Overview

The first U.S. Navy ship assigned to defend Da Nang-home to a critical airfield and deep-water port-USS Stoddard was the first naval vessel to fire in the Vietnam War, on July 18, 1965. At this critical point in the early days of the war, the Stoddard worked unusually closely with both the Marines and an Underwater Demolition Team deployed to Da Nang. Together they conducted high-risk missions that exploited “windows of opportunity” uncovered by the Marines and UDT. Radarman John Calder recounts his journey from radar training to deployment aboard the Stoddard, through the challenges of naval warfare and the decision to volunteer for a second tour as the conflict escalated. He reflects on the rigorous training that prepared him for combat, the pride of attending Naval Gunfire Support Training School, and the honor of working with Marine spotters in Da Nang. This book is both a personal memoir and a tribute to the professionalism of the U.S. Navy, offering a rare, firsthand perspective on the early naval operations of the Vietnam War. AUTHOR: John Calder was a radarman on the USS Stoddard, the first naval vessel assigned as Da Nang Harbor Defense Ship, and the first destroyer to fire a round in the Vietnam War. His second consecutive tour was on a destroyer conducting NGFS mission along the entire coast of South Vietnam. 20 maps, charts, personal photos, and documents

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9781636245980

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Reviews

""For an account of the Vietnam War service of a patriotic, Christian American serving on destroyers, the book can be recommended. The author's black-and-white photographs illustrate his story.""-- ""Army Rumour Service"" ""There are not many accounts of life aboard a destroyer during the Vietnam War and this one does not disappoint.-- ""The VVA Veteran""

Author Information

John Calder was a radarman on the USS Stoddard, the first naval vessel assigned as Da Nang Harbor Defense Ship, and the first destroyer to fire a round in the Vietnam War. His second consecutive tour was on a destroyer conducting NGFS mission along the entire coast of South Vietnam.

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