San Diego, California November 14-17, 1996

The 1996 reunion was held at the Holiday Inn on the Bay located on Harbor Drive just across from the San Diego Maritime Museum and the sailing ship Star of India

Activites during the reunion included: Friday:   Tours of US Naval Facilities. Dinner cruise on yacht Lord Hornblower Saturday: Optional Commercial Tours. A Business Meeting. A Formal Banquet

The US Naval Facilities tour started with a visit to Headquarters, US Naval Surface Forces, Pacific Fleet Which included a welcome by ComNavSurfPac and a look at special warfare craft and weapons

Then it was on to make visits to US Naval ships in the harbor The first was to USS Squall (PC-7) a Cyclone Class Patrol Boat 170 ft long - Four engines and screws - 25 mm and 50 cal guns 35 Knot Speed - 4 Officers 24 Enlisted 8 Special Ops Personnel

An emotional visit was to USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) Many Swift Boat sailors knew Bill Fitzgerald who lost his life as the senior advisor to VNN Coastal Group 16 near the Tra Khuc river. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic protection of his sailors during their retreat when the base was over run by enemy troops

The Friday evening activity was a cruise and dinner aboard the yacht Lord Hornblower

Rich McCann and Gary Blinn presented slide shows of their recent trips back to An Thoi and Ha Tien

The pier at An Thoi

The location of the Swift Base at AnThoi

Cement factory east of 3 Sisters

New bridge across the Giang Thanh

The hotel in Ha Tien

Canal from Ha Tien to Rach Gia

After dinner, the sea story telling resumed back at the hotel

Saturday was for visiting several historic San Diego locations And having lunch while enjoying the Seaport Village art district

There currently are no images of the Business Meeting or Banquet If anyone has information concerning these activities, please provide inputs to the following contact point: Click on the icon to To email 1996 reunion info