Acadia (AD 42) - Naval Cruise Book

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ACADIAS ORIGINS AD-42, the first USS ACADIA, is one of four new modified Gompers class destroyer tenders. The class will be composed of USS YELLOWSTONE (AD-41), USS ACADIA (AD-42), USS CAPE COD (AD-43), and USS SHENANDOAH (AD-44) when the ships are all completed. The keel was laid on Valentine ' s Day, 1978. On July 28 of the following year, Mrs. Ardis Bryan launched AD- 42 with a bottle of champagne, christening her ACA- DIA . Her namesake, Acadia National Park, is located on Maine ' s Mount Desert Island, the highest elevation on the eastern seaboard. The phenomenal beauty of Acadia National Park was created by a strange act of nature in which the ocean flooded ancient land sur- faces creating islands out of high hills. The gorges became rivers and wider valleys emerged as bays and gulfs. Woodlands, lakes, mountains and seacoast are all contained in the natural wonder of Acadia National Park, The USS Acadia has deployed twice to Hawaii, once to San Francisco and has just finished her maiden West- Pac. AND STATISTICS LENGTH 64ri0 DRAET 24 ' BEAM 85 ' DISPLACEMENT 21,916 tons MAXIMUM SPEED 20 knots PROPULSION Two 600 steam boilers; 20,000 total shaft horsepower; single propellor WEAPONS Two 20MM machine guns; Two 40MM grenacfe launchers CREW 44 officers, 1158 enlisted; accommodations f or 1595 BUILT BY National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, California KEEL LAID February 14, 1978 LAUNCHED July 28, 1979 COMMISSIONED June 6, 1981 HOMEPORT San Diego, California A FINAL WORD FROM THE CAPTAIN To the crew of ACADIA: I This cruise book could not possibly chronicle all of our superb achievements - both individual and col- ective during the seven month deployment. You set a standard of performance for others to aim at. Each of you can take pride in being part of a winning team that excelled under the most demanding conditions a peacetime tender can experience. The efforts you put forth had a significant, measurable impact on fleet readiness in the region of the world where that readi- ness must be at the highest attainable levels. ACA- DIA ' s support to the fleet covered every area and that is what made it special. You repaired equipment; pro- vided superior medical and dental treatment; painted spaces; made other c r( w ' s living conditions more en- joyable through laurKJry, food service, retail assistance and boating; gave commands and individuals expert advice and counselling in legal, religious, administra- tive and personal matters; and kept snips running with water, steam fuel and supply support. You did all of this for other ships in addition to maintaining ACA- DIA herself in top notch condition. Your contribu- tions also took another vitally important form by en- hancing the image of your country and the United States Navy in the eyes of the foreign peoples you visited. Many of you gave unselfishly of your time to help those less fortunate. The community relations projects you completed showed the concern for oth- ers that can be understood and appreciated by people everywhere in the world. It is the type of feeling that promotes, among all people, cooperation and peace - the goals we all seek. That you were uniquely successful in all of your efforts was clear not only to me but to the countless others who observed your exceptional performance. The recognition you earned came in written messages and letters from a variety of sources ranging from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to relatives and friends who were Tigers. It came in superlatives from ship Commanding Officer ' s citing ACADIA as the best tender they had ever been alongside. It came in verbal praise expressed to me by high level diplo- mats, senior naval officers and foreign dignitaries. In closing this Cruise Book, it is fitting that I point out to you the distinctive record you earned during the period reflected in its pages. I nope that the book will remind you of the great team you were a member of and of the many things you achieved for your country and your Navy. I, for one, am extremely proucJ to have been a part of your efforts and to have served with you. 199