Fast Patrol Craft
Encyclopedia
Patrol Craft Fast, also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, 50 feet (15.2 m) long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the U.S. Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the Brown Water Navy to interdict Vietcong movement of arms and munitions, transport Vietnamese forces and insert SEAL teams for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations during the Vietnam War
.
The study went on to list characteristics of the ideal patrol craft:
The study was positively received, and the Navy began to search for sources. Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana
, built water taxi
s for companies operating oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico
, which appeared nearly ideal. The Navy bought their plans, and asked Sewart Seacraft to prepare modified drawings that included a gun tub, ammo lockers, bunks, and a small galley
. The Navy used those enhanced plans to request bids from other boat builders, but Sewart Seacraft was selected.
The first two PCFs were delivered to the Navy in late August 1965. The original water taxi design had been enhanced with two .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns in a turret above the pilot house, an over-and-under .50-caliber machine gun – 81 mm mortar combination mounted on the rear deck, a mortar
ammunition box on the stern, improved habitability equipment such as bunks, a refrigerator and freezer, and a sink. The 81 mm combination mortar mounted on the rear deck was not a gravity firing mortar as used by the Army and Marine Corps
, in which the falling projectile's primer struck the fixed firing pin at the base of the mortar tube, but a unique lanyard firing weapon in which the projectile was still loaded into the muzzle. The gunner could "fire at will" by the use of the lanyard. The weapon had been tested in the 1950s, discarded as the U.S. Navy lost interest in the system. The United States Coast Guard
maintained the gun/mortar system before the Navy incorporated it into the PCF program. Many boats also mounted a single M60 machine gun
in the forward peak tank, just in front of the forward superstructure.
The original order for 50 boats was followed shortly by an additional order for 54 more Mark I's.
, and in 1969 moved to Mare Island
near San Pablo Bay, California where it remained throughout the Vietnam war. PCF training boats frequently transited from Mare Island, through the Golden Gate bridge
, then either north or south along the coastline. The only Swift Boat known to be lost while stationed at the new training base was PCF-8, when it sank during a storm off of Bodega Bay
, California in December 1969. No crewmen were lost.
limited their seaworthiness in open waters. These limitations plus the difficulties the smaller, lighter armed PBRs
were facing in the interior led to the incorporation of Swift boats to patrol the interior waterways of Vietnam. Swift boats operated all along the Vietnamese coastal areas, with their primary area of operation being in the Mekong Delta
area in the southern tip of Vietnam. The boat's missions included patrolling water ways, searching water traffic for weapons and munitions, transporting Vietnamese marine units and inserting Navy SEAL teams. Coming back down river was always the more dangerous part of the mission. The passage of a patrol assured their eventual return, as the boat had to make its way back to base. The ambush was usually set at a river bend or in a narrow canal that restricted the maneuverability of the boats. The boats were attacked with recoilless rifles
, B-40 rockets
, .50 caliber machine guns and AK-47s, often fired from behind earthen bunkered positions. Though most cruising and patrolling was done at 8 to 10 knots, the boats could reach a top speed of 32 knots. If attacked the boats would accelerate out of harms way, turn and then return as a group, firing as many of their .50 caliber machine guns as they could bring to bear as they powered past the ambush point, then returning back across as many times as needed to reduce the ambushers. Engagements were brief, with the ambushers often slipping off into the undergrowth when the boats located the source of attack and began to concentrate their return fire. Casualties taken among the river crews were high, as were casualties suffered among the Vietcong, though the discovery of new graveyards was one of the few ways to confirm Vietcong losses.
The first Swift Boat to be lost during the war was PCF-4, which was lost to a mine in 1966. Three others were lost in rough seas, trying to re-enter the treacherous mouths of the Cua Viet River near the DMZ
. PCF-41 was lost in a running gun battle with southern NLF
guerrillas operating in South Vietnam in 1966. PCF-43 was lost to a rocket attack in 1969, and PCFs 77, 14, and 76 were lost to heavy seas. Several other Swift Boats had been lost to river mines, but had been salvaged and either repaired or used for spare parts.
