458th Seatigers
U.S. Army and the PBR
The 458th Transportation Company was and still is the ONE and ONLY US Army Unit to have the Navy River Patrol Boat (PBR) as standard equipment in Vietnam.
The PBR was first used by the US Navy to patrol the inland rivers and coastlines of South
Vietnam. This boat proved to be very effective in its use. Navy forces carried the fight to the enemy in places that had offered them sanctuary for years. In large part, due to the PRRS as an effective weapon.
The 458th was formed as a amphibian truck (DUKW) company in 1943. The 458th participated in the Normandy Invasion with campaigns in Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe. We are so proud to have had Richard Leibel, a DUKW operator, as a member. Richard drove a DUKW ashore during the D-Day land-ing. Richard wrote a great book, The 458th Transportation Company in World War II: Memoir of a DUKW Driver.
The 458th went to Vietnam in late 1966 as a Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo, 5 Ton (LARC-V) unit.
The company helped fulfill the difficult task of helping unload 20.9 million measurement tons of ship cargo to the beaches of South Vietnam. During thes time period the unloading of ships cargo was improving.
Docks were built, barges carried tractor-trailer units to the ships as the full might of our military was being felt. As the weeks and days went by two factors developed that changed the 458th from cargo handlers to warriors. As the stockpiles of cargo grew the resistance from the Viet Cong grew. Beach and ship security had to be improved. A few of The LARCs had 50 caliber machine guns mounted. Instead of unloading cargo these LARs started providing waterbprne security day and night. To meet the growing security require-ments, In August of 1967, the 458th was issued five Boston Whaler boats. Also in August, the 458th was notified that it would be trading its LARC-V for their PBRs. A group of twenty four men were went to NHA Bey to receive training from the Navy on operation of the PBRs. During this same time the US Navy was using a new boat, the PBR (Patrol Boat River) to patrol the inland rivers and coastlines of South Vietnam.
The PBR had quickly proved to be an effective tool in denying the Viet Cong the sanctuary of inland streams and rivers that they had enjoyed for many years.
The 458th was renamed to 458th Transportation Company (PBR) and assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade. To say the next few months were hectic for the 458th would be a gross understatement. Old equipment was being turned in, the new PBRs were arriving, school trained PBR crews were arriving, areas of operation were being assigned, and many of the original 458th officers and enlisted men had or were rotating back to the States. The area of operation was broken down to six locations., Newport (north of Saigon), Cat Lo, Cat Lai, Vung Ro Bay, Qui Nhon, and Vung Tau.
The 458th PBRs were detached to the local Provost Marshals at these locations.
For months the unit was held together mainly by one Warrant Officer and some outstanding Enlisted Men.
To further complicate matters, Officers were picked and sent to the unit not because of their qualifica-tions, but because they were available. It wasn't until October 1968 that the unit received its first "Fully Qualified" commanding officer.
As you can see, the 458th was a bastard unit (no parents). It was formed at the stroke of a pen, issued its gear and left on its own. Being a bastard unit was not all that bad. Mostly you were left alone by rear echelon nitwits. It didn't even have an authorized unit patch.