Stribling, Grady, CWO3

Best Friends
CDR Peter D. Corson USCG
Lt Harrell USCG
BMC Jack Jones USCG
QM2 Michael Mansfield USCG
CWO4 Dickson USCG
SK1 Doug Tapio

Best Moment
Instead of one Best Moment here is a list of several at random:

1. The day CDR Corson (SCGOV) told me CG Headquarters had approved my request to attend the U.S. Navy Advanced Electrician's Mate School, Great Lakes, IL. at the end of my tour of duty in Vietnam. Due to the 33 week duration of the course, it would be a permenant change of station which allowed my dedpndants to accompany me with the provision of on base student housing.

2. I renlisted in Vietnam which provided a tax free reenlistment bonus

Worst Moment
1. When the Viet Cong demolished the ATON Structures needed to replace the buoys.
2. When I was assigned to Cat Lai ELD One, I was rocked out of my bunk by a rocket attack that hit the barge of bombs that was in tow to the ammo dump.
3. When I debarked a C-130 aircraft at Danang, The pilots were looking at the right wing which had a hole in the trailing edge approximately 6 inches in diameter.
4. While riding the pile driving barge, we were to tie up to the dock at Cam Ranh Bay. About the same time the Viet Cong exploded the fuel dump which caused us to anchor out in the Bay.
5. The ELD at Qui Nhon used their vehicle to get me to the airport to catch a plane back to Saigon for an important meeting. We had to go through a fire fight between one of our choppers and returning ground fire.

Chain of Command
Senior Coast Guard Officer Vietnam -
CDR Peter D. Corson USCG
Staff:
LT. Harrell USCG
CWO4 Wolford USCG. . . .relieved by -
CWO4 Dickson USCG
BMC Jack Jones USCG
SK1 Doug Tapio USCG. . . . relieved by -
SK1 Merrill USCG
EM1 Grady Stribling USCG
YN1 Seekins USCG. . . . relieved by-
YN1 Grady USCG
OM2 Mike Mansfield USCG

