USCGC Point Welcome (WPB-82329)

USCGC|Point Welcome|WPB-82329 was a "Point"-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. She was notable for being the victim of an inter-service friendly fire incident during the Vietnam War.

The Point Welcome was built at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland and was commissioned on 14 February 1962. She was first stationed at Everett, Washington, from 1962 to 1965. Here she conducted law enforcement and search and rescue patrols. She was then allocated to join many of her sister cutters in the waters off Vietnam in support of the U.S. Navy's Operation Market Time. She was converted for service with the addition of a .50 caliber machine gun with a "piggyback" 82mm mortar as well as additional armament, placed on the open deck of a freighter, and carried to the Philippines, where she was offloaded.

Once joined by her crew, she was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One, Division 12, Vietnam, from July 1965 and served until April 1970.

Friendly Fire

While operating just south of the 17th parallel, in the limits of the DMZ, she was attacked in the pre-dawn hours of 11 August 1966 by units of the United States Air Force.

She was attacked in the pre-dawn hours of 11 August 1966 by U.S. Air Force aircraft while on patrol in the waters near the mouth of the Cua Viet River, about three-quarters of a mile south of the Demilitarized Zone (the 17th Parallel). Her commanding officer, LTJG David Brostrom, along with one crewmen, EN2 Jerry Phillips, were killed in this "friendly fire" incident. The Point Welcome's executive officer, LTJG Ross Bell, two other crewmen, GM2 Mark D. McKenney and FA Houston J. Davidson, a Vietnamese liaison officer, LTJG Do Viet Vien, and a freelance journalist, Mr. Timothy J. Page, were wounded.

BMC Richard Patterson saved the cutter and the surviving crew at great risk to himself. He was awarded a Bronze Star with the combat "V" device for his actions that were described in his award citation:

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"The first attack caused a blazing gasoline fire on the fantail of the cutter that threatened to engulf the entire after section of the vessel. Chief Patterson, displaying the finest qualities of bravery and leadership, took charge of the situation and using a fire hose, forced the flaming liquid over the side, thus extinguishing the fire. Even as he was accomplishing this task, he saw the second aircraft attack rip through the pilot house killing the cutter's commanding officer and seriously wounding the executive officer and the helmsman. Unhesitatingly, and with complete disregard for his personal safety, Chief Patterson climbed to the bridge and took command. He ordered the crew to carry the wounded to the comparative safety of the below decks area. Alone on the bridge, he then maneuvered the cutter at high speed to avoid subsequent attacks. When it became apparent that he could not successfully evade the attacking aircraft, he ran the cutter close ashore, and directed the crew to abandon ship. Under his composed leadership, the wounded were wrapped in life jackets and paired with the able bodied before going over the side. Chief Patterson kept his crew calm and organized while they were in the water and until they were picked up by rescue craft."

The USCGC|Point Caution|(WPB-82301) came to the assistance of USCGC|Point Welcome|WPB-82329 and along with other units, rescued those in the water. Soon thereafter Patterson and those of his crew that were not seriously wounded returned to their cutter. They then sailed Point Welcome back to Danang under her own power. There she was repaired and returned to service.

Other action

On 29 February to 1 March 1968, she assisted in the destruction of an SL-class North Vietnamese trawler near Cu Lao Re island, 70 miles southeast of Danang. On the afternoon of 29 February 1968 the USCGC|Androscoggin took the trawler under surveillance after it was first detected by a P-2 Neptune aircraft 150 miles south of the demilitarized zone. The Point Welcome and USCGC|Point Grey, along with two Navy Swift boats, waited close to shore as the trawler approached, with Androscoggin trailing. In the early morning of 1 March 1968 as the trawler closed to within seven miles of the coast, Androscoggin closed and challenged the trawler. After receiving no response, Androscoggin illuminated the target with 5-inch star shells. The trawler, positively identified as a North Vietnamese SL-class vessel, opened fire on the cutter with recoilless rifle and machine gun fire. Androscoggin then opened fire with her 5-inch battery, scoring one hit on the trawler's "after starboard side." The trawler then headed for the beach. Two helicopters took the trawler under fire while the 82-footers and Swift boats closed. The USCGC|Point Welcome|WPB-82329 illuminated the target with illumination rounds fired from her 82mm mortar while the Point Grey and the Swift boats fired their .50 caliber machine guns into the trawler. It grounded 50 yards from the mouth of the Song Tha Cau river. Point Welcome then hit the target with two high explosive mortar rounds fired from her 82mm mortar. The trawler soon thereafter exploded, leaving little trace. The cutters were hit with debris but suffered no personnel casualties.

She was transferred to South Vietnam as Ngu Yen Han on 29 April 1970.

External links

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* [http://www.aug.edu/~libwrw/ptwelcome/PointWelcome2.html Article on friendly fire incident]