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US Navy Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three Seawolves, Vietnam 1966-1972

                             US Navy Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three SEAWOLVES
Vietnam 1966-1972        

The US Navy established Operation Gamewarden in 1965 to enforce curfews, block Viet Cong infiltration, protect water traffic and counter enemy movement and supply efforts. The Navy also recognized the necessity of rapid air support for the river boats that cruised the narrow canals and rivers of the Mekong Delta. It was from that need that HA(L)-3 was commissioned in 1967 and adopted the call sign and nickname Seawolf for the helicopters.

Conrad Jaburg, Seawolf Pilot, USNaval Aviator Retired

John Gana, Naval Aviator 'nam war games,      USN Retired, at book signing Houston TX,  Marcus Luttrell's book            "LONE SURVIVOR."
 

Doc Rio, 

It was good to meet you out there at the book signing. It’s always pretty inspirational to me when a couple Christians can meet in a crowd like that. I spent one year in south Vietnam (Sept 70-71) at Binh Thuy (3 months driving slicks) and Nam Can / Det One (9 months driving guns). I did another 6 months off Haiphong in the Tonkin Gulf. I went back in the early 80’s and motored around off Da Nang for a while watching the Russians. 

We worked with the Teams assigned to Nam Can and Cau Mau, slightly north of us. Do you remember Tom Richards. He ran the school at Coronado and later became an O-7, headed up Specwarcom. I was on the mission when he and Grant got shot up in ’71. Det One Seawolves got shot up a lot, they used to brief the CO at Binh Thuy every morning. The same question – How many dets got mortared last night and how many rounds did Det One take. We got it most nights. We worked closely with our SEAL buds, in fact the base CO at Nam Can put us at opposite ends of the base. He said it was for protection to spread out his fighting forces. I think he mostly wanted to keep the SEALs and Wolves separated so we would not tear up the base too much. We had some great times out there. Some good missions too. 

I did the Run for the Wall about a month ago,on my Harley.. Check out www.rftw.org , I did the southern route. It’s a mission, not a party.

 We have a specific southern route site at http://www.rftwsr-2006.us/.us . If you have a scooter or some friends that are interested in making the run next year, let me know. We had several hundred make it this year, four were wolves this time, a “wolf pack”. 

Already planning to do it again next year. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtTlDucGszU , My bike and I are in that video about a minute and a half in it. 

Take care brother, welcome home!           John “Ice Pac” 
                                                    
John.Gana @ coair.com

 

 

Seawolf Vietnam Pilot:  Capt. Gerald M. “Jerry” Weber, USN (Ret.)


Capt. Jerry Weber, USN (Ret.) relaxes in the den of his Fort Clark Springs home, largely furnished with sanded birch furniture of his own design and manufacture. Weber’s Navy career spanned three decades, high security clearances, and often dangerous assignments, none hinted at by the avuncular host’s keen intellect today. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) 

 

In 1969, Weber shipped out to Vietnam, as a flyer in the Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron 3—the famed “Seawolves.” “It was the most decorated Navy squadron of any kind in Vietnam,” Weber said. “You were there for a year, flying Huey gunships, and the average Seawolf pilot flew 320 missions in that time.” His first five months “in country,” Weber flew “slicks,” unarmed Hueys for transportation of logistical materials and men.

 


Weber flew more than 300 mission sorties in the last seven months of his year in Vietnam in the UH-1B Seawolf helicopter. The Seawolves, Weber says, were the “most decorated Navy squadron of any kind in Vietnam,” armed with rockets, machine guns, and miniguns “that shot a stream of fire at the enemy.” (Contributed photo/US Navy) 
But then he was assigned as officer-in-charge of a small detachment of helicopter pilots and crewmen at the South Vietnamese fishing village, Rach Gia, on the Gulf of Thailand in Kien Giang Province. Rach Gia was and is a port town and fishing village on the Gulf of Thailand at the southern tip of Vietnam. “They had a fish market there, and if you could walk by it and not get sick, you’d already been there too long,” Weber reluctantly recalled.

 

At the edge of the U Minh Forest, a coastal swamp of mangroves and other densely-grown salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, Rach Gia served as a staging area for support of Vietnamese and U.S. troops in the surrounding “free fire zone” with its latitude to fire at will at well-identified targets of opportunity. It was a dangerous place. “I went to Vietnam with six lieutenant junior grades, and only came home with three,” said Weber.

His first air mission in the UH-1B “Seawolf” Huey from Rach Gia illustrated the 300 missions Weber flew in his last seven months in Vietnam, flying above the U Minh forest in support of U.S. troops working with and ingratiating villagers, while staunching the flow of North Vietnamese soldiers into South Vietnam. His unit also flew air cover for Swift Boats and PBR (Patrol Boat River) watercraft of “The Brown Water Navy.”

