Table of Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Preface viii
Swift Boat Terminology x
Maps and Charts xvi
Section I Swift Boat School
1 Coronado Settling in 3
2 SERE: Survival Training 20
3 Shipping out from Coronado 33
Section II Da Nang Arrival, Coastal Div. 12
4 Moving into the Apple 51
5 First Patrol 61
6 Taking over PCF 76 77
7 Top Secret Call Signs 85
8 Beauty Sleep 95
9 Ball Cap Smithson 116
10 The Hospital Ship USS Repose 125
Section III Relocating South to Chu Lai
11 Chu Lai, the Base, Cos. Div. 16 141
12 The Firefight at Cap Batangan 153
13 Picking up Supplies 163
14 The Trawler, Skunk Alpha 170
15 Sampan Reconnaissance 197
16 Homemade Explosives 209
17 The Village Roundup 217
18 Return from the Southern Outpost 231
Section IV Da Nang to Cua Viet
19 Dinner on the USS Repose 243
20 Heading North to Cua Viet 252
21 Project Echo 267
22 Farewell Good Friend 271
Section V Operations at An Thoi, Coastal Div. 11
23 Bob Mack's River Insertion 295
24 The Return and Pick up 308
Section VI All in a Day's Work
25 A Tale to Tell back in Da Nang 327
26 New Job, Maintenance Management 336
27 Puff the Magic Dragon 340
28 Hawaiian Rendezvous 348
29 Tet in the Da Nang River 367
30 Tough Trip to North Vietnam 373
Section VII Homeward Bound
31 Final Orders. Packing up 389
32 Welcome Home? 398
Epilogue 408
The Crew of PCF 76: Current Locations 409
Swift Boat Skippers 2007 410
Appendix: Swift Boat Specifications 412