Fwd: Thanks From a SEAL

[Bob Peetz]

Jim Arthur sends.

Winds, Bob

From: James Arthur <jamesca...@gmail.com>
Date: 3/29/2024 8:31:35 PM
Subject: Fwd: Thanks From a SEAL
Guys,

This is the letter from SEAL Tom Boyhan that I read at our 2019 Pensacola Reunion.

Jim

To all the Black Pony pilots and the dedicated men who supported them, I want to convey my

eternal THANKS, and a special Bravo Zulu! I had the honor and privilege of serving with the

men of UDT-13 for one tour and SEAL Team One for 2 tours during the Vietnam War.

Naval Aviators are a special breed.

Having attended a lot of SEAL reunions, I can attest to the following; once the beer starts

flowing and the stories are being told, sooner or later, the storyteller says,

“Yeah, if the Black Ponies (or Sea Wolves) hadn’t shown up, we would have been

wiped out.”

I’m not shining you on or blowing smoke up your tailpipe-I really mean that.

I’d like to relate some personal experiences where Ponies were our “Avenging Angels.”

On an operation in the Dung Island area, my platoon had gone in and patrolled thru

a deserted base camp for a company-sized unit. We continued on and hit a district

level VC Leader meeting. The VC security had been guarding this meeting, and quickly

rallied, pressing us with automatic weapons and small-arms fire.

A scramble call for air support, and we soon had Black Ponies overhead.

SEAL’s carried a lot of firepower for a small unit, but the rockets and cannon you Ponies

carried really made the bad guys hug the mud!

On another operation in the Dung Island AO, my platoon chief, Barry Enoch

(Navy Cross, 2 Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars) was leading some VN SEAL.s

when the senior VN SEAL was killed by enemy fire.

Under intense fire, and with Army helos refusing to come in, because the LZ

was “too hot,” Black Ponies arrived and laid down very close air support.

When I say close, I mean within 25 meters of friendly positions.

DAMN, you guys were good!

I commandeered 2 Swift Boats and after some spirited discussion, got them

to proceed up a tight waterway near Barry’s beleaguered unit.  Ponies made

firing runs that swept a corridor to the Swift Boats and allowed the SEAL’s to

make their way to extract. That was some superb flying and firing that day!

Through the years, and over a few beers, when Barry and I got together,

we would always marvel and admire the airmanship of the Black Ponies

that day.

On my last tour, I led an operation out of Rach Gia  in Kien Giang province

down to the northern part of the U-Minh Forest. That was bad VC country.

We hit our target, a VC Tax Collector, and were fanning out to check secondary

areas, when my point man, TM1 Lester J. Moe, hit a booby trap and was killed.

This was in March 1971, and US air assets were limited.

We couldn’t get a helo extraction. But thank goodness we did get Black Ponies

overhead, and they pounded the area to prevent any reaction force from

attacking us. Most importantly, the Black Ponies provided us air cover, and we

made our way by sampan back out to the coast.  TM1 Moe was was the last

SEAL killed in the jungles of Vietnam.

While it is burden I carry that I lost a man on my last tour, I take some comfort

in that we brought him back and were shepherded out by the Black Ponies.

Once again, you guys were outstanding on that day.

I’m sorry I am unable  to attend your reunion, which you graciously invited me

to. On behalf of myself and all Vietnam era SEAL’s, thank you for your

phenomenal flying skills, bold courage, your service to our country,

and being there when it really counted. You guys came through.

If our paths every cross, drinks are on me!

With the utmost admiration,

Tom Boyhan
USNA ‘66
BUD/S Class 45
UDT-13
ST-1