92 and 139 in DaNang and Cat Lo during 1968 thru 1969. | |
| - I'm a little disappointed that over thirty people wrote me e-mails telling me that they would be forwarding copies of their award citations, so I could list them on the new individual awards page, but only five people have actually sent them to me. Come on guys our history depends on you contributing to it's preservation, I can't do it alone! | |
| 1/17/2009 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added a new section to the site called "Individual
Awards," this new section lists the Swiftees that have won the Navy
Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Navy
Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and Purple Heart. It also
includes the actual citation for these awards, if I have a copy of them. Therefore, this new section needs a lot of help from the swiftees whose names are mentioned on the site but don't have a copy of the award posted. This means I need your help, everyone's help, to make this a meaningful addition to the site. Let's dig through those old papers gentlemen, and help preserve your service in Vietnam's history! |
|
| - I have added another name to the listings of
the deceased Swiftee's, then BM1 Wadie Marvin Moore passed away on 9
January 2003 in Lillington, NC, he had served on PCFs 24 & 98 in Cat Lo,
1966 thru 67. - My thanks to former LTJG James Fulcher Tune, for his help in putting the second crew of PCF 24 back together again and their listings where they belong with the other crews of PCF 24. |
|
| - A few changes here and there across the site. You guys have really been quiet of late so updates are a bit hard to come by. | |
| *********************************************************************************************** | |
| 1/1/2009 | - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 8th CWO-4 and the 21st PO1! |
| - My thanks to John Wald Pugsley, LTJG, for giving me five totally new swiftee's names, his crews on PCFs in Cam Ranh & Cua Viet, Mar 67 thru Feb 68. | |
| - I've added two new quizzes to the "Quiz" page, they are listed as item's #1 & 4. Their titles are listed as an "Introduction to Swiftboats," this should help people get a basic understanding or a refresher about our beloved Swiftboats and "The Swift Boat Losses," a course on the Swiftboats that sank or were destroyed and never returned to active service. Try them, you might like the challenges. | |
| 12/7/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Once again I must add a name to the listings of the deceased Swiftee's, then SM3 Willard Shelby Hamilton passed away on 25 February 2000 in Jewett City, CT, he had served on PCFs 63 & 88 in Qui Nhon, 1967 thru 68. | |
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 24th Senior Chief and the 50th Chief! | |
| - Little changes here, there and everywhere! | |
| 11/2/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - The "Guestbook" page now includes the four entries that have so far been posted to it. It would be nice if more of you would give it a try! | |
| - Added another two career military names to the "Retired" page, the 17th Admiral and the 49th Chief. | |
| - Added six totally new names to the site. | |
| - Lots and lots of new and updated information all over the site. | |
| 8/5/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
|
- The Guest Book service that I
have used for the past thirteen years, has apparently gone out of service on
or about the 20th of August 2008. All efforts to contact their website,
e-mail address and phone service go unanswered. |
|
| 8/4/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Again I must add two names to the "Deceased" page, then LTJG Donald Hamilton Patterson, OinC of PCF 98 in 1970, passed away on 26 July 2008 in Virginia Beach, VA and another late entry about QM2 Alexander Radisa, who passed away 29 December 1998, in Akron, OH. | |
| - Added another career military name to the "Retired" page, a Master Chief. | |
| - Added a newspaper article and photograph from the "Commercial-News" of Danville, IL, entitled "Fithian Veterans Memorial Park ready." This is an article about GMG3 John Robert Anderegg, who had served onboard PCF-19 during the attack that destroyed and sank PCF-19, just below the DMZ. | |
| - Updated the Swift history according to "Janes Fighting Ships" pages of Malta, the Philippines and Thailand with the latest version of their naval forces. | |
| - My thanks to Forrest Dennis Whitegon, EN3, for his help in bringing together three of his first crewmates in DaNang. Can anyone help with the rest or the boat they were on in 1969? | |
| *********************************************************************************************** | |
| 7/27/2008 | - Regrettably I have had to add two swiftees' names to the "Deceased" page, then GMG3 Douglas Owen Yeaman passed away 21 June 2008, in Riverside, CA and a late entry about QM1 Melvin Julian Lien having passed away 23 July 2003, in Winter Park, FL. |
| - Added two more career military names to the "Retired" page, one officer and another Chief. | |
| - My thanks SGT Michael McCusker, USMC, for the invaluable information about PCF 76's first OinC, LTJG David B. Dawson; he has now been placed back with his proper boat listing. However, I still need considerable help with Dawson's crewmen, can anyone help? | |
| - My special thanks to Tim Eichholtz, GMGSN, for his extremely valuable input in giving me five totally new names of ex-swiftees, his crew on board PCF 71 in late 1967 thru early 1968. | |
| - Added three new books to the "Published Swiftboat" page, Wey Symmes' second book, "This is Latch," the story of Rear Admiral Roy F. Hoffman; CDR R.L. Schreadley's "From the Rivers to the Sea" and Norman Friedman's "U.S. SMALL COMBATANTS, including PT-Boats, Subchasers and the Brown Water Navy; An Illustrated Design History." | |
| 6/15/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My thanks to Bill Ruth, first crew on PCFs 43 and 101, for his help in putting his crew back together. His records brought 3 brand new swiftee's names to the site and to Donald Bross for his help in putting his crew from PCFs 37 and 95 back together. His records brought 5 new swiftee's names to the site. | |
| - Added one more career military name to the "Retired" page, an enlisted to LDO officer. | |
| - Updated the statistics for the number of military retirees on the "Crew Complement" page. | |
| - Numerous changes all over the site. | |
| 5/11/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - I have replaced the PCF Student Handbook link with a new link named "Training Documents," as a second item has now been added to that section, "Commander Boat Squadron One Instruction 09010.1." This is an eight page document given to the early boat crew personnel upon their arrival in country. It is a ready reference source as to the equipage of a swiftboat, its' performance capabilities, the staffing of the BOAT DIVISIONS, their capabilities and services they would provide. | |
| - Some minor additions and changes across the site. | |
| 4/27/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Three crews put back together, from Cat Lo, Qui Nhon and DaNang. See if you remember them and can help me find the boats that they were assigned to. | |
| - Added pictures of the memorial display of PCF 1 at the Washington Navy Yard; PCF 2, the RV Matthew F. Maury, still in active use by Tidewater College in Norfolk, VA and PCF 813, the Malta Defense Forces' P23 still on active patrol in the Mediterranean. | |
| - A few little changes here and there, full names, new e-mail addresses and home locations. | |
| 4/6/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Many, many new little pieces of information about swiftees, check it out! | |
| - Added a new "Official" version about the loss of PCF 77 at Hue in November 1977, includes two new, recently found pictures of what was left of the bow section. | |
| - My sincere thanks to Marianne Lammons Barnes, sister of SN Edward Lammons of PCF 53, for all her help in getting the information together about her brother and his crew so I could move them from the unknown crew listings and back to their home on PCF 53. | |
| - Added a page about the results of the navy investigation into the accident leading to the death of LTJG Robert Leroy Crosby on board PCF 13. | |
| - Added two more career military names to the "Retired" page; one officer and one senior chief. | |
| 3/9/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Lots and lots of new tidbits of information about your friends and mine, the swiftees! | |
| - Added a new page to the site called the "Deceased" page. This is a chronological list of all known deceased swiftees. If you see a name missing, or with wrong, incomplete or missing information ... Please, please notify me so I can make the necessary changes. | |
| - Added details about the ferro-cement PCF built by the Vietnamese in 1969, to the "Boat Background" page, includes two recently located photos. | |
| - Added new information about PCFs 813 & 816 and their transfers to the Malta Defense Force. Includes photos and pennant IDs. | |
| - Added seven more career military names to the "Retired" page; three officers, two master chiefs and two chiefs. | |
| 1/5/2008 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - This update is being posted to inform everyone of the loss of a very special swiftee, LTJG Robert Baker Shirley. Bob passed away today, 5 January 2008, due to post-surgical complications related to his existing battle with pulmonary disease. Bob was the webmaster behind the PCF-45 website, a Vietnam historian and a dear friend. | |
| 12/30/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added a link to a Microsoft Internet Explorer Add-on, on the Webpage Search Instructions page, that greatly simplifies the searching of information rich web pages like this one ... http://swiftboats.net. Download and install it if you are using IE5.5 and above. It's fabulous!!! | |
| - Added another ten career military names to the "Retired" page; one officer, one enlisted to officer, six chiefs and two first class petty officers. | |
| - Updated the Swift history according to Janes Fighting Ships pages of Malta, the Philippines and Thailand with the latest version of their naval forces. | |
