For the majority of people, the Vietnam War was a 'TV war' with graphic images beamed daily to millions around the world showing air strikes by B-52 bombers, ground support from carrier based aircraft, helicopter 'gunships', refugees and Saigon nightclubs. All shared airtime with politicians, anti-war marchers and folk singers with anthems of protest. But with a need to transport large numbers of men and machines, behind the media facade was a different kind of operation which involved moving cargoes as varied as food, guns and refugees down a maritime supply line to Vietnam via the Pacific from the US West Coast, established with little public knowledge and even less publicity. To meet the demand for increased cargo movement, the US Government expanded its fleet of merchant ships by taking ships from the Maritime Administration reserve fleet and chartering US-flagged vessels from commercial operators. In 1965, six US troop transports, Upshur, Darby, Buckner, Rose, Patch and Geiger, were moved from Atlantic to Pacific operations and were joined a year later by other troopships. By the end of 1966, both USNS Rose and USNS Darby had been withdrawn from Pacific service, with the other troopships following shortly after.
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