Call Signs
Officer-in-Charge
| Call Sign | Name | Comments |
| Admiral | Peter Deutermann | |
| Alfie "N" | Arlie J. Pope | |
| Alky "T" | Timothy W. Tedford | |
| Alpha Potato | William B. Rood Jr. | |
| Amtrac | John H. Gordon | |
| Anchor Clanker | ||
| Ancient Mariner | Oliver K. Evans | |
| Appalachia | William L. Auxier | was from West Virginia |
| Attilla Hotel | David G. Koffler | |
| Axelrod | Robert B. Shirley | |
| Baby Fats | Robert Emery | |
| Baby Huey | David J. Clark | big, jovial and young |
| Baby San | Arthur B. Cannon | that's what the girls in Vung Tau called him, so pretty soon it became his nickname and eventually his call sign |
| Baby-San Three | Christopher Mayer | |
| Baccardi "C" | William L. Schachte | |
| Bald Eagle | Peter A. Roe | |
| Bandit | Joseph A. Mastro | |
| Barbados | ||
| Barong | James S. Barona | his name's similarity to the Filipino tropical shirt maker |
| Batman | William L. Schachte | |
| Batman | Thomas R. Sheridan | |
| Batman's Roommate | Dennis E. Carroll | |
| Beach Boy | Jack W. Merkley | All he ever wanted was to be on the beach holding a beer |
| Beetle | Ian M. Bailey | |
| Bent Arrow | Doug Burgess | had been "Straight Arrow" before he went on R&R in Bangkok |
| Bent Screw | Virgil A. Erwin III | Does this really need explanation! If so, how about high and dry on a reef. |
| Bent Fender | Thomas W. Yankura | |
| Big Daddy | Doug Armstrong | delivered a baby in a sampan, was written up in "Stars and Stripes" |
| Big Dripper | Philip E. Mayer | two callsigns that both leave you wondering about the reasons behind them |
| Big Grunt | Philip E. Mayer | two callsigns that both leave you wondering about the reasons behind them |
| Big Jack | Jack L. Hetherton | |
| Big Red | Henry L. Hodge | big, big red head |
| Big Zero | Geoffery G. Jones | |
| Black Jack | John W. Burke | |
| Blowing Gale | Gail E. Ikerd | its the best the staff could come up with at the time |
| Blue Max | Vance Barrow | |
| Boo | Jeffery E. Ferris | |
| Boston Strangler | John F. Kerry | |
| Boston Strangler | Clayton G. Zucker | |
| Boy Scout | Bruce M. Wentworth | had been an eagle scout and was very moral |
| Brass Brat | John M. Pinney | |
| Broken Bumper | Thomas W. Yankura | |
| Broken Zipper | David G. Prentiss | |
| Brown Torpedo | Tommy L. Hovland | |
| Brute | Dave L. Wetherell | |
| Buddha | David B. Dunlap | |
| Bull | John L. Durham | oh come on now, think about it; Bull Durham chewing tobacco! |
| Bull "E" | Eugene J. Cummins Jr | |
| Bung Lon | Max Caldwell | Vietnamese for "big stomach" |
| Butch | Dalton Heck | |
| Butch | Leslie L. Vorphal | |
| Butterfingers | Thomas S. O'Keefe Jr | lost a crewman overboard for six hours and no one missed him |
| Capper | Bill Hickey | |
| Captain Crunch | Robert A. Scattergood | a boat on the rocks will get you a new callsign |
| Captain Hook | Norman J. Pattarozzi | his Italian nose was quite prominent |
| Captain Marvel | Joseph F. Patton Jr | |
| Carrie Nation | Michael K. Gann | got the DaNang "O" club closed for a month by an Admiral who didn't like his drinking habits |
| Cash | Tad McCall | |
| Chinese Bandit | Wilbur L. Fry Jr | got the name when he went up a river near Qui Nhon and got fired on, when he reported it, he was told "don't go up that river again" |
| Chrome Dome | James L. Taylor | light blond hair |
| Chubby Checker | Edward R. Peck | |
