GM2-ELD Supervisor Certification in 6/1969. Â
Medically retired 2008,  VACP SMC-L1 w/A&A 100%, all AO exposure 68-69 medical issues, none of disability from WIA 4/17/69 RPG shrapnel "ALL my disability from "AO" + "Parkinson's Disease". VA-WPB took great care until 3/2019. Corona-Virus covid-19 11/22, hosp. 11/27-12/18/2020Â
WPB-82304 POINT LEAGUE we've lost "11" out of who served on her 4/68-5/16/69 crew  "AO" disease's [7 ]  w/Ischemic Heart Disease [2]-2
004 BM1 [Robert W] Bobby Durrance rip & BMCS Robert W Martin rip;Â [1]-
2012 CS2 Terry [Terrance V] Mann rip; [1]
2018 ENC [William R] Pat Patrick rip; [1]Â
BM3 Paul Stephen Runkle 2002 rip; [1]
1990 SN [Martin James] Marty Haker rip yn3 w/cancer & ischemic heart disease only 40. [1]Â
MDS bone marrow cancer 12/2014 ET2 Dan [Daniel W] Adams rip. [1]Â
CS2Â Rodney W Clark rip; [1]Â
2017 Ltjg Dennis William (Bill) Kushia Kurtz [capt] rip; [1]Â
Ltjg T. M. Alexander rip;Â crew has some "AO" med. issues, [3] 100% VA disabled. survived RPG's, River Mines, AK's & brick to head, leaving VUNG TAU bar, weekly Boston Whaler ditch rides, [3] who do not complain about, talk about their medical issuesÂ
CO LT Wm Harry Norris Capt 30 yrs Legal & JAG mostly west coast retired to CA,Â
Ltjg [Court] Courtney John Storey retired to MN, One of his Uncles won Medal Of Honor WW2 as a Major in USMC was an Atty, didn't have to be on front lines, BMC E Wayne Gray BMCM retired to NC several times NC SP, NC Marine patrol, Yacht Capt & addicted fisherman. all doing well also EN3-2 Dennis H Chamberlain; FN-BM2 Clifford K Hall, GM2 Deryck Edward Pocock running his gunsmith shop in Olivo TX 1994 to present are our survivors.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY? A surprise triple bypass for me 6/4/2018.
1st ship & Mentors  WAGB-279 Eastwind 66-67  Lt Joe Cooley [Capt] 62-98, BM3 Jack Crowley [bmcs] 57-88, rip 5.19.2017; Lt Geo Watts .a[Cdr] 60-85, rip 7.1.2016; MENTORS GMCS jOHN HENRY MACORIMICK, 4-8/67 GM-A sch ORDNANCE & AMMUNITION, GROTON, CT, CO CWO3 Bob Fleming [cwo4] 75; GMCM D J GINGERY [gmcm]; FTC Fred Schacht [ftc]; GMC Carl Jerry DeLair [gmc] 53-74 rip; FT1 Brian Kelley [cwo3] 61-81; GM1 Robert Carpenter [gmc] 57-79 rip 11.11.2018; Squadron One 82304 Pt League BMC Wayne Gray [bmcm] 57-90, & BMCS Robert W Martin  49-70 rip, BM1 Robert W [Bobby] Durance [BMC] 57-77 rip, Lt William Harry Norris .a[Capt] 61-95,  Last mentor Marine Port Safety Detachment Sta-ELD Concord, Ca 69-70 BMC James Tom Hanks [bmc?] 53-??, [4 daughters] LT James Morgan acting CO a.65[cdr]Â
Other Comments:
Units : CG TrainingCG CuttersCG BasesUSN Training USMC Training Recruit Training Cape May Group Base Boston W279 Eastwind Boston GM A School Groton W64 ESCANABA New Bedford COTP & PSU-301 Group Boston maa[not Cape Cod ] USN Fleet Airborne Electronics S.E.R.E. Warner Springs  USMC 29 Palms wpns USN Coronado USMC Camp Pendleton wpns   USCG Squadron#1 Training Alameda RON#1 Pt.Young 82303 An Thoi Cat Lo Pt.League 82304 Cat Lo Cam Ranh Bay  82304 Pt League Div-12 2 patrols 9/28-10/23-27/68-on MSTS SS GREEN SPRINGS Div-12 to SASEBO &-
10/27/68 to 12/27/68 in SASEBO shipyards then SASEBO to DIV-12 ON M/V TRANS-COLORADO 12/28/68 to 1/5/69 USN NAVSUPPACT SASEBO JAPAN  RON#1 PT.League 82304  SEALORDS SCATTOR Train RVN To Replace Program   RVNS Navy 2-5/69   RON#1 Div-13 spare boat crew WIA 4/17/69  U.S.C.G.  Explosive Loading Supervisory School ELD  Concord   C.G. Marine Port Safety Detachment Concord maa ELD USN-USMC  names NWS-NAWS- NAD-NOD-NAVMAG Port Chicago-NAVWPNSTA Seal Beach North we had US Army too
Rank : Petty Officer Second Class RankInsignia : Gunner's Mate
MOS : Gunner's Mate-w/ELD at MPSD-Concord Ca maa
Years : 5/2/66-5/1/70 Reserve 7th-1970, 9th-1971, 3rd 1971-72
GCM: 1hr lateRochester-Boston flight 12/67 AWOL NJP no GC medal
Country: 10 days restricted to baseUnited States of AMERICA
Location: NWS CG Marine Port Safety Detachment ELD Concord Ca
Best Friends all the staff in the spare boat crews, staff at div-13 repair, staff at div-13 HQ. of course the benefits of being able to get into Vung Tau & base enlisted bar on a daily schedule. it was 17APRIL69, 1st day off USCGC PT LEAGUE WPB82304 got ashore 1600hrs, got my assignment, bunk in Quonset hut & what was going to happen until rotation out of div-13. 1st day ashore Cat Lo at 2150 hrs, we're taking fire, at least 10 RPGs came in, landing in, on, or close to USN Swift Boat and USCG Quonset huts they form a giant "H" bath area ties the two together . I'm bleeding, some of the Swiftboat crew in attached Quonset hut are really tore up, one took alot of shrapnel in the privates, he was in a top bunk. I've got a few holes in my leg, nothing serious, I'm bloody from just above the knee to boot. At the time, I didn't feel a thing, a few hours later when USN HMC was taking care of me, I knew I was going to be sore when adrenalin wore off. Strange thing is all the time we spent doing ops, sometimes when you think about it very dumb things with Boston Whaler, running ditches off Co Chien, Bo De, Bassac rivers, some of the rivers we were up quite often, limited combat actions. So to get wounded before rotation ou,t on base, was a big surprise, feeling invincible for the past year. In AM it looked like Charlie was trying to hit everyone at the base movie theater, good that Charlie had the movie schedule time off a little. Cause if he fired 10 minutes sooner or the movie ended 10 minutes later, Charlie would have scored a much larger number WIA, maybe he would of had some KIA's.
Best Moment 17 April 69 USCG Squadron #1 Divison-13 Cat Lo & USN Coastal Squadron One did not have any KIAs only several WIA's. If I remember right 3 were medivac into Vung Tau, or Hospital ship, all USN Swift Boat crew members.