NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- Sixty former South Vietnamese naval officers who graduated from the Newport Officer Candidate School Program from 1970-1971 and later returned to their homeland to serve in the joint American-South Vietnamese 'brown water navy' visited Naval Station Newport, April 11.

All were members of the South Vietnamese Navy OCS Association. Group members were accompanied by their family members who also toured training facilities at Officer Training Command Newport and visited the Naval War College Museum.

OTCN provided a tour of classroom facilities in Callaghan Hall, the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Combat Training Pool, King Hall, and the officer candidate quarters in Nimitz Hall. The tour concluded with remarks from Capt. Kevin McGowan, commanding officer of OTCN, who spoke about the current OCS program.

Approximately 800 South Vietnamese naval officer candidates trained for 20 weeks at the U.S. Naval Base, Newport. There were 12 classes of South Vietnamese naval officer candidates who completed the Newport OCS program. The Newport OCS training was followed by a month's training in river operations at the former Naval Station Treasure Island, California.

The waterways around the Naval Station were considered similar to what would be encountered in South Vietnam.

The graduates returned to their homeland to serve in South Vietnam's swift boat fleet. Small coastal and river patrol gun boats, provided by the U.S. Navy in 1969, patrolled the rivers and waterways of the Mekong Delta region, which were being used as supply lines by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese enemy forces.

The alumni visit brought back many good memories for the association members, some of whom had not returned to Newport since graduating 46 years ago.

"It was an opportunity to meet old friends and see where we trained," said Danh Le, Class 11, of Torrington, Connecticut. Le served on infantry landing craft and coastal patrol gunboats. "It was an opportunity to work with American naval officers and to protect our country."

Each class consisted of three companies, each having approximately 60 to 70 officer candidates.

The candidates were required to be able to speak and write English in order to qualify for the OCS program. After serving a year in the South Vietnamese navy, the graduates were promoted to the rank of ensign.

Many South Vietnamese naval officers who were trained in Newport advanced to the grades of lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant until the fall of Saigon to communists in 1975.

Lt. j.g. Du Tran, Class 2, of North Providence, Rhode Island, served as 3rd officer aboard Naval Flotilla #1 that patrolled along the coastline of Da Nang.

"I am a proud part of the past where South Vietnamese navy officers attended school here," he said. Attending the OCS program here helped me to become a successful American."

Dan Ly of Fairfax, Virginia, Class 5, was age 19 when he came to Newport. He served as a boat captain with Flotilla #5.

"This visit brings back so many memories," Ly said. "I love this country very much and I have come to accept this country as my homeland now."

Tran Le Tri, Class 9, of Quimper, France, remembered Ney Hall Galley. He said the tour of OTCN training facilities showed how U.S. Navy officers are trained.

Quan Tran, Class 12, of Severna Park, Maryland, served as a navigation officer and operations officer in the South Vietnamese navy. "We were able to use the most modern technology at the time."

"Finishing OCS served as a foundation for me to continue my education," said Tran, an electrical engineer. "The memories here have become a significant part of my life."