Other Memories
I reported to CG Training Center, Alameda, CA. May 1971 for a Viet Nam Orientation Class, Weapons Training, SERE Training, and Explosive Loading Supervisor Training. After receiving all our gear and shots, BMC Jack Jones and myself departed Travis Air Force Base for Saigon, Viet Nam. After approximately 22 hours of flying time , we landed at Saigon's Tan Son Nut Air Force Base. As we debarked the plane, the heat and humidity was overwhelming. We were met by QM2 Mike Mansfield USCG in an old Navy Dodge sedan to take us to the office of SCGO Vietnam. As we left the air base and entered the city, people were everywhere, riding mopeds and all kinds of vehicles I hadn't seen before. The air was filled with blue smoke and punget odors. Special Revolver and a Winchester 12 Gauge Riot Control Shot Gun along with my USN Mark2 Survival /Fighting Knife issued at Alameda. My main base of operations was Saigon from which I traveled up and down the coast performing temporary repairs to buoys in channels leading to the major seaport towns: Vung Tau, Cam Ranh Bay, Qui Nhon, and Danang. My mode of transportation was "get there any way you can". Normally I would catch a hop (military aircraft) along with Vietnamese solders, their wives, children ,chickens and hogs going to an airbase near my destination. Most locations were staged with a conex box with ATON spare parts. Thanks to the CG Explosive Loading Detachments, I was allowed to stay in their hooch (a cross between a house and a hut). The ELD's had a 16ft. Boston Whaler to get to and from the Ammunition ships. Most of the time they would take me out to the buoys to make repairs.They always shared their food during my stay. A great bunch of guys. After two weeks to a month of TAD, I would return to Saigon. My usual routine would be to return to the office, pick up my mail, buy a bottle of "Cold Duck", and get some rest at the BEQ (home away from home). The BEQ was a multi floor hotel leased by the U.S. and occupied by U.S. and Allied Servicemen. We had a "watering hole" on the first floor where I enjoyed exchanging stories with the Australian and New Zealand troops. Thanks to the U.S. Army, the security of the BEQ was highly maintained.
Every six months a 180 ft. Buoy Tender, the CGC Blackhaw from the Philippines would receive an OP ORDER from us to work our buoys and replenish the conex boxes with spare parts. Until the Tender arrived, my work consisted of "Hot Packing" buoys that had dead batteries and replacing stolen light fixtures, parts, and even the hot pack batteries. I later found out the fishermen were using the lights on their small fishing boats. After six months into my tour of duty we entered President Nixon's "Vietnamization Phase" of the war. All Services were to train the South Vietnamese to take over our duties. the 82 Ft. Patrol Boats of Squadron One were already turned over to their trained Counterparts and CG Crews returned to the U.S. The Vietnamization of Aids-To- Navigation was a Project to replace buoys with fixed single and three pile structures fitted with a concrete platform, day-board, battery containment, and light fixtures. This project was in lieu of providing them with a CG Buoy Tender that was not available. A U.S. Contractor was selected to provide a pile driving barge and tug boat to perform the construction along with a Philippine survey ship to mark the channel locations. The Project got off to a slow start as a result of the first barge and tug being blown up at the dock. I was assigned to be the CG Liaison for the Project and rode the second pile driving barge to approve the construction and place the ATON structure in operation by making the light operational. I was the only military person on board the barge along with the Project Supervisor and three construction workers that had quarters in a the barge deck house. The tug boat captain and engineer stayed on the tug. I made sure the sapper lights lit up the side of the barge at night when we were at anchor and I would throw concussion grenades at random times. In addition. I had a M-79 grenade launcher if I needed it. Construction was completed up to and including the channel at Qui Nhon. The Project Supervisor decided to take the barge back to Phan Rang and anchored in the channel overnight. That night the water around the sides of the barge was boiling with sea snakes known as one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. Needless to say I spent a lot of time target practicing. Upon returning to Qui Nhon to make preparations to move to Danang, we found all our work had been destroyed by the Viet Cong. While accessing the damage, I had a message to meet the Contractor's Pilot at the military air base outside the city of Qui Nhon. I was flown directly to Saigon and attended a meeting with The SCGOV (CDR Corson), MAC -V Army Personnel which funded the Project, and the Vietnamese Light House Service Representatives. The meeting was called to discuss the issue of funding. A half a million dollars had been expended and the contractor was asking for an additional half a million. I was asked to give a report on the progress of the work. After I described the destruction we encountered at Qui Nhon, MAC-V decided to cancel the project. I was reassigned to work at Cat Lai with CG Explosive Loading Detachment One to assist in supervising the unloading of 500 lb. and 1000 lb. bombs on the ship American Ranger to a barge that would later be towed by a tug boat up the Saigon River to an ammo dump.
With serious negotiations underway to end war, SCGOV had to transfer two members of his staff one month early. As a result , BMC Jones and myself would return to the States May 1972 in lieu of June 1972. Two weeks prior to my transfer, The CG Loran Station Tan My near the DMZ and the city of Hue had a catastrophic failure to the main electrical power distribution Panel. The NVA had crossed over the DMZ and the city of Hue was under siege. A new power panel was placed on an Air Force aircraft at Travis Air Base accompanied by a CG Petty Officer en route to Tan MY. I had to catch a hop to Danang and make arrangements to have a " "Chinook" helo standing by to take the power panel and both of us to Tan My to complete the installation. We completed the work within a week and I caught a hop back to Danang that brought in the mail to Tan My. The helo was a "Chinook" with two forward gunners on M 60 Machine guns and two tail gunners with M-16's near the open tail gate. I was the only passenger and it appeared we were not going in direction of Danang. I asked one of the gunners where we were going and he replied we were en route to Quan Tri City that was presently being over run by the NVA to pick up some of our troops. "Just my luck, in one week I am suppose to go home". AS I looked out the port hole window, I could see we were several thousand feet high when suddenly we dropped like a rock, flying in between the mountains with two "Sandy's" (propeller AD fighter planes ), one on each side of the Chinook providing escort as we maintained a high rate of speed. Suddenly we dropped to the ground and the troops scurried aboard. Again we were flying in between the mountains with our escorts and then we shot up to several thousand feet again and not long after we started our decent to Danang.

The following week BMC Jack Jones and myself departed Saigon April 6, 1972 enroute to our new duty stations. For me, I took 30 days leave and my wife, son, and me left Thomaston, GA. for NTC Great Lakes, ILL. for Advanced Electricians's Mate B School, a 30 week course.