From 1980 to 2011 I was a Professor of Electrical Physics.Taught for 14 years in New York City at Berk and then my last 16 years I taught ar Aramco University in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia.
I retired on March 16th, 2011 and my wife (Priny) and I decided that we wanted to retire to the Philippines. She is a Filipina. Have found that when you retire, time no loinger exists! Well it does, but it now belongs to me! I love being retired and being retired and living in the provence of Pangasinan, in the village of Carosucan north of the town of Asingan, up in the mountains with junge and farms all around. 8 hours of driving north of Manila is like living in a fairy tail.
Operation Giant Slingshot
From Month/Year
December / 1968
To Month/Year
May / 1970
Description Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT was the third SEA LORDS barrier established along the Vam Co Tay and Vam Co Dong rivers to interdict enemy routes leading from the Cambodian Parrot's Beak into the III Corps area of South Vietnam.
Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT was officially born on 5 December 1968, when Captain Price transmitted the following message: YRBM-16 arrived Tan An 051700H December 1968, CTF 194.9 embarked. Final positioning and secure anchoring operations in progress with ETC 052400H …movement of boat assets a thing of beauty with all units arriving within minutes of YRBM at Tan An. RON for all boat units at Tan An with movement to secondary sites and commencement of patrol operations scheduled for 060800H."
final preparations for the change of command ceremony on 5 May, in which Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT would be turned over to the Vietnamese Navy, were being made at Ben Luc.
At 051000H May 1970, the ceremony commence, with Vice Admiral ZUMWALT and Commodore CHON, plus numerous other distinguished guests in attendance. Following the inspection of the colors and the invocation, Commander SIGMOND and his relief, Lieutenant Commander TIEU made their remarks. The GIANT SLINGSHOT Flag was then passed from the United States Navy to the Vietnamese Navy marking the turnover. ADMIRAL ZUMWALT and Commodore CHON, the Vietnamese Chief of Operations, each made remarks.
The turnover of operational control of Operation GIANT SLINGSHOT to the Vietnamese marks another giant step in the turnover program. The accomplishments and the successes are a tribute to those who have served so well during the past 18 months.
Along with the turnover came a new name for the operation "Tran Hung Dao II". Designated TG 214.1, under the command of Commodore Phong, CTF 214, with Lieutenant Commander TIEU designated as the on-scene commander.
During the planning and initial stages of the operation, changes were frequent. It was apparent then,that the business of interdiction is a fast moving type of operation and flexibility is the key to success. To be specific, the River LST was scheduled to be the USS Garrett County, which was to be relieved by the USS Harnett County. USS Garrett County was due for regular overhaul. The Harnett County was delayed in Yokosuka, however, and thus a gap existed between River LST's in the operation. A third River Patrol Division was scheduled into the operation but it was newly forming and arrived on 6 December 1968, commencing patrols on 8 December 1968. Since YRBM-16 was unable to support more than two river divisions, the third river division was primarily staged in Nha Be, and transited to their patrol area on a daily basis. They also used YRBM-18 as a staging point.
The units commenced patrols as scheduled on 6 December 1968 and River Division 534 was the first GIANT SLINGSHOT unit to engage the enemy. At 061915H December 1968 a U.S. Army helicopter flying surveillance patrol on the Vam Co Dong River received ground fire and requested that PBRs investigate the area for a possible sampan crossing. Two PBRs deployed to investigate and received heavy automatic weapons fire while enroute, XS 426086. The boats returned fire, made another firing run and suppressed the enemy fire. No one was injured in this first fire fight. On the 7th of December 1968 there were two additional firefights which were initiated by the enemy. It should be added here that this level of activity was considered high because PBR's had previously been engaged in the population and resources control mission of Task Force 116, where firefights with this regularity were seldom encountered. The enemy was engaged on numerous occasions, but seldom three times in two days. This level of activity for GIANT SLINGSHOT forces remained both high and above the average of other units operating in the Mekong Delta.
From the beginning the cooperation, assistance, coordination and support between GIANT SLINGSHOT forces and the U.S. Army, ARVN, Special forces and numerous other non-organic units operating in the area was excellent and ever increasing. The increased water mobility given to the ground units lured them into previously unguarded rivers. With land oriented and water oriented people working together, the operation became more and more abundant and efficient. The land troops enjoyed the mobility allowing them to sail into an area rapidly, disembark and sweep an area quickly before the enemy could hide caches or booby traps. The Viet Cong, long known to be transporting their arms and ammo down canals, streams and rivers in pony express point-to-point fashion, were caught short by the combined efforts in GIANT SLINGSHOT. They were suddenly unable to move freely about the rivers and were therefore unable to get their caches moved away from the river and in some cases unable to even cover caches lying in the open.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
December / 1968
To Month/Year
May / 1970
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Giant Slingshot
November 1968, Alpha Boat A-91-3 (The Alpha Boat I was the RM3 on board) was given orders to get underway from Dong Tam to Tan An, the province capital of Long An Province. Upon arrival, report to the commander of River Division 591 / 592. A-91-3 was going to be part of a new operation called, Giant Slingshot. The area of operating (AO) was going to be the Vam Co River and its two forks, the Vam Co Dong (East) and the Vam Co Tay (West). Operation Giant Slingshot was going to use the boats in aggressive modes. They were going to go out specifically looking for trouble.
A Naval Officer, Lieutenant James Oke Shannon, from RivDiv 592, was assigned to A-91-3.
Memories One particular ambush found A-91-3 nudging into the port side of the little stream that flowed into the Vam Co Tay. In place and covered with river side growth the two 12V71 engines were shut down and we sat there listening to the night. I took the portable PRC 25 radio, hooking up my headset for listen and talk. Lt. Shannon and myself joined Duke and Jeff on the stern of the boat, concealing ourselves and just watched the little stream.
As time passed our night vision came into play and we could see quite well. Every 15 minutes I would break squelch on the radio twice. This would send a, “Hiss, Hiss” across the frequency to the operator monitoring back at Tan An, telling him that all was OK. His reply would be to break squelch three times sending a, “Hiss, Hiss, Hiss” to my ears. Doing this made sure that if something came up and we needed some kind of assistance, communications would be instantaneous.
Lt. Shannon tapped me on my shoulder, getting my attention, he pointed down the stream about 30 meters from our position. There was a pair of sampans coming towards us, three VC in one and two in the other. Lt Shannon gave Duke, Jeff and myself a palm down and shook a bit, meaning to wait. The two sampans got closer, at about five meters from the stern of A-91-3 Lt. Shannon shouted, “Fire!!” We all opened fired at the same time, Duke on the 30 Cal., Jeff had a M16, Lt. Shannon fired with a M60 and I was firing with my 45 while opening the communications channel telling that they had contact.
The firing lasted about 20 seconds, the five VC were floating in the river, the two Sampans, empty of their occupants, were bobbing into the bushes on the side of the stream. Lt. Shannon ordered the recover the two sampans and the five VC bodies and to return to Tan An.
Upon arrival in Tan An and inspecting our booty, we found 100 kilo’s of uncooked rice, three AK47’s, two Russian made SKS’s, a whole bunch of ammunition and two leather cases filled with maps and documents. The five VC KIA’s, both sampans and all the documents were removed by Naval Intelligence. The crew of A-91-3 got a “Well done”from Lt Shannon and the commander of River Division 591 / 592.