But the Swift Boat was still in contact (still engaged with the enemy). Hours elapsed, but still in darkness, US jet aircraft responded to PCF-12's firefight, but bypassed them and headed for the Australian destroyer
HMAS Hobart (D 39) [p. 100] and the heavy cruiser
USS Boston (CAG-1), the U.S. jets fired rockets killing two Australian sailors, and slightly damaging the Hobart, and the USS Boston. Parts of the recovered rockets had US data on them identifying them as American. The hovering aircraft had also been seen by US Marines on shore, near the DMZ, on the South side of the border. When all reports had been submitted, the attacks on the two allied warships were attributed to the US attacking fixed-wing aircraft (friendly fire
), and also for attacking PCF-12, and destroying PCF-19.
A primary complication, that helped to make the above conclusion, is that the battle between the Swift Boats and the unidentified hovering aircraft started between midnight and 0100 hours on 16 June, and the attacks (fratricide) on the Boston and Hobart occurred during the same time frame, only on the 17th of June. These were two separate dates, and, in reality, two separate incidents. When completed (the reports) both events had somehow been merged into one incident; again, fratricide. It had been theorized, by both officers and men (U.S. Army, USMC, USN) that the, "NVA helos were flying artillery...", etc. to Tiger Island, located just off the North Vietnamese coast. However, it goes beyond theory, when official reports, such as OIC, PCF-12's Combat After Action Report dated "20 OCT 1967" (1968?) for "Market Time Patrol", "151130H JUN-161130H JUN 1968", mentions in part "...enemy held Tiger Island...possible base of operations for North Vietnamese military..." and "under constant air attack from all angles Helo...gunners ordered to fire the .50 caliber guns at any and all air contacts..." There were more than enough declassified official reports that mention "enemy aircraft" to conclude that the loss of PCF-19 was due to North Vietnamese helicopters. It is important to note however, that as of 2006, PCF-12 and PCF-19 were still carried by the US Navy as attacked/lost from friendly fire.
) up until 1995, when Mare Island
was scheduled for Base Closure. During those years in which the Swifts and PBRs were operating, motorists traveling along Highway 37 from Vallejo, which passes Mare Island, to the Bay Area would often see the Riverine Boats making their way through the various sloughs of the current wildlife area. U.S. Naval Riverine Training is still authorized in the waters of the State Wildlife Area, and portions of the TV History Channel Series Gunboats of Vietnam, were filmed there.
makes use of two Swift Boats in their Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta. These craft, transferred in 1971, carry hull numbers P23 and P24 respectively and, while somewhat modified, still have the look of the original riverine warfare boats.
There are two Swift Boats preserved in static displays in the United States. Both are ex-U.S. Navy PCF Swift Boats that were originally stationed in California to train PCF crews. One is located at the Navy Museum at Washington Navy Yard
in Washington, D.C.
; the second Swift Boat is on the Naval Special Weapons Base at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
, California, the original home of PCF training.
U.S. Senator
John Kerry
served aboard Swift Boats for approximately four of the 16 months he served in Vietnam. LTJG Kerry was awarded the Silver Star
and three Purple Heart
s during riverine combat in a PCF. When Kerry became the Democratic
nominee for president
he made his military service a key component of his campaign. A 527 group
called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
formed to challenge Kerry on his record. Crewmembers under Kerry disputed the group's charges. Kerry campaign operatives derided the claims of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, creating the term "swiftboating
," to mean a type of ad hominem
smear campaign
. The term has since entered American political jargon equating swift boat service with smear tactics. In an article in the New York Times on June 30, 2008, Swift Boat veterans objected to the prevalent use of the verb "swiftboating" as this type of ad hominem attack, stating that it is disrespectful to the men who served and died on the PCFs during Vietnam.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Conception
The Swift Boat was conceived in a Naval Advisory Group, Military Assistance Command Vietnam (NAVADGRP MACV) staff study titled "Naval Craft Requirements in a Counter Insurgency Environment," published 1 February 1965. It noted that "COIN water operations are difficult, demanding, and unique. A prevalent belief has been that COIN craft can readily be obtained from existing commercial and naval sources when needed. Unfortunately, no concerted effort has been made to develop COIN craft specifically suited to perform the many missions needed to combat insurgent activities."The study went on to list characteristics of the ideal patrol craft:
- Reliable and sturdy
- Non-wooden hull, with screw and rudder protection against groundings
- Self-sufficient for 400 to 500 mile (600 to 800 km) patrol
- Speed of 20 to 25 knots (37 to 46 km/h)
- Small high-resolution radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
range 4 to 6 miles (7 to 11 km) - Reliable long-range communications equipment, compatible with Army and Air Force
- Quiet
- Armament for limited offense
- Sparse berthingBerth (sleeping)The word berth was originally used to describe beds and sleeping accommodation on boats and ships and has now been extended to refer to similar facilities on trains, aircraft and buses.-Beds in boats or ships:...
