Overview

On the same day the Japanese surrender ended World War II, Vietnamese nationalists declared independence from France. Within weeks, France sought to reestablish colonial rule. American merchant seamen arriving in French ports to ship GIs back to the U.S. were dismayed when French troops bound for Vietnam came aboard instead. Many of these seamen objected because American veterans awaited transport home and because they flew in the face of Allied war aims of national self-determination. Later, with the Vietnam War effort dependent on Merchant Marine logistical support, seamen were among the first to protest U.S. involvement. With firsthand recollections, this book tells the story, from deadly encounters with mines, rockets and gunfire to evacuations of refugees and to rescues of ""boat people"" in the South China Sea.

Full Product Details

Author:   Michael Gillen
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.671kg
ISBN:  

9781476688152

ISBN 10:   147668815
Pages:   376
Publication Date:   17 March 2023
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations and Acronyms Preface: Not Just “Minding Their Own Business” Part One—The First Indochina (French) War  1. For Want of a Ship  2. Sailing into War (1945)  3. A Curious “Neutrality” (1946–1949)  4. “America was with the French” (1950–1953)  5. Passage to Freedom (1954–1955) Part Two—The Second Indochina (American) War  6. Signing on with Diem (1956–1959)  7. Kennedy’s Burden (1960–1963)  8. “Sealift’s Future Termed Assured” (1964)  9. Breakout (1965) 10. Rung Sat: Through the Killer Jungle (1966) 11. Turnaround (1967) 12. The Fireworks of Tet (1968) 13. Peak (1969) 14. Vietnamization (1970) 15. Empty Ship and Last Ship Sunk (1971–1972) 16. The “Leopard Spot” Ceasefire (1973–1974) 17. Evacuation Under Fire (1975) 18. Captain Flink’s Story: The 16,600 19. Mayaguez: The Last Battle Part Three—Aftermath 20. Boat People 21. When the Ships Returned (and the Search for MIAs) Epilogue: Return to Tam Bao Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

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Author Information

A former merchant seaman, Michael Gillen (Ph.D., public history, New York University) was later a maritime labor reporter, an historic site curator and a program director and professor of Asian history at Pace University in New York. He also directed the project that preserved the Liberty Ship John W. Brown as an operational World War II ship museum in Baltimore. He lives in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania.

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