The last one

[Bilgerat]

http://www.uscgcshermanassociation.com/Sherman%201968%20web.jpg


In 1972 I joined the US Coast Guard. Out of Boot, I was sent to the Cutter SHERMAN (WHEC 720). Launched in 1967 she was considered "new" and was large by our class of cutters.

In 1970, She was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three in Vietnam. Her tasking during the conflict was primarily in support of Operation Market Time (1), which involved sorting through hundreds of small vessels off the Vietnamese coast in search of enemy weapons smugglers.

Her crew inspected some 900 vessels during her 10-month tour in Southeast Asia. The old 5” gun (now replaced by a 76mm mount) answered 152 calls for naval gunfire support, including a running fight on the night of 21 November 1970 which resulted in sinking the North Vietnamese armed freighter SL-3, which was carrying tons of enemy munitions.

She was decommissioned in Honolulu yesterday. The last remaining active Coast Guard Cutter to have sunk an enemy ship in combat.

Her fate (to me) seems ironic. She is to be transferred to the Vietnamese Navy.


(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Time)

[darin]

God bless that vessel and its past crew. Hooah.

[Elessar]

http://www.uscgcshermanassociation.com/Sherman%201968%20web.jpg


In 1972 I joined the US Coast Guard. Out of Boot, I was sent to the Cutter SHERMAN (WHEC 720). Launched in 1967 she was considered "new" and was large by our class of cutters.

In 1970, She was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three in Vietnam. Her tasking during the conflict was primarily in support of Operation Market Time (1), which involved sorting through hundreds of small vessels off the Vietnamese coast in search of enemy weapons smugglers.

Her crew inspected some 900 vessels during her 10-month tour in Southeast Asia. The old 5” gun (now replaced by a 76mm mount) answered 152 calls for naval gunfire support, including a running fight on the night of 21 November 1970 which resulted in sinking the North Vietnamese armed freighter SL-3, which was carrying tons of enemy munitions.

She was decommissioned in Honolulu yesterday. The last remaining active Coast Guard Cutter to have sunk an enemy ship in combat.

Her fate (to me) seems ironic. She is to be transferred to the Vietnamese Navy.


(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Time)

The end of an era, Bilge. The 378's and 210's are worn out. It is an amazing tribute to our Engineers and Deckies
that kept them functioning for so long, facing trimmed budgets, restrictive re-furbishing.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/1e5f75a

[Bilgerat]

The end of an era, Bilge. The 378's and 210's are worn out. It is an amazing tribute to our Engineers and Deckies
that kept them functioning for so long, facing trimmed budgets, restrictive re-furbishing.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/1e5f75a

While on Bravo, we lost one of the MDE's. They shipped to Newfie what we needed (but didn't have enough of) and we picked up the parts. Left Newfie on the "birds" and headed home to Boston.

While underway, we completed repairs to the MDE and pulled in on them. Main Control got back to back 72 hr libo and I slept thru most of the first one (lol)

[Elessar]

While on Bravo, we lost one of the MDE's. They shipped to Newfie what we needed (but didn't have enough of) and we picked up the parts. Left Newfie on the "birds" and headed home to Boston.

While underway, we completed repairs to the MDE and pulled in on them. Main Control got back to back 72 hr libo and I slept thru most of the first one (lol)

I never wanted to piss off my small boat engineer! Together, we made that thing
function beautifully!

On the Venturous, same damn thing. The Snipe was a Boatswain's best friend!