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USNS Windham Bay 2-51 | 17 hand grenades thrown at ship while docked in Saigon | |
SS Bunker Hill 3-7-64 * | Tanker exploded, burned , and sank. Old Navy sunken bomb suspected. | Capt. M. J. Abraham R. H. Blake, Harold Schmidt, Ronald Lockwood, Robert Smith killed |
USNS Card 5-2-64 | Baby flattop sunk by mine near Saigon | |
SS Bengal Mail 9-22-65 | Saigon | George Bogdanovich |
SS Express Baltimore 12-65 | O'Laughlin and Bailon went ashore in Qhi Nhon or Da Nang in order to fetch the Captain, as the ship had received orders to shift to another location. They were apparently captured. O'Laughlin's remains were found in a grave at Hon Gan Point. Bailon is still listed on the Library of Congress database as a POW/MIA. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/powquery.html | Ruben Bailon Stephen O'Laughlin (Third mate) |
SS Lorinda 2-66 | Ambush | |
SS Baton Rouge Victory 8-23-66 | Limpet mine placed on hull by swimmer and detonated from riverbank near Saigon killed engine room crew. Left 12 by 45 foot hole | Raymond Barrett John A. Bishop Earl Erickson James W. McBride Timothy N. Riordan Robert J. Rowe Charles B. Rummel |
SS Eugene Lykes between 6-66 and 9-66 | Sniper fire during passage up the Saigon River | |
SS Young American 10-11-66 | Riding in a jeep that hit a land mine while ashore | Daniel J. McConalogue* |
SS Enid Victory 12-20-66 | Explosion in engine room of ammunition ship en route to Vietnam | (name of second assistant engineer unknown) |
SS Margaret Brown 2-67 | Explosion in engine room while at Qui Nhon harbor | Charles R. Sandino |
SS Berea Victory 10-25-67 | Bombs placed in hold and in "Mike" boat by Vietnamese civilians while docked at Qui Nhon. Explosion and fire kill 12 in LCM and 5 Army on ship. 10 Army and 10 mariners wounded. | |
SS President Buchanan 11-18-67 | "Considerable" damage from gunfire in Long Tau River | |
SS ----- 12-1-67 | Saigon | Isiah Harris |
SS Seatrain Texas 12-67 | Damaged by "floating explosive device" while anchored at Nha Be near Saigon | |
SS Cornell Victory 1967 | Saigon | ---- Findley ---- Ripp |
SS U.S. Tourist 2-14-68 | Ammunition ship hit by 9 shells at Cat Lai. Minor injuries and damage | |
SS U.S. Explorer 2-18-68 SS Neva West |
Guerrillas hit both ships with 75mm shells | |
Tug Michael 4-7-68 | En route to Vung Tau | James Almony Wallace Prous |
SS ----- 5-2-68 | Larry Kelly | |
SS Whittier Victory approx. 3-68 to 6-68 | Mortar and rocket attack while in harbor at Newport, upstream from Saigon | |
SS Transglobe 8-30-68 | Saigon River. Captain awarded Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding action while under repeated attacks 1968-1969 |
Ernie Goo |
SS U.S. Defender 11-17-68 | Da Nang | Jack Bernard |
SS Empire State 11-68? | Explosion and fire in engine room en route Da Nang killed Third Engineer | Eugene Green [or Greene]** |
USNS Geiger 11-68? | First Officer was lost overboard while carrying Republic of Korea troops from Pusan to Qui Nhan and Na Trangh | name not known |
33 attacks on merchant ships including SS Robin Grey 1-1-69 to 5-17-69 | 33 attacks on shipping between Saigon and Vung Tau. These attacks were of rocket, rocket grenade, mine or MG fire. On 12 May 69 Five Merchant ships and two US Navy supply ships were attacked in three major rivers in IV Corps. Five of the ships were attacked on the Long Tau with only SS Robin Grey being hit causing minor damage and wounding one merchant seaman. The Navy ships were hit on the My Tho and Bassac rivers causing minor damage and wounding two seamen. |
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USNS Truman Kimbro 8-11-69 | Rocket hit ammunition ship near Cat Lai in the Saigon river | |
Dredge Davidson 11-17-69 | Willie Williams | |
Swarthmore Victory 1969 | Several direct hits from an ambush | |
SS Badger State 12-26-69 |
Explosion among 8,900 bombs and rockets while en route to Vietnam. Crew forced to abandon ship in gale, bomb rolled out of hole created by explosion, capsizing liferaft. | Mohamed Al-Muwallad Gilbert Baker Sam A. Bondy, Jr. (third mate) Bennie Brown Joseph Candos Leonard Cobbs Nelson Fabre Ali Abda Gazaly Richard D. Hughes Edward Hottendorf John Jenkins Edwin Jones John Kaleiwahen Richard Murray Francisco Nunez Raymond Reiche Floyd Rilling Jose Rodriguez Calvin Smith Leonard Scypion Kinnie Woods Robert Ziehm |
USNS Petrarca 2-26-70 | Floating mine exploded under ammunition ship in Cat Lai harbor; 2 crew injured | |
SS Madaket 4-9-71 | Ship caught fire while unloading cargo of fire bombs | |
SS American Hawk 6-14-71 | Underwater explosion beneath hull while docked at Qui Nhon | |
SS Green Bay 8-17-71 | Sank after underwater explosion of Vietcong frogman's device while discharging military supplies in Qui Nhon | |
SS Seatrain New Jersey | Notorius for being shot up more than any other U.S. merchant ship. Had many symbols of rockets and mortar bombs painted on her bridge wing, each denoting an attack |
U.S. Merchant Marine served on ships that brought supplies to Vietnam during "The War Without a Front." They brought mail, Hueys, ammunition, food, medical supplies, and more. They brought the troops in and brought home many of those named on the Vietnam Memorial, "The Wall."
