The United States Coast Guard in the Vietnam War: 1965-1973

GM2 William "Bill" Wells, II, manning the forward M2HB on the USCGC Point Glover for a Navy photographer. (USN & GMCM William R. Wells, II, USCG (Ret.).)

By Brenden C. Malloy

The United States Coast Guard served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1973. Involvement of the Coast Guard in the war began over the Vung Ro Bay Incident on the 16^th of February 1965. Due to this long-suspected supply line verified by the incident, officials created Operation Market Time in order to halt the seaside supply lines of munitions and weapons into the Republic of Vietnam. In April of 1965, the Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze formally requested from the Secretary of the Treasury Henry Fowler the involvement of the Coast Guard in Vietnam. Soon after, President Lyndon B. Johnson committed the newly created Coast Guard Squadron One (RONONE) and all Coast Guard assets in Vietnam to be under the Operational control of the Navy Department. The first Coast Guard assets of RONONE arrived in Vietnam in July at Da Nang with Point-Class Cutters (WPBs) of Division 12 immediately deploying along the DMZ.

The Coast Guard’s main role in the Vietnam War constituted supporting Operation Market Time. RONONE and Coast Guard Squadron 3 (RONTHREE), created by the Coast Guard to expand offshore operations in 1967, fulfilled patrol duties up and down the coast of South Vietnam by inspecting and intercepting ships suspected of smuggling weapons and explosives. RONONE constituted three divisions. Division 11 was stationed in the Gulf of Thailand patrolling the border between South Vietnam and Cambodia. Division 12’s homeport was Da Nang and operated in Military Region II along the DMZ. Division 13’s homeport was Cat Lo and operated from Qui Nhon to South of Saigon. RONTHREE initially constituted five High Endurance Cutters (WHECs) of varying classes completing a total of five deployments with deployment six being made up of three WHECs and deployment seven and eight consisting of two WHECs each. RONONE began the process of Vietnamization by turning over the WPBs to the Vietnamese Navy in 1969. By the 15^th of August 1970, all twenty-six WPBs stationed in Vietnam became a part of the Republic of Vietnam Navy and the USCG officially disestablished RONONE. RONTHREE continued deployments off the coast of Vietnam into the 1970s with USCGC Bering Strait, USCGC Yakutat, USCGC Castle Rock, and USCGC Cook Inlet being turned over in 1970 and 1971 officially ending RONTHREE on the 31^st of January 1972.

Other duties the Coast Guard performed in Vietnam were Port Security and Waterways detail, Aids to Navigation (ATON), LORAN Station Tan My, and Humanitarian missions. In total, 8,000 Coast Guardsmen served in Vietnam from 1965 to the last Coast Guard personnel being sent back to the United States on the 5^th of May 1973. Of the 8,000 who served, fifty-nine were Wounded in Action and seven were Killed in Action. The Coast Guard had a difficult mission in an unwinnable war. The United States Coast Guard’s motto is Semper Paratus which means Always Ready. The 8,000 Coasties who served in the Vietnam war lived up to that motto and the shared values all Coasties served by, Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty.