Eight Bells
From Echoes of the Vietnam War by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
June 12, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 118
About this episode
The episode discusses the often-overlooked role of the Coast Guard in the Vietnam War through the experiences of Woody Barley.
The United States Coast Guard is the service that has to go out but doesn't have to come back. By July of 1965, the first 82-foot patrol boats were arriving at Da Nang. Most people don't even know the Coast Guard was in Vietnam, and the people who do know tend to picture them somewhere in the background, keeping the shipping lanes clear. During his one-year tour, Woody Barley was definitely not in the background.
People in this episode
Guest: Woody Barley
Topics covered
- Vietnam War
- Coast Guard
- military history
- personal stories
- naval operations
Keywords
- Vietnam War
- Coast Guard
- Da Nang
- patrol boats
- military service
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: United States Coast Guard
Places: Da Nang
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