| Clodhopper "J" | James C. Carolan | because of the special order size "14" boondockers he wore |
| Coast Guard | Roger Ruff | |
| Cowboy | James T. Kolbe | |
| Crazy Legs | Michael R. Voss | |
| Creek | Michael R. Bernique | the infamous Bernique's Creek expedition |
| Criminal Uniform | Stephen A. Hansen | |
| Crusader "P" | Robert A. Hastings | |
| Cue Ball | J. Philip Lee Jr | |
| Dai Uy | Forrest W. Dahlstet | |
| Deacon | Murice M. Simer | |
| De-Com Reject | David B. Wallace | Tried to volunteer for swifts as a brand new Ensign, told he had to be a qualified OOD. Assigned to an OLD destroyer that went to be de-commed and mothballed, he then got his orders to swift duty |
| Deputy Dawg | Russell A. Puppe | think about it ... "puppe = puppy = dog = dawg" |
| Dipsey Doodle | Paul A. Yost | |
| Dirty Ernie | Ernie Flinn | |
| Doc | Roy Branch | |
| Double Bourbon | William K. Lannom | bar bourbon was ten cents in a mixed drink, he wanted to save time so... |
| Double D | Richard C. Dawson | |
| Drifty Jack | John P. Cawley | |
| Duck | Richard L. McFarland | he would call Sepia without identifying himself, and he would give sitreps while using a voice that sounded like Donald Duck |
| Dudley Do Right | Thomas W. Wright | |
| Eastern Dandy | William A. Imbrie III | |
| Fairhaired "B" | Jerome A. Peschka | |
| Fang | Curtis F. Torrey | |
| Fearless Fosdick | Foster E. Wright | |
| Fitzie | Dana Fitzsimons | |
| Five Buck Raider | Frank A. Mueller Jr | |
| Flamer 25 | Lawrence C. Stoneberg | |
| Flaming "J" | James A. Weinandy | while towing in a captured junk it caught fire |
| Flaming Papa "H" | Vance Barron Jr | set a hand-held flare down on the chart table with the cap on the primer end, the boat rolled, the flare hit the deck and went off, ricocheting about the pilot house and singing his hair. |
| Flash | Jeffrey M. Lash | had a habit of sending FLASH messages |
| Flash | Stephen E. Brannan | got the nickname after he got seasick and threw up on his first patrol out of Cam Ranh |
| Flower Power 26 | Leon Robins | |
| Footwear | Douglas Martin | |
| Forty | Steven J. Carroll | |
| Fracture "H" | Stephen H. Sedgwick | |
| Friar Tuck | Robert L. Brant | |
| Gabby "H" | James L. Burke | |
| Gallant Surfer | Robert T. Guard | |
| Gator | Joseph A. Mastro | |
| Gold Dust "A" | Robert K. Bolger | the Gold Dust Twins |
| Gold Dust "B" | the Gold Dust Twins | |
| Golden Boy | Richard C. Wallace | |
| Golf "B" | James Carter | |
| Gorgeous George | Michael C. Lohnes | presumably because he was the first Ensign to become OinC qualified in Cam Ranh Bay |
| Gramps 30 | Don R. Swartz | due to his comparatively advanced age |
| Gray Ghost | Robert L. Brown | |
| Gray Ghost | Richard Pearsall | Cua Dai 69-70 |
| Gremlin | John S. Howell | |
| Groucho | Michael A. Adkins | |
| Groucho "M" | John G. Sullivan | |
| Gun Slinger | Hal Gehmen | |
| Half Breed | Daniel L. Ustick | his fair skin quickly turned red in the Vietnamese sun |
| Hank | Edwin M. Hendrickson | |
| Harvard Square | Pete Dodson | he went to Harvard and was very square, at least according to some young whipper snappers |
| Harvard Yard | Kellogg Fairbank III | |
| Hawg Jowl | Bernard W. Wolff | excessive dwelling on the virtues of the South one night |
| High 'n Dry | James M. Barrett | Hmmmmmm!! Very Interesting!! Put PCF 23 aground on an island as the tide went out at the mouth of the Bassac River. |
