US Navy: River Patrol
US Navy: River Patrol
From the United States Navy comes this amazing documentary of life on the Mekong Delta River Patrol, circa June 1967. It is a very somber and quiet testament to the loneliness of life as an American soldier on the River Patrol.
US Navy: River Patrol
GV South China Sea with military ship in the far distance. GV 'USS Harnett County' LST-821 in the water with helicopters on deck. CU young Caucasian Navy man. CU young African-American Navy man. GV small Navy boat cruising in the water. GV helicopter flying toward camera over river. Title Card: 'The United States Navy Presents River Patrol'. Opens with an aerial flyby over South Vietnamese waterways and canals. Aerial flybys over Vietnamese countryside, mostly rice patties and marshlands. Aerial flyby over the Mekong Delta River area. POV from inside helicopter as pilots as fly the whirlybird around the USS Harnett County for a landing. CU green flag flying, pan to elevated GV of ship's landing deck. MS helicopter approaching ship for landing. POV from helicopter as it nears landing mark. MS helicopter landing on ship deck, ground crew singles it in. MSs ship crew carrying missiles across deck. MS crew running with fuel hose, pan to men loading missiles into helicopter. GV 'USS Harnett County' on the water. MS/GV smaller Navy boats around the larger ship. POV off ship deck looking at water.
US Navy: River Patrol
GV lush river shoreline as seen from ship. MS crew mapping out coordinates. MS crew talking on radio. CU crew member s face. MS activity on ship. MS men looking through binoculars. Back MS of man looking through ship's gun scope. GV crew ready at ship's gun stations. Back MSs of to men looking at the shoreline from ship. GV local fishing boat passing the Navy ship. MSs helicopter's rotors spinning slowly. MS of helicopter pilot donning a helmet and vest before boarding the craft. MS ground crew giving lift off hand signals. MS/GV helicopter taking off from ship. Several shot from helicopter of the fertile land below. MSs of a rather youthful-looking officer (Green Berets) saluting each soldier standing at attention before him, just prior to the patrol's departure for daily activities. MSs Green Berets. Great MS of a Green Beret standing portside of a patrol boat as it sets from the cruiser. MSs of soldiers putting on helmets and flak jackets as the patrol boat cruises for the Mekong River. MS of the boat's gunner locking down a mounted M-60; cut to MS of a crate full of M-60 gauge ammunition, all on bandolier belts. MS gun off back of the cruiser with the 'USS Harnett County' in the distance. LS of cruiser begining their journey to the river delta, huge clouds hang low on the horizon. MS River Patrol men on boat (Caucasian and African-American). GV of boat with an American flag. MS men aboard boat.
US Navy: River Patrol
Tight LS of the river patrol entering the narrow passage of the river delta. MS, from boat, of an American flag flapping proudly in the wind. Tight traveling LS of a Vietnamese peasant fishing boat sailing on the river (several persons aboard, all wearing the oft-associated sunhat); pan left as they pass. Traveling shot from boat of houses and vegetation along the river's shoreline. Traveling shots from boat of Vietnamese vessels sailing along the shoreline. MS River Patrol on boat and looking at shoreline through binoculars. MS River Patrol leaning over side of boat with machine gun ready. MS River Patrol signaling a local boat to come in for inspection. MS of the eternally stern and grim-faced soldiers throwing towlines to peasant boat. MS River Patrol man reading a piece of paper. MS River Patrol man on boat and on guard with his machine gun. MS young and armed River Patrol man throwing towlines into the water. MS peasant boat being towed in for inspection. CU armed River Patrol member. MS peasant boat being search by River Patrol, man waves a wand (metal detector?) among the boat's cargo. MS River Patrol inspecting the I.D. cards of a local fisherman. Several shots of River Patrol inspecting local boats, elderly women and young children are seen talking to the U.S. military. MS young men of the River Patrol eying passing boats. Montage of CUs showing the sad, lonely, tired, bored and nervous patrolmen sailing on the river, in between searches: smoking cigarettes, eating from tin cans or small clay bowls, looking along the shallow coast-- and never a smile, never a reprieve from the stunted loneliness of being on the dangerous river. CU American flag billowing in the wind off the back of the boat. POV of wake created as the boat cruises through the water.
