The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The U.S. Merchant Marine in Vietnam - May 22nd, 2004

http://www.usmm.org/index.html ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

Military Sea Transportation Service
(MSTS)

In February 1951 the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) aircraft carrier Windham Bay, was the first large ship to navigate the Long Tam River since 1925. While the ship was docked at Saigon (French Indochina) 17 hand grenades were tossed at the ship by terrorists.

The Military Sea Transportation Service was established in 1949 to provide sea transportation to the military as a successor to the Army Transportation Service. MSTS operated a fleet of ships and had charter agreements with commercial shipping firms. MSTS was succeeded by Military Sealift Command.

In 1954, after the partitioning of Vietnam, MSTS evacuated Vietnamese refugees from North to South Vietnam. USNS Howze was one of many MSTS ships involved in "Passage to Freedom" bringing 300,000 refugees and 200,000 tons of Cargo from North Vietnam.

The Military Sea Transportation Service had the job of bringing war supplies to Vietnam -- 10,000 miles from the Pacific coast. MSTS had four separate customers to serve: the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. MSTS ships were staffed by "civilian" crews, but carried 95% of the supplies used by our Armed Forces in Vietnam including bombs and ammunition into combat zones under fire. Crew members were given Navy grades and rank identification in event of enemy capture. During Vietnam, MSTS first utilized roll-on/roll-off ships and container ships which speeded loading and unloading.

SS Overseas Rose with landing barges lashed across her deck

MSTS took about 100 Victory ships out of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (mothball fleet), repaired them, and assigned them to private companies for operation to carry ammunition across the Pacific. MSTS carried guns, tanks, trucks, trains, riverboats, barges, helicopters, bombers, fighters, reconnaissance planes, food, fuel, and medical supplies. By 1965 MSTS had 300 freighters and tankers supplying Vietnam, with an average of 75 ships and over 3,000 merchant mariners in Vietnamese ports at any time.

Early in the Vietnam War, troop ships such as the USNS Upshur, Geiger, and Gordon carried two thirds of U.S. troops to Vietnam; later, most American troops traveled by air. However, Korean troops were transported by MSTS throughout the war, with the first 2,000 coming on the MSTS Mann in March 1965. In August 1966 USNS Patch and Darby carried troops 12,500 miles from Boston to Vietnam, the longest trooplift in U.S. military history. In October 1966 the converted Liberty ship SS Benjamin Chew and the SS Meredith Victory were added as troop carriers. Men and equipment of the Army 1st Cavalry Division went to Vietnam aboard the baby flattops USNS Kula Gulf and Point Cruz which were taken out of mothballs to transport the 434 aircraft and other equipment. Other escort carriers which saw WWII duty included the USNS Core, Card, Croatan, and Breton.

Da Nang harbor was the home of the Marine Amphibious Force Logistic Command which handled the gear necessary to support 81,000 Marines. MSTS brought 96% of their war materiel including tanks, airplanes, ammunition, and food -- including ice cream.


USNS Point Cruz loaded with CH-47 helicopters, F-5 fighters and truck trailers in 1968

Between 1965 and 1969, MSTS carried 7.6 million tons of supplies for the Air Force, about half going directly to Vietnam, the rest to staging areas in the Pacific. MSTS delivered the goods "Special Express" and kept some of its 19 ammunition ships anchored offshore near combat areas as floating warehouses to ease storage problems experienced by the Air Force. SEA Express was the name of the program which delivered other Air Force supplies from Oakland, California to Saigon between 1965 and 1967, in an average of 23 days.


Damaged SS Baton Rouge Victory under tow

In 1965, US Coast Guard Squadron One, composed of 17 patrol boats was sealifted to the Philippines for Vietnam duty on the SS Pioneer Myth, SS Transcaribbean, SS Aloha State, and the SS Ocean Cloud. MSTS delivered bulldozers, cranes, steel and cement for use by Navy Seabees. MSTS and the Merchant Marine transported oil and aviation gas to support Navy fleet operations.

In 1968 MSTS sealifted 19 million tons (39 billion pounds) of cargo to Vietnam for the Army at a cost of $570 million. The MSTS Corpus Christi Bay, which housed an Army aviation-maintenance battalion, was positioned as necessary along the coast of Vietnam to provide aircraft maintenance facilities.

MSTS and chartered ships delivered to many ports in Vietnam during this "War Without a Front." The following were among the 46 precautions to be taken by the crew of the SS President Garfield (and other ships) during the particularly hazardous 35 mile river transit to Saigon:

• Bridge personnel in helmets and flak suits.
• Sandbags around bridge. Wheelhouse doors and windows open.
• Grenade screens secured on portholes.
• Engineers to go to full engine speed at first indication of attack without notifying bridge.
• Only necessary persons on duty in Engine Room or on open deck. Off duty crew spread out in alleyways.
• Purser standing by with medical kit.
• Fire fighting equipment ready.
• Bilge and ballast pumps warmed up, ready to use.
• Towing wires ready for tow without assist from ship crew. Both anchors ready for dropping.
  

Security for arrival of the USNS Core in Saigon, whose sister ship, USNS Card, was sunk in 1964 by a mine placed by skin divers

Just as in World War II and Korea, merchant mariners in Vietnam were subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Effective December 1966, the military was granted authority to take disciplinary action against merchant mariners.

In 1975 MSTS helped evacuate refugees from Da Nang and later, Saigon. On March 28, 1975 the Pioneer Commander, the Pioneer Contender and the Navy's U.S.S. Miller evacuated about 10,000 refugees each. Returning the next day when the Communists had already overrun Da Nang, the ships evacuated thousands more.

