• THE VIETNAM CENTER AND ARCHIVE
  • Texas Tech University

 Finding Aid: Gamewardens of Vietnam Association Collection Item Number: 10960000000

Association Collection (Gamewardens of Vietnam Association)
Location: D084.3C, D083.1A, Photograph Collection, Cold Storage Vault, Periodical Collection, Newsletter Collection, Museum Objects


Scope & Content:

  • The Gamewardens of Vietnam Association Collection contains materials pertaining to the Gamewardens of Vietnam Association which was formed in 1968 to honor the men who served in Task Force 116 in Vietnam denying the Viet Cong the use of the inland waterways. It is divided into eleven series: Founding Documents, Minutes of Meetings, Chapter Information, Membership, Financial Material, Newsletters, Reunions, Correspondence, Scholarship, Newspaper and Periodical Clippings, and Research Materials. The materials date from 1965 during Operation Gamewarden to 2004.

Biographical Note:

  • As a result of recommendations made by Naval authorities in September of 1965, a river patrol force, designated Task Force 116 and code named Game Warden was established. This force was assigned the responsibility of helping Vietnamese river forces in denying the Viet Cong the use of the inland waterways. The Gamewardens of Vietnam Association was formed in December of 1968 to: 1. Perpetuate the name of the Naval Task Force 116 known as Operation Gamewarden. 2. Continue those friendships commenced in Vietnam by those personnel who served in Task Force 116 (Operation Gamewarden). 3. Foster the security of our Nation by supporting all measures calculated to strengthen the Armed Forces of the United States and to support the Constitution of the United States of America. 4. Revere the memory of our shipmates who sacrificed their lives in Vietnam.

Access Level:

  • Unrestricted

Collection Inventory:

LocationBoxFolderContents
Gamewardens of Vietnam Association Corporate Archives 
D084.3CBox 1Founding Documents 
1
Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws for Gamewardens of Vietnam Association
2
Internal Revenue Service determination of tax status for Gamewardens of Vietnam Association
3
Annual Reports submitted to the State of Virginia by Gamewardens of Vietnam Association
4
Listing of Board Members of the Gamewardens of Vietnam Association
5
List of Gamewardens of Vietnam Chapters and area representatives
Box 2Minutes of Association meetings 
1
Board Meetings
2
Board Meetings
3
Business Meetings
4
Business Meetings
5
Executive Board Meetings
6
Annual Meeting of the Executive Directors
7
1992 Annual Reunion
8
1994 General Membership Meeting
9
Five Year Plan
Chapters of the Gamewardens of Vietnam Association 
10
Chapter Guidance
11
East Coast Chapter
12
Hawaii Chapter
13
Northeast Chapter
14
Northwest Chapter
15
Southeast Chapter
16
Texas Chapter
17
West Coast Chapter (1 of 2)
18
West Coast Chapter (2 of 2)
Membership 
19
Blank Gamewardens of Vietnam Association membership form
20
Completed applications 1960s-1980s
21
Completed applications 1986
22
Completed applications 1988 (1 of 2)
23
Completed applications 1988 (2 of 2)
24
Completed applications 1989
25
Completed applications 1993
26
Completed applications (various dates)
27
Completed applications (various dates)
28
Association mailings returned to sender
29
West Coast Chapter membership applications (blank)
30
Design and purchase of Gamewardens decal
Box 3Financial Material 
1
January 1973-December 1977
2
1980
3
1981
4
1982
5
1983
6
1984
7
1985
8
1986
9
1987
10
May 1988
11
1989
12
1996
13
Balance sheet 24 June 1988
14
Balance sheets for 1989
15
Balance sheets for 1991
16
Balance sheets for 1992
17
Balance sheets various dates
18
Kay Witham Memorial
19
Account books and signature books
20
Postal
Box 4Gamewardens of Vietnam Association Newsletters 
1
#1, November 1968
2
#2, March 1969
3
#4, September 1969
4
#5, January 1970
5
#6, May 1970
6
#7, May 1971
7
#8, May 1972
8
#9, September 1972
9
#10, February 1973
10
#11, June 1973
11
#12, December 1973
12
#13, June 1974
13
#14
14
#15, February 1976
15
#17, July 1977
16
#18, November 1977
17
#19, May 1978
18
#20, January 1979
19
#27 July 1982
20
March 1983 letter, (between issues #27 and 28)
21
#28, July 1983
22
#29, May 1984
23
#30, July 1985
24
#31, July 1986
25
#32, May 1988
26
#33, May 1989
27
#34, May 1990
28
March 1991 letter
29
#35, January 1993
30
#36
31
undated newletter materials
32
Texas Chapter newletters
33
West Coast Chapter newsletters
34
Southeast Chapter newsletters
35
USS Garrett County
36
USS Peterson
37
USS Radford
38
various non-Gamewardens of Vietnam Association newsletters
39
Brown Water Log, Winter 2006
Reunions 
1
1968
2
1969
3
1983
4
1984
5
1985
6
1986
7
1987
8
1988
9
1990
10
1992
11
1994
12
1996
13
1983 Northwest Chapter
14
1984 West Coast Chapter
15
1988 West Coast Chapter
16
1991 West Coast Chapter
5Correspondence 
1
Correspondence with lawyers
2
1968-1970
3
1970-1978
4
1973-1974
5
1975
6
1976
7
1977
8
1978
9
1982
10
1983
11
1984
12
1985
13
1986
14
1988
15
1989
16
1989
17
1989
18
April 1989
19
1993
20
undated
21
return to sender/change of address
22
unsolicited material
6Gamewardens of Vietnam Scholarships 
1
1982
2
1986
3
1987
4
1989
5
1991
6
1992
7
1992
8
1994
Newspaper and Periodical Clippings 
9
Articles from "All Hands, 1966-1973"
10
A Bibliography of the U.S. Navy and the Conflict in SEA, 1950-1975
11
Articles from "Combat Illustrated", 1979-1982
12
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Examination of U.S. Policy Towards POW/MIAs
13
Articles from "National Geographic" 1962-1968
14
Article "Navy Gunship Helicopters in the Mekong"
15
Article "The Navy in Vietnam"
16
Pamphlet: The Navy in New Orleans
17
Articles from "Our Navy"
18
Poems of a Navy Padre by William Henry Bell
19
"River Patrol Force TF 116"
20
"River Patrols Relearned by Commander" S.A. Swartztrauber
21
"Riverine Warfare: The U.S. Navy's Operations on Inland Waters"
22
Articles from "Sea Classics"
23
Articles from "U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings"
24
"Welcome Aboard" pamphlet produced on behalf of the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam
25
Other Periodicals
26
Newspapers clippings (original)
27
Newspapers clippings (reproductions)
28
Cartoons
7Research Materials 
1
Small Craft Insignia
2
Operation Gamewardens insignia
3
Secretary of the Navy instructions concerning Foreign Awards to U.S. Military Personnel (1970)
4
Secretary of the Navy instructions concerning Foreign Awards to U.S. Military Personnel (1972-1973)
5
Operation Gamewardens Unit Citations
6
U.S. Navy Unit Awards (1967-1973)
7
U.S. Navy Unit Awards (1969-1971)
8
U.S. Navy Unit Awards (1973)
9
U.S. Navy Unit Awards (1973-1976)
10
U.S. Navy Unit Awards (1977-1979)
11
U.S. Navy Unit Awards and Campaign Participation 1987
12
River Patrol Flotilla 5 Command History 1968
13
River Squadron 5 Command History, 18 January 1968
14
River Squadron 5 Certificate of River War Service in Vietnam
15
River Division 521 information
16
River Division 523 member list
17
River Section 531 information
18
River Section 543 information
19
River Section 544 information
20
River Section 553 information
21
River Section 593 information
22
River Section 593 information
23
LST's earning battle stars in Vietnam
24
Cruisebook: U.S. Naval Support Activity, Saigon: May 1966-May 1967
25
Helicopter Attack Squadron 3 information
26
U.S. Naval Vessels named in honor of Operation Gamewarden members
27
Lt. John C. Brewton and the USS Brewton (DE-1086)
28
LCDR Arthur Elliot and the USS Elliot (DD-967)
29
GM Patrick Ford and the USS Ford (FFG-54)
30
SN David G. Ouellett and the USS Ouellett (DE-1077)
31
CPO Quincy Truett and the USS Truett (DE-1095)
32
ACTOV-The U.S. Navy's Accelerated Turnover Program
33
Agent Orange
34
Proposal for "An Encyclopedia of Military Leaders"
35
Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
36
Gamewardens of Vietnam Association Awards
37
Gamewardens History Book
38
Gamewardens of Vietnam Association acquisition of a PBR
39
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
40
Patriot's Point
41
Thirty-one foot Patrol River Boat
42
Synaposis and Outline for the 10000 Mile Route: Inside the VC/NVA
43
Your Navy: From the Viewpoint of the Nation's Finest Artist
44
Proposal for "Vietnam at the Movies"
45
Vietnam book report newsletter
46
Vietnam Veterans of America
47
Vietnam Veterans state bonus
81
Operation Gamewarden Press Releases
2
Memo: Subjects that might be raised at Pentagon Press Briefing
3
Pentagon Press Briefing by Admiral Zumwalt (20 October 1969)
4
Questions/Answers for CINCPACFLT Saigon Press Conference 3 Octover 1969
5
Jere Beery
6
Robert Earl Cannon
7
Terrence J. Freund
8
Clayton Hartwig
9
Admiral Ward
10
Admiral Zumwalt
11
General Subjects (1966-1970)
12
General Subjects (1968-1984)
13
General Subjects (1972-1979)
14
General Subjects (1973-1981)
15
General Subjects (1975-1981)
16
Veterans Association Hospital
17
Archival Holdings
18
Addresses
19
Gamewardens of Vietnam Vietnam Association Press Releases
20
UDT-12 Familgram (October/November 1969)
21
Vietnam related book catalogs
22
Assorted Materials
9Restricted Materials 
D083.1A10 (Oversize)
Oversize original newspapers, periodicals and clippings
11 (Oversize)
Empty Reference Material Three Ring Binder
12 (Oversize)
Empty Reference Material Three Ring Binder
13 (Oversize)
Newspapers, 1983-1986

