The Cruise From January 1966 to February 1969
Operation Double Eagle was the first large-scale amphibious landing under combat conditions since Inchon.
To see the typical training missions the Tom Green County engaged in while in the Far East CLICK HERE
In June 1966, the tank landing ship came under the operational and administrative command of Landing Ship Squadron 9;and, in November, the ship commenced support commitments for the Vietnam Coastal Surveillance Force, engaged in monitoring and interdicting offshore small craft traffic, TF 115.
The year 1967 found the ship participating in further combat operations: "Beacon Torch," "Beaver Track," "Bear Chain," and Kangaroo Kick."
To See A Polywog Turn Into a Shell Back - Click Here
To See The Fire That Almost Took Out a New Supply Base AND LST Tom Green County Click Here
As an element of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo (TG 76.5),Tom Green County received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for these operations conducted between 18 June and 4 August 1967.
At the completion of these operations the Tom Green County was again hauling cargo to Danang and while about 5 miles off shore she was passed by the the Battleship New Jersey. What a magnificent sight she was.
During this deployment in Southeast Asia, the ship also underwent a yard overhaul at Yokosuka from 16 August to 17 November.
She then returned to Vietnamese waters.
On 22 March 1968, Tom Green County arrived in the Mekong Delta region to commence a deployment as support LST for the Riverine Assault Force.
With this deployment the Tom Green County, Officers, and crew became part of the "Brown Water Navy".
Tom Green Steaming north in the Mekong River near Dong Tam
Crew Comment
The above photo is of a "Pass in Review" for the award of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 9th Division. The river at this location is approximately 800 yards wide. The flagship, USS Beneweh, was anchored in the middle of the river with a General embarked for the occassion.
The ships and the boats with Navy and Army personnel manning the rails passed between the Beneweh and the bank leaving 200 yards to the bank. Remember the banks belonged to the VC most of the time and that put us within range of their weapons.
This in itself was not very smart but what made it even worse was WE REHEARSED IT AT THE SAME PLACE AND THE SAME TIME THE DAY BEFORE! I always figured the only reason we got away with it was the VC thought that nobody would be dumb enough to try to do it twice and it was some kind of trap.
On 15 April, Viet Cong insurgents attacked the ship with recoilless-rifle and automatic-weapons fire. Tom Green Countyshuddered under the impact of nine hits taken in quick succession.
The following photo show some of the recoilless rifle entry hole hits on the starboard side.
Close Up Of Entry Hole
Interior damage caused by the recoilless rifle hits.
Repairs to the ship being made.
Following repairs of her battle damage, the tank landing ship resumed operations with Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (TG 76.4) and participated in Operation "Swift Pursuit," before returning to the Mekong in December to commence resupply duties for TG 117.2-Mobile Riverine Group Bravo.
While enroute on 28 December, Tom Green County came under rocket fire from Viet Cong gunners and took seven hits on her port side.
Repairing the damage and continuing her assigned missions, she conducted her operations in the Bassac River near Can Tho.
THE ATTACK ON THE TOM GREEN COUNTY WHILE BEACHED AT VUNG TAU
An attack on the morning of 21 January 1969 ended the lives of two shipmates, changed the lives of the severely wounded, and effected the lives of all of the crew of Tom Green forever.
We were beached at Vung Tau which was an Army base and port at the edge of the South China Sea, and south of Saigon. We were loading ammunition to resupply the Mobile Riverine Forces in the various branches of the Mekong River and had approximately 2000 tons of explosives in the tank deck when a 122mm rocket hit the Tom Green.
122mm Rocket hit
Crew Comment
It was lucky for us to be having a demonstration of how to use an ampoule to stick in our legs in case of a gas attack. That saved a lot of lives because more people would have been on the mess deck where the mortar landed. I lost a friend from St. Paul in that mess. Ray Kreckleberg was his name. I think of him often. I was walking toward the hatch door leading down to the mess deck when the hatch flew open from the blast and injured and burned shipmates hustled out.
I remember not knowing what to do. we were like sitting ducks on the beach and felt like chickens with our heads cut off. I hope you don't mind me going through this with you. I haven't mentioned it before.
Crew Comment
On 21 January 1969 I was an SK2 aboard the USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) attached to TF-117. On that day we were beached in Vung Tau. My division officer had ordered all hands to be at muster. As senior NCO in the Supply Division, I had notified everyone to be there; however, two sailors were at their duty station and not at muster, Ray L. Sharp, CS2 and Raymond J. Krekelberg, CSSN.
I was ordered to go to the mess decks and have Sharp and Krekelberg report to muster on-the-double. Sharp and I were close and had been together on liberty the night before in Vung Tau. When I reached the mess decks I told them to get topside right away. The last thing Sharp said to me was “OK we’re coming”.
I turned and went up the ladder to the main deck, just as I cleared the hatch all hell broke loose. I was on my stomach facedown, dazed, aching and a loud ringing in my ears. When I came to my senses, all I could hear was, “general quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations”.
While underway in the rivers, I was a 50-caliber machine gunner (starboard fantail) but in port or beached I was a phone talker in DCC (Damage Control Central). As I manned my head set and started taking reports, someone came on line and said, “T-Bone” (my nick name), two of your buddies are dead on the mess decks”. I took off my head set and made my way through the smoke and debris to the mess decks. There I found Sharp and Krekelberg, a sight that will live with me forever.
Willie “T-Bone” Lloyd
I have included these comments because they illustrate so well the modesty of the crew members that experienced the horror of war close up and personal.
