A Brief History of the VUMMF

The VUMMF Memorial Project dates back, to the time of the closing of Naval Training Center San Diego (NTC, Boot Camp). Prior to then, Gamewardens had placed an Obelisk commemorating Navy Task Force 116 involvement in the Vietnam War. Due to the closing, the Obelisk needed to be removed as NTC was being turned over to the city of San Diego.

NTC Commanding officer, former Navy POW, Captain Jack Ensch made arrangement to have the Obelisk moved to the Congress International Sports Military (CISM Field) area onboard Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Ca.

Below: L to R: R. Jones, G. Fredrickson, R. Fries, S. Watson, J. Davy, Capt Ensch and NTC’s CMC. 3/15/1994

The Vietnam Unit Memorial Monument Wall portion of the project began in 1998 when PCF-104, the last Mk I, was spotted in a Navy salvage yard in Bangor, Washington. Efforts were then undertaken to procure the boat and move it to San Diego where it could serve along with a monument to those who served on these boats. About this same time, members of the Mobile Riverine Force Association (MRFA) were trying to save a Command Communications Boat (CCB) which was in disrepair in a failing museum in the San Francisco Bay area.

At different points in time the Swift Boat and CCB memorials came together with the existing MK II PBR and TF116 obelisk. The overall memorial project is supported by the Swift Boat Sailors Association; the Mobile Riverine Force Association and Gamewardens of Vietnam. A unified concept was submitted to the Navy and ultimately approved in a Memorandum of Understanding in June 1999.

Construction of the forms for the Memorial Wall