Bryce Canyon (AD 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN JAMES S. SHILSON COMMANDING OFFICER 26 September 1956-30 January 1958 Skipper of BRYCE CANYON for 16 months, Captom Shilson, is now ossigned os Commander, Fleet Acti- vities, Sasebo, Japan. A 1934 graduote of tfie U.S. Naval Academy, Captom Shilson has subsequently attended the Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology and the Army War College. He holds a Master s Degree m Aerological Engineering. He previously com- manded U.S.S. Shannon IDM-251 and Mine Division TWO, both of the Atlantic Fleet. Recent duties include assignments os Assistant Chief-of-StaFf for Operations, Com- mander Mine Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, and Surface Operations Officer, Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. His awards include the Presidential Unit Citation and Pacific Campaign ribbon with nine stars. •-

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by material and spare parts from Supply, communications from Opera- tions, boats and boom service from Deck and power from Engineering, the Repair department can handle almost any job from a delicate adjustment of a stop watch to a complete main engine overhaul. In addition to repair service, the ship offers complete medical and dental clinics, a soda fountain, steam and electric power, services of a chaplain, small stores, water, fuel, ammunition and provisions to the destroyers and their crews. A casual walk through the tender will show even a landlubber that the Bryce Canyon is quite different from a man-of-war like a cruiser. The cruiser ' s mission is to destroy, while the tender is assigned the task of preventing destruction by timely preventive maintenance and swiftly repairing destruction when it occurs. Both ships have their main batteries and the Bryce Canyon ' s are her work shops and a direct hit is scored as every job is completed successfully. The birth of the BC was caused by the Korean War. Although construction began in 1945, the end of World War II saw construction stop. It looked as though she would Boiierman First Class Lloyd E. Lamb, only remaining PLANK- OWNER aboard the Bryce Canyon, admires the tender ' s battle efficiency plaques for 1955, 1956 and 1957. spend an inactive life in mothballs until the Korean fireworks necessitated her logistic and repair support to the United Nations combat forces. Since then she has alternated six month Westpac tours with two other tenders in her class, the USS Hamul and USS Frontier. The tender, named after Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, is one of 16 active destroyer tenders in U. S. naval service and is the newest. Her home port is Long Beach, California. ' !{J

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CAPTAIN STEPHEN M, ARCHER COMMANDING OFFICER 30 January 1958 Present Captain Archer assunned commana of the Bryce Canyon after complet- ing a two-year assignnnent as U.S. Navol Attache and U. S. Naval Attache for Air in Athens, Greece. Mine warfare and mine counter- measures have dominated a good portion of his naval career which began when he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1932. In 1941 he assisted in the founding of the U. S. Naval Mine Disposal Organization and from 1942 to 1943 was in charge of naval mine and bomb disposal in the OflTice of the Chief of Naval Operations. From 1951 to 1954 Captain Archer was head of Mines, Mining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Section in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He previously commanded the U.S.S. Power (DD- 8391, Mine Division FOUR and Mine Squadron SIX, all in the Atlantic. In 1950 he was in charge of underwater reconnaissance during the Wosan, Korea, mine sweeping operations and was in commend of the United Nations minesweeping forces assigned the |ob of clearing the harbor ot Chinnompo, Korea. Prior to his attache duty in Greece, Captain Archer was Chief of Stoff to Commander, Cruiser Division TWO. He has previously served aboard the U.S.S. Nevoda, U.S. S. Quincy, U.S.S. Detroit and as Executive Oflflcer of the U. S. S. Topeko. His decorotions include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Combat V, Bronze Stor, Commen dation Ribbon, and the Order of the British Empire. Cff, , mm Captain Archer studies diagram of Bryce Canyon as CaptaiiT Shilson points out various spaces during change of command briefing conference.