The U.S. Naval Advisory Effort in Vietnam: An Inside Perspective

by CDR R.W. Kirtley USN (Ret)

Overview

An advisor to the South Vietnamese Navy Mobile Riverine Forces in 1970-1971, U.S. Navy Commander Richard Kirtley was tasked with helping implement Nixon's policy of "Vietnamization"--the rapid drawdown of U.S. troops to bring an abortive end to the Vietnam War. The program called for the turnover of arms and equipment to South Vietnamese forces, while U.S. personnel trained their counterparts to continue fighting the war alone. The U.S. Navy's supporting effort, Accelerated Turnover to the Vietnamese (ACTOV), emphasized "Accelerated." Kirtley's account gives an up-close look at the futility and frustration of the advisory effort during the withdrawal, the implementation of both programs--doomed to failure yet hyped to cover a lost-cause retreat--and their disastrous outcomes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476644691
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	12/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	218
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

CDR R.W. Kirtley, USN (Ret) is a retired 20 year Navy Vietnam veteran, followed by 18 years as an executive with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. He is also a humorous motivational speaker, stand up comedian, artist, and author. He lives in Palm Coast, Florida.
CDR R.W. Kirtley, USN (Ret) is a retired 20 year Navy Vietnam Veteran, followed by 18 years as an executive with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. He is also a humorous motivational speaker, stand up comedian, artist, and author. He lives in Palm Coast, Florida.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
 1. The Early Years
 2. Vietnam from the Gulf
 3. “DASH” to Vietnam
 4. Riverine Training
 5. Here I Am… Take My Advice! (First Impressions)
 6. The Big Picture
 7. Meet, Greet and Settle In
 8. Down to Business
 9. The Master Chief and Other Loose Ends
10. Organization and Ground Rules
11. Spend Half a Tour in Go Dau Ha and Whaddya Get?
12. Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt
13. The Kenner Ski Boat
14. Saigon
15. The President Hotel
16. Change Is Inevitable
17. Round ’Em Up and Move ’Em Out
18. Dong Tam
19. Ca Mau—Gateway to the U Minh
20. “Haunted Forest—I’d Turn Back If I Were You!”
21. Establishing a Routine
22. Christmas in the U Minh
23. Another Boat Down
24. Moving North
25. The Flower Girl Is Dead
26. Tears on the Tarmac
27. The Aftermath
28. Heartbreak Revisited
29. Career Change and the Fall
30. Reflection and Takeaways
Epilogue
Commander Kirtley’s Service Career History
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index