“April 8, 1970. I will remember that day forever. We were scrambled at 3 a.m. to support a MAT (Military Assistance Team) in the forest. As we got near, we could see tracer rounds being exchanged—50 caliber machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, M-16s—with both Viet Cong and NVA (North Vietnam Army) advancing on the MAT [of South Vietnamese ‘regulars’] team along the river. They were running out of ammo, and calling to us, ‘buster, buster, buster,’ which means ‘hurry, hurry, hurry.’

 

“We flew in at 1,000 feet, and then turned our noses down—at 80 knots—and when we did, all that blanket of fire aimed at the MAT turned up to us. But we stayed there and fired for 20 minutes before we had to return to Rach Soi [another air base about 20 kilometers from the fire-fight] to refuel and get more ammo. Frankly, we were hoping we wouldn’t have to go back, but our relief, Army ‘Copperhead’ helicopters came in. They were all ‘cowboys’ who had gone in at 300 feet and got all shot up [aircraft disabled],” Weber explained.

 


An H-3 “Sea King” helicopter watches over a team of Navy Seals, dropped to place a flotation collar around an Apollo capsule in the western Atlantic Ocean. Weber, a “Sea King” pilot, served as chief of the Recovery Division of the Department of Defense Manned Space Flight, 1972-1973. (Contributed photo/US Navy) (click image to enlarge)
So the Seawolves returned, expended all their ammunition again, and finally returned to Rach Soi. “We know we killed more than 60 people that night. I thought the missions would get worse, but from then on they were all pretty much the same.”

 

But he still laughs about a team of Navy Seals who woke Weber up in the middle of the night, during driving monsoon rain and wind, to announce they were going up a canal. Later the Seals radioed to Weber for help, and the Seawolves flew upriver—only ten feet off water surface—as he repeatedly asked for directions to their location. “Can you hear us yet?” “No,” came back a strangled reply. Again, and again the same response. Finally, Weber asked “Why are you whispering?” “Because we’re surrounded, you asshole!” said the Seal, as his men finally ran for their boats, firing in 360 degrees. “They fired a flare, but straight up, so we still couldn’t tell where they were.”

After Vietnam service, Weber was promoted to commander’s rank (equivalent of lieutenant colonel in other services) and was named operations officer for the Navy’s duties in the Manned Space Flight Program. At Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., he was elevated to chief of the Recovery Division for the Department of Defense (DOD) Manned Space Flight (1972-1973), reeling in the Apollo astronauts and Skylab from the southern Pacific.

                       

-----Original Message-----
From:  John Leandro   Warrior26 [at] aol.com
Sent:   Thursday, May 22, 2008 
To:      UDTSEAL1
Subj:   SEAL  Missions in Vietnam 


I don't know if this site will be able to help me or not, and if not maybe direct me to someone who can. I am trying to get some information with regards to a couple of SEAL missions I was involved in during the Vietnam War. 

I was helicopter pilot in Vietnam 69-70; I was with the 336th Assault Helicopter Company, call sign Warriors. My call sign was Warrior 26, and I worked on different SEAL operations in the IV Corps. off of the Sea Float in the southern most delta AO, but there are two missions that I would like information from any SEAL's who may have been on those missions, or know anything about them. 

* A SEAL team needed to be extracted. We were a two ship mission scrambled out of Soc Trang at about 23:00 hours. The initial briefing was that a SEAL team was in contact and needed to be extracted from the middle of Human Forest (sp). When we landed at the sea-float, we were brief by a Navy Lt. Cmd., who said, that the team had come across a number of sampans and intended to ambush the last sampan, which they did, however; it turned out to be the next to the last sampan, and were now in between the bad guys. They were supposed to have some prisoners with them, and they were going to be put into the second ship inserted into the PZ. (mine) As I started my approach to the PZ the flare ship kicked out two flares that lit up, but the parachutes failed to open. By this time I was on very short finial, and had lost all of my night vision, because of the bright flares. I did not want to make a go-a-round because we were the last ship in and by this time the bad guys knew we were getting the good guys out. I did the only thing that I could do which was to put on my landing light which exposed my ship, but I was able to pick out a spot to land. Once I was down, I turned off the light, pick up the team, and every one got out OK. I believe that this took place in April, or May of June, of 1970, but I not certain. 

I would like to hear from anyone who may have been on that team that I picked up. I am very curious as to what the reason that we picked them up, and is what I remember what they told me in the briefing accurate. 

