The history of CHB 2 could be described as rather elusive at best. Hopefully with the help of a few of the recently located crew members of the tribe we'll be able shed some light on this some where down the road.
US Naval Cargo Handling Battalions were born out of a need for personnel to handle the logistical needs of a large military effort anywhere in the world. Being combat stevedors CHB 2 had the motto "Have slings and guns - will travel" and travel they did. The document was the standard 'Welcome Aboard' letter in the mid 60's. It outlines both the mission in 1965 and the origin of the units in the 1950's along with it's 'on again - off again' history.
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Courtesy of Chuck H. - Thank You! |
Today, these Battalions are a integral part of our military and not only to support the troops. They are critical in the effort to win the hearts and minds of local populations as they establish ports, terminals and other civic tasks. The following link is a good indicator of progress over the past 45+ years. Humm, facebook, change is inevitable.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Navy-Expeditionary-Logistics-Support-Group/262436272286?ref=stream
Obviously this link shows the change in the organization since the day's of it origin. What had not really changed are the challenges that confront the officers and the men. Although technology has brought the stevedoring business many advancements it is still not realized in many places in the world. One of the best books available regarding the challenges confronted in Vietnam was written by Vice Admiral Hopper and published in 1973. I can only say that being in the mist of what he described I still had no idea what it entailed. The following link is will allow you to download in several formats his wonderful account of that period during the war.
http://archive.org/details.php?identifier=mobilitysupporte00hoop
