Colleton (APB 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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FOREWORD The war in Vietnam is mostly a land war, and the role of the U. S. Navy in Vietnam has often been underestimated when compared to the accomplishments of the relatively larger army and Marine Forces. The enemy has no organized Navy and the U. S. Navy has had no large scale battles like Midway or Leyte Gulf. But the Viet Cong do depend on Vietnam ' s numerous inland waterways and long coastline for supply and logistical support. The Navy has adapted itself to these new conditions and has hampered the movement of enemy troops and supplies in the Republic. Along the coast, destroyers, minesweepers, and swift boats accomplish the Navy ' s mission. On the Mekong Delta ' s rivers and canals, the River Patrol Boats and LST ' s of Operation Game Warden do the same job. These two operations have effectively prevented the V. C. from operating where and when they choose, by cutting their source of supply and man power. After the Navy solved the problem of stopping V. C, movement on the waterways, it took to the offensive with the creation of a river assault force designed to strike at the Viet Cong in his well-defended strong holds in the Mekong Delta. The Mobile Riverine Force consists of U. S. Army battalions, transported by small, heavily armed Navy assault craft which are operationally controlled and supported by several base ships on the larger branches of the Mekong. This highly mobile force was able to move rapidly to prevent V. C. takeovers during the TET offensive and then these same units continued to strike at the V. C. in locations which the V. C. formerly considered safe from attack. The Navy realized that it would take a special type of ship to serve as base of operations for the river forces. The ship had to have the ability to control and communicate with the forces in the field, and it must also be able to support them when they returned from operations. It had to have the capa- bility to feed, berth, and provide essential services for 1000 embarked personnel. This ship had to be large enough to provide supplies and ammunition for a battalion of soldiers and a squadron of river boats. The same ship had to be capable of defending itself in a war zone. And finally the ship had to support a field hospital and have the capability to land Medical Evacuation helicopters. The Navy decided to make extensive modifications to several barracks ships that were to become the backbone of the Mobile Riverine Base, and by 1957 these ships were operating in the Republic of Vietnam. USS COLLETON APB 36) is one of the ships that comprise the riverine base of operations for the assault forces. The history of the COLLETON in Vietnam is recorded in her logs, and it is a record of achievement that is a credit to the Navy. But the story that needs to be told is the story of the men of the COLLETON. The crew of the COLLETON is a tightly knit group, bonded together by shared moments of great excitement and occasional danger, and by long hardworking hours together in the tropical heat of South Vietnam. The men of the COLLETON worked unsparingly to accomplish all assigned tasks and more. These same men were also able to react quickly and forcefully to any threat mounted by the enemy against the Mobile Riverine Base. The events of 1968 will not be soon forgotten by any of the officers and men of the COLLETON. Those who took part in the reaction to the Viet Cong terrorism in the cities during TET, will remember how the flotilla moved all over the Delta to counter any attacks mounted by the V. C. Ben Tre, My Tho, Vinh Long, and Can Tho all remained secure because ships like COLLETON were able to deliver the force needed to repulse the enemy. The crew will be able to remember trips to Ben Tre and Can Tho over waterways never previously navigated by American Naval vessels. None of the men of the COLLETON will forget the rocket and recoilless rifle attacks by the VC on the base ships nor will the men forget the far less exciting working parties and long dull watches. And there were pleasant events to remember also, such as beer on the pontoon on a hot delta afternoon, the stormy ten-day trip to Japan, and the good times on the beach in Sasebo. This Crew ' s Book is being published, therefore, so that the men of the COLLETON can better appre- ciate the job they did and what they accomplished in 1968. EDITOR LTJG J. J FRANCONERI ASS ' t EDITOR YNI V. S. PINKHAM LAYOUT EDITOR PN 3 B. A. HENDERSON WRITERS : LTJG F. T. LACHAT PN 2 T. L BENNETT

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