| Hillbilly | Bob Griffin | was from rural Tennessee and talked real SLOW! |
| Hollywood | Thomas Costarino | |
| Hooch | Dennis Wilson | |
| Hot Dog | William E. Franke | |
| Hyperventilate | James G. Colvin | got his call sign from "patrol fatigue", which caused him to hyperventilate (sighing excessively), having headaches and other symptoms. |
| Ice Water Al | Alfred J. French III | |
| Ichabod Crane | Michael A. Hudson | physically it fitted him |
| Ichabod Crane | Jack A. Herriott II | about 10' tall, weighed around 100 lbs, shaved head and wore glasses |
| Ike | Gail E. Ikerd | its the best the staff could come up with at the time |
| In Country Pirate | Donald T. Bradbury | |
| Inspector "C" | Anthony J. Kibble | |
| Island Man | Robert B. Fiore | |
| Jack Daniels | Kenneth E. Cozart | |
| Jayhawker "J" | Larry R. Thurlow | |
| JC | Dayton Ogden | |
| JJ | James J. Galvin Sr | |
| Keemo | James W. Selby | |
| Kentucky Colonel | Harold F. Amerau Jr | |
| Killer Lou | Lou Velloni | for obvious reasons if you patrolled with him. |
| Kim | George Sargent | |
| Klondike | John Mitchell | red handlebar moustache, red hair --- really resembled the "Klondike" cartoon character |
| Latch | Roy F. Hoffmann | |
| Le Mustache | large handlebar mustache | |
| Lizard | Robert W. Hildreth | all he ever wanted to do was lie on a rock in the sun |
| Lockheed "J" | George K. Johnson | had a degree in Aeronautical Engineering |
| Lollipops "T" | Thomas H. Pope | |
| Long John | William L. Rogers | 6 foot 4 inches tall and a real pirate |
| Lord Mort | Edward J. Bergin | was originally "Charlie" for Charlie McCarthy, but "Charlie" was too confusing. Changed to "Mort" or "Mort Sierra" for "Mortimer Snerd" then "Tarzan" made the change to "Lord Mort" after the trawler incident. |
| Lord Nelson | ||
| Mary Jane | Michael W. Peters | because he was from California (it was the 60's and he was from California ... think about it) |
| Mary Poppins | Eldon L. Thompson | |
| Mary Worth | Robert M. Hestwood | |
| Masher | Michael B. Coakley | because of his GENTLE nature |
| Megaphone "B" | Daniel W. Daly Jr | Big Mouth |
| Megaphone "L" | Gerald J. Lyall | |
| Melbourne "M" | Raymond A. Mislock | |
| Minnesota Viking | John A. Erickson | he was a Norwegian from Minnesota |
| Minute "S" | Rick Williams | aka "Lil' Shit" because of his diminutive stature |
| Moby Dick | John W. Bishop | |
| Moll Flanders | Thomas G. Jones | think about it! |
| Moonraker | Robert ??? | |
| Motown Review | Edwin A. Schrader | |
| Murky "W" | Harry B. Watters Jr | Oh come on now, this is a great pun ... Murky Watters! |
| Murp the Surf | Paul Murphy | |
| Mustang Sally | Francis L. Gunther | "Ride Sally Ride", that's what they did and sang as they went into a firefight - all 33 of them |
| Mustang Sally | David F. Hack | |
| Naha | Michael T. Alogna | |
| Neanderthal "N" | Bill Zonderak | |
| New Kid | William J. Hancock Jr | Looked twelve years old |
| Nguyen | William H. Ewing Jr | tried to learn and speak Vietnamese, wore black pajamas around the base |
| Non-dancing Ray | Robert K. Bolger | Couldn't sing either, Ray Bolger he definitely wasn't |
| Organizer "G" | John C. Graves III | |
| Oscar 31 | Edward E. Barker | |
| Out of State Camel | Alexander Bass | |
| Over Nighter | Robert L. Hooke Jr | |
| Pancho Villa | Daniel Salinas II | |
