Son Ong Doc Oct 1969

[Mke Dobson "Ten Bears"]

I received this correspondence today ----- and it is before my time ----- I think Dets 6 and 3 were still somewhere to the North and wouldn't arrive at Ca Mou and S.O.D. till summer 70 -----    Det 1 might have responded, but it would have been a haul if there wasn't fuel there ......  here is the inquiry ......


my brother-in-law’s brother’s injury happened  October 23, 1969. Is there a chance or records that would indicate the Seawolves responded to a mine explosion of three boats on the Song Ong Doc River in the southern tip of the Mekong Delta? Here is the monthly COMNAVFORV report:
"The enemy did inflict some damage, however, on 22 October {sic} when two RAC (Riverine Assault Craft) assigned to a joint operation at Old Song Ong Doc were mined while beached at the base camp (VR 971 023). An estimated 100 pound bomb detonated between boats CCB-1 and ATC-5 resulting in 15 wounded (none critically). T-5 sank and C-1 was beached sustaining flooding in the engine room. Three other craft in the vicinity were damaged. The incident points out the advisability of greater separation between beached RAC in order to minimize damage from mining attempts."

[Dan Arnes]

Here is some info from COMNAVFORV Reports that might help someone figure out if they might have been involved during that time frame:
According to COMNAVFORV October 1969 Operations Reports

At the end of October 1969, HA(L)-3 Dets were deployed as follows:
HA(L)-3 Homeguard (11 helos) – TG 116.8 Helo Support Group (Binh Thuy) (CO CAPT R. Beckwith)
Det 1 (2 helos) – aboard the USS Terrell County (LST-1157) supporting TF-115 in Operation Sea Float/Tran Hung Dao III in the lower Cau Mau Peninsula [OinC LCDR R.F. Habicht];
Det 2 (4 helos) – CTU 116.9.8, RSSZ Helo Unit A, Nha Be (OinC CDR W.E. Serig);
Det 3 (2 helos) – CTE 194.4.8.1, Upper Mekong Helo Support Unit aboard the USS Jennings County (LST-846) in an area five miles south-southwest of Ha Tien, and USS Hunderton County (LST-838) (OinC LCDR B.W. Borgquist);
Det 4 (2 helos) – CTU 194.9.8, Ben Luc (OinC LCDR J.C. Alkire);
Det 5 (2 helos) – CTU 194.4.8. Barrier Ops Helo Support Unit aboard YRBM-16, on the Upper Bassac River southwest of Chau Pho (Chau Doc) (OinC LCDR E.F. Yaeger);
Det 6 (2 helos) – CTU 194.2.5, Helo Support Unit aboard USS Garrett County (LST-748) [OinC LCDR V. Beck];
Det 7 (2 helos) – CTE 194.9.8.3, Tay Ninh (OinC LCDR M.L. Stock);
Det 8 (2 helos) – CTU 194.3.3, Interdiction Ops Helo Support Unit aboard USS Harnett County (LST-821) approximately 10 miles West of Rach Gia (OinC LCDR D.W. Strey);
Det 9 (2 helos) – aboard YRBM-21 located approximately 3 miles Northwest of An Long [OinC LCDR R.J. Touhey]

Dan