US Navy: River Patrol
GV 'USS Harnett County' on the water. Montage of sailors up keeping the US cruiser while the patrol is away on duty: CU/MS man scrubbing down deck of ship; MS man painting ship railing; MSs missiles being placed in pile on deck. LS of a patrol boat being hoisted onto ship. CU crew member. LS of a patrol boat being hoisted onto ship. MS men operating lift crane. Low angle looking at belly of patrol ship as it is lifted onto deck. CUs crew pulling and tying off ropes. MSs patrol boat being put into place for maintanance and repair. CU/MS/GV man cleaning and maintaining boat engines. Low angle MS looking up at man maintaining helicopter prop. MS crew moving a large piece of equipment across the deck. CU man with cigarette hanging from his lips as he cleans helicopter prop. CUs helicopter repairs. MSs silhouetted helicopter on ship deck. Montage of men in cabin during down time: MS men playing cards; MS men playing cards and reading newspaper (tattoos are seen on young sailor's arm); MS men writing and reading letters (mail); MS shirtless man laying on cot reading a magazine. GV lone armed sailor patrolling ship's deck as the sun sets on the horizon.
US Navy: River Patrol
MS 'USS Harnett County' on the water. CU/MSs of the ship's corpsman (medic) readying a medic box aboard the cruiser. CU of the medicine box as it's being closed, revealing the red cross medic symbol on the lid. POV following goodwill ambassador Green Berets as they walk along a dirt path to a Vietnamese village. MS/CU as the medic box is carried to the village. GV Vietnamese children following the Green Berets. Several MS/CU of Vietnamese children clamoring and swarming the soldiers who are handing out chocolate bars (lots of needy and grabby hands, offset by the soldiers calm patience). Several MSs of soldiers administering medical attention to the villagers, both old and young.
US Navy: River Patrol
Return to river life with a CU of man in military kakis on a boat, pan to water moving as the boat cruises. Wide LS's of a Vietnamese sky: scattered clouds and a breaking sun. GV patrol boat moving across the water. MS of raindrops falling gently to the river's surface, then to shot of rain falling on a stationary helicopter aboard the cruiser. CU/MS men seated at table in ship cabin looking over a map and making plans. MS/CU river patrol men on receiving their orders. Montage of a river patrol entering a narrow river ( a dangerous mission as the coast is so close and the waters get shallow): CU's of helmeted soldiers looking carefully to the coast, looking for snipers (an excellent one of a gunner, an ammo belt hanging in the FG); LS's of cruising boats (subjective and objective shots). The water becomes too shallow so they return to the Gulf waters.
US Navy: River Patrol
MS calm river patrol troops on guard as they cruise through the water. Combat montage: wide LS's of bullets skipping the waters as the Vietcong fire upon the patrols from the coast; MS's of soldiers calmly engaging the unseen forces, firing M-16's and M-60's; CU of the boat's drive being throttled by the captain; CU of an ammo belt being fed into firing machine gun; MS's of the cruiser's communications crew receiving the patrol's distress call; CU's of operators responding via CB radio; MS's of carrier crew being called to alert (running from their quarters and towards the camera, hustling down metal stairs and to waiting helicopters on deck); good shots of the chopper crew gearing up and loading weapons; cut back to the patrolmen, a good MS of the coast, a gunner in immediate FG firing at the enemy; the helicopter takes off to make the assist: great MS's (aerials?) of Vietnam as seen through the gunnery door as the chopper is in transit; good shots of the gunner before, during and after the strafing mission.
US Navy: River Patrol
A preemptive strike of the coast and river and all immediate areas: excellent MS's and LS's, taken from the flying helicopter, of rockets and missiles and gunfire being deployed... explosions galore. The chopper is hit: MS's of the crew pulling salvageable equipment from the downed and overturned wreck, then boarding the cruiser. MS's of the wounded being carried aboard.
US Navy: River Patrol
Closing montage of dusk combat: great shots of tracer fire lighting up the tropical night; panning shots of twilight as seen from a helicopter. Great sunrise shot.