The Coast Guard's Vietnam
Squadron One - The Learning Years, 1965-66.

Items used in this image courtesy of former ET2 Cliff Rocheleau, USCG
© 1997
Copyright © 1997
W. R. Wells, II

Editor note: This page was reorganized to better reflect what the contributors saw and recorded while in Vietnam. Individual web pages have been created to demonstrate this.
David Crawford Robert Douville       Ronald Huggins   Christopher Malinger Dave Miller
Keith Norden     Lars B. Ostervold Cliff Rocheleau   Colby Shoemake   Raymond O. Weitzel

On April 29, 1965, with a quick OK LBJ at the bottom of the memorandum from Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Secretary of the Treasury Henry H. Fowler, President Lyndon Johnson gave his approval to use Coast Guard vessels and crews in the Vietnam War.

The initial agreement between the Coast Guard and the U. S. Navy called for seventeen 82-foot Point Class patrol boats to be sent to Vietnam. The mission was interdiction.

Name Class Homeport Shipped From Subic arrival date
Point Caution - 82301
A
Galveston New Orleans 18 May 65
Point Young - 82303
A
Grand Isle New Orleans 18 May 65
Point Glover - 82307
A
Sandy Hook New York 18 May 65
Point Arden - 82309
A
Manasquan New York 18 May 65
Point Garnet - 82310
A
Norfolk Norfolk 18 May 65
Point Clear - 82315
A
San Pedro San Pedro 18 May 65
Point Mast - 82316
A
Long Beach San Pedro 18 May 65
Point Comfort - 82317
A
Bernicia San Francisco 18 May 65
Point Orient - 82319
B
Fort Pierce New Orleans 18 May 65
Point Lomas - 82321
B
Port Aransas New Orleans 18 May 65
Point Gray - 82324
B
Norfolk Norfolk 18 May 65
Point Dume - 82325
B
Fire Island New York 18 May 65
Point Banks - 82327
B
Woods Hole New York 18 May 65
Point Gammon - 82328
B
San Francisco San Francisco 18 May 65
Point Welcome - 82329
B
Everett Seattle 18 May 65
Point Ellis - 82330
B
Port Townsend Seattle 18 May 65
Point Marone - 82331
B
San Pedro San Pedro 18 May 65
The remaining nine WPBs began operation on 12 December 1965.
  • Point League - 82304
  • Point Partridge - 82305
  • Point Jefferson - 82306
  • Point White - 82308
  • Point Slocum - 82313
  • Point Kennedy - 82320
  • Point Hudson - 82322
  • Point Grace - 82323
  • Point Cypress - 82326
    • Leaving Long Beach on a Slow Freighter.

    This rare photograph was taken in mid-April 1965 as the(clockwise from left) Point Mast (WPB 82316), Point Clear (WPB 82315) and Point Marone (WPB 82331)are on their way to Terminal Island to board a transport heading to Subic Bay, PI. Photo donated by former QM1 Rich White., USCG. Rich was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart while aboard the Point Mast in Vietnam.

    CGC Point Garnet
    CGC Point Marone

    Machine Gun Action Starboard.
    An unidentified WPB fires its .50 caliber machine guns. This photo is an excellent representation of how unprotected the crew of a WPB was during a firefight.
    (USCG Photo)

     

    		  
     
    Updated: April 11, 2003 URL: http://www.aug.edu/~libwrw/Coast Guard Warriors.
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