I had pastored a small rural non-denominational Christian church in Oregon for six years.
I am newly married to a beautiful Christian woman.
I have four daughters and nine grandchildren (eight surviving).
Some of the things that I am doing in this latter part of my life
* a writer and professional speaker
* published five books, 2 Christian inspirational and 3 Navy books
After retiring from the Navy in January 1992, I worked as an information technology consultant for 12 years. It was at that time that I decided to turn my life in another direction. The Lord brought me to where I am today. God called me to pastor a church.
Other Comments:
The titles to each of my books are:
Christian Books
Faith, Family, Friends
Am I A Good Daddy? Becoming A Family Man
Navy Books
It Wasn't Just a Job; It Was An Adventure
American Sailor: More Adventures To Go With the Job
American Sailors and United States Marines at War and Peace: Navy Sea Stories and Marine Corps Legacies
You can view them at http://www.iuniverse.com and go to the bookstore and do a search on author - Donald Johnson -- and they will all come up.
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase VII Campaign (70-71)
From Month/Year
July / 1970
To Month/Year
June / 1971
Description This Campaign was from 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971. In July the Vietnamese Navy assumed sole responsibility f or the Ready Deck operation, which was given a Tran Hung Dao designator like the other former SEALORDS areas. Also in July, the U.S. Navy ceased its combat activity on I Corp's Cua Viet and Hue Rivers. The Americans then transferred the last combatant vessels of Task Force Clearwater to the Vietnamese. A final turnover of river craft at the end of 1970 enabled the Vietnamese Navy to take charge of the Search Turn, Barrier Reef, and Breezy Cove efforts deep in the Mekong Delta. Except for continued support by HAL-3 and VAL-4 aircraft and SEAL detachments, the U.S. Navy's role in the SEALORDS campaign ended in April 1971 when Solid Anchor (previously Sea Float and now based ashore at Nam Can) became a Vietnamese responsibility.
The Vietnamese Navy, which grew from 18,000 men in the fall of 1968 to 32,000 men at the end of 1970, instituted organizational changes to accommodate the new personnel, material, and operational responsibilities. The Vietnamese grouped their riverine assault craft in riverine assault interdiction divisions (RAID) and their PBRs into river interdiction divisions (RID) and river patrol groups (RPG). They also augmented the existing RAGs and coastal groups, the latter now consolidated into 20 units for lack of sufficient patrol junks.
This dramatic change in the nature of the allied war effort reflected the rapid but measured withdrawal from South Vietnam of U.S. naval forces. NAVFORV strength dropped from a peak of 38,083 personnel in September 1968 to 16,757 at the end of 1970. As Admiral Zumwalt transferred resources to the Vietnamese Navy, he disestablished U.S. naval commands and airlifted personnel home. With the redeployment of the Army's 9th Infantry Division and the turnover of 64 riverine assault craft in June 1969, the joint Mobile Riverine Force halted operations. When the Riverine Assault Force (Task Force 117) stood down on 25 August 1969, it became the first major naval command deactivated in Vietnam. By December 1970, COMNAVFORV had transferred to Vietnam the remaining river combatant craft in his command, which included 293 PBRs and 224 riverine assault craft. That month, the River Patrol Force was disestablished and the Task Force 116 designator reassigned to Commander Delta Naval Forces, a new headquarters controlling SEAL and naval aircraft units still in-country.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
July / 1970
To Month/Year
December / 1970
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Stationed aboard USS Guadalupe (AO-32). Ship was assigned to make refueling runs south to north from the southern tip of Vietnam near Anthoi Island tracking north to Yankee Station. She was to refuel any and all U.S. Navy ships requiring refueling (black oil), AVGAS or lube oil. In addition to refueling we provided fresh fruit and vegetables taken onboard in Subic Bay, RP. We transferred personnel to/from the ship and accepted their outgoing mail. We also delivered their incoming mail increasing the moral of the ships we serviced.
Memories I remember a sixty hour period towards the end of our deployment to Vietnam when we refueled 27 ships including six aircraft carriers. I was assigned to an underway replenishment (unrep) detail at the amidships refueling station. I was supposed to be relieved every 2-4 hours by one of my radioman shipmates. They all decided they were not going to relieve me and I ended up being at my unrep station for the entire sixty hour period with a couple of hours of sleep during downtime. I decided that I was going to become the best radioman onboard so that I would not have to go through that again. I did not get along with several of the radiomen because they all felt I was a whiner and a non-team player. I vowed to never whine any more and to work as a member of the team.