The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Patrol Boat Riverines (PBR's) in Vietnam - September 19th, 2003

see educational sources ^

[snippy_about_it]

River Patrol Forces Memorial Monument





Gamewardens of Vietnam Association was formed in 1968 with 12 charter members. These men were U.S. Navy veterans of the River Patrol Force, Task Force 116 whose area of operations was the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam from 1966 to 1971.

The River Patrol Forces Memorial Monument is a 15-foot granite obelisk that sits on a 4-foot square tiered base. Around the base of the obelisk are inscribed the names of the battle engagements in the Mekong Delta that Task Force 116 actively participated in. Inscribed on the length of the obelisk are the names honoring the 290 sailors of the black beret "brown water navy" who died in service to their country during the Vietnam War. Both the U.S. Navy and River Patrol Force Task Force 116 emblems are attached to the obelisk.

The inscription below the Task Force 116 emblem reads, "ERECTED AND DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES".

The River Patrol Forces Memorial Monument was dedicated by the Gamewardens of Vietnam Association in August 1980 to perpetuate the memory of those who were killed during that in-country naval operation. Many former Gamewardens and their families came from all over the country for the memorial monument dedication service. Threatening skies reminded many River Patrol Force veterans of the monsoon season in Vietnam while taps, played by a Navy band, sounded over the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Former POW LCDR Michael Christian, USN (Ret.) delivered the keynote address during the ceremony.

This memorial is located near the Amphibious Museum at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Norfolk, Virginia. A second memorial is located at the Amphibious Base in Coronado CA.

Currently, more than 500 veterans of the River Patrol Force are members of the association. The Gamewardens of Vietnam Association also provide an annual scholarship grant to sons, daughters, and grandchildren of a River Patrol Force veteran.

---

Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.seawolf.org
www.hawley.hispeed.com
www.tf116.org
www.army.mil

[snippy_about_it]

THE PBR'S

The name of our boat they call PBR,
The places we travel are many and far.
Our main objective the Vietnam coast,
Where few are our friends and the VC our host.

We travel at night and return in the morn,
To wipe out the VC this vow we have sworn.
Each day brings us sorrow each night brings us fear,
Deep down in our hearts we know "Charlie" is near.

At night on the river we hope and we pray,
That God will protect and keep "Charlie" away.
The silence is there it is on every side,
For somewhere out there our enemy hides.

Our Coxswain is cautious, our Gunner is tight,
Then comes the shout "They're there on the right"
The fifties are roaring, they're load and they're clear,
We've got "Charlie" worried, there's panic and fear.

Then comes the silence, the end of the fight,
The enemy's gone, he's run of in the night.
The coming of dawn means a patrol that is new,
We thank our protector for seeing us through.


Written after my first patrol on the boats in October 1966
Wayne D. Paterson
A.K.A. Panman

[snippy_about_it]

[snippy_about_it]

.......FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

.......Good Friday Morning Everyone!


If you would like added or removed from our ping list let me know.

[The Mayor]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

Here I am!

[snippy_about_it]

Good Morning Mayor. There you are! LOL.

Sorry about running late today. I made it by 8 a.m. EST so not too bad. Arrrghh!

I need that coffee.

[manna]

Present!

[E.G.C.]

Good morning Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

Folks, we had qute an ordeal with our Dell Dimension 4500S yesterday. The third time it froze on us. It happened before in February and then in May. I clicked on the internet access icon in the system tray, then clicked on disconnet and that's when it happened.

So, we turned it off and then back on, Clicked on the Start menu to check something, it didn't respond. Click Start menu again this time to turn the computer, no response.

So, I turned it off and then back on. Finally it's working properly but we lost about 15000 files on the computer in the process. Two improper shutdowns in a row.

In any event, it's working O.K. for now. We'll see what happens.:-D

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning manna.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC.

Sorry to hear about the lost files. I have trouble but I've been fortunate enough not to lose any files.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning!

