▁and ▁a ▁half ▁weeks ▁of ▁hel ic opter ▁training ▁with ▁the ▁Army , ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁M ek ong ▁D elta ▁to ▁command ▁a ▁Se aw olf ▁squad ron . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁when ▁the ▁two ▁c ous ins ▁arrived ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁abandoned ▁its ▁bomb ing ▁campaign ▁against ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁pet role um , ▁oil , ▁and ▁lub ric ants . ▁Dis en ch anted ▁with ▁its ▁results , ▁Def ense ▁Secretary ▁Robert ▁Mc N am ara ▁shift ed ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁def ensive ▁strategy ▁that ▁str essed ▁pac ification ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁inter diction ▁of ▁supplies ▁to ▁the ▁V iet ▁Cong . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁the ▁n avy ▁had ▁begun ▁Operation ▁Market ▁Time , ▁a ▁coast al ▁mar itime ▁inter diction ▁campaign . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁new ▁emphas is ▁prompt ed ▁Operation ▁Game ▁W arden , ▁to ▁augment ▁the ▁river ▁pat rol ▁boat ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁M ek ong ▁D elta ▁to ▁dis rupt ▁and ▁hopefully ▁sever ▁the ▁cross - river ▁supply ▁lines ▁in ▁the ▁V iet ▁Cong ' s ▁regional ▁strong hold ▁south ▁of ▁Sa ig on . ▁A ▁key ▁component ▁of ▁Game ▁W arden ▁was ▁its ▁air ▁support ▁element . ▁To ▁that ▁end , ▁in ▁August , ▁Joe ▁and ▁his ▁air ▁cre ws ▁from ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁Hel ic opter ▁Support ▁Squadron ▁ 1 ▁replaced ▁the ▁Army ▁personnel ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁operating ▁in