Military Memories Memorial Page

Update 9/6/01
Info. photos supplied by Stanley Houlberg Jr
Hello, I accidentally stumbled into it when I typed YFU 78 into a search engine. If you type YFU 74 into dogpile, you may find it taking you to The African American Veterans web page where there is a picture of Ed Head, my then Craftmaster on the 74. I was the Quartermaster on the YFU 74 from July 68 through July 69 and relieved Milton Shapiro on the 74 when he became the Craftmaster of the 78. The afternoon of Feb 27 '69 Milton Shiparo offered to take the load of ammo we were scheduled to pick up at Bridge Ramp. Our Enginemen were just finishing up repairs on a steering motor on board our boat, which prevented us from sailing over to bridge ramp to have the ammo loaded so we could set sail later that evening. Because of Milton's volunteering for that load I am still here. I would have been in the pilot house at the time of the attack, preparing for my mid-watch and leaving port. The attack happened just after 2300 and the fire and explosions lasted close to midnight. I watched it from the Lighterage dock, where all the LCU's and YFU's tied up between trips. I believe only three men on the 78 survived. They had just returned from the EM club at Camp Tien Sha and were in the boat's galley when the attack happened. As I was told, there were three rockets fired at the boats. The first landed alongside the warehouses along the North side of the ramp, second landed just behind both the 1500 and 78. A crew member on my boat, the 74, told us he heard the man on watch in the pilot house of the 78 asking the HQ at Lighterage for permission to leave the loading area. That must have been just before the third rocket hit the 1500 and both boats went up. Black powder and projectiles were our usual load whenever we loaded up at bridge ramp and the 78 probably had over 300 tons on board. The 1500 probably had over 200 tons. I didn't see the initial explosion, but I felt it from at least two miles away. By the time I made it up into our pilot house the bridge ramp area was still exploding. My middle daughter, Katie went to Washington D.C. in 1998 for a high school Outreach trip. She went to the Wall for me to look up Milton Shapiro's name. She took a shading and when she brought it home to me and placed it in my hand I had a strange feeling and chills. Later that evening I looked up Milton's name on the Vietnam Veterans Causality List web site and discovered that Katie had taken Milton's shading exactly 29 years to the day of the attack. In my prayers I often remember Milton and the others who took my place that night. Thanks to their unselfish heroism I have enjoyed a wonderful life and have a wonderful family. Thank you for this memorial to the YFU 78 and the LCU 1500. They were all good sailors and fine men. God Bless our Vietnam Veteran Heroes! Sincerely, Stanley Houlberg Jr. QM3

Hello, I accidentally stumbled into it when I typed YFU 78 into a search engine. If you type YFU 74 into dogpile, you may find it taking you to The African American Veterans web page where there is a picture of Ed Head, my then Craftmaster on the 74. I was the Quartermaster on the YFU 74 from July 68 through July 69 and relieved Milton Shapiro on the 74 when he became the Craftmaster of the 78. The afternoon of Feb 27 '69 Milton Shiparo offered to take the load of ammo we were scheduled to pick up at Bridge Ramp. Our Enginemen were just finishing up repairs on a steering motor on board our boat, which prevented us from sailing over to bridge ramp to have the ammo loaded so we could set sail later that evening. Because of Milton's volunteering for that load I am still here. I would have been in the pilot house at the time of the attack, preparing for my mid-watch and leaving port. The attack happened just after 2300 and the fire and explosions lasted close to midnight. I watched it from the Lighterage dock, where all the LCU's and YFU's tied up between trips. I believe only three men on the 78 survived. They had just returned from the EM club at Camp Tien Sha and were in the boat's galley when the attack happened. As I was told, there were three rockets fired at the boats. The first landed alongside the warehouses along the North side of the ramp, second landed just behind both the 1500 and 78. A crew member on my boat, the 74, told us he heard the man on watch in the pilot house of the 78 asking the HQ at Lighterage for permission to leave the loading area. That must have been just before the third rocket hit the 1500 and both boats went up. Black powder and projectiles were our usual load whenever we loaded up at bridge ramp and the 78 probably had over 300 tons on board. The 1500 probably had over 200 tons. I didn't see the initial explosion, but I felt it from at least two miles away. By the time I made it
up into our pilot house the bridge ramp area was still exploding. My middle daughter, Katie went to Washington D.C. in 1998 for a high school Outreach trip. She went to the Wall for me to look up Milton Shapiro's name. She took a shading and when she brought it home to me and placed it in my hand I had a strange feeling and chills. Later that evening I looked up Milton's name on the Vietnam Veterans Causality List web site and discovered that Katie had taken Milton's shading exactly 29 years to the day of the attack. In my prayers I often remember Milton and the others who took my place that night. Thanks to their unselfish heroism I have enjoyed a wonderful life and have a wonderful family.

PRELUDE	III Marine Amphibious Force Drum and Bugle Corps
* POSTING OF COLORS	Camp Tien Sha Security Department
*THE NATIONAL ANTHEM	III Marine Amphibious Force Drum and Bugle Corps
*INVOCATION	Father Doyle
*OPENING HYMN	no. 301 "Once To Every Man And Nation"
** PRAYER FOR THE NAVY	Chaplain Young
RESPONSIVE READING	no. 535
*THE DECLARATION OF FAITH	no. 77
READING FROM THE HOLY SRIPTURE OFFERTORY	III Marine Amphibious Force Drum and Bugle Corps
MESSAGE BY THE HARBOR CHAPLAIN PRAYER FOR DEPARTED SHIPMATES	Chaplain Young
*CLOSING HYMN	no. 400
"Eternal Father Strong To Save" *BENEDICTION	LIEUTENANT SEGAL
*TAPS	Bugler
*TWENTY ONE GUN SALUTE	Camp Tien Sha Security Department
*POSTLUDE	III Marine Amphibious Force Drum and Bugle Corps
*	Congrigation Standing
**	Congrigation May Be Seated