The second mission I want to know about is: 

* In May of 1970, my company was supporting a SEAL operation between the towns of Bac Lu and Cam Mau. A SEAL was wounded, along with some Vietnamese who were working with them. I pick up the SEAL, and Medivac'd him. He was pretty badly wounded; I believe he had a sunken chest wound. I about flew the aircraft as fast as that sucker would go trying to get him the hospital. I was just wondering if he made it. I sure hope so. 

Thanks, 

John Leandro 

Warrior26@aol.com

Webmaster's NOTE:   I hope somebody out there can help this huey pilot ! Doc Rio


This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

     

                                                       

 

                                                          
                                                                               SeaWolf Pilots

         

 

      

        
                                                         Jeff "Speedy" Gonzalez

 

 

                                        Scott Danielson PO2 (SEAL)  RIP  

While training off the coast of Virginia Beach, VA, Scotty was in a small boat that capsized when hit by a large wave in a winter storm on Thursday Feb. 22, 2001. When mustered back together, head count was one short. When his body was recovered it was discovered that he suffered a broken neck. Anyone that knew him would describe him as funny and the kind of guy that would do anything for a teammate. He was also a hell of a point man in the Teams.  Dates of service:  1992 to 2001


 

send me your picture!          

 

         

             

 

                           

     

                                                                     top row: 2ndfrom left: Bob Holmes; 5th man:  Fred Miller

 

                                  

 

                            
Charles P.  O'Bryan      author: "Combat Swimmer"             Doc  Hammel      also: was onUSS SKYLARK       KIA 'nam   ST-2, may RIP

 

              

             

charliewatson.gif (309224 bytes)

click to enlarge 

Mr. Charles Watson  

Sweet Ole Bill Daugherty  (SOB) & wife Cindy


                              

                                             Bret Lynch (SEAL)

 

                       

 

  

  

                                         

 

      
Does he look like a good with a haircut?

 

       
     Lt.to rt:   Rex Davis Larry Brown & Tom Marsh.

                
                                   Kiet Nuyen LDNN      &    Tom Norris ST-
1

        
                      SEAL Team ONE:      Michael Thornton (MOH)       and Tom Norris  (MOH)                

 

                                                     
                      "Doc"  Moreno   (SEAL)  Team FOUR   severly WIA                 ST-2   Silver Star, P.H.was ST-2

 

                     

                            
                                     Roy Boehm's Toy    also read:  "First SEAL"   a  SEAL Team TWO  mustang

                                   

       

 

                        
       A."Nasty" Nash

 

                                       
                                                                                                                                             

                                
Mike Slattery                                                                                                                        Steve ELson

 

       

                  

 

 


                     Moki Martin 

      
                        Moki Martin (SEAL)  receives USNavy Commendation Medal 

Navy Seals Honored

A retired Navy SEAL, who was apart of a secret combat operation more than 35 years ago, received the medal of valor. Lt. Moki Martin never spoke about the operation and now we are hearing how he saved lives while risking his own.

 

                                                                                        

 

                           

                                         

                                   

 

                   

               

                    

 

                        

 

               

                        

 

        

                  

   

                        

 

               

 

                

                              

                              

               

                                   

                                        

 

<> I believe members of the 50's Frogs

 

                                          

 

 

          

                     

 

 

           
    Jeffrey A. Lucas                     Ryan Zinke                                 Ted Alexander

 

            
                                Don Mann                                                      Jimmy Battista

                               
                                Al Ashton                                                        Dan Toth

                                                                           

                           
                                                            BUD/S Class 264
click to enlarge

            

 

UDT-SEAL ASSOCIATION
FIRST North Texas Chapter Meeting

Come and join the First UDT-SEAL Association "North Texas Chapter" event hosted by Roger & Debra GUERRA with the help of Bill Holloway and John Ware:
 
What:
"North Texas Chapter"
Get together and meeting
 
When:
October 25, 2008
4:30 PM (Notice its PM not AM)
 
Where:
Greater Fort Worth Area @
2112 Chaparral Rd
Azle, TX76020
email me for telephone:  rdguerra [at] flash.net

 
 
 
 Hey Guys, Gals, and Kids,
 
With the help of Bill Holloway and John Ware we will host your First "North Texas Chapter" meeting up here at my house in the country at Azle, TX.  So, lookin forward to seeing all you Frogs & SEALs within shoutin distance!!! 
 
This should be a great time and good ole Texas get together for our first meeting and family event.  Anyway, for our first meet, I'll cook burgers and provide beer & soft drinks for $10 per couple please RSVP (important for food ordering).  If you're coming stag, it's only $5 a head. 
 
