Commanding officer of the Vietnamese Naval Shipyard, RVNN Captain Doan Ngoc Bich inspecting a mock-up of the ferro-cement Viper river patrol boat.
When I was awarded the "Staff Medal" by Captain Doan Bich, the Vietnamese Shipyard's Commanding Officer, he stuck me in the chest with those long sharp pins, making the event even more memorable. I was also told I was the youngest and lowest ranking 'person' to ever receive the award because I was still only twenty years old and the Vietnamese Draft age was 21.