, no messMessA mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
ing - Depth meter, accurate from 0 to 50 feet (15 m)
- Small, powerful searchlight
The study was positively received, and the Navy began to search for sources. Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana
Berwick, Louisiana
Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,418 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, built water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
s for companies operating oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, which appeared nearly ideal. The Navy bought their plans, and asked Sewart Seacraft to prepare modified drawings that included a gun tub, ammo lockers, bunks, and a small galley
Galley (kitchen)
The galley is the compartment of a ship, train or aircraft where food is cooked and prepared. It can also refer to a land based kitchen on a naval base or a particular formed household kitchen.-Ship's kitchen:...
. The Navy used those enhanced plans to request bids from other boat builders, but Sewart Seacraft was selected.
Mark I
The Swift Boats had welded aluminum hulls about 50 feet (15 m) long with 13 ft (4 m) beam, and draft of about five feet (1.5 m). They were powered by a pair of General Motors 12V71"N" Detroit marine diesel engines rated at 480 hp (360 kW) each, with a design range from 320 nautical miles (592.6 km) at 21 knots (590 km at 39 km/h) to about 750 nautical miles (1,389 km) at 10 knots (1390 km at 19 km/h). The normal complement for a Swift Boat was six: an officer in charge, a boatswain, a radar/radioman, an engineer, and two gunners. In 1969 the crew was supplemented with a Vietnamese trainee.The first two PCFs were delivered to the Navy in late August 1965. The original water taxi design had been enhanced with two .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns in a turret above the pilot house, an over-and-under .50-caliber machine gun – 81 mm mortar combination mounted on the rear deck, a mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
ammunition box on the stern, improved habitability equipment such as bunks, a refrigerator and freezer, and a sink. The 81 mm combination mortar mounted on the rear deck was not a gravity firing mortar as used by the Army and Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, in which the falling projectile's primer struck the fixed firing pin at the base of the mortar tube, but a unique lanyard firing weapon in which the projectile was still loaded into the muzzle. The gunner could "fire at will" by the use of the lanyard. The weapon had been tested in the 1950s, discarded as the U.S. Navy lost interest in the system. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
maintained the gun/mortar system before the Navy incorporated it into the PCF program. Many boats also mounted a single M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
in the forward peak tank, just in front of the forward superstructure.
The original order for 50 boats was followed shortly by an additional order for 54 more Mark I's.
Mark II & III
In the latter half of 1967, 46 Mark II boats, with a modified deck house set further back from the bow. The newer boats also had round port holes (replacing larger sliding windows) in the aft superstructure. From 1969 through 1972, 33 Mark III's, which were a larger version of the Mark II's, arrived in Vietnam.Use
Although 193 PCFs were built, only about 110 served in Vietnam and the two training bases in California; with remaining PCFs being sold or given to nations friendly to the United States. The original training base for Swift Boats had been at the Naval Base in Coronado, CaliforniaCoronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
, and in 1969 moved to Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
near San Pablo Bay, California where it remained throughout the Vietnam war. PCF training boats frequently transited from Mare Island, through the Golden Gate bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
, then either north or south along the coastline. The only Swift Boat known to be lost while stationed at the new training base was PCF-8, when it sank during a storm off of Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay is a shallow, rocky inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California in the United States. It is approximately across and is located approximately northwest of San Francisco and west of Santa Rosa...
, California in December 1969. No crewmen were lost.
