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This Vietnam war in-country machine embroidered patch measures 3\" by 2.4\", used condition. A valuable addition to your collection of Vietnam war memorabilia items.
The Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) was a unique, hard‑hitting joint U.S. Army–U.S. Navy combat team that fought in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War. It combined Army infantry and artillery with Navy armored boats and floating bases, creating a fully amphibious strike force capable of going where roads didn’t exist and where helicopters couldn’t safely operate.
⚓ Core Identity of the Mobile Riverine Force
The MRF was formally established in 1967 as Task Force 117, pairing:
9th Infantry Division (primarily the 2nd Brigade)
U.S. Navy River Assault Squadrons (RivRon 9, RivRon 11)
Its mission was to find, fix, and destroy Viet Cong units in the Mekong Delta’s maze of rivers, canals, and swamps — terrain where conventional forces struggled.
🛥️ How the MRF Operated
The force used a floating base (anchored ships, barges, and support vessels) and a fleet of specialized riverine craft:
Armored Troop Carriers (ATCs) — infantry transports
Monitors — heavily armed gunboats with cannons, mortars, and machine guns
Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPBs) — minesweeping and direct‑fire support
Command & Control Boats (CCBs)
Helicopter support from HA(L)-3 Seawolves
These boats carried infantry directly into combat zones, often under fire, and provided fire support during assaults.
🎯 Major Operations
The MRF conducted dozens of named operations, including:
Coronado I–IX — early major assaults in Rung Sat, Dinh Tuong, and Long An
Tet Offensive (1968) — critical defense of My Tho, Vinh Long, Can Tho
SEA LORDS (1968–69) — joint Navy/Army interdiction of VC supply routes
Operations with 3/47th and 3/60th Infantry — heavy fighting along the Can Giuoc and Ba Lai rivers
During Tet, the MRF fought continuously for weeks, conducting long transits and intense battles to relieve besieged cities.
🪖 Army Component: 9th Infantry Division
The 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division was selected to become the Army’s riverine force — the first since the Civil War. Soldiers lived aboard barracks ships, deployed from Dong Tam Base, and fought alongside Navy boats in coordinated assaults.
⚓ Navy Component: River Assault Squadrons
River Assault Squadron 9 (RivRon 9) and River Assault Squadron 11 provided the armored boats and crews. Their chronology includes:
First riverine assault (1967)
Introduction of American‑modified LCM‑8 assault craft
Heavy engagements in Cai Be, Can Giuoc, and Dinh Tuong
Major battles during Tet, including the defense of Can Tho
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