Very interesting topic today, as always. Thanks for your efforts!

Packing continues here. I'm not sure if the end is in sight but the garage is getting full. I see a sense of misproportion here. :)

Hope you are well!

[Darksheare]

Morning, wandering aboot..

[Long Cut]

PING!!!!!!!!...click here for a GREAT story, sure to warm the heart.

Greetings from Iceland!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on September 19:
86 Antoninus Pius 15th Roman emperor (138-161)
1655 Jan Luyts Netherlands, scholar/physicist/mathematician/astronomer
1737 Charles Carroll signed Decl of Ind
1802 Louis Kossuth Hungary, President of Hungary (1849)
1867 Arthur Rackham England, artist/illustrator (Grimm's Fairy Tales)
1889 Ernest Truex KC Mo, actor (Pop-Pete & Gladys, Mr Peepers)
1898 Giuseppe Saragat president of Italy (1964-71)
1901 Joseph Pasternak film producer (Anchors Aweigh, Date With Judy)
1902 James Van Alen created Simplified Scoring System for tennis
1904 Dr Bergen Evans Ohio, English professor ($64,000 Question)
1905 Betty Garde Phila, actress (Aggie-The Real McCoys)
1907 Lewis F Powell Jr Va, Supreme Court justice (1972-87)
1908 Mika Waltari novelist (Egyptian)
1910 Margaret Lindsay Dubuque Iowa, actress (Take a Guess)
1911 William Golding England, novelist (Lord of the Flies-Nobel 1983)
1914 Rogers Morton Louisville Ky, US Secretary of Interior (1968-75)
1919 Blanche Thebom Monessen Penn, mezzo-soprano (Amneris-Aida)
1922 Dana Zatopek Czechoslavakia, javelin thrower (Olympic-gold-1952)
1922 Emil Zatopek Czechoslavakia, 5K/10K/marathon (Olympic-gold-1952)
1926 Edwin "Duke" Snider Bkln Dodger centerfielder (406 HRs)
1926 Lurleen Wallace (Gov-D-Ala)
1928 Adam West Walla Walla Wash, actor (Batman, Last Precinct)
1930 Rosemary Harris Ashby Suffolk England, actress (Holocaust)
1931 Brook Benton Camden, SC, singer (Frankie & Johnny)
1931 Ray Danton NYC, actor/director (Longest Day, Psychic Killer)
1932 Mike Royko Chicago, journalist (Chic Daily News)/author (Boss)
1933 David McCallum Glasgow Scot, actor (Ilyla Kuryakin-Man From UNCLE)
1936 Al Oerter US, discus thrower (Olympic-gold-1956, 60, 64, 68)
1940 Bill Medley Santa Ana Cal, rocker (Righteous Bros-Up Where We Belong)
1940 Paul Williams singer/composer/actor (Planet of the Apes)
1941 Jim Fox England, pentathlete (Olympics-1972)
1943 Christi Haas Austria, downhill skier (Olympic-gold-1964)
1943 Mama Cass Elliot Balt Md, singer (Mamas & Papas-Monday Monday)
1945 David Bromberg Phila, musician (Demon in Disguise)
1945 Freda Payne Detroit Mich, singer (Band of Gold)
1945 Jane Blalock LPGA Golfer (Rookie of the Year-1969)
1945 Randolph Mantooth Sacramento Calif, actor (Emergency, Loving)
1948 Jeremy Irons England, actor (French Lieutenant's Woman)
1948 Michael Cooper SF Calif, sodomizer (FBI Most Wanted List)
1948 Nadyezhda Tkachenko USSR, pentathelete (Olympic-gold-1980)
1949 Twiggy Lawson [Leslie Hornby], England, model/actress (Boyfriend, W)
1950 Joan Lunden Fair Oaks Calif, news host (Good Morning America)
1950 Rudy Ramos Lawton Okla, actor (Wind-High Chaparral)
1952 Scott Colomby Bkln, actor (Stash-Sons & Daughters, Szysznyk)
1956 Rex Smith Jacksonville Fla, actor (Solid Gold, Pirates of Penzance)
1957 Richard M Linnehan Lowell Mass, US Army Capt/astronaut
1958 Kevin Hooks Phila, actor (Sounder, Aaron Loves Angela)
1962 Tonja Walker actress (Capitol, General Hospital)
1964 Kim Richards LI NY, actress (Nanny & Prof, James at 15)
1965 Debbye Turner Miss America (1990)

