USS Camp (DE-251) - Vietnam

Vietnam

In 1965, Camp was sent to Indo-China for coastal patrol and interdiction by the US Navy (Operation Market Time).

On 7 August 1967, the Camp was notified that the Vietcong were overrunning the Vietnamese Naval Junk Base 16 on the Song Tra Khuc River. At flank speed Camp sped to the aid of the Vietnamese and an American Adviser. Camp was directed to assume the duties of Operational Scene Commander and provide gunfire support as required, Arriving on the scene within the hour, Camp was unable to fire as spotters were not available and targets unidentified. As it was tactically infeasible to support a counter-offensive, camp directed PCF's to enter the river and evacuate wounded personnel. For the next three nights, Camp provided star shell illumination to the base as it braced itself against further attack until its defenders had adequately rebuilt their defenses. Dawn, 7 August 1967, found the Camp off the mouth of the Song Tra Khuc River. A PCF made Camp’s starboard side, her decks crowded with wounded Vietnamese. Immediately the Camp sprang into action assisting the wounded refugees with medical care, food, and shelter. The scene was not pleasant, nonetheless, Camp personnel worked hard to bring comfort to those in distress. As one PCF patrol boat raced to the ship, a Vietnamese woman gave birth to a child; Camp treated 15 wounded Vietnamese including a U.S. Naval Advisor and a tiny Vietnamese baby. Camp called U.S. Army medical helicopters to the scene for evacuation of all wounded. Controlling the “helos” which hovered over the fantail hoisting aboard the injured was a delicate operation. The precise timing and seamanship displayed by each man hastened the life-saving evacuation of the wounded to a U.S. Army hospital in Quang Ngai. In addition to the evacuated patients, Camp directed PCF's to take 25 other evacuees to Chu Lai live for safety.

Assigned to Taiwan Patrol duties in late September 1967, the Camp proceeded to Kaohsiung to relieve the USS Wilhoite (DER 397). After setting up her patrol barrier in the formidable Formosa Straits, the Camp found it necessary to head north at flank speed to avoid the invading typhoon Carla. Running into 40 foot seas and 70 knot winds which remained unabated for several days, the Camp suffered total destruction of the forward gun shield and loss of the fire control radar system. Subsequent high seas washed the remnants of the gun shield over the side and reduced the remainder of mount 31 to mere junk. After the typhoon, she was directed to Sasebo, Japan for emergency dry-dock repairs, where an eight foot section of her hull was found nearing failure. The enclosed rear gun mount 32 was moved forward and replaced with an open gun mount from a decommissioned ship.

After the repairs, she returned to Vietnam and resumed duty which included escort support to the battleship New Jersey. She proudly displayed the Naval symbol for excellence, the "E" on her bridge, for achieving high marks in all categories.

By 1968 her radio center had been rebuilt more than once to improve communications efficiency. The Camp gave gunfire support when needed, provided "mothership" services to River Patrol craft and assisted Naval Operations when burial at sea or escort details were requested of her. Her communications center, which was rebuilt in 1968, became so efficient that she could hold simultaneous communications halfway around the world at the same time her local service was in heavy demand. She was used as "Station Ship" in Hong Kong harbor taking on the radio guard for all US Navy ships pulling extended stays.

During the shooting of the film Tora! Tora! Tora!, the interior scenes of the Ward were shot aboard the decommissioned Newell, while the brief at sea gun fire and depth charge scene was actually the Camp (note the open rear gun mount in the film sequence).