Shortly after the 122mm rocket exploded inside the ship, in the mess decks, I was standing on the main deck and one of the crew ran up to me and said "Captain there is an Army General and two Colonels walking up the between decks ramp". We met near the top of the ramp and the General stated that he was the commander of the local area and one of the Colonels was the base commander and the other Colonel was the Senior Quartermaster/Supply officer for the base.
They had been nearby when we were hit and passed the casualties being evacuated. The General said "An LST saved my ass during the Korean War and I want to help you in any way that I can". He introduced the Colonels and instructed them to assist me in any way that I requested. The significance of his words will become clear as the story progresses.
I was told we would be sent to Subic Bay for repairs which we knew would take months. After violently objecting to that plan I was told that if I could convince the Naval Forces Vietnam staff that we could safely steam all of the way to Yokosuka they would consider my request. We had to clear out the debris from the mess decks, figure out how to feed 150 people, get electrical power to vital areas (including the steering motors), and where to get food, and figure out how to cook it, and how to serve it.
The photo of the truck with pieces of table, chairs and stoves, etc was one of many provided by the Army. There were between seven and nine trucks required to empty the mess decks.
The How to serve was easy after the Army delivered the wood and nails we requested. The photo of the men eating off wooden tables on the main deck is the result of their furnature building efforts. When I proposed this approach to messing I was asked where the men would sit. I replied "We live in Japan and we eat sitting on the floor just as the Japanese do". I swore this was true although probably EM2 Carey and Chief Fewer were the only ones that did that.
We requested 1800 pounds of steak, a portable refrigerator container (approximately 8ftX8ftX8ft) and five 50 gallon drums to cut in half and make into grills. The charcoal was purchased from the local economy(I think we used welfare and rec funds) and we were in business.
The final problem of power to steering was solved by getting hundreds of feet of large electrical cable and running an "extension cord" from the port boat davit down three decks to after steering. It worked and two days later we retracted from the beach and 10 days later arrived at Yokosuka.
Few of the crew ever knew how difficult it was to convince higher authority to allow us to attempt the 1800 mile trip with these conditions. I never had any doubt that had we broken down or had to be towed, I would be relieved since I had somewhat exaggerated the amount that the ships systems had been downgraded(like no radar).
After eating steak for three meals a day during the transit the crew members longed for a bologna sandwich more than anything(well almost anything). A few well meaning wives served a steak dinner to the returnees and were disappointed by the lack of appreciation.
The most important assistance that the Army provided was arranging for a Chaplain to hold a memorial service on the main deck for Sharp and Krekelberg. There were not many dry eyes but everyone appreciated the chance to say goodbye in their own way. Sharp and Krekelbergs' names are engraved on "The Wall" at the Vietnam Memorial.
To see the Navy Times article of the incident contributed by Robert Thomas click here.
Did you ever tell someone you were a brown water sailor in Vietnam? Most times the response you get will be,"Whats' that? When you reply, "I served on the brown waters of the rivers in Vietnam", the most probable response to this will be, "I was unaware the Navy served on the rivers in Vietnam during the War."
Well, the facts are that during the Vietnam War, over 50 LST's, including the Tom Green County, served in Vietnam, with a good percentage of these serving in direct support of the Mobile Riverine Forces.
Tom Murphy snapped a couple of great photos while he was visiting another ship. This is a photo of the Tom at sunset with gunboats tied up alongside.
This is a photo taken at dusk showing a chopper escorting a gunboat on a mission to some undisclosed location.
The "Tom" earned 12 Battle Stars, and this gives you an indication of the number of times the crew was placed in harms way.
The LST's of Vietnam were awarded 395 Battle Stars, 19 Presidential Unit Citations, 48 Navy Unit Citations, and 44 Meritorious Unit Citations. The LST's in Vietnam went into action on many different occasions and in many different areas of Vietnam from the DMZ to the Delta, some resulting in the loss of life.
Tom Green County, LST-1159 was hit by 122mm rocket fire in January of 1969 with the loss of 2 KIA and many wounded. Our sister ship the USS Westchester County, LST-1167 was mined in November of 1968 with the loss of 18 Navy men, 5 Army men, and 27 men wounded.
The sailors aboard The "Tom" know the part the LST's played during the Vietnam War. LST's were always known as the work horses of the fleet and the "Tom" kept this proud tradition up during the Vietnam War and served with distinction.
The LST 1159 crew that served on the rivers of Vietnam can tell you what it feels like moving slowly on the rivers hauling food, ammo, parts, fuel, medical support, and fuel to the Riverene Units. Large Slow Target frequently comes to mind.LST 1159 was only one of many LST's that served under conditions, that changed from peacefully quiet to tough and dangerous in an instant. Like most brown water Navy units, they received very little recognition for a job well done.
The crew members of the LST 1159, Tom Green County that served on previous cruises send a "Bravo Zulu to all the men who served in Vietnam. Thanks men for an outstanding job.
Almost all ships that sail to the Far East have an opportunity to visit Hong Kong. It is an exotic place to go on liberty and the Tom Green Sailors were given this opportunity. I do not have any photos of the time ashore but Tom Murphy contributed some photos of the ship anchored at night in Hong Kong harbor while he had the duty.
To See LST Tom Green County anchored in Hong Kong Harbor at nightClick Here
This is the end of the Sixth Cruise.
-People
have visited this page.Cruise 6 Photo Album
Cruise 6 Roster, December 1966
