!!!! THE YRBM 20 !!!
VINH LONG |
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A Sea Wolf helicopter lifts from the deck of the YRBM 20.
Photo courtesy of Steve Crandall
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com.com
Steve Crandall operated LCM 8
The YRBM 20, known as the Delta Hilton, was a floating Brown Water Navy base in Vietnam during 1968, 1969 and 1970. YRBM stands for "Yard Repair Berthing and Messing" It is not self propelled. A barge tied to the stern had diesel outboards to move the YRBM when needed. It was located in 1968 and part of 1969 in Vinh Long on the Mekong River near the Cambodian border. Detachments assigned to the YRBM 20 patrolled the French-built border canals nearby.
The Crewman running on the deck is SK 2 Greg Wilkey
EMAIL:orion18[ at ]bellsouth.net
Larry Cole XO of Rivdiv 572 Sept 68 - Sept 69 gives this account:
EMAIL:lencho[ at ]home.com
continued from the Vinh Long Page
It could have been February when YRBM 20 arrived, but I can't verify that.
It was anchored in midstream off of Vinh Long, and we (RD 572 )moved again (with the SEAL team). The Seawolves continued to operate out of Vinh Long airbase.
Rivdiv 572 took the port ammi, and someone like Rivdiv 521(?) took the starboard.
I got the wood for the original structures on the port ammi by trading a 50 Cal MG to the Army at Vinh Long airbase. The rivdiv on the other side did something like that, and the beer bar was the result.
In the Spring, possibly in April, I left Vinh Long with six PBR's and moved up river to An Long. The Garrett County LST-? was anchored off of the Grand Canal, and the embarked river division was patrolling about 40 KMs of the canal. We were scheduled to relieve them.
A couple of weeks after we got to the Garrett County, the YRBM 20 showed up under power of the pusher barge. The Seal team and the other river division were left behind in Vinh Long.
The Seawolves flew in, and operated off the YRBM in support of us, and also frequently flew a fire team over to Moc Hoa to standby at night for the PBR's patrolling out of there.
I forgot to mention an incident that occurred at An Long involving the Seawolves. A Seawolf patrol along the Cambodian border chased a water buffalo across the border. I am not sure if the ship actually crossed the border itself, but in any case it was brought down by VC fire, crashed and ultimately burned. At least one pilot (named Reardon) was trapped and killed in the fire. I can't recall if there were any othercasualties. I don't recall when this happened, but I believe it was not too long after we got to An Long.
Another river division moved onboard, and patrolled the main river up tothe Cambodian border. Their main job was to prevent friendlies from crossing the border inadvertently. If you recall, a mike boat full ofinebriated sailors went the wrong way and ended up as POW's in Penomh Penh for a while, causing embarrassment for the US.
We patrolled the Grand Canal, and got a small fleet of boats from the river assault force to help us out. We generally had a monitor with a 5 inch howitzer and an ASPB for mine sweeping. It was during this period that a monitor trashed out a screw in the shallow canal, and to avoid losing it we had to replace the prop ourselves, in mid-river.
This was done by borrowing a vaccum cleaner from the wardroom and hooking it up to a gas mask. One of our sailors (Castro) had been through some diving training and went on lifeline down under the boat over and over again to successfully replace the screw. The river was high and dark (monsoon season). This was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
It was pretty quiet up there, and we only lost two men. One was a sailor from Rivdiv 572, who drowned one night after drinking too much, and the other was a sailor from the YRBM who fell into the river trying to jump from the mike boat to the barge after having had a few. He drowned too, of course.
Late in the summer, we loaded up all of our stuff on an LST and moved down river to My Tho. This could have been in August at the latest.
We were relieved on the YRBM by another river division, but who they were I can't recall.
I left country in September, and Rivdiv 572 was moved shortly thereafter to operate out of Ha Tien on a special OP. I've heard some stories about that, but then lost contact.
So, in answer to your question, the YRBM 20 did operate out of Vinh Long for a while, while we were patrolling the Co Chien about halfway down the the coast.
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THE YRBM 20
VINH LONG PHOTO ALBUM |
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Refueling Sea Wolfe Helicopters was a common task.
Photo courtesy of Steve Crandall
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com
A Hilocopter being loaded with rockets on the YRBM 20.
Photo courtesy of Steve Crandall
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com
A party in the engineering spaces.
Ken Miculka in the tee shirt.
Steve Crandall in the Vietnamese straw hat.
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com
Night action as Sea Wolves fire on target behind Vinh Long.
Photo courtesy of Steve Crandall
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com
Steve Crandall on Helicopter Refueling Watch.
EMAIL:crandalls46[ at ]aol.com
The YRBM 20 being towed up river.
Time and place unknown.
Photo courtesy of Matty Veneziano
EMAIL:MV1949[ at ]aol.com
The YRBM 20 being towed up river.
Helicopter landing.
Time and place unknown.
Photo courtesy of Matty Veneziano
A
EMAIL:MV1949[ at ]aol.com
The YRBM 20 being towed up river.
Helicopter landing.
Time and place unknown.
Photo courtesy of Matty Veneziano
EMAIL:MV1949[ at ]aol.com
The YRBM 20 as a Seawolf Lands
Probably in Vinh Long
Photo courtesy of Matty Veneziano
EMAIL:MV1949[ at ]aol.com
A Seawolf being refueled on the YRBM20 Deck Lands
in Vinh Long
This photo courtesy of Tom Foster
EMAIL:tomsefd102[ at ]aol.com
A Seawolf hovering above the deck
On the YRBM20 in Vinh Long
This photo courtesy of Tom Foster
EMAIL:tomsefd102[ at ]aol.com
The YRBM 20 Beer Bar and Lounge
It was probably built in Vinh Long
Greg Wilkey helped comshaw the material to build it.
EMAIL:orion18[ at ]bellsouth.net
A new Beer Lounge was built in Late 1969 in Chou Doc
I, Kent Hawley helped frame the new one.
This photo courtesy of Tom Lefavour
EMAIL:jlefavour[ at ]mediaone.net
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