Tulane Naval ROTC in Vietnam

Service in Vietnam2022-06-28T14:03:21-05:00

Information

This is an on going effort of the Tulane Naval ROTC Alumni Association to collect and preserve the histories of our members who served in Vietnam. If you have additional information in that regard please send an email or reach us via the contact page of this website.

Vietnam Casualties
Lt John C. Crawford – Staff 1964-66
2nd LT Joe E Allen – Class of 1967
Lt. Robert John Kuhlman, Jr. – MIA – Class of 1966
Captain Thomas A Carter – Class of 1965
Captain Rodney R Chastant – Class of 1965
Captain James McCarter – Class of 1962
Project Participants
ClassFirst NameLast Name
1965William RAndrews
1965Ross E.Bailey
1963Charles SteveBratton
1966KenBurns
1964CarlBerman
1960W. GrantCollier
1966Kermit C.Corcoran
1968Robert M.Cosgrove
1966DennisPelletier
1966William F.Font
1973James B.Godwin
1965Michael C.Henry
1963Earl J.Higgins
1992WarrenHudson
1965CarlosIndest III
1966Gregory W.Kahn
1959William J.Lannes
1955Austin M.Lindsey
1964Kenneth M.Mallon
1970John F.Pearce
1969Robert E.Ryan III
1962Leonard J.Sapera
1968Bruce E.Sulzner
1970James M.Walley

The information in the Briefs section was compiled from Association and public records. If we have something wrong, or if you have something to add, please inform us via the contact page.

Briefs from the files
Laurence Hay Turner Jr. (1964)
Lee H Askew, III – Class of 1966
Charles B Barfoot – Class of 1955
Robert H. Barrow MOI 1957-1960
Harry Lamont Belin – Class of 1965
Robert L. Bross – PNS 1963-66
Stanley H. Carpenter – Class of 1946
Thomas S. Clower – Class of 1969
Wayne E. Cowen – Instructor 1967-69
Lynn Owen Cox – 1960
David Emile Crais – Class of 1960
Richard Dinkel – Class of 1967
Ron J. Drez – Class of 1962
Ronald J. Dusse – Class of 1960
Wright H. Ellis – Instructor 1968
Arthur V. Flotte – Class of 1967
Robert W Fobes, Jr – Class of 1963
Tomas D. Sosa Y Gallagher – Class of 1968
Dominick R. Gannon – Class of 1955
Clifford M Graf – Class of 1965
Homer Gray Hutchinson III – Class of 1966
Noah H. Long – Class of 1965
Bruce Ludwig – Class of 1967
LCDR Byron K. Miller – Instructor 1968
Robert Morris – Class of 1959
Dr James Michael McClurkan – 1965
Kenneth W. Moore, MOI 1975-1977
David M. Rains – 1967
Micheal P Reddington Class of 1966
Reuben Goodwin Rogerson – Class of 1945
Robert N Rosemont – Class of 1968
Jeffrey A. Roux – Class of 1968
John C. Ruff – Staff 1968-69
Ronald E. Shrieves – Class of 1965
James R. Sweeney – MOI 1969-70
Michael O. Tackney – Staff 1969
David M Trousdale – Class of 1968

Colonel Kenneth R. Burns – Class of 1966

3rd Amtrac Battalion, First Marine Division located at Marble Mountain


Colonel Kenneth R. Burns (Ret.)

Following graduation from The Basic School at Quantico I was designated an Amphibian Vehicle Officer, and assigned to 1st Marine Division, Vietnam, with Amphibious Vehicle School, Camp Pendleton in route.  Prior to the completion of school my orders were changed and I was directed to report as a Platoon Commander to the recently formed Fifth Amphibian Vehicle (Amtrac) Battalion.  Like any hard charging Second Lieutenant I questioned the wisdom […]

Dr Robert (Bob) Ryan Class of 1969

NFO: Electronic Counter Measures

Captain Robert E Ryan III

After I was commissioned on the Quarter Deck at the NROTC Unit I headed to Quantico for TBS. TBS was only 5 months back then due to the war. Was selected for NFO (Naval Flight Officer) training and headed to Pensacola for Flight School. In Flight School was second in my NFO class and was able to be assigned to training as an Airborne Electronic Countermeasures Officer […]

Michael Henry Class of 1965

USMC: Force Reconnaissance

Captain Michael Henry 1st Reconnaissance Company

1st tour RVN 1966-1967. Initially assigned as a Communications/Crypto Officer at HQ 3rd MARDIV. Re-assigned as Communications Officer 1st Force Recon, due to requirement for Parachute Qualified officers. Designated as Platoon Leader/Team Leader 1st Platoon, 1st Force Recon. Participated in 3 major operations and led 16 long range patrols into NVA/VC controlled areas. WIA June 1967. […]

Warren Hudson Staff Instructor and Professor of Naval Science

Swift Boat: River Patrol

Captain Warren Hudson USN (ret)

