![]() Although unofficial, the term became popular enough to be found in a declassified 1966 command history of the USS Enterprise, one of the vessels of Seventh Fleet. The qualifications for membership broadly construed to any service-member assigned to 7th Fleet, from the ships on the gun line, to aircraft sorties from carriers, to riverine units, and Marines on the shore. Much like the naval traditions of line-crossing ceremonies and plankowner certificates, the club served to commemorate sailors' participation in the campaign. The name "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club" was used from 1961 when the Seventh Fleet arrived in the waters off 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. After the 1973 cease-fire, the Fleet conducted mine countermeasure operations in the coastal waterways of North Vietnam. The number of vessels dramatically increased, with the "yacht club" including destroyers and cruisers along the coast on the gun line. The Navy sought to bring electronic warfare "DeSoto missions" to identify these installations and sent the USS Maddox (DD-731), leading to the Tonkin Gulf Incident. The Soviets had assisted the Vietnamese in the construction of more sophisticated anti-aircraft installations. ![]() Reconnaissance flights were conducted by these carriers, although no combat missions had started. In May 1964 three carrier task groups took up position at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. US Naval forces had been introduced intermittently off the coast of Vietnam since March 1950 as "show the flag" tours to reinforce the Republic of Vietnam. Throughout 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. Task Force 77 - Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club - Beret Flash Patch Vietnam - South East Asia - Tonkin Gulf - US NAVY US NAVY - Measures - 2 inches in diameter (5 cms) United States Navy Beret Patch - US Navy - Vietnam War Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was a tongue-in-cheek nickname for the United States Seventh Fleet during the Vietnam War. Item: 384515000854 Beret Patch - TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB - USN - TASK FORCE 77 - Vietnam War - A.353.
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