Iron Butterfly

The true story of an elite group of men who wrote a page in Naval history.
They patrolled the waterways in thirty-one foot river patrol boats powered by Detroit diesel engines with water jet-propulsion. Armed with machineguns and grenade launchers, as well as sheer guts and determination, these sailors faced danger around every bend in the river. Working together, they became one of the finest weapons in Admiral Zumwalt’s arsenal for turning back the tide of communist infiltration into Saigon, taking control of the inland waterways. These are true accounts of their bravery, which they proved time and again by spearheading operations into enemy controlled territory. United together in brotherhood, they accomplished all their missions and won their part of the Vietnam War.

Ralph Christopher served in the U.S. Navy in 1967 aboard USS Vega and completed three WESPACs off the coast of Vietnam in support of Operation Market Time and Yankee Statiion. In 1970 he volunteered and served with the River Patrol Force aboard YRBM 21 and at ATSB Phouc Xuyen. as well as ATSB Ben Keo. After returning home to Richmond, he attended classes at VCU in Virgina and later graduated the Musician's Instute of Technology in Hollywood. He is now a veteran performer and recording artist of over thirty years and lives in Las Vegas with his family where he writes and speaks of the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam.