1967 Vietnam War Raw Footage Riverine Forces and Infantry Combat Operations

VIDEO HERE  (25 minutes)

This footage from the Vietnam War dates from  September 4th of 1967, and shows elements of the U.S. Army being deployed into combat by the Mobile River Force. It was shot by an unknown cameraman named Kalsey. During 1967, the U.S. military saw 361 killed and the First Marine Division carried out Operation Swift. The Mobile River Force is mentioned (:07) on the slate -- a box of safety film seen at the head of this footage. The Mobile Riverine Force was a joint U.S. Army and U.S. Navy force comprising a substantial portion of the "brown water navy". 

Opening scenes show troops moving through an open unidentified field and boarding an LCI or similar vessel (:16). A soldier washes up on the riverbank (:38). Infantry trail down a dirt road; livestock prick the grass (2:49). Close shots show infantrymen wading through a watery jungle (3:32). Thatched huts are searched within thick foliage (3:55). A soldier uses the point of his machine gun to search for hidden Viet Cong (4:30). A River Monitor plows through thick brown waters (6:12). Small village homes line the waterway (6:19). Point of view footage zooms through the water (6:39). A small boat runs up to a River Monitor (7:20), marked T-112-7 for River Assault Division 112. (Note: this ship is an Armored Troop Carrier (ATC), often called Tangos from the phonetic alphabet for T. These were LCM-6 landing craft used by the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) and by Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) and Khmer National Navy.) Close shots trace the men as they climb aboard the Tango (7:40). A series of the vessels move forward (8:56). Another shot follows from aboard one of the Monitors (9:17). Smoke hangs in the jungle (10:43) as forces move off River Monitor. Thick mud slows forward progression (11:18). Two Marines zoom through the water on a small boat (11:49). The boat rendezvous with a Monitor (13:17). The sun dips low (13:35) as forces join in the water. Another shot captures the small boat and the Monitor crossing paths (14:02). Rain clouds fill the air (14:26). The view runs over a launch pad for a helicopter (15:10). A panoramic shot of an LST 226 follows, possibly RVNS Lam Giang (HQ-402) (16:11). The radioman makes a call from the back of a small boat (17:13). Troops smoke and hold rifles aboard the boat (17:21). The camera zooms in on Vietnamese youth (19:18). A group of children hold the film roll used by US combat camera man for this footage (19:34). An armored troop carrier (20:28) passes through the water. Another River Monitor follows (20:39). Modern homes line the waterway (21:08). Footage follows from the 26th of the month (22:16). Foot soldiers wade through water (22:20) carting supplies. Thick mud slows progress as infantrymen use their guns to pull one another up (23:30). Shaky footage watches as forces push forward through shallow waters (24:02). Infantry head for the shoreline with supplies (24:41).