I have posted this letter before, but it seems timely again.
The XO is just the first fall guy used to obfuscate the truth. As far as I am concerned everything we have been and will be told by this Administration and their Navy acolytes is a lie.
Thinking of my own time leading small boat detachments, why were they there initially? Was no one paying attention? They now even have GPS. There were two boats, so one could have towed the other. Back in my Old Navy even if I was leading LCM-8 landing craft without radar, I would have had a chart, compass and current information about currents.
Could it be the Iranians had a different definition of territorial waters to which they wanted this Administration and our Navy to subscribe? That seems more likely. Regardless my CO and I would have laid out a course which intercepted the friendly shore at least by the latitude of the Iranian island. We would have been nowhere near the island, and the refueling ship would have been where we assigned it. Most likely we would have chosen a course which kept us in sight of land the whole way.
Finally how could the Navy lose track of these boats? Why were the crews not initiating contact? During an amphibious exercise my wave of assault boats were swallowed by a fog. When I saw that fog coming I made sure the flag ship could vector us back to our LPD. In this case the departure port, refueling ship, and the destination port should all share the same radio frequency and do regular radio checks. This evolution was not rocket science.
This event directs my memory back to the Cold War involving China as well as the Soviet Union. Navy ships stationed in Yokosuka Japan ”patrolled” through the Taiwan Straits as they transited to Vietnam. Our captain told us that if any Chinese ship tried to intercept us we would fight. The prospect was not that exciting because our heaviest armament were three dual 3in50cal anti-aircraft mounts.
But the Pueblo incident was on everyone’s mind and that was going to be our response.
One of his favorites was being on watch and seeing a periscope emerge miles ahead of them....but his ships turn was in the knick of time because....a thing in motion....
Hell, I have a GPS unit hooked to my purse.
Sounds like the crews might have been playing games...(like we dare you)...
“But the Pueblo Incident was on everyone’s mind and that was going to be our response.”
I’d love to know what happened to all of them on that ship.
We wondered why they didn’t resist and whether or not they were told to stand down if approached.
Will never forget the photo of Commander Bucher in the Stars and Stripes.
IMHO