Joe Muharsky's
Swift Boats In Vietnam
The U.S. Navy Black Berets in Vietnam were made up of the Navy SEALS, The Seawolf Helicopter pilots and the Navy Riverine Forces. Swift Boats (PCF's) played a major part in stopping the flow of weapons into the Republic Of South Vietnam by patrolling the rivers and canals from the DMZ to the Mekong Delta. It took a special breed of sailor to fight from the decks of a Swift Boat. The patrols were strenuous and the casualties were high. For those of us that survived, our lives will never be the same.
The Following Men who served on
Swift Boats gave there lives
in service to
The United States Of America.
May they Rest in peace
Click on names in blue for picture
SN David J.Boyle BM2 Tommy E. Hill QM1 Joseph P. Jurgella
BM2 Raleigh L. Godley EN2 Gale J. Hays
QM3 Eugene L. Self BM2 Hubert Tuck GMGSN Alvin L. Levan
BM1 Kemper S. Billings MRC Willy S. Baker BM3 Harry G. Brock
SN Gary W. Friedmann SN Dennis R. Puckett LTJG William H. Murphy III
BM1 Bobby D. Carver EN2 Carl R. Goodfellow GMG2 Billy Armstrong
BM2 Anthony G. Chandler EN2 Edward Cruz
RD3 Gerald D. Pochel BM2 John P. McDermott BM3 Richard C. Simon
EN2 David L. Merrill BM3 Peter P. Blasko BM3 Stephen T. Volz
LTJG Richard C. Wallace BM2 Steve R. Luke EN2 John R. Hartkemeyer
BM3 Gerald R. Horrell LTJG Donald G. Droz QM3 Thomas E. Holloway
BM3 Richard L. Baumberger Jr. EN3 Dewey R. Decker GMG3 Richard W. Stindl
BM3 Robert A. Thompson RD2 Kenneth P. West EN3 Albert M. Fransen
GMG3 Glen C. Keene GMG3 Stephen J. Penta LTJG Robert L. Crosby
QM2 Richard L. Wissler LTJG Kenneth D. Norton RD3 Martin S. Doherty
RD3 Craig W. Haines RD3 Frederick D. Snyder QM2 Lanny H. Buroff
RM3 Bruce A. Timmons EN2 Jack C. Rodriguez QM2 Frank Bowman
Click below to read
Flag Day
A Story Of Triumph, Tragedy
And Love
Written By Joe Muharsky
Joe Muharsky
RD2 United States Navy Black Berets
Forward Machine Gunner Swift Boat (PCF-94)
Ha Tien River Republic Of South Vietnam
1969
Click on my picture for a
Veterans Day message from me
Click here to see picturues of Swift Boat Sailors then and now.
The first picture is of the statues at the Vietnam Memorial with the names of all the casualties from Coastal Squadron One. The second is a picture of my boat (PCF 94) and the names of casualties.
This picture was restored for my friend, Tommy "Trees" Forest RD2 USN, COSDIV 13 Cat Lo. PCF-102 took a recoilless hit through the windshield. I merged two pictures together to show a close-up and added the writing to explain the picture. The original was extremely damaged, and the crane was removed from the picture.
This is a photograph of BM2 Steve Luke, KIA 6 Dec 1968. He was Tom Forest's best friend. The original picture was black and white. The finished photo was colorized with a new background. Another photo is a merge of Steve Luke and the Vietnam Memorial with Steve's Name, done in a transparency.
This picture was of an unknown boat and crew removing a casualty in 1969. I do not know if the man is a Coastal Division 1 casualty or a dead Viet Cong so I am assuming that the dead person is one of ours and added the flag to this picture. If any of you Swift Boat Sailors know the origin of this picture, please e-mail me.
This picture is of Petty Officers Wicks and Williams bringing a wounded man across river in 1968.
This is my friend Tom Forest. The original of this picture was very scratched and had many flaws. Picture was restored and enhanced. Writing added and a transparency with a Swift Boat done.
This picture is of Tommy (Trees) Forest cooking something that really looks disgusting.
This picture is of an unknown boat that took a 57 recoilless hit in 1966. Also an unknown Sailor looking through hole in boat.
This picture was taken of the Swift Boat Home Page. It is from Gene Hart of PCF 42. Photo was enhanced and special effects added with statues at Vietnam Memorial.
This is a picture of the remains of PCF 43. Lost in the Dung Keo canal April 12, 1969. I added the writing to explain the picture..Three U.S. Navy men were killed in action on this raid and thirty three men wounded in action.
Close up of remains of PCF 43. Dung Keo Canal. April 12, 1969.
PCF 39 at sandbar in Cua Dai River. April 1969.
Up A Creek