---

Deaths which occurred on September 19:
1180 Louis VII, the Younger, King of France (1137-80), dies
1356 Jean de Clermont, French marshal, dies in battle
1864 Archibald Campbell Godwin, Confederate brig-general, dies in battle
1881 James A Garfield US president, dies of gunshot wound
1967 Martin Block TV announcer (Chesterfield Supper Club), dies at 64
1968 Red Foley country singer (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), dies at 58
1978 Rolf Gunther, East German priest, self imolation
1984 June Preisser dancer/actress, dies at 61 in an auto accident
1988 Oren Lee Staley 1st pres of Natl Farmers Org (1955-79), dies at 65
1995 Orville Reddenbacher, popcorn magnate, drowns in bathtub at 88

---

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BROWN FRANK MONROE JR. TUNKHANNOCK PA.
1966 HENRY DAVID ALAN EL CERRITO CA.
1966 PARSONS DON B. FREEPORT NY.
1966 PILKINGTON THOMAS H. MORTON GROVE IL.
1966 WALTMAN DONALD G. KELLOGG ID.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV,DECEASED 5 SEPT 97]
1968 CAPLING ELWYN R. DETROIT MI.
[REMAINS RETURNED 03/18/77]
1968 HOLT ROBERT ALAN READING MA.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 06/04/99]
1968 LA VOO JOHN ALLEN PUEBLO CO.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 06/04/99]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

---

On this day...
1356 English defeat French at Battle of Poitiers
1523 Emperor Charles I & England sign anti-French covenant
1559 5 Spanish ships sinks in storm off Tampa, about 600 die
1676 Rebels under Nathaniel Bacon set Jamestown Va on fire
1692 Giles Corey is pressed to death for standing mute and refusing to answer charges of witchcraft brought against him. He is the only person in America to have suffered this punishment.
1777 Battle of Freeman's Farm (Bemis Heights) or 1st Battle of Saratoga
1796 George Washington's farewell address as president
1846 Elizabeth Barrett & Robert Browning elopes
1848 Bond (US) & Lassell (England) independently discover Hyperion, moon of Saturn
1849 1st commercial laundry established, in Oakland, California
1862 Battle of Luka, Miss
1863 In Georgia, the two-day Battle of Chickamauga begins as Union troops under George Thomas clash with Confederates under Nathan Bedford Forrest
1864 3rd Battle of Winchester, Virginia
1873 Black Friday: Jay Cooke & Co fails, causing a securities panic
1879 Thomas Ray becomes youngest to break a world track & field record pole-vaulting 11' 2¬" at age 17 years & 198 days
1890 Turkish frigate "Ertogrul" burns off of Japan, kills 540
1914 Brooklyn's Ed Lafitte no-hits KC (Federal League), 6-2
1928 Mickey Mouse's screen debut (Steamboat Willie at Colony Theater NYC)
1934 Bruno Hauptmann arrested for kidnapping the Linbergh baby
1940 Nazi decree forbids gentile women to work in Jewish homes
1945 Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) sentenced to death in London
1955 Argentina's President Juan Peron is overthrown by rebels.
1956 1st intl conference of black writers & artists meets (Sorbonne)
1957 1st underground nuclear explosion (Las Vegas Nevada)
1959 Nikita Krushchev is denied access to Disneyland
1966 Mike Burke named Yankees pres
1968 Baby born on Golden Gate Bridge (those Marin County folk!)
1970 "Mary Tyler Moore" show premiers
1973 NL refuses to allow San Diego Padres move to Washington DC
1973 Pirate Radio Free America (off Cape May NJ) goes on the air
1980 Titan II missile explosion (Damascus, AR)
1981 Satellites China 10 & 11 launched into Earth orbit by B-1 rocket
1981 Simon & Garfunkel reunite for a NYC Central Park concert
1982 New Orleans Saints 1st road shutout victory beating Chic Bears 10-0
1982 Streetcars stop running on Market St after 122 years of service
1983 St Christopher-Nevis gains independence from Britain (Nat'l Day)
1985 9,500 die in Mexico's earthquake (6.9)
1986 "Captain EO" with Michael Jackson permieres
1986 Chic White Sox Joe Crowley no-hits Calif Angels, 7-1
1986 Fed health officals announce AZT will be available to AIDS patients
1988 Israel launches 1st satellite, for secret military reconnaissance
1989 Chase Manhattan Discovery Center at Brooklyn Botanic Garden opens
1989 Appeals court restores America's Cup to US after NY Supreme Court gave it to New Zealand (NZ protested US's use of a catamaran)

