Braine (DD 630) - Naval Cruise Book

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The present Commanding Officer, Commander Mervin Otis Slater, U.S. Navy, assumed command in July 1955. Commander Slater hails from Pana, Illinois. He was commissioned an En- sign from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis on December 19, 1941. Commander Slater has also served aboard the U.S.S. YORKTOWN (CVIO), U.S.S. ESSEX (CV 9), U.S.S. ALBERT W. GRANT (DD 649) and U.S.S. ST. PAUL (CA 73). In these ships he participated in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Mar- cus Island, Palaau, Tarawa, Rabaul, Marshall Islands, the Phil- ippines, and Borneo. He also served with the forces operating against Japan. He participated in the Korean campaigns. Among his decorations are the Bronze Star, Navy Commenda- tion Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Cam- paign medal with ten stars, and the Korean Service Medal with five stars. i if ' . M M M. Jf k J. ky h I

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having two torpedoes pass underneath her keel. The BRAINE later conducted shore bombardment Ra- baul, Tinian Island, Guam and participated in the first battle of the Philippine Sea. In 1945 the BRAINE supported landings at Bataan and Corregidor, and Lingayen in the Philippines. In May of that year while working as a radar picket ship off Okinawa, the BRAINE was hit by two sui- cide planes in No. Two 5 handling room and near No. Two stack. The disastrous explosions that fol- lowed resulted in 150 casualties, and marked the end of a long and successful combat career for the ship. The ship was decommissioned in 1947 remaining in the reserve fleet until the start of the Korean War when she returned to active service with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in April 1951. The BRAINE made two tours of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She then became a part of CruDesPac in 1954 as flagship for DesRon 21. The BRAINE had made two cruises to WestPac prior to this 1957 cruise, on one of which she participated in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands. On 16 April 1957 the BRAINE left San Diego, Cali- fornia for her third tour of duty with the mighty Sev- enth Fleet. This cruise book depicts the story of that 40,000 mile voyage. lHIHn«A9I»nfri-n4M ' M nf7f

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OFFICER PERSONNEL FRONT ROW LTJG Roland H. Rigdon, Engineering Officer LT Thomas D. Hamrick, CIC Officer LCDR Reuben G. Rogerson, Operations Officer CDR Mervin O. Slater, Commanding Officer CDR John A. Gray, Executive Officer LT Meredith A. Smith, Gunnery Officer LTJG John P. Larson, Assistant CIC Officer BACK ROW ENS Charles J. Murrell, First Lieutenant ENS Nicholas M. Stephens, First Division Officer ENS Urban R. Lamay, Assistant Navigator ENS Thomas D. Turtle, Communications Officer ENS Theodore M. Davenport, Fire Control Officer ENS Gerry B. Fefierman, Second Division Officer ENS James C. Woodard, Supply Officer