The Coast Guard in Viet Nam BMC Patterson Honored

[Tamaroa]

Posted: November 20, 2002 at 6:30 p.m.

PETALUMA (KRON) -- You might expect to hear war stories when Vietnam vets get together.

But the story told by U.S. Coast Guardsmen at a ceremony in Petaluma Wednesday was one many might like to forget - even though it has a heroic ending.

In a ceremony at the Petaluma Coast Guard Training Center, the words of Admiral Thomas Collins, Commandant of the Coast Guard echoed through the Gym: "...and courage in the face of great personal danger, continued to serve as inspirational reminders to us all.."

The words accompanied the unveiling of a plaque dedicating the gym and recreation center to former Chief Boatswain's Mate Pat Patterson, and indirectly his crew. Finally, recognition, honor and glory, 36 years after a tragic event in an inglorious war.

Former Chief Patterson recalled the morning of August 11, 1966. "I got blowed off the ladder, woke up, there's a fire on the stern."

The crew of the Coast Guard cutter Point Welcome, on patrol in Vietnam's Cua Tung River, had come under heavy fire, said Patterson. "We knew who was firing. It's the reason we didn't fire back, because we knew who it was. And it don't make sense, two wrongs don't make a right."

The American Coast Guardsmen were being bombed and strafed by American pilots in a horrific 35 minute "friendly fire" mistake.

"I went up on the bridge and the captain was dead," recalls Patterson. "Executive Officer Ross Bell was laying on the deck with his foot about blowed off. I took over, had 'em move everybody down below decks and that was it."

Not quite. Patterson took control of a bombed and bullet riddled crippled ship, with a gasoline fire on board, and the steering blown away. Alternately throttling the twin engines, Patterson managed to outmanuver the attacking air planes and get his crew to shore.

Said crewman David O'Connor, "There's not a day that goes by since that day in August of '66 that I don't thank God for this fellow (referring to Patterson). If it weren't for him, none of us would be here."

The cutter's cook Donald Austin was wounded and ended up in the water and was rescued. "It was a hell of a time, though. I tell you that much," said Austin. "It was bad. We went through hell. But we helped each other out, we stuck together, that's all that counted."

Patterson received a bronze star for his actions, and is quick to share credit with his crew.

"We just did our job," said crewman Virgil Williams. "Like all veterans did. Everyone in Vietnam did their job. It's time that someone was recognized for what we did, what they did."

Houston Davidson, another cutter crewman, recalled: "We had fires, fires all over the stern, and it was just havoc from there on out. We just did what we could to put fires out and keep the boat underway and all."

"Was it adding insult to injury to come under fire from your own side"" Davidson was asked.

"I guess, I don't know. It was a mistake. That's all I could say."

A mistake that provided a painful lesson on the failure to communicate. Patterson said, "The main thing, I tell everybody in every part of the service - communications. You got several forces working together, communicate together."

Thursday, the Coast Guard survivors will cruise San Francisco bay on a cutter much like the one they were on when U.S. planes attacked them in Vietnam 36 years ago.


(Copyright 2002 KRON 4 News. All Rights Reserved.)

BillD