Repatriation of NVN prisoners

[Bigfootmarine]

Looking for any photographs taken USS Dubuque on 20 -21 October 1968.
I remember a helo flying toward the beach, monitoring progress of a
whale boat" sent ashore with 14 North Vietnamese Navy prisoners.
Our location was approximately 114 miles North of the DMZ, about 5 miles off shore.

Remember seeing an observation tower close to the shore line.
I took several rolls of film, didn't send them home for processing right away and they were stolen from my valpac in Okinawa during my rotation home.
There were several high ranking officers abord the Dubuque at the time.
I thought the helo flying from our ship was a CH-34.
My men had the task of guarding the prisoners while onboard ship.

[Tom Thompson]

Here you go -

[Bigfootmarine]

Tom,
Cannot open photo, only get to see the icon for jpg.
Is there a way you could send the photo as an attachment to an e-mail address?

[kdlogue]

I remember this event well. I was in HMM-362 and made a emergancy landing earlier in the day on the ship. later in the evening four more 34's from 362 arrived on the ship to escort the whale boat ashore. If my memory serves me correctly, the mission took place in the middle of the night. I did not fly on the mission. I was awaiting parts.

K.D.

[Bigfootmarine]

I remember one 34 flying a loose escort toward shore.
The event took place during daylight, as we could see some sort of tower on the beach. I believe the 34 went in a close as the surf line or maybe just short of that. I can still see in my mind the POW's in their blue jackets and carrying Air America flight bags. It is my understanding that two American POWs (pilots) were to be repatriated as an exchange for the 14 NVN.
Still trying to locate any photos of the event. There was a newspaper article in the New York Times, dated 22 October 1968 that gave limited details of the cease fire and repatriation. No photos accompan ied the article.

[Dick Haley]

I was a crew chief with HMM 363. YZ 19. We flew as an unarmed aircraft to proterct the boats, crews and passengers in case of upset in the water. I have some pitures in my "box o' stuff" in my attic.

[Bigfootmarine]

Should you venture into your attic, would you see if you could find any photos of that glorious LOL operation? Op. Tigh Jaw.

Thanks,

Bruce S. Lewy
Lake Forest, Ca.

[Bigfootmarine]

Dick,
I listed the wrong dates, should be October 1968. Evidently there was another repatriation in December 1968 called Tight Jaw.
Sorry for my confusion.

Bruce S. Lewy
Lake Forest, Ca.