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August 20, 2025
Bandera veteran to reunite with flag 59 years after they both came under enemy fire
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Johnny Camp joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1948, when he was 14 years old. He retired after serving for 20 years and four months, achieving the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and becoming the youngest U.S. Coast Guard retiree.
He served three tours in Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
While in Vietnam, he patrolled the Mekong Delta coastline aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Point Slocum. On June 20, 1966, in the early morning hours, two Navy cutters - the Point Slocum and Point League - were on patrol in the Co Chin River. The Point League picked up a vessel on radar, described as a trawler at slow speed and setting deep in the water with no navigation lights on.
A heavy load usually meant contraband of sorts. The general alarm was sounded on both cutters, as men took took their stations. Camp manned the quad 50s (five 50-caliber Browning machine guns, including a turret mounted quad 50, capable of firing 550 rounds per minute) at the stern. Once the trawler was spotlighted by the Point League, they fired a 50-caliber machine gun burst across its bow. The trawler returned fire, hitting the Point League bridge and wounding its executive officer.
After trying to outrun the two cutters, the trawler began to sink under heavy fire. It ran aground on a sand bar. Although the trawler was deactivated, the cutters came under major threat from machine gun fire and mortars on the shoreline 500 yards away. A Point Slocum crew member was set on fire when powder for the five-inch mortar was hit by small arms fire. He was later transported for treatment to a large Navy ship.
Just after dawn, both cutters advanced toward the shoreline returning fire, making several passes through a heavy field of fire, which enabled the U.S. Air Force jets to pinpoint the location and take out the stronghold. Point Slocum and Point League had received hundreds of small arms fire.
One mortar round pierced the American flag raised on the Point Slocum. Camp was later presented that iconic flag for his heroic valor during the battle.
For his service, Camp was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for valor above and beyond the call of duty, Combat Action, Coast Guard Commendation, Good Conduct with three stars, Nation Defense, United Nations, Korean Vietnam Service, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Gold Star, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign ribbon and medal.
About five years ago, Camp, of Bandera, gifted the Point Slocum U.S. Flag to the U.S. Navy Coast Guard National Museum in New Jersey. During a social visit with Bandera County Veterans Service Officer Michael Lauricella, Camp, now 91, said he would love to see that flag, one more time.
“It took one year to organize this,” Lauricella said.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, Camp will be reunited with the flag at the National Museum of the Pacific War, where it will be hosted for two weeks. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., and is open to the public.
The National Museum of the Pacific War is at 311 E. Austin Street, Fredericksburg.
He served three tours in Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
While in Vietnam, he patrolled the Mekong Delta coastline aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Point Slocum. On June 20, 1966, in the early morning hours, two Navy cutters - the Point Slocum and Point League - were on patrol in the Co Chin River. The Point League picked up a vessel on radar, described as a trawler at slow speed and setting deep in the water with no navigation lights on.
A heavy load usually meant contraband of sorts. The general alarm was sounded on both cutters, as men took took their stations. Camp manned the quad 50s (five 50-caliber Browning machine guns, including a turret mounted quad 50, capable of firing 550 rounds per minute) at the stern. Once the trawler was spotlighted by the Point League, they fired a 50-caliber machine gun burst across its bow. The trawler returned fire, hitting the Point League bridge and wounding its executive officer.
After trying to outrun the two cutters, the trawler began to sink under heavy fire. It ran aground on a sand bar. Although the trawler was deactivated, the cutters came under major threat from machine gun fire and mortars on the shoreline 500 yards away. A Point Slocum crew member was set on fire when powder for the five-inch mortar was hit by small arms fire. He was later transported for treatment to a large Navy ship.
Just after dawn, both cutters advanced toward the shoreline returning fire, making several passes through a heavy field of fire, which enabled the U.S. Air Force jets to pinpoint the location and take out the stronghold. Point Slocum and Point League had received hundreds of small arms fire.
One mortar round pierced the American flag raised on the Point Slocum. Camp was later presented that iconic flag for his heroic valor during the battle.
For his service, Camp was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for valor above and beyond the call of duty, Combat Action, Coast Guard Commendation, Good Conduct with three stars, Nation Defense, United Nations, Korean Vietnam Service, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Gold Star, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign ribbon and medal.
About five years ago, Camp, of Bandera, gifted the Point Slocum U.S. Flag to the U.S. Navy Coast Guard National Museum in New Jersey. During a social visit with Bandera County Veterans Service Officer Michael Lauricella, Camp, now 91, said he would love to see that flag, one more time.
“It took one year to organize this,” Lauricella said.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, Camp will be reunited with the flag at the National Museum of the Pacific War, where it will be hosted for two weeks. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., and is open to the public.
The National Museum of the Pacific War is at 311 E. Austin Street, Fredericksburg.