Vietnam War

As America’s role in the Vietnam conflict escalated, President Lyndon B. Johnson committed the Coast Guard for deployment to war-torn Southeast Asia. Some eight thousand Coast Guardsmen served in Vietnam, supporting both combat and traditional service missions. 82-foot Point-class patrol boats proved to be both adaptable and capable in the conduct of interdiction and combat missions. Five high endurance cutters (WHEC), primarily assigned to the Gulf of Thailand, supported a variety of combat missions. The Coast Guard also provided port security, Explosives Loading Detachments, installation and maintenance of aids-to-navigation, established LORAN stations in both Vietnam and Thailand, and conducted search and rescue missions.