| Papasan | James E. C. Eaton | first son was born while he was in-country |
| Pappy | Floyd R. Gartner | |
| Personality "K" | Roger N. Thornton | |
| Pete | Harry M. Howton | |
| Pompom "P" | Arlyn T. Prickett | |
| Preparation "H" | Charlie G. Pfeifer | |
| Preparation "H" | Stephen S. Hart | |
| Prevert | Alvin A. Horne | |
| Prince Henry | Richard E. Fleming | |
| PsyOps "S" | R.R. "Sonny" Barber | call sign was changed to "PsyOps" when a mission went sour |
| Pub Package "P" | Chuck Mohn | |
| Qui Nhon | Virgil Ray | |
| Raggity Ann | Tim Ragsdale | |
| Red Apple | William M. Arndt | |
| Red Baron | Donald T. Bradbury | |
| Red Mountain | James A. Colombo | it was his favorite wine |
| Red Rooster | Roy F. Hoffmann | |
| Red Ryder | Dick Jankowsky | looked like the comic strip cowboy |
| Red Ryder | Robert W. Sharer | |
| Red Whiskey | Robert D. Pacek | |
| Renegade | Burton Renegar | a play on his name |
| Reverend | John W. Bishop Jr | do I really have to explain this one? Bishop = Priest = Reverend |
| Rip | Bill Collins | bastardization of "Rebel" from Virginia |
| Robin | Kelley McCutcheon | (the boy wonder) - he was very small in stature but mighty in spirit. He had problems getting clothes. He wore a size 5 1/2 shoe! |
| Rocket Man | Richard W. Holleran | |
| Rocking Chair 29 | Don R. Swartz | |
| Rocking Chair 32 | Alvah E. Setzer | something about his advanced age |
| Romeo Rat | James M. Will | |
| Rookie "R" | James K. Ruland | |
| Rosepetal 26 "O" | William M. Cain | because of a rose tattooed on his calf, obtained in National City, while going through the Coronado swift training |
| Rusty | Henry L. Hodges | |
| Rusty Jones | Charles F. Horne | |
| Sandy Bottom | Jeffery M. Wainscott | given to him by his fellow OinCs for "Aggressive patrolling in very shallow water" (make that running aground) |
| Sanitary Tango | he and his wife scheduled his R&R in Hawaii for the wrong week of the month | |
| Say "HUH" | Christopher Ream | |
| Senator | Harold C. Griffin Jr | |
| Senator Claghorn | sounded like a southern senator | |
| Sepia | Paul P. Connolly | |
| Shaky Jake | William B. Rood Jr. | |
| Short Circuit | Donovan C. Current | his initials and last name are "DC" Current |
| Shotgun | Charles R. Grutzius | |
| Sicilian "S" | Ignatius J. Minervini | always muttered that his family was ROMAN and anything to the south was inferior |
| Silver Tongue | Lawrence E. Mient | he was a "silver tongued devil " once you got to know him |
| Sleepy | John J. Skura | |
| Slue Foot "J" | James C. Carolan | He had huge feet - at least size 13 maybe bigger?? |
| Slumlord | Walter S. Dobrzelecki | |
| Smiley "S" | John Z. Heinzerling | |
| Snaggle Tooth | Michael J. Solhaug | |
| Snake Ranch "F" | James H. Smith | |
| Snakey Jake | Joseph W. Streuli | |
| Snuffy Smitty | Frank M. Smith | |
| Solenoid "F" | Frederick K. Smallwood | always tinkering with the electrical system on his boat |
| Solenoid Phu Quoc | Frederick K. Smallwood | always tinkering with the electrical system on his boat |
| Spider Murphy | Richard C. Kern | |
| Spoiler "U" | Charles W. Johns | |
| Squared Away | William C. Garlow | |
| Sox | Charles A. Adler Jr | named after the Adler Socks company |
| Southern Comfort | R.R. "Sonny" Barber | he loved it - call sign was changed to "PsyOps" when a mission went sour |
| Spider Man | Richard C. Kern | |
| Stay Pressed | Gordon G. Riggle | |