Separated Materials:

Photographs:VA030448 - VA030451.
 33 photographs taken during Operation Gamewarden.
 27 Photos taken during Gamewarden's reunions and dedications.
 25 Photos of The Moving Wall.
 1 Photo of PBR Mark II.
 5 Photos of the USS Truett.
 12 Photos of the USS Ouellet.
 1 Photo of the USS Brewton.
Slides:VAS031977: Slide of Task Force 116 plaque.
Museum Objects:1096museum1491: Combat Action Ribbon (7).
 1096museum1492: Bumper sticker "Vietnam: I was there, and proud to serve! 1958-1975".
 1096museum1493: Bumper sticker "Vietnam: I was there, and proud to serve! 1960-1975".
 1096museum1494: Bumper sticker "Vietnam: I wasn't there, but I care! 1958-1975".
 1096museum1495: flag holding harness.
 1096museum1496: USS Elliot (DD-967) patch.
Audio:1096AU1479: Audio Tape, "America Still Waits" by Robert Reordon.
 1096AU1480: Audio Tape various songs relating to Vietnam.
Periodicals:All Hands (April 1978) (2 copies).
 DAV: The Official Voice of the Disabled American Veterans and DAV Auxiliary (August 1993).
 Military (November 1987).
 Military (January 1988).
 Military (June 1988).
 Psychology Today (November 1981).
 Soldier of Fortune (March 1985).
 Surface Warfare (November 1980).
 Veteran (June 1988).
 Vietnam (August 1991).
 Vietnam (October 1992).
 Vietnam (August 1993).
 USNI Proceedings (November 1969).
 USNI Proceedings (October 1969).
 USNI Proceedings (May 1971).

Digitized Materials

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