USS CURRITUCK (AV-7) - HANDCLASP Part 3

Description

Seaplane Tender USS CURRITUCK (AV-7), while in Yokosuka, Japan, loaded with clothes, toys, basketballs, soap and other objects so it could participate in "Handclasp" Psychological Warfare in conjunction with the Swift Boat coastal division 14 and Vietnamese Navy Junk coastal group 26; LT JIM ARRISON, USN is C.O. of COSDIV 14 and LT JOE LANG, USN, advisor to LT HUY, VN Navy C.O. of coastal group 26; spywar trips were set up with each unit; SwiftBoats loaded with supplies at the pier, supplies which were taken from the CURRITUCK; Swift Boats a= move out to the coastal area after moving out from the Swift Boat base, to off- load the supplies onto Junks, which can move in close to the beach; the Junks are pushed in thru the shallow water by the Americans and Vietnamese close to the beach where they are off- loaded; the area visited were My Thanh village and Lang Thai village on nearby Hon Chut Island; personnel from the CURRITUCK who took active part in this operation were LT JOHN PREVATT, USN (MC), flight surgeon from AV, BOB MOORE, USN, HM3, LARRY PRUITT, USN, HM2, LT BILL RAFNEL, USN (CC) and LT VAN NIELD, USN; also picked up Army personnel from the Army base to take on a regular MEDCAP team; some of the scenes are now of the loading of the PCF at the pier; PCF underway en route to the village mentioned; Junk alongside being loaded with basketballs and other supplies; Junks being pushed in towards the beach at the village, surrounded by children; interpreter talking with a village chief; many CU scene of the U.S. Nvy Med. officer taking care of the villagers, their sore eyes, wounds and a child given shot in the hip while held by it's mother; many villagers seated under a straw covering on the beach; scene showing the children running around with basketballs. 1) CU Little boy and girl playing with basketballs in village street. 2) MS Personnel walking out into the surf towards the Junk Boats to be taken back to the Swift Boats. 3) MS PCF-80 in river at sunrise. 4) MS SP-5B being gassed while astern the CURRITUCK

Collection

General Records of the Department of the Navy

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Activities