| - Updated the records of PCFs 9/3904 and 20/3907 to show a final disposition of "Sunk and lost on 2 November 1970 at XR 645160, while underway to Cat Lo for repairs, by tropical storm "NORA." My thanks to Ha Son Them, HQ Thieu Uy, OinC of PCF 3904. | |
| Three weeks ago I sent out some 1,200 e-mails to
people listed on this site: - One, to check the validity of their e-mail addresses. - Two, to try and get information from these 1,200 people, whose listings had some type of missing information. - This missing information included: incomplete full proper names; incomplete dates and/or missing location of service and missing current city/state of residence. - Out of 1,200 e-mails sent out, I received back nearly 400 messages stating that the e-mail addresses were no longer valid or currently in use. - Out of the 800 e-mails that did go through, to the addressed swiftee, only 41 people have responded, to date, to my requests for additional information. They did, however, provide an immense amount of information and I thank each one of them for their efforts. To say that this is anything less than pathetic, for a response, would be a gross understatement. Gentlemen, there is only one way that our history will ever be recorded, and it is OUR history, is if we all sit down and dig it out of our hazy memories and then get it recorded. Further generations are not going to know what we and our little boats did, in Vietnam, for those six years; if we don't leave them something to read about us! Please if your record on this site is incomplete, send me the corrections. If you know who your crewmembers were and where they might now be, send it to me. If you and you crew/boat were involved in an action and it's not now recorded, send me the story. By best estimates there were only 3,200 of us that ever served on swift boats during the Vietnam conflict! The US Navy's records of our service are almost non-existent; there is no official listing of the people who trained on or served on swift boats and even the official, recurring reports from our division commanders have horrendous gaps in their coverage of who we were and what we did. I implore each you that reads this, look through your old papers, examine your memories, get a copy of your official service record ... BUT look for names, dates and actions you were involved in and then pass it along. |
|
| IT'S YOUR HISTORY AND ONLY YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE IT! | |
| 10/28/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added nineteen (19) new magazine articles to the "Published Swiftboat" page. These articles are all articles from issues of "All Hands", covering the period of September 1965 thru February 1971. These articles are about Swift Boats, bases, operations and the training we all received. ENJOY!!! | |
| - Added another name to the "Retired" page. | |
| - Many minor additions and changes across the site to include how PCFs 87, 88 and 89 first got to Vietnam ... the USS Comstock (LSD-19). | |
| 10/14/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added a new magazine article to the "Published Swiftboat" page. An article in the July 1967 issue of "Popular Mechanics", authored by LTJG Jim Stephens. | |
| - Added yet another name to the "Retired" page. | |
| - Many little changes across the site. My thanks for invaluable info submitted by Rock Harmon, William Brooks, Robert Byram, Jim Sarver, Gary Bowler, Mac Almgren, Will Imbrie and Van O'Dell. | |
| 9/22/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - This update is a small one but necessitated by the death of another swiftee in a vehicle accident. GMG3 Billy Price Carwile passed away on 9-18-2007. Billy was a retired US Army Master Sergeant, and Ranger, with the 7th Special Forces Airborne Group. | |
| - Added one new officer's and three new enlisted names to the retired page. | |
| - Some minor additions and changes across the site. | |
| 9/8/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - Added yet another two names to the "Retired" page. It seems that this list will never be complete! | |
| - Added a new page to the site, accessible from the opening (index) page, that deals with submitting data for inclusion on the site. Please check it out. | |
| - Many, many little changes across the entire site. | |
| 6/3/2007 | *********************************************************************************************** |
| - My thanks to Dave Pendergrass for providing me with a copy of the "United States Coastal and River Forces in Vietnam --- Army, Navy and Coast Guard Insignia, Including Navy Advisory and Support Units" booklet. This booklet has been added to the "Published Swiftboat" page. | |
| - Added yet another name to the "Retired" page. You guys just keep amazing me! | |
| - Added a circa 2002 photo of a nest of four Vietnamese swift boats (one Mark I and three Mark IIIs) to the "Jane's South Vietnam Page." My sincere thanks to Michael Harris for providing this piece of history for all of us to enjoy. | |
| - Added the names of seven new swiftees to the list of unknown personnel and corrected the names of five other personnel, known before as only by their last names. This was possible through the locating of a set of transfer orders from Boat Squadron One, in Coronado, transferring thirty two personnel to Subic Bay, PI and then for further transfer to Boat Squadron One in South Vietnam. | |
| - Many, many little changes across the entire set of pages on the site. | |
| 5/13/2007 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This time only two new names on the "Retired" page but its does keep growing. | |
| - Many little changes on the site. Mainly changes to names, e-mail addresses and home locations. | |
| 4/1/2007 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Once again I have added three new names of career military to the "Retired" page, will this page ever be complete? | |
| - Changes all across the site. New names and lots of updated info about our swiftee crewmates. | |
| 2/4/2007 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have again updated the "Retired" page with another four career military personnel. It seems that this list never stops growing! What a fabulous group of people. | |
| - Changes nearly every where on the site. Newly completed names, addresses, e-mails and even a few completely new names. | |
| 1/21/2007 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My computer crashed its main hard drive ten days ago and it has been a major hassle trying to get 240GB of programs and data back on line and cooperating with each other. I have made a small update today just to see if my new web program can handle the website's complexity, I couldn't get Front Page '97 to work again, so I'm now working with Microsoft's new Expression Web software and the learning curve is a bit steep. Please bear with me while I try and incorporate all the changes that have been lost because of this failure ... there is a paper trail but it takes a while to wade through the hundreds of pieces of paper I generate each month. | |
| - Updated the "Retired" page with the first enlisted swiftee, I know of, that made FLAG rank, Merrel William Yocum, Brigadier General USANG, ex-swiftee QM2. | |
| 11/19/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My thanks to John Carlson for providing the names of four new swiftees as the crew of PCF-90 has been filled in for the period of August 1969 thru December 1969 in Cam Ranh Bay. | |
| - Updated the "Jane's Fighting Ships" listings
for the Malta, Philippines & Thailand naval forces as reflected in the latest 2006-07
version of their book. - Also added new pictures (older vintage) pictures to all three of these listings. - Finally added to the Vietnamese listing is a photograph of a Mark I swiftboat (circa 1977) in a not so shipshape condition. |
|
| - A few changes and additions in various sections of the site. | |
| 11/2/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This update is being posted to inform you that at 0320 today, 2 November 2006, Carl "Hank" Hanker, former MR2 on PCF-68 passed away. Hank was one of the primary reasons there is a Brown Water Memorial on the Coronado, CA Naval Amphibious Base. Hank was a tireless worker, engineer, scrounger, landscaping expert, tour guide and one of the best friends that "I" or anyone else could ever want. Those of us that knew you and worked with you Hank, will never forget you or the countless contributions you made to preserving our history! | |
| 10/28/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I was sent a link yesterday to a blog that featured an analysis of this site. It is extremely complimentary and as such I have added a new "Testimonials" link to the top of the main page. | |
| - I have added added two books to the "THE PUBLISHED SWIFTBOAT" section. They are Ralph Christopher's RIVER RATS and Jim Steffes's SWIFT BOAT DOWN - The Real Story of the Sinking of PCF-19. | |
| - A few new changes to people's listings on the main page. | |
| 10/22/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have finally been able to find some time to work on my website. The weather this weekend has been terrible, rain and snow mix, temperatures in the thirties and winds at 20+ mph. Sea state 3 pushing 4. No outside work or bike riding. | |
| - Fixed the html coding on the retired swiftees page so the page no longer displays random spacing between the name plates. Much easier on the eyes now. | |
| - Reassembled the names of the crew of PCF 78 (early 1968) headed by LTJG Frederick K. Smallwood, my thanks to Fred. | |
| - Reassembled the names of the crew of PCF 61 (late 1969) headed
by LTJG Kenneth Norton and the names of the crew of PCF 74 (early 1970) headed by LTJG
Mike Peters, my thanks to Laurence Rosato and John Michels. ***These three gentlemen have brought us the names of three long lost swiftees, thanks ever so much!*** |
|
| - Many, many minor changes and corrections to the listings all across the site. | |
| 6/25/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Reassembled the names of the crew of PCF 24 (mid 1968) headed by LTJG Arlyn T. Prickett, my thanks to John Cruse. | |
