California XL

Coronado Island is not actually an island, but a peninsula. I could find no explanation for why it is called an island. That, however is neither here nor there. It is a remarkably beautiful place with some of the world's finest beaches and is the home to the famous Hotel del Coronado and just two miles from San Diego.

It is, also, home to the Coronado Amphibious Naval Base and the site of a beautiful memorial to the 2,564 Navy and Coast Guard members who gave their lives in Vietnam. Most of these in what is called the Brown Water Navy. 

I have written before about how I served in the Brown Water Navy, even as a Army member. We trained at Ft. Eustis, Virginia and at Norfolk Navy Base. Running up and down the Mekong River, we were basically unarmed and were often escorted by our better armed, Navy comrades. The PBRs had many other duties, but we were always grateful for their presence and support.

The memorial on the base is quite magnificent and I have posted previously about some of its components. You can see that post here.

 Today, we will concentrate on the main memorial.

 

The names of these honored fallen are listed on several of these plaques attached to The Wall.

The memorial is located near the intersection of Tulagi Road and Rendova Circle on CISM Field.

Note:  If you do not have a DoD ID card, you must make previous arrangements to enter the Base. See Their web page for directions.

Next time, on the 13th, we will return to Colorado, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from California, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page..

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left.

California XXXIX

I ventured into the Naval base at Coronado while visiting the San Diego area a few years back. They have a large "Wall" commemorating those lost in Nam that I will write about in the not too distant future, but, today I want to show you this much smaller memorial that I found close by.

It honors the more than 200 "Gamewardens" of Task force 116 who were lost. TF-116 patrolled the waters of the Mekong Delta driving the Viet Cong into the smaller tributaries where the PBRs and larger boats could not go.

Just behind this obelisk are a couple of the vessels representative of the types these guys spent their time on.

These operations are considered the most successful of the Navy's efforts in 'Nam. The kill ratio was said to be 40/1.

I was a member of the "brown water Navy" even though I was Army. We (the army guys) trained at Norfolk Naval base and Ft. Eustis in Virginia. 

We ran supply of all types down the Mekong River, mostly to Dong Tam and Can Tho. As we were unarmed, except for a couple of M-14s, we were escorted by Navy PBRs while in river-ways. I don't know if they were these guys in particular, but we were mighty glad to have them along, as we sometimes caught fire and rockets from the Cong.

So, I was happy to see these guys commemorated individually from the larger Navy memorial here.

Once again, I would ask that any reader who might have pics of Vietnam memorials not found on this site to send them to me. I will be happy to include them here and give the sender full credit. I would like to make this site as comprehensive as possible and my ability to travel to every site out there is limited, so, let me know what you have. 

Next time, on the 29th, we will return to Colorado, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from California, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

California XI

La Mesa lies just about 13 miles north east of San Diego. At the American Legion Post at the corner of University Ave.and Spring St. is a small park with a memorial dedicated to those from the area who were lost in Vietnam. It is one of the older memorials in the country as it was dedicated on Flag Day in 1970.

Over the years it has been updated and refurbished a couple of times. In 2010, La Mesa Middle School took on the task and added among other things mosaic benches. (Featured in the next post)

The information has been updated, too. The original numbers have grown from 57 to 74. In addition, a blank plaque has been added to provide space for more names should they be discovered. There is also be an permanent empty chair placed at the site to honor and recall POW/MIAs, reportedly the first in California.

I have written many times about the things people leave behind at these sites. This, however, is the first time I have seen a helmet liner (atop the cross.)

The latest re-dedication of the site took place on Flag Day, 2014, sometime after I visited, with members of the original builders and families of the lost in attendance. 44 years after the original dedication more than 400 people are reported to have come to, once again, dedicate and honor the lost from the area.

Next time, on the 16th I will post a few more interesting pics from this La Mesa site. Join me, as ever, at 9:00am.

To see additional posts from California, or any other state, click the state name on the left side of this page.