Vietnam vets' experience on boats utilized in Iraq

[leftchick]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-09-river-patrol_x.htm

<snip>

Cutler, 58, is among a group of Vietnam vets informally advising the Navy as it reconstitutes river patrols. The Navy wants to extend its reach into the shallow brown waters of deltas and rivers, often the frontline in the war against terrorists and insurgents. Next spring, the first sailors since the days of the Vietnam-era swift boats will relieve Marines on river patrols protecting Haditha dam in Iraq.

"It is dangerous," says Cutler, an author and former naval officer. "But you don't go into the military to knit socks."

After Vietnam, the Navy abandoned its river patrols and focused instead on the big ships and fleets to oppose the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Now, the Navy plans a river force of three 12-boat squadrons. Each boat will have a crew of five. The boats will be able to top 40 knots, stop quickly and operate in less than a foot of water. They'll have armor and .50-caliber machine guns.

In all, there will be about 900 sailors involved in the river patrol effort. By comparison, there were 4,500 sailors in 450 boats patrolling coastal and inland waters during Vietnam.

[Turbineguy]

1. Gee, I wonder why they

did not get the "Swiftboat Veterans for the Truth" to help out. Maybe they had other priorities.

[Monkeyman]

6. LOL

Steve Garner in the water ya right. John swiftboat leader ha ha ha he sink the first time out and blame Kerry it in my book lol

[Sal Minella]

8. Or pilonidal cysts. Or all the spots were taken by minorities already.

[Cocoa]

2. stories like this

make me think this war is going to go on a long time.

[IndianaGreen]

9. No wonder the Pentagon calls it "the Long War."

They are desperately trying to win an unwinnable situation, and they will fail, just as they have failed at everything they have done.

[TomInTib]

3. I did that way back then.

'69 thru '72.

I am still eligible for callback.

[Kutjara]

4. Looks like we're building the set...

...for yet another 'Heart of Darkness.' Get ready for 'Apocalypse Now II'. Wonder what we'll find upriver this time?

[Monkeyman]

7. Bush and Cheney in a row boat

[TomClash]

13. Row, row, row your boat

merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a neo-con/oil dream!

[daleo]

10. Same thing as always - The horror. n/t

[C_U_L8R]

5. Fundies Want Apocalypse Now

Literally

[norml]

11. Or they could just drain the swamps.

It's been done before.

[don954]

12. but will thoes .50s have bullets?

that seems ot be the question nowadays with how they are budgeting things...