These mariners were killed by mines, rockets, snipers, and explosions. Some are Missing in Action and presumed dead. They paid the Supreme Sacrifice while serving their country. They should be recognized as veterans. Their names belong on The Wall.
While we're on the subject of the Merchant Marines (we couldn't have gotten along without them), I have two interesting Merchant Marine sites at http://www.gimemories.com/usallvet.com 'Merchant Marine.com' and 'Welcome Aboard'. These people have put some work into those two pages - they're crammed with data.
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on May 22:
1671 Abraham Patras Governor-General of East-Indies (1735-37)
1780 Jan Emmanuel Dulezalek composer
1783 Thomas Forbes Walmisley composer
1804 John William (Turk) Livingston Commander (Union Navy), died in 1885
1813 Richard Wagner Leipzig Germany, composer (Ring, Flying Dutchman)
1821 Alfred Sully Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1879
1828 Albrecht Gräfe pioneer eye surgeon; founded modern ophthalmology
1844 Mary Cassatt US, Impressionist painter (Woman Bathing)
1859 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle UK, author-brought Sherlock Holmes to life...twice
1891 Robert Gordon Sproul educator/college president (University of California)
1897 Robert Neumann Austrian/British author (Waters of Babylon)
1902 Al Simmons Milwaukee WI, outfielder (A's)/lifetime batting average of .334
1906 Harry Ritz US comic (Ritz Brothers-Silent Movie)
1907 Laurence Olivier England, actor (Rebecca, Hamlet, Jazz Singer)
1907 Sir Laurence Olivier actor (Rebecca, Hamlet, The Boys from Brazil,Khartoum, Othello)
1910 Johnny Olson TV announcer (Price is Right)
1911 Anatol Rapoport Russian/US mathematician/biologist (game theory)
1920 Thomas Gold astronomer (proposed steady-state theory of universe)
1922 Judith Crist New York NY, movie critic (TV Guide)
1924 Charles Aznavour [Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian] Paris France, French-Armenian singer (Monsieur Carnavel, Tin Drum)
1927 Michael Constantine Reading PA, actor (Room 222, Don't Drink the Water)
1928 Roscoe Robinson US gospel singer
1928 T Boone Pickens CEO (Shamrock, Mesa Petroleum Co)
1934 Peter Nero New York NY, conductor/pianist (A Sunday in New York)
1938 Frank Converse actor (It's About Time, Dr Cook's Garden, Movin' On)
1938 Richard Benjamin New York NY, director/actor (Goodbye Columbus, He & She)
1940 Bernard Shaw news correspondant (CBS, CNN)
1941 Paul Winfield Los Angeles CA, actor (Star Trek II, Huckleberry Finn, Mars Attacks)
1943 Tommy John pitcher (Yankee/Dodger)
1950 Bernie Taupin lyricist, writes with Elton John
1952 Jan Todd woman power lifter, once lifted 248 kg in a squat
1953 John Edward Stevens New York NY, bank robber (FBI Most Wanted List)
1970 Naomi Campbell London England, model/actress (Cool as Ice, Unzipped)
Because I'm a USAF retiree and I'm old as dirt, would you allow me to go just ever so slightly off subject? Dang, the last time I wore Air Force blue was 1 July 1979. Well, enough of that for the moment. One of my passions since I retired and had more time and free brain cell space to study it, has been the Constitution and our rapidly eroding rights. I put out a Monday through Friday newsletter across the country called 'Liberty Watch' which is not composed of commentary by me or any feedback - simply links to legitimate news articles of the day that people should be aware of. Education means being forewarned. Of course I do nothing for cash, just for the love of this grand republic. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to millennium@mail2webmaster.com , 'Liberty Watch' in the subject line and your state or country in the body of the message. That fact is used for tally purposes only and not tied to the e-mail addresses. I'm trying to reach a goal of 1,000 'patriotic' people in every state who are interested in the cause of Liberte' and are willing to light a fire under the arses of professional politicans, no matter what governmental level.
He sailed for a time thereafter delivering ammunition to Vietnam.
I have shoveled some files but cannot unearth a few notes from him at the time.
From memory, they would anchor offshore and be offloaded from there to avoid attacks.
During shore leave they would avoid bars without antigrenade mesh. He commented that a shoeshine boy or a newsboy might have a bomb in his shoeshine kit or paper bag.
In reading Mark Berent, Rolling Thunder, and Stephen Coonts, Flight of the Intruder, it became apparent how LBJ's micromanaging of target lists lost the war being otherwise won.
Kerry did his part leading the fifth column in CONUS. Beyond this veil of tears thousands of better men wait patiently to welcome him--see the Patrick Swayze Demi Moore film GHOST for details of that homecoming.
Despite rain Kerry volunteers continue canvassing unabated.
Not shown: Kerry leaving with three bandaids and a bag of Whoppers.
The Foxhole is the first to be advised I have ordered the attacks on Teheran, Damascus and center mass of Yassir Arafat to begin in five minutes.
And now to clear up the mystery surrounding John F. Twinkie's retreat from accepting the nomination of the french communist party: