Why was the navy crucial to succes in Vietnam?

Answer 1

US Navy warships worked the gunline off the North and South Vietnamese coastline. North of the DMZ was called YANKEE station; South of the DMZ was termed DIXIE station.

Not counting the thousands upon thousands of jet air strikes launched by the aircraft carriers, the surface warships of the fleet delivered millions of 5", 6", and 8" artillery shells from the gunline. The US battleship USS New Jersey fired nearly 6,000 16" shells during her tour of duty in Vietnam. The battleship's 2,000 pound shells equated to dropping a one ton bomb over enemy territory during the war. The New Jersey had been activated to reduce US aircraft losses over North Vietnam, while still delivering the payload required to defeat the enemy.

Lastly, the US Navy operated it's Brown Water Navy in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. The Brown Water Navy's riverine forces engaged communist forces thru-out the river systems of South Vietnam using their Swift Boats and PBR's, Alpha Boats and Monitors. Although no US warships were sunk during the war (two were bombed by NVAF MiG-17's however); many US Navy riverine boats were sunk or destroyed in action (in battle).