Bowen (FF 1079) - Naval Cruise Book

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Above, USS Bowen during the tran- sit of the Atlantic Ocean at the be- ginning of the Mediterranean cruise. The ships in the battle group took station on the flagship, USS Saratoga (CV-60), while a pho- tographer snapped pictures of the 12 ships from a helicopter. owen ' s 17 years nclude many cruises When USS BOWEN de- ployed to the Medi- terranean Sea on June 6, 1987, it was the most recent in the ship ' s 17 year history of deployments throughout the world. BOWEN has deployed to various theaters of opera- tion, including the Indian Ocean in 1977 and South America in 1978. In the sum- mer of 1974, the ship assist- ed in the evacuation of civi- lians from Cyprus during an invasion by Turkey. The in- vasion was designed to head off the annexation of Cyprus by Greece. Following operations im- mediately adjacent to the Iran-Iraq war zone during a 1983 deployment to the Per- sian Gulf, the ship was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Later in the same deployment, on September 8, 1985, BOWEN made international head- lines as the first U.S. Navy ship to conduct gunfire sup- port in the Mediterranean Sea since Worid War 11. BOW- EN received the Navy Unit Commendation and the Navy Expeditionary Medal for completing gunfire mis- sions against batteries shel- ling Marine positions at the Beirut International Airport. The Marines were attached to the United Nations Multi- National PeaceKcepin Ig Poicc. In the winter of 1984, BOWEN coinplcted a de- manding cruise to th North Atlantic, participat- ing in two major NATO; combined exercises. During the 1985 Mediter- ranean deployment, BOW- EN represented the U.S. in the 50th annual Naval-On- Call Forces Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED) ex- ercises, a major, multi-iia tion operation. Following NAVOCFORMED, BOWEM made numerous diplomat-, ic calls, including a port visit to Reijeka, Yugosla- via. The ship was cited foi excellence in anti-subma- rine warfare during the 1985 and 1982 cruises, | winning a total of three Hook Em awards. 20 BowenLife

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BTl Dick Moravec, above, aligns Mo. 2 fire pump to its motor. The alignment process, which is per- formed whenever major repairs are made to a pump or motor, can take from 2-20 hours to complete. BM2 Garry Tines, far left, splices one of the ships mooring lines us- ing a marlinspike. Boatswains have used marlinspikes to splice lines for hundreds of years. Left, Bowen sailors move stores from the ship s flight deck to the mess decks while anchored off the coast of Augusta Bay, Sicily. The supplies were lowered to the flight deck by a CH46 helicopter. Bowen Life X9

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Clockwise, from left: VADM Harold G. Bowen, Jr. arrives on the quar- terdeck of the ship that bears his father ' s name. Greeting him is Bowens Executive Officer LCDR Paul Allen. The occasion is Bow- ens May 29, 1987 change of c mand ceremony; Bowen moored outboard of USS Yellowstone (AD- 41), below, for a maintenance peri- od during the June 30 July 9 Ville- ftanche. Trance port visit; shortly before departing for the Mediterra- nean, the ship ' s brow is deserted; as the ship transits through the western Mediterranean sea toward Malaga, Spain, the seas become rough, nearly covering the ship ' s fo ' csle and 5 54 gun mount. majw lexetcfie (,el985Medite ,s lediierrans fOR lEDI eX ' major, mulfrn htion. folio 1ED. BOi -erousdiplf -eluding a po „p asc.te in anti-sub ' 1982 ctiJiS ' toaiof ' A leader of rare insight ' Vice Admiral Harold Q. Bowen, Sr. was bom in Providence, Rhode Is- land on Movember 6, 1883. He graduated from the U.S. Mavai Academy in 1905. Shipboard tours of duty included Engineering Officer ofthe battleship USS ARIZONA, service in USS CALIFORniA, and command of torpedo-boat destroy- er USS HOFKIMS in 1909. VADM Bowen is primarily remem- VADM Harold G. Bowen, Sr. s research in submarine and surface ship propulsion and electrical systems contributed to the victory ofthe United States in Worid War II. bered for developments in steam engi- neering. Additionally, as director of the naval Research Laboratory, he super- vised eariy research which led to the eventual development of the atomic bomb. In the citation of his Distinguished Service Medal, which he received after Worid War II, VADM Bowen was de- scribed as A leader of rare insight and judgement (who) contributed directly to the successful prosecution ofthe war. VADM Bowen retired on June 1, 1947. In 1954, he published his autobi- ography. He died in Providence, Rhode Island on August 1, 1965. BowenLife 21