Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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commander r.w. aamer, who was with as or all 0 oar far eastern craise Assuming duties as Executive Officer April 5, 1956, after relieving Cdr. W.N. Leonard, Cdr. Rex Walton Warner reached another step in his naval aviation career. He began his naval officership in 1935 when he entered the Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1939 With a degree in electrical engineering. Cdr. Warner has served aboard the cruiser USS Houston, the destroyer USS Rodgers, and the battleship USS New York. After serving at NAS Jacksonville in World War 11, the commander became the air officer of the carrier USS Wasp in 1945 to mark his first aviation assign- ment. Following his Wasp duty, Cdr. Warner remained at sea as executive officer of seaplane tender USS Pocomoke. In June, 1950, he became executive officer of Fasron 102 and later commanding ofhcer of VP-5. He was assigned to Commander, Naval Forces Far East at Yokosuka, Japan, as operations officer after tours of duty at Norfolk, Va., and NAS, Corpus Christi, Texas. The commander came to the Bon Homme Richard from his Far Eastern post. X f f

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our first executive officer ZUCZS CO777J77fCUZCZ87' 'LU. IZ. leonard who was relieved by Commander William N. Leonard served as the Bon Homme Richard executive officer from the ship's recommissiong Sept. 6, 1955, to April 5, 1956, when he was relieved by Commander Rex W. Warner. Cdr. Leonard, a veteran naval aviator, joined the staff of the Air Warfare Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations upon leaving the ship. Born in Douglas, Ariz., in 1916, the commander was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933 following gradua- tion from high school at Minneapolis, Minn. He was commissioned an ensign in June, 1938. He attended flight school at Pensacola, Fla., in 1940 after duty aboard the light cruiser USS Honolulu and battleship USS Arkansas. He received his wings in January 1941. During VVorld War H, Cdr. Leonard served in squadrons based aboard the carriers USS Yorktown, Hornet, and Enterprise and at Guadacanal and on duty with Commander, Fleet Air, West Coast, until 1944. Upon leaving the command of carrier Air Group 17 in 1951, the commander' served two years with the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group under the Defense Department and two years as executive and commanding officer of Air Development Squadrons before boarding the Bon Homme Richard as executive officer.

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rear admiral Zester lc. rice A man of the sea is Rear Admiral Lester K. Rice, Commander, Carrier Division Seven. And a man of the air, too. Carrier Division Seven was established by the Chief of Naval Cperations March 1, 1956, consisting of the Bon Homme Richard and the USS Essex CCVA-9D with Alameda NAS as its home port. Admiral Rice was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in the class of 1924 and received his aviator's Wings in 1927. Shipboard tours included the USS Lexington, Colorado, and West Virginia. His first ship com- mond Was the seaplane tender USS Matogorda in 1942. The outbreak of the Korean War placed Admiral Rice in command of the carrier USS Valley Forge CCVA-455. He has since served as Commanding Officer of NAS, San Diego and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Flight Readiness. His decorations include the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star.