Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
PBR - Patrol Boat River
National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021
1. PBR - Patrol Boat River Marker
From 1966-1971, the PBR was one of the primary boats that supported SEALS in Vietnam. They typically operated in pairs as shown here. They would be heavily armed with single and twin .50 caliber machine guns, 40mm grenade launchers and M-60 machine guns. They would provide SEALS with the capability to operate in the shallow rivers and canals of Vietnam providing an insertion and extraction platform as well as direct fire support if needed. The SEALS and PBRs formed a deadly combination that took the fight into the enemy's own backyard enabling SEALS to conduct direct action and other missions in areas that "Charlie" thought safe and impervious to American interdiction.
The hull was reinforced fiberglass with 2 x 180 hp (115 kW) Detroit Diesel 6V53N engines, each driving a Jacuzzi Brothers 14YJ water pump-jet for propulsion and thrust buckets for reverse thrust. It could operate in water depths as little as nine inches. Ceramic and metal plates offered some protection to the crew, Speed was 28.5 knots (53 km/h 32 mph).
Erected by National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Vietnam • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.
Location. 27° 29.69′ N, 80° 18.017′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named PBR - Patrol Boat River (a few steps from this marker); Never Out of the Fight (a few steps from this marker); LCP[L] Landing Craft Personnel [Large] (a few steps from this marker); Mark 8 Mod 0 SEAL Delivery Vehicle [SDV] (a few steps from this marker); IUWG-1 Veterans KIA Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Apollo Space Capsule (within shouting distance of this marker); Mark IX (within shouting distance of this marker); Memorial Living Beach (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Pierce.
Also see . . . River Patrol Boat Backbone of Brown Water Navy. (Submitted on November 20, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021
2. PBR - Patrol Boat River Marker
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, November 13, 2021
3. PBR - Patrol Boat River
Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 196 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 20, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