Vietnam Service
The first swift boats arrived in Vietnam in October of 1965 and initially were used as coastal patrol craft, but their shallow draft and low freeboardFreeboard (nautical)
In sailing and boating, freeboardmeans the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship...
limited their seaworthiness in open waters. These limitations plus the difficulties the smaller, lighter armed PBRs
Patrol Boat, River
Patrol Boat, River , or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971...
were facing in the interior led to the incorporation of Swift boats to patrol the interior waterways of Vietnam. Swift boats operated all along the Vietnamese coastal areas, with their primary area of operation being in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
area in the southern tip of Vietnam. The boat's missions included patrolling water ways, searching water traffic for weapons and munitions, transporting Vietnamese marine units and inserting Navy SEAL teams. Coming back down river was always the more dangerous part of the mission. The passage of a patrol assured their eventual return, as the boat had to make its way back to base. The ambush was usually set at a river bend or in a narrow canal that restricted the maneuverability of the boats. The boats were attacked with recoilless rifles
Recoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
, B-40 rockets
RPG-2
The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket-propelled grenade anti-armor weapon...
, .50 caliber machine guns and AK-47s, often fired from behind earthen bunkered positions. Though most cruising and patrolling was done at 8 to 10 knots, the boats could reach a top speed of 32 knots. If attacked the boats would accelerate out of harms way, turn and then return as a group, firing as many of their .50 caliber machine guns as they could bring to bear as they powered past the ambush point, then returning back across as many times as needed to reduce the ambushers. Engagements were brief, with the ambushers often slipping off into the undergrowth when the boats located the source of attack and began to concentrate their return fire. Casualties taken among the river crews were high, as were casualties suffered among the Vietcong, though the discovery of new graveyards was one of the few ways to confirm Vietcong losses.
The first Swift Boat to be lost during the war was PCF-4, which was lost to a mine in 1966. Three others were lost in rough seas, trying to re-enter the treacherous mouths of the Cua Viet River near the DMZ
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
. PCF-41 was lost in a running gun battle with southern NLF
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam
The Vietcong , or National Liberation Front , was a political organization and army in South Vietnam and Cambodia that fought the United States and South Vietnamese governments during the Vietnam War . It had both guerrilla and regular army units, as well as a network of cadres who organized...
guerrillas operating in South Vietnam in 1966. PCF-43 was lost to a rocket attack in 1969, and PCFs 77, 14, and 76 were lost to heavy seas. Several other Swift Boats had been lost to river mines, but had been salvaged and either repaired or used for spare parts.
The Events of June 1968
In June 1968, PCF-19 and PCF-12 were patrolling near the DMZ (17th parallel) when they were attacked by hovering aircraft at night time. Within minutes, PCF-19 had disappeared from an explosion, and PCF-12 commenced a running gun battle with its .50 caliber machine guns for well over an hour with those "hovering lights." During this battle, PCF-12 had been continuously radioing that they were under attack by unidentified aircraft, i.e. hovering aircraft. The response was a continuous one, "no friendly aircraft in the area". Further radio traffic informed PCF-12 that US Forces had suspended all flying operations within PCF-12's area, in order to isolate the problem; especially rotor-wing aircraft (helicopters).But the Swift Boat was still in contact (still engaged with the enemy). Hours elapsed, but still in darkness, US jet aircraft responded to PCF-12's firefight, but bypassed them and headed for the Australian destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMAS Hobart (D 39) [p. 100] and the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
USS Boston (CAG-1), the U.S. jets fired rockets killing two Australian sailors, and slightly damaging the Hobart, and the USS Boston. Parts of the recovered rockets had US data on them identifying them as American. The hovering aircraft had also been seen by US Marines on shore, near the DMZ, on the South side of the border. When all reports had been submitted, the attacks on the two allied warships were attributed to the US attacking fixed-wing aircraft (friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
), and also for attacking PCF-12, and destroying PCF-19.
A primary complication, that helped to make the above conclusion, is that the battle between the Swift Boats and the unidentified hovering aircraft started between midnight and 0100 hours on 16 June, and the attacks (fratricide) on the Boston and Hobart occurred during the same time frame, only on the 17th of June. These were two separate dates, and, in reality, two separate incidents. When completed (the reports) both events had somehow been merged into one incident; again, fratricide. It had been theorized, by both officers and men (U.S. Army, USMC, USN) that the, "NVA helos were flying artillery...", etc. to Tiger Island, located just off the North Vietnamese coast. However, it goes beyond theory, when official reports, such as OIC, PCF-12's Combat After Action Report dated "20 OCT 1967" (1968?) for "Market Time Patrol", "151130H JUN-161130H JUN 1968", mentions in part "...enemy held Tiger Island...possible base of operations for North Vietnamese military..." and "under constant air attack from all angles Helo...gunners ordered to fire the .50 caliber guns at any and all air contacts..." There were more than enough declassified official reports that mention "enemy aircraft" to conclude that the loss of PCF-19 was due to North Vietnamese helicopters. It is important to note however, that as of 2006, PCF-12 and PCF-19 were still carried by the US Navy as attacked/lost from friendly fire.
