TSC Great Lakes Honor Vietnam Brown Water Navy

By James F. Antonucci, Training Support Center Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- More than two dozen brownwater Navy Sailors, who comprised the River Patrol Boat Force Veterans Association (RPBF/VA) reunion, visited the Training Support Center (TSC), Great Lakes June 9.

The Navy Military Training (NMT) history and naval heritage lesson on the Brown-Water Navy of Vietnam was provided by the organization aboard the USS Cole Barracks (BEQ-6301) to more than 400 students.

Capt. Peter R. Lintner, commanding officer for TSC commented about the visit with, "It was an eye opening discussion for our Sailors. The members spoke of their experiences, how they got into the Brown-Water Navy and they fielded questions from the audience. They did a marvelous job speaking about camaraderie, getting to know your shipmates, the fact that you can be ordered any place at any time and the very real impact of taking live fire."

Members of the RFBF/VA had been assigned to a vessels like the Patrol Boat, River (PBR); a thirty-one foot, fiberglass Uniflight boat propelled by two General Motors marine diesel engines powering two Jacuzzi jet pumps.

In December 1965, the United States Navy formed the Brown-Water Navy in Vietnam and continued their duties up until 1970, when the Navy stood down the last of its Brown-Water Navy units and turned over the boats to the South Vietnamese Government.

Comments made by members of the group described the heroics and brutalities of war. Individuals like Mr. James Woods, an Engineman 3rd Class in Vietnam, described how he was wounded early in his PBR tour in Vietnam, but managed to return to his unit after he recovered.

Fire Controlman Seaman Corey Farrar said, "It was interesting to learn the difference between the generations of the Navy, and it was cool to actually speak with the Vietnam vets and hear what they went through."

"I will take their example of camaraderie to my ship. They are great role models," he said.

The descriptions provided by Richard J. Cragg, a former Lt. and Senior Patrol Officer, outlined how he planned patrols for his unit, River Section 532 (RS 32) in My Tho, Vietnam and its ten PBRs. He reminisced over his tour patrolling the Cua Dia River in Jan. of 1967, and reflected on how RS 532, as part of Task Force 116 during Operation Game Warden, was designated to patrol the rivers of Vietnam, primarily the Mekong and its tributaries.

As an excellent example of a dedication to duty, their orations and descriptions of the actions and equipment brought to mind more recent events with the renewed effort on the Navy's Special Warfare (SPECWAR) Riverine Forces. Yet it may never be possible to fully appreciate the efforts and sacrifices put forth by these special Sailors of the brown water Navy.

Fire Controlman Seaman Diego Ortega commented, "I learned about people who enlisted to get out of going to Vietnam but ended up there anyway. They did their best while they were there and showed the true meaning of a sailor."

Lintner finished by saying, "These former Sailors spoke reverently about lost shipmates, good times and the worst of times. Our Sailors soaked it up; with one student commenting, 'Boy, we thought we had it bad, this is nothing.'"

Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes is the only training command located within the same vicinity as Recruit Training and is the home of five learning sites operated independently. The command supports 85% of the Surface Navy School and averages 13,500 Student throughputs per year.