| - Moved LTJG Robert Louis Sigrist from the ranks of the unknown and entered his name on the roster of PCF 17. | |
| - Added a copy of the flyer about John Robert "Bob" Anderegg & the crew of PCF 19 memorial ceremony from Saturday 8 July 2006. | |
| - Made corrections to the story about the sinking of PCF 4, corrected the spelling of LDO LT Gilliam "Gil" Samuel Dunn's name, the man who organized that rescue operation. LT Dunn died 20 June 2006, of asbestosis and the cancer associated with it. He had been living in Sneads Ferry, NC. My thanks and gratitude to his family for informing us of their loss. | |
| 5/21/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added yet another seven names to the "Retired" listings. I am amazed each time I work on this section as the level of experience and commitment of this group is nearly impossible to fathom. | |
| - Added the qualifications for the "Vietnam Combatant Crewman" badge to the Awards section of the website. | |
| - Added five newly discovered swiftees to the site listings. | |
| - Added the usual fare of new e-mail address corrections, name completions and locations to the various lists. | |
| 3/5/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added four more new listings to the "Retired" page. My how this number just continues to grow. | |
| - I managed to find a copy of the 1973-74 "Jane's Fighting Ships" in a used book store ... so the listing's in the Jane's history page are now complete. | |
| 2/5/2006 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My thanks to John Laing and Joseph Faden for the info about Crew 85, the first crew onboard PCF-56, four totally new names added to the site. | |
| - Added two new listings to the "Retired" page. The number of career military continues to grow. | |
| - The normal updates to info about your swiftee friends all across the site. | |
- Added another new section to the site "Jane's
Fighting Ships" history of the PCF or swift boat in the various navies of the
world. This section answers the age old question of whether there are any
swiftboats still in service with various nations navies. |
|
| ************************************************************************************************ | |
| 1/2/2006 | - The crew complement page has been amended to include much more general information about those that served on a swift boat. |
| - Added a couple new listings to the "Retired" page --- these listings keep slowly coming in ... so I implore you to check the listing and if you see that you or someone you know is not listed or that some of the info is wrong or missing, PLEASE write and tell me about it. This is YOUR history, let's get it right! | |
| - Added to the Main Page, a set of very general Webpage Search instructions a sort of "Webpage Search 101." | |
| 10/29/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many changes to names, addresses and dates on various pages all over the sites pages. | |
| - Added LTJG William H. Croll's crew to the site. My thanks to Ed Lammons for the info, 5 totally new names. | |
| 10/23/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The site has returned to the web even though I don't yet know
the outcome of the threatened lawsuits being brought on by Wade Sanders and the backers of
John Kerry's presidential campaign. What will happen will undoubtedly happen
and I will just have to deal with it when it does. I regret that I have had to resort to removing the site from the web but the actions of a VERY FEW are the cause of grief for the rest of us. I hope you can understand why I did what I did. I am extremely grateful for the tremendous support your e-mails, letters and phone calls expressed. Thanks to you all! |
|
| 8/22/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have removed the active site from the web because of REPEATED and DOCUMENTED Copyright Fraud. The information presented on my site is actively being used to threaten the webmaster and numerous other swiftees with lawsuits for exercising their First Amendment rights. I will not be a party to this action and will do all I can to prevent further fraudulent use of my research and funds to aid in any way these actions. The site will return to the web at some later time or when the threatened actions have been resolved. | |
| 8/13/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Now that my typing skills have at least returned to most of abnormal, it is time to put out a new, overdue update. | |
| - Lots of name changes, addresses and dates on various pages all across the site. | |
| - Added a link, on the opening page, to the "Vietnam Veterans & Proud" site ring. This is a listing of and links to approved and verified sites concerning the Vietnam War and her veterans, maintained by people who were involved, personally, and care. Tons of good information and extremely interesting. | |
| 4/24/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Four new swiftees' names, four new advisors' names, two crews names put back together again, new e-mail addresses and other changes .... | |
| - Added information about how 17 of our swiftboats first got to Vietnam from there outfitting point in Subic Bay, PI. | |
| 4/9/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have added a new section to the site entitled "THE PUBLISHED SWIFTBOAT." This new section will present the books, magazines and news stories that have been published about the people, places and events that are and were the stories of BOATRON/COSRON 1. Right now the section includes information about 9 books and 10 magazine articles. I have many more articles and a few more books to get scanned so this section will continue to grow. Check back as the updates accumulate. | |
| - A few new names and a bit more information posted across the site. | |
| 3/6/2005 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Changes to the "Commands" page with new info about the PACVs and their BOATDIV 107, with the addition of their division emblem (long lost on a hard drive that had been given up for dead). | |
| - Lot of changes to names, addresses and dates on numerous pages all over the site. | |
| - A few new additions to the retired military page have also been posted. The accomplishments of our career military people just continues to amaze me. | |
| 12/26/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many, many changes and additions all across the site. My thanks to all who have sent in information over the past few months, I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get it posted but the available hours have been very few lately with everything that has been going on. | |
| - Added to the "Swift Boat Background" page are some new listings about the various contracts that were placed to build our beloved swift boats. Also listed are the serial numbers of those boats and a listing of the progression from the original Mark I through the current Mark V. | |
| - Again the retired, career military swiftees page has taken on many new entries. I'm very pleased to see that the enlisted entries are really starting to take off. Many new listings ... so check it out again! | |
| 9/8/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many new, filled in or corrected call signs. My thanks to Bernard W. Wolff for these great additions to the site. | |
| - Updated the "Unit Awards" page to reflect access to the navy's new NDAWS (Navy Department Awards Web Service) site. This site not only allows you to access the awards your ship, squadron or base received but also your own personal awards. The site is accessible by the general public so try it out, it's a really great tool. | |
| - My thanks to Robert Colcleasure for providing the names of 10 Solid Anchor 1971 advisors. Eight of these are brand new names. Thanks again, Bob. | |
| - My thanks also to Willard Poe for sending me a copy of the transfer orders for PCF 23-26's trip from Subic Bay to Cat Lo. These plank owner crews have all been added to our growing august group of swiftees. Thanks again, Willard. | |
| - The "Retired Swiftees" site continues to grow with numerous new names showing even more success in military careers by our small but highly talented group. | |
| 8/16/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Site returned to the web. I have made arrangements to use a shared server until I can figure out what I am going to do about replacing the server that has run this site for the last 6.33 years. It is beyond repair and replacement with a new and faster, state of the art, one is a bit out of my reach financally right now. For now though we are back in service and charging ahead. Let the history gathering recommence. | |
| - Well, after eleven years of looking I have finally located a swiftee that will admit to having served on PCF-693. Ronald Norris Lantz, EN3 of Houston, TX, is the first and hopefully only the beginning of the crewman from PCF-693 to be found. | |
| 8/12/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Site removed itself from the web because of a monumental server crash. | |
| 7/24/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The new "Retired Swiftees" section has taken on its final format. There are now nearly TWO HUNDRED swiftees listed on this career military HONOR page. I invite you to visit it and check out the success stories that these people represent. Right now there are sixteen (16) Admirals listed, a percentage that is absolutely phenomenal!!! I know that there have to be more enlisted, who were career military, than I now have listed. So, come on, help me out with some information and get our history out there for the world to see and take notice of. | |
| - The main site contains numerous changes and at least 140 newly filled out names. | |
| - Updated both the main page, PCF-9 crew listing of 10/18/66, the day of the tragic mortar explosion, with the names of the two wounded personnel, the OinC and RM3. Also updated the story about the accident with these names. I still need the name of the fifth enlisted crewmember, his name seems to be lost in history right now. | |
