The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the February 2018 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Alvin A. Horne. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Lieutenant Alvin A. Horne at the Swift Boat Sailors Association Reunion in Washington D.C.

Lieutenant Alvin A. Horne began his interview by sharing, “at the time of my enlistment to go to OCS...I was  a Harris County, Houston Texas, Assistant DA, with three years of  prosecuted experience. I resigned in order to go to OCS in May of 1967.” Horne was commissioned in the United States Navy in September of 1967 and was sent to the Navy Justice Code. He participated in an eight week course on the military code of military justice before being sent to sea. Upon completion of his coursework, Horne was ordered to the USS Princeton LPH 5 in Long Beach California. The Princeton was undergoing yardwork when he reported aboard. 

Lieutenant Horne was assigned to the legal department on the USS Princeton and participated in operations off the coast of Vietnam. Horne was flown to  Da Nang once to deliver contraband and spent two nights in country. In order to return to the USS Princeton faster, he arranged to return on a WPB. The experience solidified his interests and desires to one day command a Swift Boat in Vietnam. After Vietnam, the Princeton was part of the Apollo 10 recovery team and successfully brought the Astronauts home. Once completing that assignment, Horne was sent to Swift Boat School in Mare California.

Horne completed his training and was ordered to Vietnam to assume command of a Swift Boat. He arrived in Vietnam in September of 1969. After receiving introductory training at Cam Rahn Bay, he was assigned to Coastal Division 13 at Cat Lo. He recalled, "I got my boat, PCF 59 in the first week of October...we ran board and searches, some daytime raids, and some night work. I participated in 5- or 6-night ambushes and 3 or 4 were successful." Horne was the Officer In Charge of PCF 59 and shared great detail of the strong comradery of Swift Boat crews and working closely with fellow Officers in Charge. He participated in numerous operations under fire and would return home safely and continue his legal career.

The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Alvin A. Horne, featured within this series titled, Stories of Service, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.