TF-116 Task Force Patch River Patrol Force Vietnam

Task Force 116 was stood up on 18 December 1965 to contest the rivers of the Mekong Delta, and it went to work in 31-foot boats with four-man crews. The operation was Game Warden, and the boats were PBRs, Patrol Boat, River. The first patrols went out in February 1966. Their job was to stop the enemy from moving men and supplies on the waterways of the Delta and the Rung Sat Special Zone. By October 1968 the River Patrol Force had grown to 2,032 sailors and 250 PBRs.

Rear Admiral Norvell G. Ward held the first command, and Captain Burton B. Witham Jr. took over on 18 May 1966. Task Group 116.2 worked the Rung Sat from Nha Be and Cat Lo, while headquarters moved from Saigon to Nha Be and later to Tra Noc and Binh Thuy. Each PBR carried several machine guns and a 40mm grenade launcher, and the boats worked with the Seawolves of HA(L)-3 overhead, Navy SEALs and Underwater Demolition Teams ashore, and support ships such as USS Tutuila (ARG-4) and LSTs as floating bases. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, Game Warden units helped save several provincial capitals. Petty Officer First Class James Williams and Seaman David George Ouellet received the Medal of Honor for Game Warden actions.

This is a small patch, 2.25 by 2.25 inches, with a gold merrowed edge and an iron-on backing. RIVER PATROL FORCE arches across the top in red on a white ring, with TF-116 at the bottom. The center disc is blue, with a red shield edged in gold that holds a gold trident, the sea god's three-pronged spear. White lightning bolts flare out to either side. Below them, two gold lines angle down to frame white water with blue ripples, and a gold sword runs point-down through the middle.

The PBR crews worked at close range on narrow rivers and canals, day and night, often a long way from help. The Navy lost about 200 Game Warden sailors. In an average month the boats destroyed around 80 enemy watercraft and 125 enemy structures and fought about 80 engagements. Most River Divisions stood down at the end of 1970, a few lasted into 1971, and the Navy closed out Game Warden in March 1973. For the sailors who ran those rivers, River Patrol Force needs no explanation.

Frame it in a shadow box with a Vietnam Service Medal and a photo of your boat, or stitch it to the vest you wear to a River Patrol reunion. It is also a good gift for a son or grandson who wants to understand what a father or grandfather did on the Mekong. At 2.25 inches it fits a pocket, a sleeve or a small frame. Brown water, one task force number.