| 7/6/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a new section titled "Retired Swiftees." This section is to honor those officers and enlisted that didn't stop giving of themselves and their careers when Vietnam wound down. I am sure I have missed including countless people's names on this page so please send me a note and I will gladly add their/your names and info to the site. | |
| - I have removed the Naval Career Page from the site. This has been a great big bust! NO ONE has responded to my requests for inclusion in this listing so it has gone the way of the gooney bird and disappeared into that great Ethernet wasteland. | |
| - Lots of new pieces of info about your favorite swiftees, completed names, e-mail changes and places they call home. | |
| 5/9/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The site crashed during the evening of Monday the 3rd of May due to the tremendous traffic (over 37,000 hits between the hours of five and eight pm) following the news reports that the SWIFT VETS for TRUTH would be holding a news conference the following morning. The site was engineered to handle between 1,200 to 1,500 hits per hour soooo ... the server crashed big time. It has taken me more than a few days to rebuild the files and get the site running again. I think I have checked everything before turning it loose again but if you should find anything not working right, please contact me and I'll get it fixed. | |
| 4/28/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added to the Awards section is a copy of the Navy Unit Citation given to CTG 115.7, units participating in Operation SEA FLOAT from 24 June 1969 to 24 October 1969. My sincere thanks to Henry "Buddy" Berman for making this Citation available as a part of our history. | |
| - New bits of information everywhere on the site, this has been a clean up your act and read your e-mails update. Many little bits of info from a lot of different people. | |
| 3/14/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The site has been moved to a bigger, faster server to hopefully prevent the reoccurrence of the crash that happened last month. The site received more than 8,000 hits last month, mainly caused by the John Kerry presidential campaign, and the growing interest in his navy days aboard swift boats. Lets hope this change keeps the site running for all those interested in what we did in South Vietnam while on our beloved Swift Boats! | |
| - Some minimal additions to the information presented across the site. February and March have been very busy months and hopefully spare time will again start to enter into my normal schedule. | |
| 2/8/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added three new after action reports to the story about the loss of PCF-43 in the Rach Duong Keo. Go to the listing for PCF-43 and click on the After Action Report link. My thanks to a new SEAWOLF friend, Bill Rutledge, for providing this new information. My thanks also to Steve Waterman for allowing me to use his research and literary talents in posting a copy of "The Death of PCF-43", a story witten by LTJG Peter N. Upton of the UDT-13 team that was riding on PCF-43 that fateful day. | |
| - Lots of new tid bits of info scattered throughout the site. | |
| 1/25/2004 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This is a much overdue update! I have had two hard drives
destroy themselves in the last quarter of 2003 and fought my way through a computer that
just wouldn't compute ... so here it is gentlemen ... many new features, lots of updates
and even a couple of new names. Let me also remind you gentlemen that when information is submitted to me, it is not immediately posted. All information, especially information NEVER before known or contradictory information to that already in place, is checked with as many other sources as I can find. So if you don't see something posted that you have sent me, please, bear with me as I try and verify what you have presented me. |
|
| - Added to the SWIFT FAMILY LINE section is a copy of the "November 1967 Newsletter from Coastal Division 15". This is the first and only such document for the Qui Nhon folks so my very special thanks to Ron Gagnon for finding and allowing me to post this new and very interesting find. | |
| - Added a link to the details about the loss of LTJG William Henry Murphy III under the Unknown Personnel section. Again thanks to Ron Gagnon for finding and sending me this new information. | |
| - Added a first hand account of the sinking and loss of PCF 8, off Bodega Bay, CA, on 18 December 1969. My thanks to Curtis MacConnell for sending me copies of the Mare Island log, Vallejo Chronicle newspaper account and his own first hand recollections. | |
| - Added to the Casualties section is an automatic playing mp3 of TAPS performed by a wonderful Navy Band musician. | |
| - Sadly, this update also includes the notice of the death of John Branca, EN1. John was one of the primary reasons we have a Brown Water Memorial on the Coronado, CA Naval Amphibious Base. John was a tireless worker, engineer, scrounger, tour guide and one of the best friends that "I" or anyone else could ever want. Those of us that knew you and worked with you John, will never forget you or your countless contributions to preserving our history! | |
| - Added a sample Naval Career Page (mine). This has been on the back burner for quite a while but people keep asking me about it so I have added, to the main page, a link to a sample page. If people like what they see, then we will move forward with this project. All fees for this service will be used to pay for the labor involved in building these pages and paying for the increased storage costs on the website. I am open for any suggestions as to how to better present the information or if additional items should be brought out. Let me hear from you! | |
| 10/11/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The site returned to the web . | |
| - Site has a completely new format. Easier to read, smaller file size so that it's faster to load and a more appealing layout so you can easily see what swiftboat it is your looking at! | |
| - A new section has been added to the site --- "PCF Student
Handbook" This section contains the entire 294 pages of the 1 November 1968 version of the student handbook used by all trainees during their 9 to 11 weeks of training time at Coronado or Mare Island. My heartfelt thanks to William L. "Bill" Rogers for his work in scanning all those pages and then providing them to me. Because of the sheer size of this project it is being presented to you as a 12.371 megabyte (.pdf) file. I have also included a link to the ADOBE download site, where you can acquire an absolutely FREE copy of ADOBE READER, so you can view the handbook file. My apologies to those of you who still use a SLOW modem to access the web, there is no better way to present this book than in one large (.pdf) file. |
|
| - Added to the SWIFT FAMILY LINE section is a copy of the 1 December 1968 Family Gram from Coastal Division 11. My thanks to David Clayton for this new and very important find. | |
| - Lots of new information on the MAIN PAGE and in the STAFF Section. | |
| - Look for the new features that will continue to appear in future... | |
| 9/1/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The site was removed from the web because of some very blatant copyright infringements, intellectual research property theft and hackers vandalism. | |
| 8/9/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Two crews have been put back together and their names posted with their boats. A new crew for PCF-73 and the first crew of PCF-97. | |
| - Lots of new information all across the main site. Proper full names, current e-mails and hometown's are now posted. | |
| - This site will be leaving the web soon as the outright copyright
infringements, intellectual research property theft as well as vandalism have gotten out
of control. I am working with numerous software companies trying out their various packages that should be able to lock the information on the site and hopefully allow me to put a secured site back on the web. The site should disappear about the 1st of September and hopefully return with totally rewritten code sometime late in the year. |
|
| 7/6/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My thanks to David Parsons for supplying me with a listing of the first crews of PCFs 44 and 48. | |
| - No other big changes but lots of new tidbits of information, e-mail addresses, dates, assignments ... scattered everywhere across the site | |
| - Regrettably NO new names this time. It's time for
you all to take another look through your Vietnam treasures and see what you can find
gentlemen. Remember the history you save IS your own! |
|
| - My e-mail address has been changed! I think and hope I've found all references to the old AOL address and changed them. If you should find another one I've missed somewhere on the site, please e-mail me with its location and I'll update it. The new e-mail is: larrywaz@swiftboats.net Thanks!! | |
| 4/26/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added to the SWIFT FAMILY LINE section is a copy of the earliest Swift Gram as yet discovered, 15 December 1966, from PCF Division 101. My thanks to John Lorenz for this treasure. | |
| - 23 new swiftees names have been added to the site. My thanks to Donald K. Bemis and again to John Lorenz for copies of some priceless documents listing name after name of our former shipmates. | |
| - Other bits of new information nearly everywhere | |
| 2/16/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have doubled the monthly bandwidth for the site to keep the
site from going down at the end of the month. You guys are spending way to
much time looking at this site and you make me very proud that you think my site is worthy
of your use. Thank You ALL for making my research a part of your lives. Now how about helping me out. Take a look though those old papers again and see if there is anything of value to OUR HISTORY. |
|
| - Added seventeen new names, including all of Crew 58B, to the list. Thanks to Terry Boone for forwarding me a copy of the Coronado class list for 6 May thru 5 July 1968. | |