“I was OIC (Officer in Charge) of Swift 70. On Nov 6, 1968 we were shooting at bunkers on the south side of Cape Batanga. We were ambushed by on 75 mm recoilless rifle and several automatic weapons. One crewman was killed and a USMC rider was blown overboard and never recovered. Two crewman and I were wounded. The photo is from that day. I’m the guy with my back to the lifelines […]

William Lannes, III  Class of 1959

USMC: Combined Action Program

Major William Lannes, III

I was assigned as the Operations Officer for a Combined Action Group. The basic unit was a Combined Action Platoon (CAP) which consisted of a squad of Marines (and a Corpsman) and a Popular Forces Vietnamese platoon (Popper Foxtrots). These PFs were the lowest level of Vietnamese military and they received half the pay of a regular infantry soldier in VN. However they were assigned to protect the villages in which they lived which […]

Steve Bratton – Class of 1963

Two Tours VA-86


Steve Bratton

I completed A-4 training and detached from VA-44 [Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida on October 5, 1965. Ten days later, on October 15, 1965 I flew my first combat mission over North Vietnam.

My first Vietnam deployment was in 1965. I was assigned to Attack Squadron [VA] 86 [Sidewinders] and flew A-4 Skyhawks off the USS Independence CV-62.

In 1968 I deployed again, still assigned to VA-86 and flew the A-7 Corsair II […]

Ross E. Bailey Class of 1965

USMC: Artillery Fire Direction Officer

 1st Lt. Ross E Bailey

After Basic School, in December of ’65, I was assigned to Field Artillery Officers Basic Course (FOPBC) in Ft. Sill, graduating in April of ’66.  I arrived in Da Nang in mid-May and was assigned to Apha Battery, 1st Bn, 12th Marines.  As the only FAOBC trained junior office in the battery, rather than the usual first assignment as a forward observer, I was assigned as Fire Direction Officer. […]

James (Jim) M. Walley – Class of 1970

OIC Seabee Team 7411

James (Jim) M. Walley Jr. Rear Admiral, CEC, USN (Retired)

1st tour RVN (Republic of Vietnam) 11/1970-7/71.  Initially assigned as to Head Quarters Company and performed administrative and operations duties as directed.  Served TAD (temporary duty) assignments in Nam Cam, Cho Moi and Da Nang focused on constructing military facilities such as expeditionary runways, petroleum storage facilities, river marine facilities and troupe bed-down/dining facilities.  Second Tour RVN 12/1971-6/1972 as OIC (Officer in Charge) Seabee Team 7411 (13-person Civic […]

John F. Pearce Class of 1970

DD 945: WESTPAC on the Gunline

Lt. John F Pearce

Upon graduation, assigned to USS Hull DD945 which was in the Long Beach shipyard. After the refitting, ship moved to home port San Diego. Since so many of the crew were new, the ship went through pre-deployment trials. Lots of training and learning before departing for WESTPAC. The deployment began in March 1971. After the usual refueling stops in Hawaii, Midway and Guam, we arrived Subic Bay, Philippines about 3 weeks after departing San […]

Austin Lindsey – Class of 1955

F-4 Carrier Aviator on Yankee Station

Austin Lindsey, Captain USN (ret)

I was flying a late night mission from the USS Independence in the Gulf of Tonkin. On return, I had a hydraulic pump failure and couldn’t lower my landing gear. Since it was night, the ship diverted me to Da Nang which had a Marine F4 squadron. I activated my emergency air system to lower the landing gear but only the left main and the nose wheel came down. So now I was […]

Leonard Sapera – Class of 1962

Logistics Supply Base Cam Ranh Bay

Leonard Sapera

I arrived at LSB (Logistics Support Base) Cam Ranh Bay 1/3/1971 and found a U.S. Navy operation in bad shape. My Navy advisors and their VN counterparts were not speaking and my main mission was to train the Vietnamese to take over base operation by the end of the year to demonstrate that the ‘Vietnamization Project’ was doable. Since no one spoke the others language I could see there was a problem of trust. My counterpart, […]

Kenneth Mallon – Class of 1964

DD-807: Off the coast of North Vietnam

Kenneth Mallon

All of my active duty was served aboard the USS Benner (DD-807) a WWII destroyer. Her main armaments for Vietnam operations were her six 5″ guns, 3 twin mounts that saw a lot of action off the coast of North Vietnam while Benner was involved in Operation Sea Dragon as a unit of Task Force 77. Our objectives were to engage enemy waterborne craft attempting to deliver supplies and ammunition to South Vietnam, and to locate […]

Dennis Pelletier – Class of 1966

Brown Water: River Section 552

Dennis Pelletier

When I left the States, my orders had me going to RivSec. 543. River Section units were squads of river boats, supply, service and patrol, for use on inland rivers. However, when I checked into Saigon, I was informed I was going to RivSec. 552 a new RivSec just forming up. When I got Nha Be, I met my OIC and AOIC, both “short timers”. They told me that at that time our section did not […]

