Colleton (APB 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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l X A knit ji'1i.ClOIJ, COLLETONB laistory inegan last tall wlien tlie otticers and men made preparations for the 1162613610119 activities to ine faced daily in Vietnam ivy attending Counter Insurgency Scliool for tlireei weelzs. Films, lectures, slides and demonstrations constituted time ,initial iweelz ot intensive training imy competent instructors, many ot wliom liad acted as military advisors on previous tours of duty in Vietnam. Weelz numlaer two was devoted entirely to detailed instruction and experience witla nearly all otbtlie Navy's small arms. Q Tl-ie final tive days gave tlie students a cliance to put tlieir class room studies to practical uie. Armed with a lriandtul of potatoes and onions to garnisli a lialt ralalsit stew, tlie units, eiglit to ten men strong, were escorted to tlie dense forests ot Virginia. Tlarouglaout time first three days, tlie elements participated in compass marcixes, fashioned lean-toes witli wire and a prayer, set traps for wild game and cliattered continually ot tire stealz to tie laonored in celelaration ai-ter tl'1e ordeal. l The final taslz was to successfully complete three designated clieclz-points at a given luour. Tlae exliausted men puslied tlarougla lvramtmle, luogs, tliiclzets and swamps., praying their compasses had made sincere judgements in guiding tliem tlirougli tlie frosted mire. 1 Eventually all time elements were captured lay time instructors Cguised as tlie enexnyb, and were led away to tire concentration camp. Tlrie 'ilnad guys tlien sent tl'1e group ot slirunlzen stomaclas tlirougli a series ot interro- gations, punctuated lay sadistic tlayings and physical tortures. In addition to the question and answer periods tlae Sergeant Major, Commanding Officer of tile compound, staged various utun and recreation H laours in wliicla lie moclzed tile slaivvie-clad crowd. Tlie last recreation period lgzecame a sing-along when someone laraved liis tlaouglats out loud, Yankee Doodle Dandy Have tliat pig t rown in t e mu pit rage t e Sergeant were gonna sing tlie tar Spang e Banner ears swe e in many eyes or t e most trying weez o our ives was comp ete That nigixt the men :razed over t err wee S mls ortunes, as everyone la t eir version o o I t e 1 Q W en t ey S lppe 0 t e an 2, stopping ony to i t exr rnoutlns witla more C rations I guess some o us were exceptiona y tire w 1 e ot ers onge o a s ower an s a e Everyone agree owever t ey were prou to e Americans a 111 it stem 1nyom.7 ' ix ' la J ', dh , ' ' ...S ld . T 11 cl ' t ti ' 1 t 1' 1 cl. ' 11 11 ' iz' 't ad li ' ' t lu w tell ott ix o H or U li li d n 11 ln l ' 1 re 1-1 ' ' ' I t ' 11 ' J, Ifl 11 1 ci t r la ci a ti v . fl, 11 , 11 A L ' . . . , ,W , Fasiliionitlif lean to Completed slielterr Y B- H If .K I ,,. , I L .

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4, X, 'dliiflslrfil 116915 Cn the trozen, paie hiue morning ot January 28, 1967 the USS COLLETCN was commissioned among niuch ciacizing ot teeth and iznocizing ot ienees. Assigned to join units ot the US. Pacitic Fleet operating in South Vietnam. The schedule caiied tor the ship to get underway trom the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on Fehruary second. However, the ship's greatiy anticipated departure was delayed hecause ot the Illultitl-1Cti1'1OUS problems involved in taieing ahoard the enormous quantity ot stores and spare parts required tor the torth-coming voyage-iargeiy the resuit ot the seit-perpetuating chaos indigenous to the highly accelerated modification and retitting process. The prohiems were solved through much diligence and drudgery on the part ot otticers and men and she was tinaiiy ready to get underway on Fehruary 6, Despite the deiay CQLLETCN departed on the slate grey atternoon ot Fehruary sixth, amid a medium taut pleasant snowtaii and threateningiy high winds, She proceeded down the Delaware River that memorahie night tittuiiy roiiing trom side to side, tinaiiy anchoring in Hampton Roads, Nortoiiz, Virginia tor a weeiz ot training. However, hecause ot a hoiier ex- piosion on the morning ot the eighth, the ship was turther delayed in its excursion. Atter ettecting repairs in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and taieing advantage ot the avaiiatmie ata- hreviated training, CQLLETQN departed the Nortoiiz area on March eighth, outwardhound tor the Panama Canai. The principai question in the minds ot her otticers and men was her yet untested sea- worthiness. As each day passed the crew gained more confidence in the ship and in their ahiiity to saii her. Through this period ot criticai acceptance CQLLETQN proceeded at the tortoise iiize pace ot ten iznots to the Carihhean and Panama, arriving on the titteenth ot March, maizing the transit to the Pacitic side on the same day. The canai transit was uneventtui tor the ship, hut the crew enjoyed it immensely, especi- any the camera hugs Cyou can aiways te-ii a reserve hecause he's Wearing a camerap. LETON arrived at the Naval Base at Rodman, at the Pacitic entrance to the canal in the very eariy hours ot the sixteenth ot March. In the morning the crew was given tive hours liberty to taize in Panama City and the iocai atmosphere. At three o'cioc12 that atternoon, atter her hriet, hut weii deserved encounter with N TERRA FIRMA , CQLLETCN was again underway, this time tor the Pearl ot the Pacific, Hawaii. V 7 ' , fi: - Uff