 I want our first meet to be economical enough that everyone makes it and find out what we want to do from this point on.  I live between Fort Worth and Azle, TX and the address is above. If you want to bring a covered dish, please call me and we'll figure something out!  Covered dishes are great surprise foods that are usually fantastic and taste great.  
 
We have a pool so kids can swim if they so desire, and so can the adults if you still remember how, this time it's not mandatory.  I personally swim like a gaftop that had a quarter pounder dropped on him (you know laying on its side). 
 
 There are several hotels within shoutin distance on the west and northwest side of Fort Worth.  Cowtown (north side) is 20 minutes from me for the really hearty!  We'll start at 4:30 and go till someone yells uncle, so it could be a long night (we got a lot of meetin, greetin, and catching up to do!).  I'll recover on Sunday with a strong sermon if any one is interested! 
 
I received a good response in putting this group together and hope most of you can make it.  There's a lot of team members not in the UDT-SEAL Association that hopefully participate and our welcome, this is about the Brotherhood so we'll see. 
 
 Bring your smiling faces and any ole Team related photos so we can all laugh and have some fun.  Anyway, please respond by Oct 15 so we can finalize plans and have enough food and drink to accommodate everyone. 
 
Looking forward to seeing you all,
Roger and Debra Guerra  

 

 
Roger (Turkey Belly) Guerra               


Walter Diaczenko :I  have 2 son’s that aspire to become Navy SEALs.  Dillon the oldest, is in the NROTC at Penn State and will graduate in May 2009.  He hopes to go directly into BUDS Training.

     

                                            
                                                                         Roger Guerra

 

                                   
                                                  Joe Hansen standing behind Roger Guerra Roosey Roads  P.R.

                                                                       udt21201969.jpg
                                                UDT-21, Captain Stanley "Pete" MestonFROM: Roger Guerra:       Most of that memory is beered away but here goes with my best effort..... 1st row squated  L-R  Steve Dudley, don't know , isn't the last guy Pat Morgan?
1st row standing L-R Chief Schmidt, 3d man LTjg Ridgeway  6th man-Stan Meston, 8th man Drew Bissett
2nd row standing L-R 2nd man -Chief Janecka, 5th man was our Corpman Doc---???
1st row enlisted L-R, 2nd man Pierre Ponce, 3rd man- Keith Payne, 5th man- Red Hunter, 8th man- Jim Swatzell
2nd row enlisted-L-R 6th "man" ---yours truly
3rd row enlisted L-R, Winters, 7th man-Bill Sweeney
4th row enlisted, L-R 3rd man Dennis Berger (?) not sure but it looks like him, 7th man-Al Grills.?, last man on row looks like Jimmy Allgeier (pretty sure, but I thought he was in med)
Last row - L-R 4th man-Joe Hunt
If I remember any more names I'll get them to you but you might blast out and see if we can get any help!
  Thanks Amigo!
ADDENUM: OK, one more, first row standing, L-R, 3rd man- LTJGRidgeway (he signed my discharge papers.) Need.....more....beer....to...recall, ......must .....get .....liquid.....refreshment.....
Another ADDENUM:   First row standing correction:  L-R 3rd man, Lt May?, 4th man- LtJG Barbata, 5th man-Lt Ridgeway and the last man in that row I believe is Chief Manard?
My NOTE:  I am sure more to come?

Please email me more names:       docrio45 [at] gmail.com         Thank you.

   
                                                         

                                                
                                      Michael Welvaert

USS Michael Murphy ussmichaelmurphy.jpg (70190 bytes)
Navy Secretary Names New Guided-Missile Destroyer USS Michael Murphy

 

Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced today at a ceremony in Lake Ronkonkoma , N.Y. , the name of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be Michael Murphy. Designated as DDG-112, the name honors Lt. Michael Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.

            Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) Lt. Michael P. Murphy lead a four-man team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position.  Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fire, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit's location and requested immediate support for his element.  He returned to his cover position to continue the fight until finally succumbing to his wounds.

            Michael Murphy will be one of the U.S. Navy's most advanced, state-of-the-art warships in the fleet. With the combination of Aegis, the vertical launching system, and advanced anti-submarine warfare system, advanced anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Arleigh Burke-class continues the revolution at sea. Utilizing a gas turbine propulsion system, Michael Murphy will be able to operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.

            Michael Murphy will be the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The 9,200 ton ship is being built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics Company and will be 509.5 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 59 feet, a crew size of 323 (23 officers and 300 enlisted) and she will make speed in excess of 30 knots

             

 

                                                    

 

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