Earl Higgins – Class of 1963

CVA-41: South China Sea on the USS Midway


Earl Higgins

A couple of weeks after commissioning in May 1963, I reported aboard USS MIDWAY (CVA-41) with homeport in Alameda, California. After the usual operations and one cruise to WESTPAC, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964 changed our operational plans. President Johnson escalated the war, and MIDWAY was an early part of that effort. Instead of an anticipated peacetime cruise that would have taken us to, among other places, Australia, Singapore, […]

Robert Michael Cosgrove – Class of 1968

MSO-488: Minesweeper in Haiphong Harbor


Robert Michael Cosgrove

My Viet Nam service began when it was decided to mine Haiphong Harbor. I was XO of USS Assurance (Minesweeper Ocean, MSO-521) in Charleston. We were sent to Hampton Roads in September 1972 to help determine the best method for sweeping the Mk 36 Destructors that the Navy planned to use. Fast forward to January 1973. As part of the peace process, Henry Kissinger agreed to sweep the mines that we […]

James Basil Godwin, III – Class of 1973

CLG-5: Naval Gunfire Support

James Basil Godwin, III, RADM (ret)

As a Midshipman 1St Class I was deployed to Yokosuka Japan embarked in USS Oklahoma City (CLG – 5). We spent the summer onboard during combat operations in support of Combat Operations ashore. We provided gunfire support to troops in contact. I stood combat watches during these shore bombardments. […]

William (Bill) Andrews, Jr. – Class of 1965

A very detailed report by William Andrews portrays his experience from Tulane NROTC through a ground tour and a aviation tour in Vietnam followed by work with Air America.

Bruce (Buz) Sulzner – Class of 1968

Swift Boat: Mekong River Interdiction

Bruce (Buz) E. Sulzner

I volunteered for Swift Boat Operations. In May of 1970, after completing the QC Officer course at NATTC GLYNCO, I was detached and ordered to report to COSRON ONE, Vietnam via TAD at the PCF/Riverine Warfare School at NIOTC Mare Island, Vallejo, California. While on TAD at NIOTC, I attended SERE training at Whidbey island, Washington and weapons training at NAD HAWTHORNE, Nevada. […]

K. C. (Kit) Corcoran – Class of 1966

A-6A All Weather Attack Aircraft

K. C. (Kit) Corcoran

On my first tour (1969-70), I served in Vietnam with VMA(AW)-242 at Danang, flying A-6A Intruder aircraft.

During the course of about 10-months I flew about 200 missions, dropping close to 2-million pounds of bombs in South Vietnam and elsewhere. Most of our flying was elsewhere, conducted at night, typically single-ship in rain and cloud, at 500-1000 feet altitude, in valleys between the mountain ridges, and travelling as fast (450-500 knots) as the Hogship would […]

William F. Font – Class of 1966

Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) on the USS Kitty Hawk


William F Font

I was a Radar Intercept Officer, flying F-4 Phantoms.  My Fighter Squadron, VF-114 was deployed on the USS Kitty Hawk.  Our Vietnam cruise was November 1967 to June   1968.

Awards include: Air Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, RVN Campaign Medal

Editor Note

Kitty Hawk [CVA-63] was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for exceptionally meritorious and heroic service from 23 December 1967 to 1 June 1968, which included the Tet Offensive, while participating in combat operations […]

Carlos J. Indest – Class of 1965

Delta Battery, Second Battalion, Eleventh Marines


Captain J. Carlos Indest, III

I was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in August 1965. After finishing Marine Officer Basic School at Quantico, I attended Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK. In June 1966, I was deployed to Viet Nam and joined Delta Battery, Second Battalion, Eleventh Marines. I was then assigned to the First Battalion Fifth Marines as an Artillery Forward Observer. I served as a […]

W. Grant Collier – Class of 1960

Two Vietnam tours aboard the USS Constellation CV-64 as an attack pilot

Grant Collier

Class of 1960, College of Arts and Science

USN, Aviator

Initial orders Pensacola Fl for basic flight training, then to Beeville TX for advanced flight training. Assigned to VA-146 “Blue Diamonds” at NAS Lemoorer CA. Flew McDonald Douglas A-4 Skyhawks [A4D-2N] as a special weapons and conventional weapons delivery pilot. Two Vietnam tours aboard the USS Constellation CV-64 as an attack […]

Gregory W. Kahn – Class of 1966

Amphibious Ready Group Bravo

Gregory Kahn

Class of 1966 BA Political Science

I was commissioned in May 1966. My first ship assignment was to the USS Tortuga [LPD 26]. Prior to reporting I attended CIC school at point Loma CA and Amphibious Warfare school at Coronado CA. I served aboard the USS Tortuga from July 1966 to June 1968 as CIC Officer and Navigator.

The USS Tortuga […]

Carl R. Berman, Jr. – Class of 1964

Air Intelligence Officer (CVA-35) on USS Enterprise

I was assigned to VA-35 in 1965 and served with them until 1968. During that time, we deployed to Vietnam twice and were part of Air Wing 9 on the USS ENTERPRISE. I was the Air Intelligence Officer (AIO) with VA-35. As such, I flew with the pilots whenever a right seat needed filling and sent to the same survival […]

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