Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Genesee (AOG-8)

A Vietnam History
Contributed by John Heatherman RMC USN Ret. USS Genesee

"On 4/22/68 the Genesee was anchored about a mile from the shoreline at Cua Viet in the Northern part of I Corps or just south of the DMZ. Due to a faulty fuel hose and the urgent need for fuel the Marines requested that Genesee move into the mouth of the Cua Viet River. Enroute into the mouth we scrapped bottom and causing a malfunction in our fathometer. That evening some of the crew had gone ashore to watch a movie. I stayed aboard and was standing on the Starboard side of the Bridge gazing into the water when I began to see what I thought at first to be someone throwing stones some 50 yds beyond the bow of the ship. I then realized that it was incoming rounds and I beat a quick path to the Radio Shack which was about 15 feet from where I was standing. To make a long story short, we took about 40 rounds on our Port side, in the area of officer's country in the after part of the ship and the tank deck. At the time we were refueling the tanks ashore and a fuel barge tied alongside. For the better part of an hour the Genesee stuck it out, the tides were unfavorable so we could not move. Genesee crewmen, DC3 William McMullin and SFFN Jack Neal were able to jump onto the flaming barge and put out the fire which had started. The crew was then able to cut the lines to the barge and cast it away from us. Our most seriously wounded man SFM3 Arthur Ball was transferred to the USS Sanctuary where he died the next day. You will find his name on "The Wall" in Washington D.C. or on the portable one which at one time was going from state to state. The Genesee was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.

Communications were reduced to a UHF radio which we used to send our teletype messages. Our HF antennas were damaged so we had to sail down the coast within sight of a Navy van on the beach where our UHF "Line of Sight" radio would be capable of reaching them and the shore facility would then relay our message traffic to the Philippines.

Sometime in the following thirty days, the Genesee was refueling the U.S. Army facility at Hue, SVN. The Army had provided one or more of their LARCs, which are Army boats with rubber balloon like tires that can also be driven on land. Unfortunately, their exhaust pipes are close to the surface of the water. That evening while maneuvering the fuel hose on the surface of the water, the Army LARC backfired and some fuel caught fire and caused an explosion aboard the LARC with one Sailor (SN Donald Shafer) on top of the engine and some Army men who fell into the water. SN Shafer was not found for several days, he was identified by our Hospital Corpsman, Clifford Blind at the Morgue in Danang which was our Homeport while in RVN. We also found out at Hue that Army guys do not go through swim training and many of them that fell into the water had to be saved by the Genesee crew."

Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Gasoline Tanker (AOG) Photo Index

Back To The Genesee (AOG-8) Main Page

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo