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My
name is Ralph H. Bigelow, during my tour in Vietnam I was with the U.S. Navy’s
Mobile Riverine Force - TF117,
RivRon13, RAD131, on T-131-8. For all the Army people out there we were River
Rats, the VC called us the men in the little green boats. Our mission was to
work with the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Div. (River Raiders) to
interdict and suppress the VC in and around the waterways of the Mekong Delta.
Our homeport was Dong Tam. In 68 we picked our nice new boats up at Vung Tau
with no armament on them and brought them down to Dong Tam. A few hours upon our
docking I got to experience my first mortar attack. I jumped in my gun mount and
as I looked out I could see the rounds coming right down the road in front of
the docks heading straight at me. They never hit a single boat that day but they
did manage a direct hit on the paint shed, which was located right in front of
my boat. Needless to say a green boat splattered in gray paint makes for lousy
camouflage, and we had to repaint it. All in all, not a good first day in Dong
Tam. Our
unit did not spend a lot of time in Dong Tam, most the time we were out on ops.
For about thee months or so at a rip. However its seems to me every time we did
get there was either a mortar or rocket attack that occurred. I would at this
time like to thank the Doughnut Dollies for saving me one night. No I was not
injured but I was being pursued by a couple of MPs, for no just reason that I
can think of and the Dollies let me take refuge in their compound. Thank you
again! In
March 69 ( my last night in country) the night of the mortar attack we were in
the new navy transit barracks located next to the helo pad and the ammo dump
just past that. The first shock wave hit the barracks blowing out the window
screens, collapsing the roof, and showing us with shrap metal. I brought home a
piece about the size of an egg that was in the bunk with me. We then all headed
for the bunkers but as leaving the barracks I saw a seawolf huey lift off, the
next one started to lift off, but just as he got off the ground the next shock
wave hit destroying the huey and the pilot. The wave was so strong it threw a
friend and myself about 25- 30 feet. We still remember and talk about that night
at our reunions! Pics:
The downed seawolf huey
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