Donation adds to the story at the Military Sea Services Museum

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@newssun.com

SEBRING -- Normand Doyon served as a river patrol boat captain during the Vietnam War. He joined River Division 544, which mostly worked in the Mekong Delta, on April Fool's Day in 1969.

On June 22, the boat came under attack, taking a direct hit to the engine that essentially blew the vessel apart. No one escaped unhurt. One gunner was killed outright -- "He never even knew what hit him," said Doyon -- another crewman and the patrol officer died of their wounds shortly after.

Doyon's experiences on PBRs remain vivid memories, and he has spent significant time and effort ever since helping to keep the history of their service alive.

He is, for example, the treasurer of the Patrol Boat River Forces Veterans Association.

He is also a winter resident of Frostproof, coming down every winter from Southington, Ohio.

Over the years, Doyon visited the Military Sea Services Museum in Sebring often. It bothered him that there was no information about the PBR contribution in Vietnam, and he resolved to do something about it.

On Tuesday, he presented two PBR models for permanent display. "There's a lot of history here," he said, referring to the museum's collection and displays. "I just wanted to add more."

There were two PBR designs, he told the small group gathered for the presentation. The Mark I, put on the line in 1966, and the Mark II, which came out in 1968.

The Mark II was 11 inches longer and 11 inches wider that the Mark II.

The boats were dangerous. Built for speed out of lightweight fiberglass, there was no protection for the crew. Shallow bottomed, the boats could operate in two feet of water running at 28 knots, in 12 inches of water at full speed, which was better than 30 knots. The problem, Doyon added, was at that speed in shallow water "you can't stop."

The boats were not stealty, the engine creating its own danger.

"They were noisy S.O.B.s," Doyon said. "At idle speed they could be heard two or three miles away."

"You can't sneak up on anything," he said. "We'd go out in the day, find our area before dark, tie up and stop." Then the crew would wait to roar out at a target.

The models donated to the museum are in 1:24 scale, allowing for considerable detail. They were built in the Philippines expressly for the Sea Services Museum, financed by Doyon's veteran's association.

Tony LaMorte and John Cecil, museum president and vice-president respectively, were at the ceremony.

Both men said they hope the new display is a sign of things to come.

"We have more displays to set up," Cecil said, "but we've run out of room."

The museum has plans for an expansion that have already been approved by the city. All that's missing is the funding. Donations are welcome.

The Military Sea Services Museum is at 1402 Roseland Ave., on the corner of Kenilworth Boulevard. The phone number is 385-0992. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.