Bruce Schulze's Vietnam Photos (Page2)

(10) VNN Alpha & Tango Boats on the Mekong River near Tan Chau - They were enroute to a May 1970 operation in or near Cambodia. The Alpha Boats (Assault Support Patrol Boat) were the only Riverine Boats specifically designed and constructed for use in the Mobile Riverine Force, all others being conversions of WWII landing craft. They often escorted the slower moving troop-laden ATC's and were also used for mine-sweeping. The ASPB's were 50ft in length, and had a normal crew of five. During my tour the majority of the Alpha Boats had already been turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy. See Tom Hain's 9th Infantry Division - Riverine Homepage for additional info on MRF boats

(11) HQ1262 (VNN) & T-3 - HQ identified a Boat or Ship as belonging to the South Vietnamese Navy

(12) T-24, T-53 & T-54 - During the last few months of my tour it was very unusual to see three USN Tango's together. The majority of the USN boats had already been turned over (ACTOV) to the South Vietnamese Navy

(13) T-28 in for repairs - Boat Repair Lift Barge, port side of the ARL-23.  The Satyr's A-Frame could easily handle these 80,000 lb. boats.  Before a lift was made the Satyr would be listed to the starboard side to offset the extra weight

(14) VNN Alpha Boat & pet monkey

(15) USN STAB Boat - This one was only around for about a week. I made a couple of trips on it to the Benewah. Sometimes our incoming messages would be lost or garbled due to a communication problem or power failure. A Radioman would then go to the Radio Shack of a nearby ARL, YRBM or the Benewah, and get copies

(16) Air Strike - West bank of the Upper Mekong River north of Tan Chau, and very near the Cambodian border. This type of activity was common on the upper Bassac and Mekong Rivers. I remember a few times the ARL-23 being ordered to change position because of nearby enemy activity, or possible mining attempts. See Ray Bruder's Riverine Navy Homepage for photos of the 1970 ARL-38 mining, and the MRFA's Official Photo 61 for the 1968 mining of the Westchester County

(17) The ARL-23 Engineering Officer - Enroute to the Thuong Thoi mail site in the ARL-23's LCVP

(18) SF1 Rocky Estep - He retired from the Navy in 1975 and now lives in Lehigh, OK. We have visited several times since the war

(19) RM2 Beach - Ron now works for the FBI in Mobile, Alabama. He and I were usually assigned to the same watch section in Radio Central

(20) Thuong Thoi mail site - Occasionally the ARL-23's Helo barge would be moved to an ARL, YRBM or APB. This would require the ARL-23's Mike boat or LCVP to be used for mail runs, and personnel transfers. The mail site was about a quarter mile south of the Thuong Thoi ARVN compound (South Vietnamese Army). I believe it was ARVN, it has been a long time since I left Vietnam

(21) Thuong Thoi mail site - Mail Helo leaving

(22) Thuong Thoi mail site - Unknown USN personnel waiting on a flight

(23) Navy Mail/Personnel/Supply Helo - This was almost an every day occasion if we had the Helo barge. I believe this is a USN CH-46.  They were slightly smaller than the US Army CH-47.

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