In Training
The most frequent training area for the Mare Island units was the marshland that forms the northern shoreline of San Francisco Bay. This area, now known as the Napa-Sonoma Marshes State Wildlife Area, was also used by U.S. Navy Reserve unit PBRs (Patrol Boat, RiverPatrol Boat, River
Patrol Boat, River , or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971...
) up until 1995, when Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
was scheduled for Base Closure. During those years in which the Swifts and PBRs were operating, motorists traveling along Highway 37 from Vallejo, which passes Mare Island, to the Bay Area would often see the Riverine Boats making their way through the various sloughs of the current wildlife area. U.S. Naval Riverine Training is still authorized in the waters of the State Wildlife Area, and portions of the TV History Channel Series Gunboats of Vietnam, were filmed there.
Currently
The Mediterranean island nation of MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
makes use of two Swift Boats in their Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta. These craft, transferred in 1971, carry hull numbers P23 and P24 respectively and, while somewhat modified, still have the look of the original riverine warfare boats.
There are two Swift Boats preserved in static displays in the United States. Both are ex-U.S. Navy PCF Swift Boats that were originally stationed in California to train PCF crews. One is located at the Navy Museum at Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; the second Swift Boat is on the Naval Special Weapons Base at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado is a naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, CA. The base, situated on Silver Strand, between the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major Navy shore command, supporting over 30 tenant commands, and is the West Coast focal point for special...
, California, the original home of PCF training.
U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
served aboard Swift Boats for approximately four of the 16 months he served in Vietnam. LTJG Kerry was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
and three Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s during riverine combat in a PCF. When Kerry became the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
he made his military service a key component of his campaign. A 527 group
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after "Section 527" of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code...
called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth , was a political group of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy...
formed to challenge Kerry on his record. Crewmembers under Kerry disputed the group's charges. Kerry campaign operatives derided the claims of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, creating the term "swiftboating
Swiftboating
The word swiftboating is an American neologism used pejoratively to describe an unfair or untrue political attack. The term emanates from the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth and its widely publicized, then discredited, campaign against 2004 US Presidential candidate John Kerry.Since the political...
," to mean a type of ad hominem
Ad hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
smear campaign
Smear campaign
A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
. The term has since entered American political jargon equating swift boat service with smear tactics. In an article in the New York Times on June 30, 2008, Swift Boat veterans objected to the prevalent use of the verb "swiftboating" as this type of ad hominem attack, stating that it is disrespectful to the men who served and died on the PCFs during Vietnam.
See also
- Patrol Boat, RiverPatrol Boat, RiverPatrol Boat, River , or PBR, is the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulled patrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until the end of 1971...
, PBR, 32 feet (9.8 m) long, all fiberglass boat, with twin water jet propulsion, used on rivers. - Mobile Riverine ForceMobile Riverine ForceIn the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force , initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later euphemistically the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the Brown Water Navy...
- Brown-water navyBrown-water navyBrown-water navy is a term that originated in the United States Navy, referring to the small gunboats and patrol boats used in rivers, along with some of the larger ships that supported them as "mother ships," from which they operated...
- Littoral combat shipLittoral combat shipA Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
- Boghammar
- Harbour Defence Motor LaunchHarbour Defence Motor LaunchThe Harbour Defence Motor Launch was a British small motor vessel of the Second World War.The HDML was designed by W J Holt at the Admiralty in early 1939. During the war, 486 HDMLs were constructed, mainly by yacht builders, in the United Kingdom and a number of other allied countries...
- Small unit riverine craftSmall unit riverine craftThe small unit riverine craft is rigid-hull, armed and armored patrol boat used by the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy to maintain control of rivers and inland waterways....
External links
- Swiftboat development
- Swiftboat specifications
- Slate article about Swift boats
- HNSA Ship Page: Swift Boats to visit as museums and memorials
- Swift Boat Photos of the Swift Boat at the US Navy Museum in Washington, DC