| - My thanks also to William Hickman Ewing Jr, for wetting my appetite with a little snippet about the wounding of the OinC of PCF 49. See the new story that has been added below the listing of PCF 46 and PCF 49. | |
| - Lots of other NEW, little pieces of information everywhere | |
| 1/18/2003 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a Guest Book to the site, I invite you to use it as a way to get information about yourself and your service to me | |
| - New, expanded explanations about the physical construction, of a Mark I Swift Boat, in the Swiftboat Specifications Section | |
| - Thanks to Dale Duffield for putting names to Crew #66, DaNang 66-67 | |
| - Posted a copy of the Pacific Stars and stripes article
concerning the 2/12/1968 rescue of the seven personnel onboard a downed Army helicopter
just north of DaNang My thanks to Les Hines for this oldie but goody! |
|
| - Much new information about your fellow swiftees; e.g.: call signs, names, addresses and e-mail addreses | |
| 10/4/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added to the Awards section is a copy of the Meritorious Unit Citation given to Task Group 115.1, units participating in Operation SEA TIGER from 1 November 1968 to 20 January 1970. This was the one valuable find out of an inch thick packet of papers sent to me a number of months ago. Gentlemen if you look you can and will find our history and help me preserve it. | |
| - A very few minor changes to the listings on the site. | |
| 9/29/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - I have finally located a CosDiv 14 plaque. At a flea market three weeks ago, I spotted a plaque, on sale for 25 cents, that had a very familiar look to it and as such it turned out to be an invaluable find. It was an exact match for the CosDiv 14 patches sent to me by various members over the years, but this one was in good enough condition that only a little work in "Image Editor" and it was ready for viewing. You can find that Coastal Division 14, Cam Ranh Bay, plaque displayed at the top of both the Commands and Staff pages and in miniature at the start of the Coastal Division 14 listings on those pages. It is very satisfying to have finally completed another of the Swift Boat era's historical puzzles. | |
| - A few minor changes to the listings on the site. | |
| 9/22/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This is a housekeeping update, many minor annoyances have been fixed or eliminated. | |
| - There are some additions to the site but they are very limited, research has been difficult of late and very little new information has been sent my way by anyone. Please don't stop looking GENTLMEN!!! | |
| 9/2/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Regretfully this update includes the notification that Ralph T. Singleton and his wife Sherida were brutally murdered, in their Dallas, TX. home, on Saturday evening, 8/17/2002. Ralph was the treasurer of the "Swift Boat Sailors Association" at the time on his death, his wife and constant companion, Sheri, was also a dedicated worker and supporter of the SBSA. We will miss them both! | |
| - My thanks to Jeffery Lash for providing me with four (4) new names, his crewmen from PCF-50 | |
| - Much, much new information all across the main site, the advisor's site and the staff site. Thanks to all that have materially contributed information, YOU are the people who will enable me to find ALL our missing shipmates! | |
| 7/14/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My special thanks to Jerry Menikheim for sending me a copy of
the 28 September 1968 listing of the Official Commander Coastal Division Fifteen Roster of
personnel attached to the swifts in Qui Nhon. The list produced eight totally
new swiftees names and filled out and corrected the names of over forty other Qui Nhon
swiftees. Thanks again Jerry! The information on your fellow swiftees is out there gentlemen, YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK. |
|
| - Literally hundreds of changes, additions and or corrections --- EVERYWHERE on the site. | |
| 5/27/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Persistence has finally paid off bigtime I have located the last of my PCF 58 crewmates. Roger Francis Poe, my engineman, now living in San Antonio, TX. Gentlemen, YOU CAN FIND your old crewmates, you just have be patient and NOT give up. IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN, as the crew of PCF 58, circa 1968/69, is back together again!!! |
|
| - Hundreds of new pieces of information scattered just about everywhere on the site. | |
| - My special thanks to Chuck Bridgewater for digging up a listing of 34 different peoples "FULL" names on a 1969 listing of awards presented to people involved in the firefight/loss of PCF 43 on 4/12/1969. Thank you Chuck for doing what I have asked so often, "Please look through your old records". | |
| 3/23/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many, many THANKS to Henry "Buddy" Berman for providing the evidence in hard copy "black and white" establishing QM3 Thomas Eugene Holloway, EN3 Dewey Russell Decker and GMG3 Richard William Stindl all as crewmembers of PCF-51 at the times they died. Thanks again Buddy, your help has been invaluable. | |
| - Also thanks to two sets of Vietnam transfer orders sent in by Donald Lewey Holley, I was able to add the names of three new swiftees to the listings and fill out the full names of five other swiftees. Thanks Donald for your kind assistance. This is exactly the type of help I need, so keep looking through those old navy trunks and your desk drawers. The information IS out there gentlemen, you just need to look for it! | |
| - Lots and lots of new pieces of swiftee trivia! You only need to look and you will find it. | |
| 3/10/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - No major changes or additions this time, just LOTS of new bits of information about your fellow swiftees | |
| 2/24/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a third "Swift Family Line" newsletter for CosDiv 13, Cat Lo, from June 1969. My thanks to Paul Shepherd for providing this glimpse back into our history. | |
| - New bits of information about your crewmates just about every where on the site. | |
| 1/31/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - A few new pieces of information scattered about the site | |
| - After much experimenting I have finally found a way to present
to you five (5) copies of the "Swift Family Line" newsletters that the various
CosDivs sent, at very odd intervals, to your family and friends, while some of you were in
country. My sincere thanks to Bill Lannom for the copies of the two (2) CosDiv
13 newsletters and also my thanks to "whoever" sent me the CosDiv 14 newsletter.
I'm sorry but I have misplaced your note, sent with the newsletter, so write
me back and I will gladly give you credit here for your invaluable help. --- DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL NEWSLETTERS? --- |
|
| 1/27/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Persistence pays again off ----------- I have located one more of my PCF 58 crewmates. John Vasquez Jr., my quartermaster, now living in Marengo, IL. The phone reunion was fantastic and I look forward to seeing him in person! The only drawback to finding him, was learning he was only 400 miles away for the past 30+ years. | |
| - Roger Francis Poe, EN2, formerly of Bandera, Texas, where are you? The rest of your swiftboat crewmates would sure like to find you. | |
| - Again loads of new information about our fellow swiftees; newly found complete names; a few more crews put back together; new e-mail and snail-mail addresses and a couple of new callsigns. | |
| - You know, the loudest complainers about the information
presented on this site are those personnel whose own information is incomplete and or
wrong. Today I received a phone call and an e-mail both of which complained as
to why I don't have the information about their crews completed. The phone
caller hung up on me when I asked about his info and if he could do some looking in his
own records to help me out with his crewmates. As he hung up he mumbled
something about the fact that I was of no help at all! Records you ask, what records! If you can't check and see if you have anything of value in your own records (after all you were there), how do you expect someone else, anyone else, to be able to answer your questions? Gentlemen, if you can't help preserve our history, THEN it will never be saved. The official Navy records of our service in Vietnam are TERRIBLE. There isn't even a listing of who served in BoatRon 1/CosRon 1, yet alone a record of who served with whom and on what boats. This was the era of carbon paper and the mimeograph machine, and our headquarters were located in Coronado, CA, 12,000 miles from where we were stationed. Get your padded posterior's off that Lazyboy and help preserve the HISTORY you made! |
|
| 1/1/2002 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This is a much overdue update, my job has cut into my spare time drastically these past months and put this new update off for much to long, BUT as always there is much, much more new and updated information, scattered across the site, about your fellow swiftees!!! | |
| 9/7/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a new section to the site --- "Coastal Surveillance Centers (CSCs)" --- Our immediate bosses for our patrolling in "Market Time." This section needs a lot of HELP, please! I have only a very few names, so PLEASE help me if you can. | |
| - With additional help from Joe Ponder, I have revised the tape recording transcript of Bo De River ambush of PCFs 31, 38, 72, 82, and 93, from 24 November 1968 to include new information presented by Craig Tiernan, another swiftee involved in the operation. | |
| - Much, much more new information about your fellow swiftees! | |
| 7/7/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Again added a good number of people and added information on the main swiftee listings page. Terry Boone's swiftee hunt goes on and is definitely becoming successful. My continued thanks to Terry and all those who are helping by making phone calls in their part of the country. As of the 7th of July they have found an additional twenty-two (22) long lost swiftees. | |
