Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

"Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club" was a tongue-in-cheek nickname for the United States Seventh Fleet during the Vietnam War. [ [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/1397/tgyc.html Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club] ] All through the war in Vietnam, the Seventh Fleet engaged in combat operations against enemy forces through attack carrier air strikes, naval gunfire support, amphibious operations, patrol and reconnaissance operations and mine warfare.

The name "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club" was used from 1961 when the Seventh Fleet arrived to the waters off Vietnam and carried out most of its operations from the Gulf of Tonkin. After the 1973 cease-fire, the Fleet conducted mine countermeasure operations in the coastal waterways of North Vietnam. Two years later, ships and aircraft of the Fleet evacuated thousands of US citizens and refugees from South Vietnam and Cambodia as those countries fell to opposing forces. The fleet departed in 1975.

Although the insignia for the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club always remained unofficial, it became very popular. It is present in a wide range of Vietnam War military memorabilia. The yellow and red background colors are those of the flag of the Republic of Vietnam.

References

* [http://www.c7f.navy.mil/ Official Seventh Fleet web site]
* [http://oilchange.tripod.com/roster.htm Roster of ships in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club]
* [http://www.worldwartwobooks.com/product.php/5504/tonkin-gulf-yacht-club-us-carrier-operations-off-vietnam Rene J Francillon, "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club US Carrier Operations Off Vietnam"]