USCGC Bering Strait - Whec 382

08/30/2021

I’m feeling kind of proud today. I just got invited to go on an Honor Flight to DC in November from St. Louis. They are starting to work with Vietnam veterans now. Kind of cool when you think about it.

12/20/2020

Here are the detailed accounts for the attack on Song Ong Doc on the night of October 20, 1970

10/14/2020

Here is a real nice map depicting the designated areas used during Operation Market Time during the Vietnam War. The CGC Bering Strait frequented Danang, Area 2, and Area 9.

09/15/2020

This is a question for the Bering Straits Vietnam veterans or for any of the disabled Vietnam veterans of Squadron 3. My disability papers from the VA state that I am a “veteran of the Vietnam era”. This insults me. I’ve been trying to get them to change my designation to “Vietnam veteran with boots on the ground “ since I was and am. Is anyone else in the same boat?

07/04/2020

It’s been a while but this is how we celebrated 4th of July on the CGC Bering Straits. Oh yes, we knew how to party. It was Saturday in 1970 too.

7/4/70 – Saturday – -8H time zone. Sea waves 3-4ft. Swell waves 4-6ft
0000-0400 – Underway in the Bay of Siam, 5000 yards offshore of the Song Ong Doc River. Darken ship set. NGFS engaged. 0012 - Ceased fire after expending 44 rounds from the 5” mount. 0013 - Secured from NGFS support. Set Sea watch. 0100 – Commenced drifting. 0207 – Underway to regain station. 0225 - Drifting as before. 0400-0800 – Underway as before.
0800-1200 – 09.02N 104.25E - Underway as before. 0920 - #2 smallboat away with Commander Ron Three. C.O and CDR VNN aboard enroute MEDCAP and briefings at Song Ong Doc. 1030 - Commenced C.O. Material Inspection.
1200-1600 – 09.02N 104.45E – 1405 - Underway as before. #2 smallboat alongside and hoisted to the rail and rigged for sea. COMCOGARDRONTHREE, C.O., and Commander An returned aboard.
1600-2000 – Underway as before. Set Darken ship.
2000-2400 – 09.02N 104.45E - Underway as before. 2045 - Set NGFS team. 2128 - Commenced firing. 2134 - Ceased firing after expending 25 Rounds 5.38” HECUT. 2135 - Secured NGFS team.

02/12/2020

One of the guys posted this newspaper article this on his page the other day. It was from February of 1970. It was a very important few days for me in my life. It's hard to forget what it was like down in that cargo hold. Not many people get this type of 'opportunity' in their life. We also a got nice letter from the Commandant.

06/10/2019

June 10, 1970. A little daily report. The Straits arrived in DaNang for the 1st time during Deployment 6 of Ron3. The Bering Strait departed Subic Bay on the morning of 6/7/70 to make the approximately 809 mile trip to CTZ1 – Area 2 in Vietnam. Shortly after arriving in Area 2 on 6/9/70 we met with the CGC Mellon (WHEC 717) and relived her of Market Time Area 2 duties. That night we set ‘Darken Ship’ for the first time and traveled in stealth mode. During the night the ship steamed up to DaNang harbor and anchored on the morning of 7/10/70. The C.O. was sent ashore via small boat for a few hours and when he returned the ship headed south towards the direction of Cu Lao Re Island. Within a few hours we had received VNN small gun boats alongside for support, we sent the small boat out to investigate junks, and by 6/12/70 the ship was engaged in a NGFS (Naval Gun Fire Support) missions. Talk about a whole new world!

06/23/2018

What were you doing on June 22, 1970? Here is what the Straits was doing.

10/29/2017

This is an excellent accounting of the U.S. Naval Riverine Operational Base Song Ong Doc (1970). The Bering Strait, along with several other WHECs, provided support to the base, village and surrounding areas, Naval and CG boats, MEDCAPs, and boat interdiction. A blast from the past.

U.S. Naval Riverine Operational Base Song Ong Doc (1970) Located on the western coast of South Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, the Advanced Tactical Support Base at Song Ong Doc served for a short time during the Vietnam War as an operational base for the U.S. and Vietnamese river forces. During 1970...

09/11/2017

New pictures just in: The CGC Bering Strait met up with the USS Navasota on 3 occasions while in Vietnam. The first was to highline a couple of crew members aboard on 6/16/70 in Area 2. The second time was on 7/29/70. I'm not sure why we intercepted them but we were on our way back to Subic Bay to get our 5" barrel replaced and we were rounding the southern tip of Vietnam. We had a premature burst just after relieving the CGC Sherman in Area 9. We had fired off 72 rounds in the first hours at Song Ong Doc when the problem occurred. The third time we did an UNREP with the Navasota was on 8-23-70. We lowered the port smallboat and transferred a couple of the crew to the Navasota for FASDU. These pictures came from a sailor aboard the Navasota on 8-23-70. Nice!