| - Added a link, to the Awards page, that will take you to a site where you can download a government Standard Form 180 (SF180) that you can then use to file for awards (medals) verification and or replacement. | |
| - Also added a link to take you to the Adobe main website where you can download a completely FREE copy of the latest "Adobe Reader" (pdf) software, for use with the SF180. | |
| - Finally I have added a testimonial from Joe Ponder that the information presented on the awards page is accurate and WILL get you those long overdue awards and replacement medals. THANK YOU Joe Ponder. | |
| 7/4/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a good number of people to the site and added a great deal of new information about your fellow swiftees. My special thanks to Terry Boone for starting up a program to get some of you involved in finding those swiftees who may live somewhere near you. Thanks Terry, your efforts are DEFINITELY appreciated. Good luck as you start to locate those we left so far in our past. | |
| 6/17/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added a link to the Macon Telegraph story, by Travis Fain, about the 33 years late funeral of Anthony Chandler, BM2 on PCF 19 that was sunk off Cua Viet, RVN June 16, 1968. | |
| - A small number of additions, clarifications and other new material about your swiftee crewmates | |
| 6/2/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Perhaps the biggest upgrade to information on the listings "EVER." Hundreds of changes, updates and additions to the information about your shipmates and friends from the Vietnam swiftboat era. | |
| - Added a hyperlink and information about the new "Unit Awards and Citations Master List" to the awards page. This new website allows you to search for all the awards that were given to your Ship(s), Command(s) or Unit(s) - http://neds.nebt.daps.mil/o1650.htm | |
| - Changed the Interview Form to include an area for an explanation of "WHY" you were given the callsign you used in Vietnam | |
| - Added to the Awards section is a copy of the Meritorious Unit Commendation given to Commander Task Force 115 for the periods of 19 December 1969 to 16 November 1970 and 23 November 1970 to 1 March 1972 | |
| - My latest California trip yielded the opportunity to again visit with my ex-OinC and my newly found crew's gunnersmate. This was definitely the HIGHLIGHT of my trip and the purpose of this site, "To bring ex-shipmates back together again." | |
| 3/11/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My thanks to Paul R. Shepherd for sending me copies of three "Letters of Commendation" that have helped clear up the crew assignments of six Cat Lo boats during the first half of 1969. | |
| - Only a few new names but lots of added information scattered throughout the site. | |
| 2/25/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - My sincere thanks to Billy Joe Alford for sending me a copy of the personnel attached to Cos Div 11 on 1 October 1970, the day it was disestablished. A priceless document! | |
| - Many new names and boat assignments, HAPPY FACT HUNTING!!!! | |
| - Persistence pays off ----------- I have located two more of my PCF 58 crewmates. Edwin E. Woodard, my gunnersmate, lives in Calimesa, CA and Dan M. Williams, my boatswainsmate, lives in Tucson, AZ. The phone reunions were really great and I look forward to again meeting them in person and SOON! | |
| 2/4/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many thanks to Thomas Lambert Young, former SMC, and instructor at the Swift school in Coronado, for his help in reconstructing the staff of the swift school in late 1967 to early 1968. | |
| - Many thanks to Bill Lannom for his copies of three (3) different Cat Lo personnel lists, circa late 1969-70. My wading through these historic documents has produced the names of 102 swiftees unknown to us until now. Thanks again Bill!!!!!!! | |
| - You will find new and updated information, about your swift boat buddies, all over the site. I lost count of the number of changes two weeks ago, so happy fact hunting. | |
| 1/15/2001 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Much, much new information included about your former shipmates. The volume of new/updated info that I received from the November 2000 reunion and since has been very gratifying. Please don't stop looking through your papers!!! | |
| - Many thanks, especially, to Bill Lannom for sending me copies of three (3) different Cat Lo personnel lists, circa late 1969-70. | |
Note:
|
Please remember that the information presented on this site is cross-checked and verified as much as is physically possible. If you have sent me information that your CRS (Can't Remember Shit) syndrome has affected, don't be surprised if it is not presented in the way you THINK it should be. I am trying to make this site as close to a HISTORY of our Swift Boats as I can and a lot of times the dates, places and events may not have happened quite the way you remember them! |
| 10/28/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The AOL site address has been changed to an automatic link forwarding page | |
| - Added a "Stars and Stripes" story about the 27 July 1968, PCF 53 rescue of two Air Force pilots after their F-100 was shot down. | |
| - Also added a short description of the 27 July 1968 encounter of PCFs 95 and 102, in the Bo De river, with a recoilless rifle ambush. | |
| - Added something entirely new to the site. Many thanks to Bill Rogers for a list of the seven Vietnamese Officers that took over our beloved boats at the 1 April 1970 turnover ceremony in Cam Ranh Bay. | |
| - Many thanks also to Bill Rogers for his listing of people and boats involved in "Operation Tran Hung Dao XI, " the Cambodian incursion of May/June 1970 - Task Element 194.0.2.1 --- Bill's list contained 43 new swiftees names! | |
| - Added a few more advisors names to the DaNang listings and created a new Cam Ranh Bay advisors listing. | |
| - Much, much new information throughout the sites' pages. | |
| 10/14/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
Note:
|
PLEASE keep in mind that only this site - "http://Swiftboats.net" - is being updated regularly. The AOL address will not support the new format (software) and will be shut down soon. However, the AOL address will be kept in service as an automatic forwarding link to the new sites' address. |
| - Added another 18 new names and new facts are scattered across the site. | |
| - Added another short "Stars and Stripes" article about the Bo De River ambush of PCFs 31, 38, 72, 82, and 93, from 24 November 1968, my thanks to James R. Hoffman. | |
| - Added the first ever crew that has admitted that they served on PCF 67, again my thanks to James R. Hoffman. | |
| 10/2/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| Beta-4 version posted to "http://Swiftboats.net" | |
| - I found, by logging on to the site from work today, that the new interview form, when viewed with the newest, latest and greatest Netscape browser, was nothing short of trash. The html code has been reworked and is now compatible with both Internet Explorer and Netscape. Boy am I glad that I hadn't announced this new feature to any of you! | |
| 10/1/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| Beta-3 version posted to "http://Swiftboats.net" --- Major fixit update!! | |
| - I have added an automated questionnaire to the site. You now have an easy to fill out form that asks you all the pertinent questions and thereby gives me the information that I need to get you and your crew properly included on the site. I invite you to try out this new format with any and all input you may want to send to me. | |
| 9/24/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| Beta-2 version posted to "http://Swiftboats.net" | |
| - Added a new Casualties Page to the website. Everytime a new listing is put out by someone, the information presented seems to take on some new ERRORS and mis-information. The names I have listed, and the information presented about them, has been extensively and methodically researched by myself and Ralph Fries of the Mobile Riverine Force. Please, if you are going to publish a list of BoatRon1 or CosRon1 casualties make sure that your list is ACCURATE! Thank You. | |
| - Posted a short narrative about the sinking of PCF-19 on 15 June 1968, by James W. Steffes, EN2, the engineman onboard PCF-12. PCF-12 was the first CosDiv12 craft on the scene after the sinking of PCF-19 off the Cua Viet river. | |
| - I have added two new pieces to the story of the Bo De River ambush of PCFs 31, 38, 72, 82, and 93 on 24 November 1968. Many thanks to Joe Ponder for a Chicago Tribune story and for a transcript copy of an onboard reporters' tape recording of the ambush. | |
| 9/4/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| Beta-1 version posted to "http://Swiftboats.net" | |
| 9/3/2000 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| This site has finished its second full year (and recorded its 11,000th visitor) on the "world wide web!" I find that the research necessary to keep this page expanding becomes both easier and so much more difficult. I want to thank everyone who has supported both me and my work, for without you I would not have made the great strides that this site has made over the last years; for so much more of our history still needs to be uncovered and documented. The further along I get, the more I need the support of all of you across this great country, your collective memories and long lost files are what is necessary to fill out our history and to locate our 30+ years, long lost shipmates. | |
| . | . |
Please help. The history you save IS your own! |
|
| . | . |
| - We start this third year with a major change you will soon notice, a new website name! The new name (Swiftboats.net), will be much easier to remember and input, but that's not the only change coming as I will also be changing the location of the website. The new host location brings a vast increase in the speed of the sites' loading and also the available web space. You can look forward to many new features in the coming months, new graphics, pictures and stories, when this site officially goes on line just prior to our San Diego reunion. | |
