by Gerald A. McGill

The Point Welcome had just completed a 5 day patrol in area 3B just off the coast near Qui Nhon.  Rather than make the longer trip back to Danang, we moored at the U.S.N. Swift boat base located on the north shore of the harbor.  It was January 30, 1968 at approximately 1600.  As usual we took on fuel and fresh water.

The harbor at Qui Nhon was a much smaller harbor than Danang.  On the south side of the harbor was the city of Qui Nhon.  On the north shore approximately one mile away was the U.S.N. Swift boat base.

 Rumor had it that the city was an in-country R&R (Rest and Recreation) center for both Viet Cong and South Vietnamese Forces.  The South Vietnamese Forces used it during the day and the VC used it at night.  I don’t know if that was true or not but neither I nor my crew visited the city.

The Swift boat base had an Officer’s Club and an Enlisted men’s Club each complete with a cash bar, pool tables and tables and chairs, many of which were used for playing poker or other card games.

There was a mountain behind the base.  The other side of the mountain was considered VC and NVA territory.

The U.S. Army had a couple of tanks on the city side.  On occasion the tanks would fire Harassment and Interdiction (H&I) rounds over the Swift boat base into the mountain top on our side.  We always worried about a “short round” when they were firing over our heads but we were glad they were there that night.

At about 18:30 after supper, I walked about 100 yards from the pier to the Quonset hut that served as the Officer’s Club and also for the berthing area for Swift boat officers who were not on patrol.

I was in the Quonset hut playing poker with several Swift boat officers.  We were in the back part of the Quonset hut about 150 feet from the front door.  About 19:30 we heard the sounds of small arms and automatic weapons fire.  Then the tanks began firing.  Suddenly the front door was kicked open and a person dressed in all black who appeared to be carrying a weapon burst in.  Thinking it was a bad joke, one of the Navy officers said words to the effect:  “C’mon man, that’s not funny.” And it wasn’t as the man fired two or three shots.  The Swift boat officers ran for their weapons.

I did not have my side arm (a .45 caliber pistol) with me but even if I had, I still felt that I needed to get back to my boat.  I recall that I was winning at poker for a change but when the firing started, we left everything on the cable spool we were using for a table.

Apparently, the VC came over the mountain into the base.  I went out the back door of the Quonset hut and dropped to the beach.  Fortunately the beach was about six feet below the path I took to the Officer’s Club, having been eroded by the waves.

I had played soccer and baseball at the Coast Guard Academy, but I was not noted for my speed. But I am certain this was the fastest 100 yard dash I ever ran.

As I got closer to the boat, I could hear some of my crew yelling “Run, Skipper, Run”.  Apparently they could see me with the night vision glasses.  When they pulled me aboard, I was proud of my crew.  The vessel was blacked out, both engines were running, all mooring lines had been cast off and all the machine guns were manned.  Someone said, “All hands are accounted for.” 

 We turned the boat and headed out into the harbor.  All lines of communication were so overloaded no one could communicate with anyone.

 I made the decision to return to our previous Market Time area in 3B.

We didn’t know at the time that this was the start of the Tet Offensive throughout South Vietnam.