White Water Red Hot Lead: On Board U.S. Navy Swift Boats in Vietnam

ISBN: 1612004784

Author: Daly, Dan

Condition: New

"This is a beautifully produced book...its one of those reads that you wont put down once you get started...A great subject, well-written by someone who actually served." - Military ModellingDuring the Vietnam war 3500 officers and men served in the Swift Boat program in a fleet of 130 boats with no armor plating. The boats patrolled the coast and rivers of South Vietnam, with the average age of the crew being twenty-four. Their days consisted of deadly combat, intense lightning firefights, storms and many hidden dangers.This action-packed story of combat written by Dan Daly, a Vietnam combat veteran who was the Officer in Charge of PCF 76 makes you part of the Swift Boat crew. The six man crew of PCF 76 were volunteers from all over the United States, eager to serve their country in a unique type of duty not seen since the PT boats of WWII. This inexperienced and disparate group of men would meld into a combat team - a team that formed an unbreakable, lifelong bond.After training they were plunged into a 12-month tour of duty. Combat took place in the closest confines imaginable, where the enemy were hidden behind a passing sand dune or a single sniper could be concealed in an onshore bunker. In many cases the rivers became so narrow there was barely room to maneuver or turn around. The only way out might be into a deadly ambush.Dan Daly received his naval commission after graduation from Harvard College. After 18 months on a Navy destroyer, he volunteered for Swift Boat duty. After training, he and his crew served 12 months in Vietnam, 1967-68. He later founded several consulting firms and lives on Cape Cod with his family.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrefaceSwift Boat TerminologyMaps and ChartsSection I: Swift Boat School1. Coronado Settling in2. SERE: Survival Training3. Shipping out from CoronadoSection II: Da Nang Arrival, Coastal Div. 124. Moving into the Apple5. First Patrol6. Taking over PCF 767. Top Secret Call Signs8. Beauty Sleep9. Ball Cap Smithson10. The Hospital Ship USS ReposeSection III: Relocating South to Chu Lai11. Chu Lai, the Base, Cos. Div. 1612. The Firefi ght at Cap Batangan13. Picking up Supplies14. The Trawler, Skunk Alpha15. Sampan Reconnaissance16. Homemade Explosives17. The Village Roundup18. Return from the Southern OutpostSection IV: Da Nang to Cua Viet19. Dinner on the USS Repose20. Heading North to Cua Viet21. Project Echo22. Farewell Good FriendSection V: Operations at An Thoi, Coastal Div. 1123. Bob Macks River Insertion24. The Return and Pick upSection VI: All in a Days Work25. A Tale to Tell back in Da Nang26. New Job, Maintenance Management27. Puff the Magic Dragon28. Hawaiian Rendezvous29. Tet in the Da Nang River30. Tough Trip to North VietnamSection VII: Homeward Bound31. Final Orders, Packing up32. Welcome Home?EpilogueThe Crew of PCF 76: Current LocationsSwift Boat Skippers 2007Appendix: Swift Boat Specifications