---

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Bhutan : Blessed Rainy Day
Chile : Army Day (1810)
UN observance : Intl Day of Peace (Tuesday)
Laundry Day
National Chicken Month

---

Religious Observances
Ang, RC : Ember Day
RC : Memorial of St Januarius, bishop, & companions, martyrs (opt)
Ang : Commemoration of Theodore of Tarsus, archbishop of Canterbury

---

Religious History
1853 Baptist pioneer missionary J. Hudson Taylor, 21, set sail from England to China. In 1865, Taylor founded the China Inland Mission, now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship. Its U.S. branch is HQ'd today in Robesonia, PA.
1938 The Carpatho-Russian Diocese of the Eastern Rite of the U.S.A. was canonized as a diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church. Father Orestes Chornock, Orthodox bishop of Agathonikia, was made Metropolitan of the new diocese.
1943 The first Baptist church was organized in Anchorage. (Prior to this date, there had been no Baptist church in Anchorage, and only one Baptist church in all the rest of the state of Alaska.)
1948 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'Father, make of me a "crisis man." Make of me a fork, so that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.'
1971 Death of William F. Albright, 80, American Methodist archaeologist. Professor of Semitic languages at Johns Hopkins for nearly 30 years, he penned over 1,000 articles and books, and led several Near Eastern expeditions which excavated the biblical sites of Gibeah, Bethel and Petra.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

---

Thought for the day :
"Man and wife make one fool."

---

You might be a drunk if...your only conversations with God are over a commode pleading "just help me stop puking and I'll NEVER drink again!"

---

Murphys Law of the day...(car laws)
Being dead right doesn't make you any less dead.

---

It's a little known fact that...
"Rhythms" is the longest English word without vowels.

[snippy_about_it]

They told us that. But that's not what's going to happen.

Good morning Long Cut, what a wonderful story.

No matter what we think about the way this country is going there is no denying we have wonderful people in our Armed Forces and there is hope.

It's good to hear from you. Thanks for stopping in at the Foxhole and as always you are in our prayers and thank you for serving.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Valin. Happy Friday!!!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Colonel.

Trust me, unpacking will take much longer but won't be as hectic. You'll be amazed at what you can do without. LOL.

Good to see you. I'm well thank you.

I will tell you though our poor SAM was attacked by yellow jackets yesterday and received several stings, quite a few in fact.

I hope we find him well this morning when he awakens.

[snippy_about_it]

Good Morning Darksheare. It's so good to have you and your computer back on a regular basis. ;)

[Darksheare]

Sam got buzz-dived by yellowjackets?
Ouch!
"When he wakes up"?
He reacts to them somewhat, doesn't he.
Do hope he's okay.