On May 12, 1975, the SS Mayaguez was seized by Kmer Rouge. US marines suffered heavy casualties during the attempted rescue of the 39 seamen and the ship. Six mariner volunteers from the USNS Greenville Victory received Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for their role during the action.
Capture and Release of SS Mayaguez by Khmer Rouge forces in May 1975.


Harbor at Cam Ranh Bay

A Special Thanks to Dan and Toni Horodysky,
Who so graciously allowed me permission to use the information on their Site.

---

---

FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[SAMWolf]

The Regular Army and Reserves are too small. We have been keeping a very small standing Army for quite a while. The Guard now makes up around half of our Military. AFAIK, this has been the "plan" for quite a while.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor.

[hardhead]

My apologies people - its because dumbsh** me put the wrong link in. It should be .htm and not .com - http://www.gimemories.com/usallvet.htm and I just double-checked it and they work.

[The Mayor]

Hi Ya Sam

[hardhead]

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.

[snippy_about_it]

Even if you weren't old as dirt you're welcome to go off subject anytime you like here. We do it all the time. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Hardhead. I've messed up links before.

[The Mayor]

Sam
My son is doing a project for school and needs some info on
Democracy in Japan, or Japan after the war. I did a search
and not much came up, any ideas.

[Soaring Feather]

Click on the Marines button to see our guys at work!

[kilowhskey]

Go to your library and borrow a copy of "American Caesar," a book about MacArthur's establishment of democracy in Japan. That book will no doubt have reference pages that will be of value to your young scholar. My high school US History book contained a political cartoon from that period depicting MacArthur as a baseball coach standing behind a Japanese batter and to the side of the Japanese catcher. The caption read "The object of the game is to hit the ball, not the players." If he could scan that cartoon into his project it would add value.

[snippy_about_it]

You're hired! LOL. The problem is we have to do this for free. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks feather. Very cool!

[Darksheare]

I'm in.

[snippy_about_it]

Good evening to you Darksheare.

[The Mayor]

great info, Thank You!

[SAMWolf]

Rebuilding Japan

Is Iraq the New Japan?

You can view the abstracts of each chapter for free

These may provide some info other wise like KiloWhiskey said "American Ceasar" is an excellent resource.

[SAMWolf]

Hey Darksheare. I've been AWOL, Helping my son replace his readiator and going through "U-Pull-it" lots for parts.

[Darksheare]

Evening.

Sam, radiator replacement?
*shudder*
Had to do that twice myself.
Don't like it, won't do it if I don't have to.

[GATOR NAVY]

Remember this one?

The SS Columbia Eagle incident occurred during the Vietnam War when sailors aboard an American merchant ship mutinied and hijacked the ship to Cambodia.

Two American merchant marine sailors, Clyde McKay and Alvin Glatkowski, using guns they had smuggled aboard, seized control of their ship, SS Columbia Eagle, in the first armed mutiny aboard an American ship in 150 years. The ship was carrying napalm to the US Air Force bases in Thailand for use in the Vietnam War.

The mutineers claimed that there was a live bomb on board the ship, and forced the captain to order 24 of the crewmen to abandon ship in the lifeboats. The ship's cargo, 3500 500-pound bombs and 1225 750-pound bombs, gave this threat credibility.

The merchant ship Rappahanock picked up the lifeboats and crew members and broadcast the news of the mutiny. The amphibious transport dock USS Denver was diverted to intercept Columbia Eagle.

With only 13 crewmen remaining onboard besides themselves, the mutineers sailed into Cambodian waters, where they assumed they would be welcomed as heroes. They anchored within the 12-mile territorial limit claimed by Cambodia on the afternoon of 15 March. Denver anchored 15.6 miles from the coast in the Gulf of Thailand, remaining outside Cambodian waters. The US Coast Guard cutter Mellon joined shortly thereafter with Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven, as senior officer present. Two CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters landed on Denver from bases in Vietnam to assist in visual surveillance. Meanwhile, the mutineers had turned the ship over to Prince Norodom Sihanouk government, declared themselves anti-war revolutionaries, and were granted asylum.

On 17 March, the helicopters were detached and Denver, with Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven, departed for Singapore , passing on-scene command to Mellon.

On 18 March at 0636 Denver reversed her course; Prince Sihanouk had been deposed by a coup led by the pro-Western Sirik Matak and Lon Nol. If the Cambodians could be persuaded to release Columbia Eagle, Denver's flight deck could help the rescued crew members rejoin their ship. The coup was unfortunate for McKay and Glatkowski; they had hoped to find asylum in a Communist country; instead, they became prisoners of the Phnom Penh. At 2359 on 18 March, Denver anchored in the Gulf of Siam 17.0 miles from the coast of Cambodia.

Sihanouk, now in exile, charged that the CIA had masterminded the mutiny to deliver weapons to Lon Nol. Both the mutineers and U.S. officials denied his charges, but the damage was done; no Communist forces would shelter them now that the suspicion that they were CIA stooges had been created.

When it became clear that Columbia Eagle's release was not imminent, Denver was detached to proceed to Da Nang.

Almost three weeks elapsed before Columbia Eagle was allowed to leave. She was taken to Subic Bay where her crew was reunited and her cargo was delivered to Thailand by another vessel.

After months of imprisonment, Glatkowski was extradited to the United States to face trial. He was charged with mutiny, kidnapping, assault and neglect of duty, convicted, and served his sentence.

McKay escaped from his captors along with a U.S. Army deserter, Larry Humphrey, and sought out the Khmer Rouge. He was officially declared missing on 4 November 1970 and has never been located.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/SS%20Columbia%20Eagle%20incident

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Gator Navy. I never heard of this incident.

Almost sounds like a spy novel. Too bad the mutineer's plans didn't quite work the way the hoped. (NOT!)