Night VERTREP in the Pacific Fleet

Wings of Gold, Fall 2004 by Watkins, George C

It was December 1965 and I had just been given command of USS Mars (AFS-I), a fast combat stores ship based in Yokosuka, Japan whose task was to supply the ships and stores of the Seventh Fleet. With orders in hand 1 departed the Strike Warfare Division in the Pentagon and headed to San Diego. I had received the okay by BuPers to report to Ream Field for an introductory course in flying helicopters. There were only two support ships that had helos aboard, Mars and USS Sacramento, each with two H-46 helos. It made great sense to me, as an aviator, that I should be checked out in helo flying. The Navy assets of this particular model helicopter were very low and because of the Vietnam War these were all deployed to the western Pacific.

I was allotted one week at Ream Field to accomplish my helo checkout. With no Sea Knights available I flew in different models but on the last day I was able to fly an H-46 with the Marines at Santa Ana. That one flight, made with a Marine 1st LT flying in the mountains behind EI Toro, was memorable indeed, not only for me but also for the two Navy captains sitting in the rear jump seat. They were probably scared to death, but 1 really learned how to hover and land on mountainous terrain and make emergency landings on designated spots. In other words, checking out in helos was a real winner.

I proceeded by Navy Air Transport to the Philippines where I caught a COD ride out to USS Enterprise (CVN-65). Mars was scheduled to come alongside later that day so I conned CAPT Holloway (later CNO) into letting me fly his COD into Saigon, twice, to pick up pilots and some mail. On my second trap, Mars was just completing its UNREP and VERTREP. The captain and I briefly discussed night vertical replenishment, and I promised him the next time we met (our two ships), we would be replenishing at night, not heretofore done.

Much to the shock and dismay of the pilot of the H-46 which was to take me from Enterprise to Mars I slipped into the pilot's seat and flew the helo onto the Mars flight deck. CAPT Medley, the ship's CO, met me and we proceeded to discuss the many things involved in the changing of command which took place the following morning. Shortly thereafter, we delivered CAPT Medley to another aircraft carrier, and I was now in command of Mars.

I immediately called a meeting of the helo pilots and aircrews, and once again, to the shock and dismay of all concerned, I announced, "Tonight we are going to begin night flying, and will continue to fly every; night until the pilots tell me they are ready to commence vertical replenishment at night."

Remember, these pilots had no night flying training at all prior to this deployment. But they got used to shortly and we performed night VERTREP more and more.

We learned how to place a pallet-load on the deck of a small ship at night without having to go alongside and transfer material by high-line. This was an enormous time saver in itself.

I had neglected to inform my boss, RADM Janney ( COMSERVFOR Seventh Fleet) about what we were doing. I confess I was afraid he might put thumbs down on this whole operation, but he found out soon enough and shortly Sacramento was forced into doing the same night VERTREP training we had done. For that matter, so did some of the ships on the East Coast.

While operating from our home port of Yokosuka, Japan we made many trips down the China coast, stopping in Taiwan, then Yankee Station and then Subie Bay, supplying ships. Our crew received combat pay for the entire period I was aboard from December '65 until January '67.

To show how important night VERTREP meant to re-supplying ships and stations along our North and South Vietnam routes, in April of 1966 we replenished 186 ships and stations. This also included several trips ashore in Vietnam to bring injured Marines (and the deceased) to the hospital ships and other vessels off the coastline.

It also included lifting a 6,000 pound radar and sonar box to the top of a hill in Vietnam which neither the Army, Air Force nor bulldozers were able to accomplish. This box was able to provide security for the entire entrance into Cam Ranh Bay and was operated by Navy Seals. We did this in the early hours of the morning when the outside temperature was cooler than normal which helped the helos operate at higher altitudes.

Before I retreat from this litany I want to thank BuShips for approving all 26 structural changes and alterations to the Mars that were accomplished during my watch, thus giving Mars a truly enhanced capability. To my mind, no change we submitted, was ever turned down.

By CAPT George C. Watkins USN (Ret.)

CAPT Watkins is a 30-year veteran Naval Aviator having made more than 30,000 flights recorded in 17 log books. He was a Navy Test Pilot and the first U.S. Navy pilot to achieve 1,000 carrier landings (1,418 total in 36 different aircraft models, on 36 different aircraft carriers). He is a former world's altitude record holder, a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a member of the Golden Eagles.