[Johnny Gage]

Air Power
Bell UH-1 "Iroquois" (Huey)

The remarkable Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) has been the quintessential all-purpose military helicopter for over three decades. It has been used by all four U.S. services, and international forces, in missions ranging from mountain rescue to troop transport, and from anti-armor to anti-submarine warfare. The Huey got its distinctive nickname from its original Army designation, the HU-1. It was later redesignated UH-1, under a tri-service agreement.

Bell produced two major versions of the UH-1 - the single engine Models 204 and 205 and the twin engine Models 212 and 412. Although both were UH-1s, there were enough differences to warrant considering them two separate aircraft.

The UH-1 Iroquois is used for command and control, medical evacuation, and to transport personnel, equipment and supplies. The latest models are the UH-1H and the UH-1V. Initially procured in 1959, the Huey is the senior member of the Army’s helicopter fleet. The last production aircraft was delivered in 1976. More than 9,000 were produced in 20 years. Considered to be the most widely used helicopter in the world, the Huey is flown today by about 40 countries. Evolving through 13 models, the Huey flew millions of flight hours in support of a wide variety of Army missions.

In 1995 the Army's UH-1 Residual Fleet was projected to be approximately 1000 aircraft. The 1998 Aviation Modernization Plan reduced the Residual Fleet to approximately 700 aircraft to be retained through 2015. The 1999 Utility Helicopter Fleet Modernization Analysis recommended a reengine and upgrade for the UH-1 for the LUH [light utility helicopter] mission, with a SLEP (including overhauled T53) for Strategic Reserve & Residual TDA. The 2000 Aviation Modernization Plan / Aviation Transformation Plan divested the UH-1 completely by the end of FY04, and sustained the current configuration through the divestiture period. Army support for UH-1 ends after September 20004. Until then support will remains as currently established.

The Aviation Restructure Initiative or ARI is a comprehensive and complex effort to shape army aviation units affected by the Army's downsizing to render more capable and effective units. The total effects of ARI are to downsize the aviation force, while at the same time enhancing the capability and sustainability of Army aviation units on the battlefield. ARI causes roughly a 40 percent decrease in the number of aircraft, while resulting in roughly a 20 percent reduction in aviation enlisted personnel. Most all OH-58A and C, UH-1, and AH-1 mechanics are displaced by Kiowa Warrior, Blackhawk and Apache modernized systems over the course of the next several years. The Army's UH-1 fleet has had problems that led to approximately 20-25% of the aircraft still flyable as of late 2000. Many of these that are flyable have very few hours until they run out of time and are grounded again. The Army plans to have the entire UH-1 fleet out of the inventory (AD/USAR/ARNG) by the end of FY2004.

Specifications:
Primary function: Utility helicopter
Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter Textron
Power plant: Pratt and Whitney T400-CP-400
Power Burst: 1290 shaft horsepower (transmission limited)
Continuous: 1134 shaft horsepower (transmission limited)
Crew: Officer: 2 / Enlisted: 2

Dimensions:
Length: 57.3 feet (17.46 meters)
Height: 14.9 feet (4.54 meters)
Rotor Diameter: 48 feet (14.62 meters)

Performance :
Speed: 121 knots (139.15 miles per hour) at sea level
Ceiling: 14,200 feet (limited to 10,000 feet by oxygen requirements)
Maximum takeoff weight: 10,500 pounds (4,767 kilograms)
Range: 172 nautical miles (197.8 miles)

Armaments:
M-240 7.62mm machine gun or
GAU-16 .50 caliber machine gun or
GAU-17 7.62mm automatic gun
All three weapons systems are crew-served, and the GAU-2B/A can also be controlled by the pilot in the fixed forward firing mode.
The helicopter can also carry two 7-shot or 19-shot 2.75" rocket pods.

---

---

---

All photos Copyright of Global Security.Org