| - A tribute to the late Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, who died January 2nd, 2000, has been added to the Command section. Another was written by John V. Hecker and a third by Joe Ponder. | |
| - A new and updated story about the mining of the USS Krishna (ARL-38) on 5 July 1970, the damaging of PCF-40 and the subsequent death of QM2 Lanny H. Buroff, has been added to the listings of PCF-40. Many thanks to Raymond Bruder for allowing me the use of his research. | |
| - Added to the Awards section are copies of the Presidental Unit Citation given to Commander Task Group 194.0, units participating in Operation SEA LORDS and the Navy Unit Commendation given to Task Group 194.6, personnel attached to the RACH GIA INTERDICTION Group. Many thanks to Mike Harris and Don Blankenship for these priceless documents. | |
| - Many new names (well over 100) and much new information about those already listed, has been included in this latest update. My thanks to these special people: Herbert S. Blume, Duane E. Garner, James R. Halpen, James T. Harper, Jeffrey M. Lash, John C. Lorenz, William "Bill" Trainer and Rhonda Seton, the daughter of Ronnie G. Wait, and finally James D. Wiggins for providing me with the one thing I will never have enough of, | |
| . | . |
NEW INFORMATION! |
|
| . | . |
Please Note:
|
I want to apologize for this latest update being so long in coming!!!! My unemployment last year brought on a new job that has been VERY demanding time wise. My research has continued but the time to do the physical work on the website has really been lacking. Couple this with a planned software change, to Front Page 2000 that still doesn't work, the crash of my main computer and both its hard drives, due to a nearby lightning strike, and you can see that 2000 has not been a year overly conducive to keeping you all happy and up to date. I'm hoping this is all behind me now and that I can start marching forward again. |
| Please, if there is some information you sent me either in late 1999 or early 2000, and its not included in this update, bear with me as I try to reconstruct all that was lost, from the misfiled and or missing paper copies that litter my office. | |
| 11/28/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Many new call signs and a few new identifications in the Call Signs section - many thanks to "Rosepetal 26 Oscar" William M. "Mike" Cain for much of this information. | |
| - Added a listing of all the US Coast Guard "WPBs," that served as a part of "Operation Market Time," to the Patrol Areas section, my sincere thanks to Thomas E. Burton for this fantastic find. | |
| - Added to the Awards section - a copy of the Letter of Appreciation written by Captain David P. Marion, US Army, to all personnel of the Southern Surveillance Group (CTU 115.3.7), for the period November 1968 to July 1969 - Thank You Tom Forrest! | |
| - Added to the Command section - a copy of a Stars and Stripes article about the final turnover of US Navy "Brown Water" assets to the Vietnamese Navy on 10 December 1970 | |
| - Added at least 24 more new names and additional information about some of those already listed | |
| ************************************************************************************************ | |
| 10/30/99 | - The Awards section now includes images of both the ribbons and medals for which many of you are qualified. This section also has a copy of the Presidental Unit Citation awarded to Task Force 115, CosDivs 12 and 13 for participating in "Operation Swift Raider." A very special thanks to Tom Forrest for providing me with this historic document. |
| - Added some 40 new call signs to the Call Sign page and placed a name to 6 of the existing ones | |
| - Added much new information about where and when many of the boats transferred among the Coastal Divisions | |
| - Added another 20 new names to the listings and expanded the listings of another 30 of our shipmates | |
| 9/26/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added another 20 new names to the site and additional info to at least 50 of the existing names. | |
| - Per the heavy interest of many swiftees, I have added a "Call Sign" page, which with help will continue to grow and record this very unique piece of our history. | |
| - I have added another piece to the story of the Bo De River ambush of PCFs 31, 38, 72, 82, and 93, on 24 November 1968. Many thanks to our newly found swifttee, Richard Alan Trussoni. | |
| 8/17/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added about 10 new names and a few new facts to the site. | |
| - Per the requests of many of my swiftee friends, I have added to the awards section, a complete listing of the eligibity for the "Small Craft Insignia" from MILPERSMAN 1200-030 and Chapter five, Section 2 from the U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations on Indentification Badges/Awards/Insignia. Also included are images of the Small Craft Insignia. | |
| 7/26/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added 126 new names to the listings - personnel from the bases at DaNang, An Thoi and Qui Nhon | |
| - Made hundreds of changes to existing listings; completing names, identifying rates, dates and bases of service | |
| 7/20/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - This is a housekeeping update, spelling corrections, viewing fixes and general make it work better changes. | |
| - Many, many changes to the html code for the main site, to make the site more visible to all types of browsers and search engines. | |
| - Removed the names of SN Daniel Eugene Moore Jr. - KIA 2/22/67 and BM3 Terry Lee Davis - KIA 2/24/67, at the Qui Nhon Swift base, the night of 22 February 1967. Moore and Davis were not swiftees, but rather attached to IUWG 1, Det 3. | |
| - Lots of minor changes to many peoples listings: full names, rates, e-mail addresses, service places/dates, city of residence, etc....... | |
| 6/27/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added the first Verbatim CITATION to the awards section - NUC for 1 January 1967 to 31 March 1968, thanks to Arlie Pope. | |
| - Added another 28 new names to the list | |
| - Removed MRC Willy Scott Baker from being listed as a crewmember of PCF 77, when it was lost in monsoon seas off the entrance to the Hue river 16 November 1966. MRC Baker was a passenger on PCF 77 that fateful day. Thanks to David Wilbourne, OinC of PCF 77 that day, for setting the record straight and for filling out his crew listings. | |
| 5/31/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added the rest of the Coronado training boats to the listings - PCFs 7, 8, 29, 30, 813 and 816 | |
| - Added the radio call signs and colored light ID codes (those three colored lamps on the radar mast) for all the training boats Thanks to all concerned for this latest information about the boats we trained on in Coronado and Mare Island - MORE to come! | |
| - Added an Image Map of all the known Coastal Division emblems to the Command and Staff sections - CHECK IT OUT!!! | |
| - Added another 24 new names to the site. We are now at 2,000 of our shipmates being listed, but this is still a long way from being complete, everyone's help is still needed to find the rest of our shipmates. PLEASE keep looking for them. | |
| - Much, much new info about when boats first entered country and about how they were transferred between the Coastal Divisions | |
| 5/7/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added another 150 new crewmembers names to the site. Many thanks to Arlie Pope for so successfully digging through his closet and trunks, helping us all find our lost, but not forgotten, shipmates. | |
| - Moved seventeen (17) names from the unknown list to the boats they served on. | |
| - Nearly 80 days worth of new and updated information on about 100 of our crewmates, scattered across the site. | |
| - Added the real story of the loss of SN Daniel Eugene Moore Jr. - KIA 2/22/67 and BM3 Terry Lee Davis - KIA 2/24/67, at the Qui Nhon Swift base, the night of 22 February 1967. Moore and Davis were not swiftees, but rather attached to IUWG 1, Det 3. | |
| - Added dates of arrival for the first 12 boats assigned to PCF Division 105 at Qui Nhon | |
| 2/19/99 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - The Awards section is now complete! The listings presented have been compiled from documents obtained from the Chief of Naval Operations, Awards Branch, and from the latest version of the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual. Also included are images of the ribbons for these awards. Images of the actual medals awarded will be added soon. Check it out!!!!!!! | |
| - Added another 55 new names, of our former crewmembers, to the site | |
| - Over 60 days worth of new, updated information about our crewmates, scattered across the site | |
| - The html code for the main site has been rewritten so the file is nearly 200k smaller and now loads in less than 80% of the previous versions time. | |
| 12/13/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added another 40 new crewmembers names to the site | |
| - Moved nine (9) names from the unknown list to the boats they so proudly served on | |
| - Much, much new and updated information about our beloved swift boats, in the Specifications section | |
| - 30 days worth of new and updated info about our crewmates scattered across the site | |
| 11/13/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added some 25 new names scattered across the site | |
| - Updated information on 12 of our crewmates | |
| - Added entries for PCFs 8, 33, 34, 83, 84, 85 and 86, to complete the listings of all Mark Is' (104) built for the US Navy | |
| 10/23/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added over 200 new names across the site, bringing the total to nearly 1,800 of our crewmates. Many thanks to Robert L. Brown. | |
| - Added over 20 new names to the staff section of the site | |
| - Added a new shortcut "Unknown Crews" as the list of complete crews, without a boat assignment, that has now grown to 45. | |
| 10/15/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added dates of arrival, for the first 24 boats, in South Vietnam | |
