A Vietnam era Patrol Craft that was used by the Armed Forces of Malta for 40 years before returning to the United States donated to the Maritime Museum of San Diego has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Patrol Craft named C 24 and later P 24 by the AFM, spent 40 years of excellent service within Armed Forces of Malta including in the Task Force between 1980 and 1988 and was decommissioned in 2012. She was handed over to the Maritime Museum of San Diego, where she was restored. Today she is used for 75-minute tours around San Diego bay, bringing back many memories for Vietnam war veterans.
Together with her sister C 23, then P 23 were donated to Malta by the US in 1971, after having been used to train military personnel for the Vietnam War.
The P 24, now formally known as PCF 816 Mark II (Patrol Craft Fast), never went to Vietnam, having been used in the States during the war before coming to Malta.
PCF 816 is a tangible reminder of the service and dedication of so many swift boat sailors and allows visitors the opportunity to better understand what they sacrificed,” said Kevin Sheehan, the museum’s librarian and manager of collections.
The other vessels on the National Register of Historic Places are the Star of India, launched in 1863 and now the world’s oldest active sailing ship; the Berkeley, an 1898 steam ferry that spent 60 years operating in San Francisco Bay; and the Pilot, built in 1914 in San Diego and now the oldest active pilot boat in the country.
Below are images of the Handing Over Ceremony at the Maritime Squadron Base back to 20th July, 2012 –
Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com