“What did you do in the war, Daddy?” This is a question I thankfully have some answers to from my Dad’s writings and photos from Vietnam. In my role as custodian of family photos, I’m sometimes bowled over by items I come across. One recent discovery is something rare and amazing – the Coast Guard “cruise book” of the USCGC Pontchartrain (WHEC-70) during its time in Vietnam in 1970. My Dad (LeRoy Reinburg, Jr.) served as Commanding Officer for six months of the cutter’s ten-month deployment. The cruise book is a window into the Coast Guard’s service in the war and provides photos of the personnel on board along with short summaries of what they did and saw. This editor is grateful to the individuals from the Pontchartrain who compiled and printed this volume. I think it should be available for all who are interested in the Coast Guard’s history and service in Vietnam.
Thanks to the technical assistance of my husband, we post here a scanned, low-resolution PDF of the USCGC Pontchartrain’s 1970 cruise book from Vietnam. It’s an important and sometimes amusing record of life aboard the Pontchartrain during Operation Market Time in Vietnam in 1970. I’ve created an alphabetical list of all the names mentioned in the Pontch’s 1970 cruise book, as well (below). Browse the pages and tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your comments. The Coast Guard’s actions in Vietnam deserve wider attention; help us fill in the record. Were you there? What did you do in the war?
Hello, I was on the Pontch for the Vietnam deployment. I have lost my cruise book and am looking for a replacement. I am hopeful that extra copies might still exist. If you have any information on how I might find and purchase one I would be greatly appreciative.
I was a SA on the Deck Force and got into a scuffle with a shipmate. Had to go to a Captains Mast before Capt Reinburg. I was given 7 days of cleaning bilges in the Emgine Room. I was a better shipmate thereafter.
Hello, David,
If my Dad were still alive, he would be gratified to read your comment and to hear from you.Thank you for visiting our website and for your comment. I have an extra copy of the Pontchartrain Cruise Book from Dad’s papers and would be happy to ship it to you in exchange for some more information about your experience. First-hand stories about Dad are becoming rarer by the year, so any details you’re open to sharing would be much appreciated! I could reach out to you via email, if that’s better? And thank you for your service, sir.
—Claire Reinburg