Written by James W. Steffes ENC, USN Retired, “Swift Boat Down” is an engaging book that details the mystery of PCF-19.

“Swift Boat Down” tells the true story of a Swift Boat that was sunk by two rockets from an unidentified aircraft near the border between North and South Vietnam. It was June 15/16th, 1968, around midnight, and five sailors were dead or missing. Two survivors and several witnesses reported seeing lighted aircraft that moved and hovered like helicopters flying in the area. U.S. Jets were scrambled to the scene and reported hits on enemy aircraft.

The following night the jets returned hunting the elusive helicopters and in the confusion, one American Cruiser and one Australian Cruiser were hit by air-to-air missiles. The result was two dead and eleven wounded aboard the Australian ship and minor damage to the American Cruiser. An investigation, based on pieces of U.S. Missiles found on the two ships, determined that it was “friendly fire.”

A sailor was aboard another Swift Boat, PCF-12, patrolling south of the sunken boats position. Ordered to the scene to assist in the rescue, PCF-12 came under attack by two helicopter type aircraft, identified as hostile, receiving one rocket and heavy machine gun fire. There were no hits or casualties to PCF-12. The Swift Boat returned a deadly barrage of gunfire from three .50 caliber machine guns and other small arms fire causing the two helicopters to break contact and run away. The crew believes that one of the helicopters was damaged or shot down by this hail of gunfire.

The investigation findings were “friendly fire” mostly because of the lack of wreckage of the helicopters and the pieces of Sparrow missiles found on board USS Boston and HMAS Hobart. News accounts attempted to connect the two incidents by blaming the same pilots for attacking the ships and sinking the Swift Boat.

“Swift Boat Down” uses official records, logs, and message traffic to back up eye witness testimonies that refute the “friendly fire” decision. There were many people affected by this story. Those that were there have carried pieces of this incident in their memories for 37 years. Families and friends of the dead and missing have wondered about the truth behind the decision of “friendly fire” vs “hostile fire.” This book will answer many of those questions and put many lives at rest again.

“Swift Boat Down: The Real Story of the Sinking of Pcf-19”

By James W. Steffes

ISBN: 1949338827 (paperback); 978-1949338829 (electronic)

Available at AMAZON and Barnes and Noble

About the Author

James W. Steffes ENC, USN Retired was born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 17. With his three children grown and grandchildren nearby, James and his wife Sandy enjoys retirement living in Sun City, California.

James belongs to the Swift Boat Sailor Association and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the former being a veterans group formed in 1995.

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