"The smells were alien to me, totally alien. Of course, it was a mixture of fuel oil and gasoline and gunpowder and death and campfires and latrines and stray dogs."
Description of Interview:
Bill Ferguson enlisted in the Navy as a 17-year-old, when Vietnam was “a distant drumbeat.” He describes the Mk-1 river patrol boat (PBR), typical river patrols, and his main responsibility while patrolling the rivers of the Mekong Delta, which he said was “keeping the flow of [enemy] munitions and medicine, and troops, from crossing the rivers.” About drugs, he said, “I never saw anybody smoke pot in Vietnam. I didn’t know anybody that took drugs,” and he speaks candidly about his quick temper and the negative effect alcohol had on his career, family, and life.
Key Words: Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) School, Whidbey Island, WA; Vam Co Tay River; Vam Co Dong River; Song Dak River, Rung Sat Special Zone, C-rations; Operation DOUBLE SHIFT; alcoholism; Apollo moon landing; shrapnel; command detonated mine; rocket propelled grenade (RPG); fireflies; OV-10 Bronco; Dong Son Dak, VC Canal; Bien Thuy; Ca Mau Peninsula; Stars & Stripes; Coastal Air Squadron Two; Napier Deltic; USS Santa Barbara (AE-28)
Key Names: Master Chief Yates, William “Bill” Huckens
Unit:
River Divisions 533 and 572, Task Force 116, River Patrol Force
Specialty:
Machinist Mate, Patrol Officer
Service Location:
IV Corps: Mekong Delta, My Tho, Song Ong Doc
Read the Complete Transcript of this Interview.