| - Added a workable peg counter to the site | |
| - Changed presentation format to allow a slightly smaller layout on your monitor - more information in the same space | |
| 10/8/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added 35 new names to the listings - Special thanks to John Yeoman, David Hanes, Curt MacConnell, Ed Mundy, Richard W. Wilhelm and especially Charles Christianson, whose copy of an old message started the successful identifying of Carl Goodfellow. | |
| - Special thanks to Wilbur Lee Fry Jr, for identifying the boat, PCF 88, and his crewman, Carl Raymond Goodfellow, EN2, who was a KIA 12/23/67, during a sapper attack on the Qui Nhon swift base. | |
| - Added a new section called "Advisors" - This section contains the names and information about those people that rode the VNN swift boats in an advisory capacity, AFTER we turned the boats over. | |
| - Updated more than 175 partial names to their Full, Proper Names | |
| 9/17/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added 15 new names to the listings | |
| - Updated the information on some 25 peoples listings | |
| - Added much, much more information to the "Patrol Areas" section - Thanks to all contributors, there are still many more holes | |
| - Added a new, much requested site called "Awards." This area lists those unit awards, that I have been able to verify, that were awarded to Coastal Squadron One, the Coastal Divisions and to Swift Boats crews. It also lists the criteria for the various individual awards, that Naval personnel might have earned, and how to verify if they were awarded. | |
| 9/9/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added some 20 new names to the listings | |
| - Completed updating more than 200 partial names to their Full, Proper Names | |
| - General housekeeping changes, hopefully making the site a little easier to use and read | |
| 8/18/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added over 225 new names across the site, bringing the total to nearly 1,500 of our crewmates. | |
| - Much, much work done throughout the site to upgrade peoples names to their full and proper name. Some do carry question marks. | |
| - Added two new stories: checkout PCF 61 and PCF 56/77. | |
| - Added a new section to the site called "Patrol Areas." Check this one out as I need your help in completing it. My expertise is I Corp and therefore the rest of the Vietnam patrol areas are really suffering for your help filling in the necessary information. | |
| - Identified the OinC of PCF 72, very seriously wounded during the 11/24/68 ambush of five (5) swift boats, as LT Jack W. Harwood. | |
| - Special thanks to Dave Wallace for the listing, he recently sent me, with the names of some 440 ex-Swift boat officers. | |
| 8/2/98 | One Down and only Four to go ********************************************************************** |
| Through the work of two of our fellow swiftees, Jim Steffes and Bill Zondorak, I had the great pleasure of meeting and spending nearly ten (10) hours with my boat officer, James A. Weinandy, who I hadn't seen since late May 1969. Thank You gentlemen! | |
| 7/25/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added some 275 new names all throughout the site. This brings the names listed to over 1,250 of our crewmates. | |
| - Thanks to Ralph Singleton for the copy of his in-country, Cat Lo assignment orders, that listed 13 new swiftees names. | |
| 7/3/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added more than 150 new names throughout the site. VERY Special Thanks to Jerry E. Cline, for the use of his 1966 PCF Division 101 yearbook; and all his hand written notes, that are simply irreplaceable in their value to all of us. | |
| - Added another nine stories to help fill in our history - Thanks especially to Bill Wells for two new after action reports. | |
| - Added, where known, the VNN PCF numbers that our boats became after their turnovers. | |
| - Special thanks to ARMY Infantry Captain and Thanh Phu District Senior Advisor, David P. Marion, for identifying the boat and action in which John R. Hartkemeyer, EN2, was a KIA, 12/17/68, a crewman on PCF 51. | |
| - Thanks to Warren P. Hudson, Robert L. Brant, Matt D'Amico, Thomas K. Noble, Harry M. Thomas, William C. Garlow, Claud P. Jernigan, Oliver P. Lent, Ronald Gimbert, William A. Miller, Charles E. Florence, David M. Bradley, Roy F. Hoffman and all those whose names I know I have missed, that stopped by and spent time with me, at the New Orleans reunion, correcting and adding to this database of our crewmates!!! Thank You all, for your invaluable assistance. | |
| 5/29/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added 12 new crew listings and 11 new staff names, for CosDiv 14, Cam Ranh Bay, mid 1968; special thanks to Bob Kreyer and Joseph R. LaVoie for forwarding a copy of the Coastal Division 14 Familygram, of April 1968. | |
| - Assembled the crew of LTJG Russell Puppe, DaNang 1968, from 5 unknown listings, thanks to Charles G. Cox | |
| 5/20/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Another new "FULL STORY" added to the site, check out PCF 13 or PCF 77; thanks to Raul "Bean" Herrera | |
| - A third "FULL STORY" added to the site, check out PCF 16 or PCF 78; thanks to Anthony R. Taylor | |
| - 40 new names to the unknown listings, thanks to Joseph S. Quartuccio, HM1 (SS), all were late 1965 arrivals in country | |
| 5/8/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Corrected information on the death of BM2 Raleigh Godley and PCF 41 | |
| - A new access to the "FULL STORY" system added to the site, view the first entry from the PCF 41 listing | |
| - Numerous additions of people and facts scattered across the site, Note: new unknown personnel are added at the top of the list | |
| - Stumbled across some very incomplete boat overhaul records, posted those that I could read and make sense of | |
| 4/27/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Updates on the move and re-dedication of PCF-1 to its new, permanent site in the Washington, D.C. Naval Yard Museum | |
| - New bullet format for all individual boat stories with many, many new stories, check them out | |
| 4/20/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - More information added to the boat background section | |
| - Many changes to the swift specifications area to include: paint schemes, electronics and armament | |
| - Added the names of 25 crews from Qui Nhon, no known boat numbers, can you help me out? (123 new names) | |
| 4/12/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Massive rework of the Command/Commander and Coastal Squadron 1 staff sections | |
| - Updated turnover status of all boats transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy, a total of 92 boats, by Coastal Squadron One | |
| - Corrected information on the death of LTJG Robert L. Crosby and PCF 13 | |
| - Corrected information on the death of LTJG Richard C. Wallace, BM3 Peter Blasko, BM3 Stephen Volz and PCF 89 | |
| - Added many new notes about swift boat adventures, check out the PCF-6 entry | |
| - Added some 50 new names and pieces of information , thanks to all contributors for their notes and phone calls | |
| 3/30/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - New opening screen, thanks to Joe Muharsky for use of his PCF 42 photograph, (http://www.mwweb.com/ndc) | |
| - Installed hyperlinks to all major sections of the website | |
| - Added 4 enlisted crewmembers to PCF 6 and six, first time listed personnel, to PCF 20 | |
| - Added 20 new names from Cat Lo, late '68 to early '69, thanks to Tom Kohler | |
| - Special Thanks to John Miller for information on "The Disestablishment Ceremony of Coastal Squadron One", 12/1/70 | |
| - My very special THANKS to my sons Joe and Michael; without whose unselfish assistance the conversion of this site to FrontPage 98 software would have been impossible. Thank You boys!!! | |
| 3/26/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added hyperlink to the SWIFTBOAT Home Page | |
| - Repaired corrupted datatables for PCF 694 and Command/Commanders section | |
| - Corrected KIA date for Craig W. Haines, RD3 to 12/17/1969, crewmember of PCF 22 | |
| 3/24/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added new first listings of PCF 6, 7 and 11 | |
| - Added new/updated information to Swift Specifications section | |
| - Added some 30 new names/updated information throughout the listings - thanks especially to Jim Steffes and Gene Hart | |
| 3/16/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added new/updated information to Swift Specifications section | |
| - Added some 50 new names/updated information throughout the listings - thanks to all contributors!!!!!!!! | |
| - Added new Coastal Squadron 1 "Staff" section | |
| 3/4/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Added new swift boat description/specifications section | |
| - Added new PCF 2 paint scheme | |
| - Added about 150 new names throughout the listings | |
| - Added new "Staff" section after the Command/Commander lists | |
| 2/17/98 | ************************************************************************************************ |
| - Site goes on-line for the first time. I hope you find the names and facts you are looking for. This site is the public record of five years of trying to find my missing crewmates. I was unsuccessful, I hope you are not. This site will be updated often. | |
| - Many thanks to my son Joe for his invaluable assistance in setting up this site!!! | |
| ************************************************************************************************ |
This directory is dedicated to those men who answered the call to duty
and served as members of
PatrolCraftFast "Swift Boat" crews in
South Vietnam.
This site will always be a work in progress.
If you have any corrections, additions or amplifying information to any data presented
here, please contact Larry Wasikowski at:
larrywaz@swiftboats.net or call (402) 331-2504.
To return to the Swiftboat homepage or to access the Swiftboat homepage click here --- Swift homepage ---
Return to the top of the website
This page was last updated on: January 30, 2012 at 10:33