| Steel Wool | John Hatcher | |
| Straight Arrow | Doug Burgess | changed to " Bent Arrow" after he went on R&R in Bangkok |
| Stumpy | David J. Clark | typical nickname for a BIG man |
| Submerged Rock | Rockne P. Harmon | I really wonder about this one!!! |
| Sunshine | Lawrence E. Probst | |
| Suppository | said "up yours" one too many times | |
| Surf Rider | Larry L. Meyer | |
| Swamp Fox | Arnold L. Glass | |
| Swarthy Buccaneer | Matteo J. D'Amico | |
| Swede | Keith Erikson | |
| Sweet Pea | Gary R. Blinn | he had such a good disposition |
| Sweet Pea | James J. McConnell | he was accussed of have a disposition that was anything but ... |
| Tacline | 6 foot of nothing | |
| Tarzan | Kurt Berlin | made the mistake of introducing himself by his last name; was corrected by a senior OinC with "Tarzan is the only one without a first name" |
| Terry Thomas | Frederick K. Smallwood | big gap in front teeth |
| Thai Silk | Arthur E. Norton | |
| The Mayor | Skip Brandon | |
| The Phantom | John E. English | was never seen except on patrol, always disappeared after returning to base |
| The Red Baron | Harlan Ullman | |
| The Snake | David G. Wilbourne | |
| Tiger | Anthony Taylor | |
| Tiny | Neal H. Clark | |
| Tommy Turtle | Thomas M. Herritage III | |
| Toxic Organ | William W. Posenecker | |
| Troll | William H. Croll | gruff New England manner |
| Turtle | James H. Howser | |
| Twig "E" | Robert K. Bolger | Got real thin |
| Twiggy | James T. Grace | |
| Twinkletoes | Peter B. Snyder | tried to cross 3 or 4 boats that were tied up together, but ready to get underway. He ran across the sterns, behind the mortar boxes, hanging on to the life lines. |
| Two Can | Denis F. Daly | when drinking, always had a can of beer in each hand |
| Urinal "Z" | David L. Freeman | |
| Viking | Kenneth J. Andrews | |
| Virgin | Virgil A. Erwin III | play on words with his first name |
| Wallaby 54 | Wade R. Sanders | |
| Water Closet | William C. Martin | |
| Weird Harold | Joseph E. Handley | |
| Wheel Chair | Al Setzer | |
| Wild Bill | William S. Mann Jr | |
| Wooster Crusader | David A. Spina | |
| Yankee Doodle | Oliver G. Halle | |
| Zoomie "X" | LTJG Wood | ex-pilot --- was from Cam Ranh Bay |
Misc. Call Signs
Here are some early PCF related call signs:
BOATRON 1 - Rusty Jones (commander); Grimes Pass (collective)
PCFDIV 101 - Francis Bravo (commander); Assort Foxtrot (collective)
PCFDIV 102 - Hamilton Kilo later changed to Assort Mike (commander); Ledger India - later
changed to Newsboy India (collective)
PCFDIV 103 - Pride Zebra (commander); Woolworth Bravo (collective)
PCFDIV 104 - Expert Yankee (commander); Trimness Lima (collective)
PCFDIV 105 - Caribou Bravo (commander); Hackwood Sierra (collective)
PCFDIV 107 - Capitol Zebra (commander); Boundry Lima (collective)
COMNAVFORV - Moose Hunter
TF115 - Latch (commander); Alone (collective)
TG115.1 - Article (commander); Flip Flop (collective)
TU115.1.1 - New Dalton (commander); Neighborhood (collective)
TU115.1.2 - Cornelius (commander); Kit Kat (collective)
TG115.2 - Halo Shampoo (commander); Caviar (collective)
Coastal Division 11 - (An Thoi) - Reproach
Coastal Division 12 - (DaNang) - Turkey Dinner
Coastal Division 13 - (Cat Lo)
Coastal Division 14 - (Cam Ranh Bay) - Aphrodite 7
Coastal Division 15 - (Qui Nhon)
Coastal Division 16 - (Chu Lai) - Oxwood
COGARDIV 12 - Permeate
