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12-05-08
GMC John M. Staehle, USNR (Ret.)
It's
good to know that we small boat sailors are
still out there.
I went into the Navy in 9/69 to 8/73 and
after going to GM “A” school found myself
going to Naval Inshore Operations in Vallejo
and having the first ride on LSSC and other
small boats. During that school from
4/70-6/70 I went through SERE and three of
the camp guards were from the USS Pueblo.
That was quite an experience for all. After
completing NIO and learning who the SEALs
were all about as they were are instructors
for the most part many of us went to BSU1 in
Coronado, at the end of the piers and
watched as the BUDS students ran to the chow
hall every day and back to the beach, we
knew we were in for training with a SEAL det
as a boat crew for MSSCs was being put
together about August 70.
I was a GMGSN at the time and volunteered
for the boat crew. After about 4 more weeks
of night training with a SEAL det as the bad
guys we were sent over to ‘Nam on a creeking
Navy DC-6 right to Saigon.
After reporting to the Navy command and
receiving signed orders by Adm. Elmo Zumwalt
himself we were sent to Can To where we met
the OIC of all SpecWar in the area. Our MSSC
and LSSC operated from Solid Anchor at the
time and our patrols were closely watched by
the VC and as often during the day as night
we were fired upon with automatic weapons
and sometimes B-40 rockets, two of which hit
out MSSC below the waterline but never
detonated with enough force to injure
anyone. After many night ops the SEALs in
the area conducted a daylight raid on a
heavily fortified VC compound and blew
everything sky high with the help of the
Black Ponies. The next night VC sappers swam
up to an Alpha and Mike 8 and blew them
clear out of the river. That was the only
big attack on SF/SA that I recall while I
was there, I’m sure Bob Stoner has more
stories. If you get a hold of him, ask him
about having to toss 2 mint condition WW2
Tommy Guns into the river after taking them
apart! He’ll love that story!
Around Thanksgiving we moved back to Can
Tho for re-fit and re-painting the boats and
liberty. We were surrounded by real Navy and
they didn’t think too highly of us until
told by myself who we were attached to, when
an O-2 bought me drinks for the rest of the
morning after I had respectfully told him
that by saluting him I would make him a good
target for a VC sniper. The SEAL det OIC
made him apologize and he felt kind of
insignificant for rest of the day.
Around Christmas we moved up the Delta to
Bac Lu/ Bihn Thuy near an Army FAC base were
the Sea Bees built us hootches and we
proceeded to operate there until March ’71.
No one in the boats or SEAL team got hurt,
wounded or anything in spite of the action.
All the while there we heard the stories
about the ANZACs and how they conducted
ambushes on the VC and never lost anyone, I
think the SEALs adopted many of their
tactics. 12 guys in a circle with firing
points pre-selected are pretty hard to pin
down!
When I got back to Coronado I was assigned
to the PTF squadron on Boat #20, as a GMGSN
my duty was on the Sea Mortar/.50 cal mount,
the best combination weapon I had ever seen.
Our MSSC in ‘Nam had a 60mm Sea Mortar
mounted on the Starboard stairwell.
Along about Sept ’71 we were training to go
back to ‘Nam on the PTFs but that never took
place, one of the boats did come back with
bullet holes in it from ‘Nam but no one was
supposed to know were and what it was doing
there. We found out later.
As of April ’72 I was transferred to the
Great Grey Fleet and the USS Mount Vernon
(LSD-39). At least I was still part of the
Gator Navy!
After a long break in service I went back
on active duty in 1981 as a GMT and made
Second Class during that time while assigned
to NAVMAG Guam and then the USS John F.
Kennedy. As I mentioned I then went directly
into the Reserves in Little Creek after
getting off active duty in June 1985. I went
to the SBR-2 HQ and worked with the Chief
Staff Officer’s Department. They read my
service record only to find out I had been
with BSU-1 years ago and made me the Supply
and Logistics PO for the new SEAL boats at
the time, the one’s with the colapsing
canopies, Sea Fox if I’m correct. I also
served in the weps shop and kept my quals in
small arms and the M-60 and M2 machine guns.
After numerous assignments in the NAVSTA
Rota Det 0167 including Base Police and
Instructor I retired from SelRes in 1999
after making GMC, a goal I had set in 1969
during boot camp in Great Lakes, my CC was a
GMGC and definitely made an impression on me
that has endured all challenges and I would
never trade anything for the experience.
Thanks very much for the opportunity to
share this with you.
John Staehle,
USNR (Ret.) johncpo41@hotmail.com |
