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U. S. Coast Guard. Vietnam 1965 - 1966
After Long Beach.
Photos taken and donated by former EN2 Gordon Huggins, USCG.		 .

CGCs Point Clear (82315), Point Marone (82331), and Point Mast (82316) enroute from Long Beach, Ca., to Subic Bay, P.I. The trip took 19 days onboard USNS PVT. JOESPH F. MERRELL . Ron Huggins was among those detailed to escort the WPBs in transit. Point Mast was carried forward and not shown.
 Unloading Point Marone from USNS PVT JOSEPH F. MERRELL at Subic Bay. 1965. This photo provides a good view of the lifting frame.

The home of USCG Squadron One at Subic Bay, 1965, prior to deployment to Vietnam.		  


The Beginning of Reality. Photos taken and donated by former EN2 Ronald Huggins, USCG.

GM1 Jones USCG, a certified USN diver, of the Point Marone (WPB 82331) assisted in the recovery.
The Point Marone, near the Cambodian Border, encountered a Viet Cong[VC] junk and took it under fire. EN2 Ron Huggins words best describe the action, "On Sept. 19th 1965 at approx. 2330hrs The WPB Point Marone 82331 attempted to stop a 40 ft junk for inspection.. The junk attempted to run and began firing at the Point Marone. When GQ was sounded and I was in the rack and came up on deck and saw we were runing about 50ft from the junk and the person who was steering the junk threw something and I was still trying to figure out what was going on when there was an explosion and I realized it was a grenade and dove for cover. We opened up fire from the bow 50 {machine gun] and put about 400 rnds [rounds] into the junk killing 13 VC. One swam 3 mi to shore after being hit with a 50[caliber] rd. Special Forces found him. "

Then came the dirty work. The two men on the left on the junk are removing a body. Note they are wearing black rubber electrican's rubber gloves. USS KRISHNA (ARL-38) recovered the sunken Junk.
Weapons were also removed testifying to the status of the vessel. Officer looking at the weapons is LT Markey,USCG, commanding officer of Point
Marone (WPB 82331).

EN2 Ron Huggins,off the coast of Thailand poses with this newly procrued M1 Carbine. Note the WPBs are still painted white at this point. It was reported no pot of gold was found on the WPB in the background.

 
EN2 Ron Huggins with the score. Sixteen enemy KIAs and two junks destroyed were tallied to the port side of the Point Marone's bridge. Later the Coast Guard ordered all such markings removed.



War work is hot and thristy. So after a hard day a work, its Ba Muoi Ba (33) Time. The Point Marone crew takes some well deserved R & R. Then it was right back out on patrol.