Blue Water Navy and Water Barges

[Ed Ball]

Did you know that Seabees provided upgrades to an open water reservoir on Monkey Mountain capable of holding 1.9M gals of freshwater daily noted by Public Works? They created the dam, installed pumps, and an eight inch water pipeline as tracked by MACV HQs in their since declassified Monthly Summaries (I went to the NSA Danang section of the reports). For years, I knew this, but wondered where the 8 inch pipeline went? Until I found a crewmember of YW-101 (Navy Water Barge capable of 200,000 gals of potable water), that hooked up to a buoy in Tien Sha Cove and attached the 8 inch pipeline to fill his water barge to replenish visiting ships inport. The crew kept a journal daily, with dates, name of ships, and how much water was given. But unfortunately, these journals were not deemed worthy of records retention by our National Archives. MACV Monthly Summaries tracked monthly how much water was given to visiting ships, but from 1968 on, there is no records, although the barges were known to operate and assigned through 1972.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), now known as the National Academy of Medicine,  previously addressed receiving water from Vietnam, stating those ships docked while in port Vietnam, would be entitled to presumptive exposure to Agent Orange, for the time they received water. (Hotel Services may be listed in your ships Deck Log). But, they said nothing of Navy Water Barges.

In Da Nang I have found three such barges, YW-101, YW-115 and YW-128.  In Vung Tau I found YW-126.  If you know the dates of port visits, check for Deck Logs that show YW's port/starboard and advise the VA water barges alongside to replenish fresh water. i.e.,  On Friday, 09 January 1970, USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884), at anchorage in Da Nang Harbor, RVN, at 1130 Received YW-101 to Port to receive water.  On Wednesday, 14 January 1970, At 0905 YW-115 came alongside to Port. 0951 YW-115 away to Port. etc..

This becomes significant in that IOM advised the VA Secretary, "If a ship docked and took on potable water from Vietnam, crew members would have been eligible for a presumption of herbicide exposure only for the time the ship was docked (VA, 2008)." 

So how do you find the dates of port visits? If your ship is capable of naval gunfire support missions after May 1966 you may want to look at the dates noted in NARA CONGA reports. Look for a break between days of NGFS missions, then request your Deck Logs. The National Archives at College Park 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001  Another means is by referring to a spreadsheet I've developed that based on your ships Vietnam Service Medal, will give you the dates you operated in support of the war efforts in Vietnam. This spreadsheet shows the ships that are on the VA ships list (noted in RED font in the Remarks section) along with the ships that the Navy Secretary has advised members of Congress supported the war effort. (This of course being a work in progress, and is in no means meant to be official for VA purposes. But is a good tool for further research.) You may want to look for Command History Reports periodically, more are posted daily, so keep checking, they will advise dates upon arrival in port on the majority of occasions.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2017 by Ed Ball
adding Command History link.

[Berta]

WOW...Lots of work there, Thanks!

I wonder if VA will update their AO ships list soon.

I think my husband was on the USS KcKinney- he was Ops Starlite, Rolling Thunder, 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 1st MARDIV ( it was 3rd until Zumwalt changed it to the Ist MARDIV.April  1965.

I accessed some photos of the landing. Rod told me, they were transported from the ship in amtracs and then told to get out and wade into the shore. They were all kids, thinking it would be like Normandy, D Day, in the movies. and that many of them would die as they waded ashore. They made it to Danang AFB however, with no problems at all ....

that day. 

Monkey Mountain...that brings back memories I had when I worked at a vet center  in a  PTSD combat group....

That experience with Vietnam vets changed my whole life and even my daughter's. She was a Vietnamese Linquist , Intell USAF , 7 Years. My husband died before she enlisted. He would be so proud of her.

Vietnam is always here in my home. It is still part of Lessons learned by the Military.

 

[Ed Ball]

Berta appreciate the compliments, yes it was a lot of work, but I hate to lose when it comes to being a veterans advocate. I despise the VA's language

"duty to assist" and attempt to fill in the gaps with what they don't want us to know. We can only hope and pray they update their ships list with additional

ships, but I am truly skeptical.  Case in point,  USS Vogelgesang (DD-862) ran a naval gunfire support mission, in country Vietnam for some pinned down troops,

on 18 and 19 August 1966, traversing inner waterways in country, killing 70 VC and wounding 40 others. The only indication they were in country was the lat and long in the 0800 entry confirmed by ship electronics and visual on their Deck Logs. I won the case through appeal by schooling the VARO on Quartermaster 3 & 2 correspondence course and the preparation of Deck Logs as an official record signed by the Commanding Officer. As well as the limitation/range of their 5" guns. That ship failed to make the list for more than a year. I provided the information to the ships webmaster, and other crewmembers have won cases with the appropriate Deck Logs, and it is now on the list.  But the process is indeed tainted. USS Floyd B Parks DD-884 as noted above, although on the list for a specific date, Feb & Mar 1968 up the Saigon river, still does not reflect the water barges alongside  at anchorage in Da Nang on the VA ship list. Here again I've provided the Deck Logs to the ship's association along with the IOM comments.

Fleet Ocean Tugs (ATF) I submitted a list of those operating in support of salvage ops, and battlegroups out to sea, but the VACO is reluctant to include them, along with the MSO's known to go alongside ships to take on potable (fresh) water at sea, and especially inport. Still no hull designators to make them presumptive. In 1988 our ship was Minesweeper Mothership, MSO's came alongside every evening to take on water, fuel, stores and fresh provisions while in the Persian Gulf. Sad state when the VA Central Office doesn't understand naval capabilities, yet finds it right to deny them of benefits they earned!

I was on USS Dubuque LPD-8 in 1985 to 1988, they used the same equipment to get the troops ashore. Amphibs are at the bottom of the barrel for naval budgeting in many instances. 

According to MACV Monkey Mountain was sprayed with Agent Purple, which is even more toxic than Agent Orange in 1964. The reservoir was in existence well before that, a known source of water for the French troops and may be assumed contaminated by spray mist and possible runoff during monsoons. Of course Operation Ranch Hands worked on the Tarmac across the river at NSA Da Nang airfield. One area that boggles my mind, if IOM was so concerned with water from Vietnam, why didn't they emphasis contamination at the Dairy factory that produced milk, cottage cheese, and ice cream at NSA Da Nang?

I'm sure you're both proud of your daughter, albeit with him looking down and smiling! Sounds like a fine lady. I worked with an ASA veteran that was involved with some hairy intel in Vietnam, pretty tight lipped bunch.

As a retired Chief Petty Officer, Vietnam and Blue Water Navy cases will always be near and dear to me, whether the VA can afford it or not! I've always took care of my sailors, and not about to quit now!

Enjoy your weekend!

Ed