USCGC Point Welcome was an Point-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescuepatrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1962 was not to name cutters under in length, she was designated as WPB-82329 when commissioned and was named Point Welcome in January 1964 when the Coast Guard began naming all cutters longer than. She was notable for being the victim of an inter-service friendly fire incident during the Vietnam War.
Construction and design details
Point Welcome was built to accommodate an 8-man crew. She was powered by two VT600 Cummins diesel main drive engines and had two five-bladed propellers. The main drive engines were later replaced by VT800 Cummins engines. Water tank capacity was and fuel tank capacity was at 95% full. Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360 degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment. The design specifications for Point Welcome included a steel hull for durability, and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight. Ease of operation with a small crew size was possible because of the non-manned main drive engine spaces. Controls and alarms located on the bridge allowed one man operation of the cutter thus eliminating a live engineer watch in the engine room. Because of design, four men could operate the cutter; however, the need for resting watchstanders brought the crew size to eight men for normal domestic service. The screws were designed for ease of replacement and could be changed without removing the cutter from the water. A clutch-in idle speed of three knots helped to conserve fuel on lengthy patrols and an eighteen knot maximum speed could get the cutter on scene quickly. Air-conditioned interior spaces were a part of the original design for the Point class cutter. Interior access to the deckhouse was through a watertight door on the starboard side aft of the deckhouse. The deckhouse contained the cabin for the officer-in-charge and the executive petty officer. The deckhouse also included a small arms locker, scuttlebutt, a small desk and head. Access to the lower deck and engine room was down a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder was the galley, mess and recreation deck. A watertight door at the front of the mess bulkhead led to the main crew quarters which was ten feet long and included six bunks that could be stowed, three bunks on each side. Forward of the bunks was the crew's head complete with a compact sink, shower and commode. Accommodations for a 13-man crew were installed for Vietnam War service.
History
After delivery in 1962, Point Welcome was assigned a homeport of Everett, Washington, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. At the request of the United States Navy, in April 1965, she was alerted for service in South Vietnam and assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One in support of Operation Market Time, along with 16 other Point class cutters. While the crew completed overseas training and weapons qualifications at Coast Guard Island and Camp Parks, California, Point Welcome was loaded onto a merchant ship, and transported to Subic Bay, Philippines in May 1965. She was refitted for combat service. Shipyard modifications included installation of new single-sideband radio equipment, additional floodlights, small arms lockers, additional sound-powered phone circuits, and the addition of four M2 machine guns. The original bow-mounted machine gun was replaced with a combination over-under.50 caliber machine gun/81mm trigger-fired mortar that had been developed by the Coast Guard for service in South Vietnam. For service in Vietnam, two commissioned officers were added to the crew to add seniority in the mission of interdicting vessels at sea. Point Welcome was assigned to Division 12 of Squadron One to be based at Da Nang, along with,,,, and. After sea trials, the Division left Subic Bay for Da Nang on 16 July 1965 in the company of, their temporary support ship. After almost two weeks at sea, they arrived at their new duty station on 20 July and began patrolling the coastal waters near Danang. Duty consisted of boarding Vietnamese junks to search for contraband weapons and ammunition and checking the identification papers of persons on board. Permanent engineering and logistic support of Division 12 was provided by a U.S. Navy non-self-propelled floating workshop, YR-71. During this time, the WPB's were directed to paint the hulls and superstructures formula 20 deck gray to cover the Coast Guard's stateside white paint. This increased the effectiveness of night patrols.
Friendly fire
Point Welcome was about three-quarters of a mile south of the 17th parallel, in the limits of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone, when she was attacked in the pre-dawn hours of 11 August 1966 by three U.S. Air Force aircraft while on patrol in the waters near the mouth of the Cửa Việt River. Her commanding officer, LTJG David Brostrom, along with one crewman, EN2 Jerry Phillips, were killed in this friendly fire incident. Brostrom and Phillips were two of seven Coast Guardsmen killed in action during the Vietnam War. The ship's executive officer, LTJG Ross Bell was severely wounded leaving Chief Boatswain's MateRichard Patterson in charge with several of the crew injured. A South Vietnamese liaison officer, LTJG Do Viet Vien, and civilian freelance journalist Tim Page, were aboard during the incident Patterson saved the cutter and the surviving crew at great risk to himself. He was awarded a Bronze Star with the combat "V" device for his actions that were described in his award citation: Point Caution came to the assistance of the Point Welcome and along with other units, rescued those in the water. Soon thereafter Patterson and those of his crew that were not seriously wounded returned to their cutter. They then sailed Point Welcome back to Da Nang under her own power. She was repaired after a three-month overhaul and returned to service. Investigations by the Military Assistance Command Vietnam involving 37 witnesses were conducted from 15 to 23 August 1966 and concluded with a statement to the Commandant of the Coast Guard that: In 1966 the board of investigation issued its 159-page record and recommendations, including "That no disciplinary action be taken against any personnel involved in the incident." And further:
Tet 1968 action
On 29 February and 1 March 1968, Point Welcome assisted in the destruction of an SL-class North Vietnamese trawler near Cu Lao Re island, southeast of Da Nang. On the afternoon of 29 February 1968 the took the trawler under surveillance after it was first detected by a P-2 Neptune aircraft south of the DMZ. Point Welcome and, along with two U.S. Navy Patrol Craft Fast, waited close to shore as the trawler approached, with Androscoggin trailing. In the early morning of 1 March 1968 as the trawler closed to within seven miles of the coast, Androscoggin closed and challenged the trawler. After receiving no response, Androscoggin illuminated the target with star shells. The trawler, positively identified as a North Vietnamese SL-class vessel, opened fire on the cutter with recoilless rifle and machine gun fire. Androscoggin then opened fire with her battery, scoring one hit on the trawler's "after starboard side." The trawler then headed for the beach. Two helicopters took the trawler under fire while the Point Welcome, Point Grey and PCFs closed. Point Welcome illuminated the target with illumination rounds fired from her 81-mm mortar while Point Grey and the swift boats fired their.50 caliber machine guns into the trawler. It grounded from the mouth of the Song Tha Cau river. Point Welcome then hit the target with two high explosive mortar rounds from her 81-mm mortar. The trawler soon thereafter exploded, leaving little trace. The cutters were hit with debris but suffered no personnel casualties.
