USS Whitfield County (LST-1169) - Vietnam War - 1967

1967

Whitfield County sailed for Vietnamese waters on 29 December, bound for Vung Tau and her first deployment with riverine forces. Slated to join River Assault Flotilla 1, Whitfield County arrived at Cape Saint Jacques on 7 January 1967, embarked a river pilot and one River Assault Flotilla liaison officer and proceeded up the muddy Long Tau River to Saigon. She subsequently beached at Newport South Ramp that evening and remained there until 10 January 1967, embarking men and equipment of River Assault Flotilla I.

Departing Saigon on 10 January 1967, Whitfield County arrived at Vung Tau late that same evening. The next day she began providing messing, berthing, and logistical support for the men of the river assault force and the 1,800 troops from the U.S. Army's 9th Division, who were training with the riverine forces. On 26 February 1967, Whitfield County weighed anchor and headed for Yokosuka, arriving there on 9 March 1967. On 5 April 1967, she got underway for Okinawa to load cargo for South Vietnam. A port visit slated for 11 April 1967 at Keelung, Taiwan, was cancelled due to the urgent need for landing ships tank for the impending Operation Oregon. Whitfield County sped to Chu Lai, reached that port on 15 April 1967, and discharged her cargo upon arrival. She then took on board 92 tons of vehicles, 200 officers and men, and the cargo of a Marine Corps headquarters battalion; and proceeded to Danang, where she arrived on 16 April 1967.

Offloading upon her arrival, Whitfield County came under the operational control of Naval Support Activities (NavSuppAct) Danang to support Operation Oregon and remained in that status until 23 April 1967. During that time, she conducted two beachings at Chu Lai and transported a total of 1,300 tons of general cargo, bombs, and vehicles.

Released from Operation Oregon on 23 April 1967, Whitfield County departed Chu Lai and headed toward the Philippines for type training and a visit to Manila. En route, however, dhr was ordered to proceed at "all best speed" to Subic Bay. Upon arrival there on 25 April 1967, she loaded cargo from attack cargo ship USS Seminole (AKA-104). Then, after picking up additional ammunition, Whitfield County got underway on 27 April 1967, bound for South Vietnam.

On the morning of 30 April 1967, Whitfield County rendezvoused with Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) Alfa, consisting of amphibious assault ship USS Okinawa (LPH-3), attack transport USS Bayfield (APA-33), and landing ship dock USS Point Defiance (LSD-31), which was then conducting Operation Beaver Cage. The operation, an over-the-beach landing in quest of one battalion and three companies of local Viet Cong guerrillas and at least one North Vietnamese Army (NVA) battalion, had begun on 28 April 1967.

Assigned an operational area after transferring men and mail brought out from Subic Bay, Whitfield County steamed in the amphibious objective area until 10 May 1967, when she embarked 100 patients and 100 empty oxygen bottles from hospital ship USS Sanctuary (AH-17) for transportation to Danang. Reaching Danang on 11 May 1967, Whitfield County returned to Amphibious Ready Group "Alfa" on the morning of 13 May 1967, again landed passengers and delivered mail, refilled oxygen bottles, ice cream, and other dairy products to Sanctuary. Upon the termination of Operation Beaver Cage that afternoon, the enemy having fled, Whitfield County' proceeded to a holding area at sea northeast of Danang and rendezvoused with the other ships of the amphibious ready group that evening.

On 16 May 1967, in a commanders' conference on board Okinawa, the commander of Amphibious Squadron 9 revealed the next operation, Operation Beau Charger. On the morning of 17 May 1967, the task group rendezvoused with stores ship USS Regulus (AF-57) for replenishment and, during the early evening hours, began its approach to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The largest concentration of naval gunfire support ships since the Korean War (1950-1953) softened the DMZ prior to Amphibious Ready Group Alpha's assault, which was aimed at destroying enemy forces and supplies and evacuating non-combatants. At 08:00 hours, Operation Beau Charger commenced as destroyers quickly moved in and blasted the enemy guns. Resistance at the beach was confined to sniper fire and shells from quickly silenced North Vietnamese shore batteries. Pronounced resistance came at helicopter landing zones, but despite that, the helicopter-landed Marines linked up with tank units and initiated search and destroy operations that lasted through the next week. Whitfield County operated in support of Operation Beau Charger until 25 May 1967, conducting replenishment via landing craft and boats of supplies needed ashore with craft from USS Point Defiance.

Proceeding to Danang on 25 May 1967, Whitfield County reached her Danang on 26 May 1967 and, after offloading, was detached from Amphibious Ready Group Alfa. She subsequently transported a load of bombs from Danang to Chu Lai, loading vehicles there for transportation to Naha, before she returned to Danang to load equipment and embark men of Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, Detachment "B." She departed Vietnamese waters on the morning of 3 June 1967 and reached Naha on 9 June 1967. Offloading the vehicles and backloading deadlined generators, Whitfield County arrived at Yokosuka on 14 June 1967.

Whitfield County returned to Vietnamese waters in the summer of 1967 to resume her support operations for riverine activities in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam, basing again at Vung Tau. She departed Yokosuka on 28 July 1967 and reached Vung Tau, after a stop at Hong Kong, on 17 August 1967. Relieving landing ship tank USS Vernon County (LST-1161) of Task Force 117 support duties on 18 August 1967, Whitfield County got underway on 20 August 1967 for the confluence of the Vam Co River and Soirap River to rendezvous with the Mobile Riverine Base (MRB).

From 20 August 1967 to 5 September 1967, Whitfield County provided "housekeeping" services and support for River Division III, "C" Company, 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, and "A" Company, 9th Battalion. She supplied ammunition, water, and rations to the troops in the field, was the focal point of helicopter support operations, served as combat store warehouse, and provided mortuary services for the killed in action (KIA) periodically brought to the ship.

Toward the end of that period, on 3 September 1967, the Mobile Riverine Base shifted its base of operations from the Soirap-Vam Co area back to Vung Tau to support projected riverine strikes into the Rung Sat special zone. On 11 September 1967, the Mobile Riverine Base proceeded to the Mekong River entrance, escorted by various units of the Riverine Division, who provided minesweeping, close fire support, and reconnaissance when needed. Subsequently, while located in the Dong Tarn area, Whitfield County assisted search and destroy operations in the Cam Son secret zone, Dinh Tuong province, Kien Hoa province, and in the Giong Troms district.

On 28 September 1967, the Mobile Riverine Base shifted again, this time to the confluence of the Cua Tien River and the Cua Dai River, to facilitate strike operations into Kien Hoa province. Whitfield County worked in that locale until 1 October 1967, when the Mobile Riverine Base was shifted back to Dong Tarn to support projected strikes into the Western Ben Zong secret zone, Dinh Troung province, to destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces in that area.

Whitfield County subsequently supported mobile riverine operations at Vung Tau and back at the junction of the Soirap and Vam Co Rivers into late October 1967. While in the latter locale, elements of the riverine forces provided the necessary security during the lower house elections for the Republic of Vietnam's parliament. Returning to Vung Tau on 24 October 1967, Whitfield County was there relieved by landing ship tank USS Westchester County (LST-1167) and returned to Japan.

Whitfield County underwent a period of upkeep back at Yokosuka before she returned to Vietnamese waters at the end of November 1967. She operated between Danang and Chu Lai through early December 1967, transporting vehicles and other cargo, before she steamed back to Yokosuka. She arrived at Yokosuka on 22 December 1967 and remained in port until late in January 1968.