CTG 76.5 - Company Store
CTG 77.9 (Yankee Station) - Regency
CTG 77.1 (Sea Dragon) - White Deer
CTU 77.1.1 (South Yankee Station) - Argentina
YR-71 - Hexagon 71
APL-5 - Spike 5
APL-30 - Spike 30
APL-55 - Spike 55
The following are some of the PCF call signs:
Hull Numbers
13 - NGOK
14 - NIRE
15 - NLPS
16 - NOLC
17 - NSDE
18 - NUMN
19 - NYBP
20 - NBGH
21 - NDLC
22 - NGBU
42 - NKIA
55 - NDPJ
56 - NBIB
75 - NHET
76 - NQKL
78 - NMAL
79 - NHCJ
99 - NNJV
101 - NYAQ
Coastal Group 13 - XC
Coastal Group 14 - XD
Fire Support
New Jersey (BB-62) - OnRush
St Paul (CA-73) - Tornado
Boston (CLG-1) - Mauler
Canberra (CLG-2) - Blockbuster
Oklahoma City (CLG-5) - Fireball
Providence (CLG-6) - Fighting Devil
Dewey (DLG-14) - Sea Rogue
Biddle (DLG-34) - Hard Charger
Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) - Black Velvet
Buchanan (DDG-14) - Sharp Note
Blue (DD-744) - Gold Eagle
John A. Bole (DD-755) - Gamebird
Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869) - Hellenic Hero
Finch (DER-328) - Dayton
Kretchmer (DER-329) - Mystic Isle
Savage (DER-386) - Lake Charles
Advance (MSO-510) - Naomi Delta
Excell (MSO-433)
Carronade (IFS-1) - Expert Alfa
Carlion River (LSMR-409) - Catalog Xray
St Francis River (LSMR-525) - Abbey Tango
White River (LSMR-536) - Jilt Foxtrot
Aludra (AF-55) - Wallop Lima
Brule (AKL-28) - Native Tango
Satyr (ARL-23) - Forfeit Quebec
Garrett County (LST-786) - Fish Tail
Hampshire County (LST-819) - Cape Town Juliet
Hunterdon County (LST-838) - Dahlia
Jennings County (LST-846) - Eagleton
Kemper County (LST-854) - Aloha Zulu
Terrell County (LST-1157) - Fellow Lima
Vernon County (LST-1161) - Lanslip Quebec
Washoe County (LST-1165) - Estuary or Barbados
Washtenaw County (LST-1166) - Trident Lima
Windham County (LST-1170) - Ageless Whiskey
Spotter Planes:
Cat Killer (Army)
Bird Dog (Air Force)
Vietnamese Navy Headquarters - Swirley Pattern
Aircraft Control - Waterpipe
Chu Lai Defense Command - Evening Star
Hue Defense Command - Socialite Alfa
IUWG Detachment at Qui Nhon - Paper Wrap
Decca Station at Cu Lao Re - Decca Green
Locations:
Boundry of 2C and 2D - (Any City)
Cuo Lao Re - (Any Cigarette)
Mui Batangan - (Any Street)
Mui An Hoa - (Any Beer)
Cap Sa Hoi - (Any Animal)
Cap Mia - (Any Disney Character)
Marine Corps:
CG, 1st MARDIV - Corsair
1st MARDIV - Complex (coll.)
Air Observer (USMC) - Black Coat
1st Marines/RLT-1 - Blackwell
1st BN, 1st Marines/BLT-1/1 - Today
All Stations This Net (1st MARDIV) - Crew Cut
NGF Liaison Team - 26 Oscar (preceded by After Burner in Area I, and Salted Flakes in Area
II)
NILO Chu Lai - Iron Pellets Charlie
CG, III MAF - Franchise
TF Xray - Emery Wheel
CG, 3rd MARDIV - Sudden Death
Flare Ship - Spooky
III MAF - Negotiate
Naval Hospital DaNang - Burbank
NSA Detachment at An Thoi - Barbados
NSA Saigon - Red Rose
Medevac:
Hue to north of Danang - Barrelhouse Three
North of Danang to CG14 - Roseann Three
CG14 to CG16 - Nailfile Three
Naval Aircraft:
VP2 - Cape Cod
VP4 - Elk Lodge
VP8 - Pin Stripe
VP16 - Spangle
VP17 - Free Transit
VP40 - Wiseman
VP42 - Yarn Marker
VP46 - Mess Man
VP50 - Madness
CO GARDIV 12 - Japan (collective)
If you have any corrections, additions or amplifying information to any data presented here, please contact Larry Wasikowski at: larrywaz@swiftboats.net or call (402) 331-2504.
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This page was last updated on: May 07, 2013 at 14:30