The cool humid morning lay like a heavy blanket on the twenty SEALs as they loaded the LCM (Landing Craft Mechanized) for a two hour journey up the Vam Sat river in the heavily controlled Viet Cong area of the Rung Sat Tidal Swamp region, located in South Vietnam.

The Rung Sat was a large base of operations for the Viet Cong, who continually thwarted the military progress of South Vietnamese troops in the region.  For this reason, the members of America's most elite fighting unit were called on.  These men are known as UDT/SEAL (Underwater Demolition Team / Sea Air Land) or SEALs for short, and were the first Americans to operate in the Rung Sat.

In the year of 1967, the SEALs enjoyed much success in disrupting the operations of the Viet Cong in the Rung Sat.  Many of their raids were pure harassment raids in which the object was to go as far as they could into VC "safe" areas and kill or capture armed VC, steal documents, and in general, make the VC as insecure in their bases as many South Vietnamese and US GIs were.

The SEALs assignment was no different than any other.  They were again on their way to make the lives of the enemy as miserable as possible.  Shoving off at the pre planned hour of 5 a.m., the LCM gingerly made the journey up the Vam Sat river through the early morning mist.  All went well for the first hour and a half.

Suddenly the sound of enemy automatic weapons fire pierced the air.  This time the SEALs were the one's who were ambushed.

My father, Senior Chief Petty Officer Herb Ruth, was manning the radio when the ambush took place.  Instinctively, he quickly called for the air support of the Sea Wolves, a company of gunship helicopters.  After doing so, a strong urge compelled Herb to trade places with the SEAL who was manning the 60 mm mortar.  While trading places, an enemy air burst killed the man next to Herb as well as the SEAL who was now manning the radio, along with the CO (Commanding Officer), and at the time causing severe flash burns across the face and arms of Herb.

Undaunted by the severe burns he received, Herb continued to return rapid mortar fire in an effort to suppress the Viet Cong attack.  After many minutes of fierce fighting, the ambush area was cleared of all VC.

Now was the time to assess the damage that had been done.  Slipping and sliding through the blood on the deck of the LCM, Herb, oblivious to his own injuries began to help the wounded.  Fourteen of the Twenty SEALs were seriously wounded, while three others lay dead.  Herb, being trained in emergency medical techniques, administered first aid to his seriously wounded Team Mates until they were MEDIVACED.  Only then were his own wounds taken care of.  Not only was Herb seriously flash burned, but later he also found out that he had received shrapnel in his back and legs as a result of the explosion.  Month's later during the Awards ceremony, Herb was awarded the Silver Star for his gallant actions while facing the enemy.  The Commander presenting the award stated, "Herb Ruth's determination to stay at his battle station undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his Team Mates."

Excerpted from: A CURSOR INTERNET EXCLUSIVE - Jesse "The Great Pretender" Ventura? Time now to hear from Ed Gill, the UDT 12 officer who had his platoon shot out from under him within one week of reporting aboard for duty as a SEAL in Det Golf. Ed and the few remaining SEALs able to function after the VC ambushed their boat on the Vam Sat River cleared the kill zone and lived to fight another day. Ed and Chief Petty Officer Herb Ruth received Silver Stars for their heroism and Hearts for their wounds. As for the rest of the platoon, they had altogether too much time to bleed. Three of Ed's 12 men died.

"I had no idea," Ed said as we talked about the ambush and Jesse not long ago, "of what was going on. We were hardly off the airplane at Tan Son Nhut when an officer who'd been in-country several months told me to jock up for a patrol. I'd played football with the guy at the Academy and knew him then as very aggressive.

"He was in charge of the mike boat and the operation. We inserted about noon along the Vam Sat. On the way to the insertion point, I noticed the river was heavily bunkered, but we didn't draw fire. If we had, we were pretty well armed: machine guns along each side of the boat, a Honeywell 40-millimeter grenade launcher on the coxswain's station, a 60 mortar and a 57 recoilless rifle on the stern. Boat was really slow with all that armament. Could make maybe six knots max.

"We inserted and hadn't patrolled more than 100 yards from the boat before the VC started sniping at us. Officer on the boat said to move forward. We did. Then someone got hit, not bad, and we retreated to the boat.

"We went out the same way we came in, and the VC really slammed it to us from those bunkers. We returned fire. The noise was like nothing I've ever heard before or since.

"We somehow managed to clear the ambush with only a few more wounded. Then my teammate from the Academy decided to go back in and duke it out. That's when we got butchered. I was hit in the chin with shrapnel; the corpsman hauled me down behind the gunwale to stop the bleeding. Dan Mann, my assistant platoon leader, took my place and commenced firing. Next thing I know Dan tumbles down beside me dead. Shot through the ear, it looked like. I used to think he took the bullet meant for me. I don't think about that so much anymore.

"A B-40 or maybe a round from our 60 exploded overhead. I looked up at Herb Ruth on the Honeywell. His face had been scorched raw by flame, but he kept on grinding out the 40 mike mikes.

"We were able to break contact and call in dust-offs. One of my men, Don Boston, was dead and another, Bobby Neal, died a few days later. The rest of us were wounded in one way or another. Those of us who recovered and continued to operate for the next seven months got some payback, but nothing could ever make up for what happened to us on the Vam Sat. 

Herb was billeted for UDT-R Class 32.  He developed mumps, was hospitalized for two weeks and started UDT-R training two weeks late.  Dave “Tractor Dan” Gearhart stated "He come to us as an 'Old Guy', 32, 33 something (unheard of) !! He came sick and kind a chubby. No one gave him a farts chance in hell of even getting through Hell Week, boy were we wrong!!  Not only did he kick ass in training but led the pack, he was one of our Alpha Moles.  The thought of quitting or failure simply put, did not exist to Herb."  Tractor goes on to say "I owe your father.  Owe a blood debt, in fact I owe my very life to Herb.  On at least three occasions, your father; my Team Mate and Friend; actually saved my life."

Whatever Dad accomplished pales in comparison to his graduation from UDT-R Class 32.  He served his first tour in South Vietnam in 1965 with UDT-11, he then was transferred to SEAL Team One and served a tour in South Vietnam in 1967,  was transferred to SEAL Team Two, and his third South Vietnam tour was in 1969.  Served as SEAL Team Two Training Platoon Commander.  Herb then deployed as SEAL Team Two Platoon Commander assigned to Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Europe.  He retired April 1976 from SEAL Detachment to Naval Support Activity, New Orleans, La., Coastal River Division-22, as Operations Officer with the rank of Lieutenant.