Caron (DD 970) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS CARON: REGULAR NAVY The USS CARON DD 970, is no longer the new face on the waterfront, having more than proven herself as a front runner in such exercises last year as Aggressive Knight, Teamwork 80, United Effort, Baltops 80, READEX, and local Vacapes oper- ations. Doing nothing less than the best has become second nature to her crew, whether it was full power engineering trials, or gunnery exercises, or long range targeting, or tricky seamanship evolutions. When the going gets tough for other ships and other Navies, it ' s just right for this destroyer. CARON is the 8th SPRUANCE class destroyer to be built at ingalls shipyard, Pascagoala, Missis- sippi, (the first being USS SPRUANCE DD-963. She will have upwards of thirty sister ships in the Atlantic and Pacific, and is named after Hospital Corpman, Wayne Caron, who gave his life for his country during the Vietnam War. She is equally at home chasing submarines, conducting shore bom- bardment, countering an air attack, or engaging surface targets at short or long range. It is hoped that she shall never fire a shot in anger, but if called upon, she will be ready for any contingency. DD-970 is equiped witho MK 45 lightweight 5 inch 54 guns, ASROC launcher, torpedo tubes,. Harpoon Cruise Missiles, NATO Sea Sparrow anti air missiles, and the LAMPS helo for ASW and logistic support. She is powered by four magnificent gas turbine LM 2500 engines, and can meet any demands for electrical power or habitability services such as water, steam and air conditioning, in fact CARON is a living testimony to the limits of American technology, and will be in the forefront of US defense for many years to come.

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THE FIRST TEAM Together, our skipper, CDR Yonkers (right) and our executive officer CDR Gottschalk (left) have guided the CARON through smooth and tricky sailing for the bet- ter part of two years, and this dynamic duo has done much to ensure CARON ' s prominent place as a lead Husky in the fleet. Commander David P. Yonkers has been the Com- manding Officer of the CARON since 26 July 1979. Educated at the University of Michigan, he was commis- sioned in the US Navy in 1962 via the NROTC pro- gram. His previous assignments are as follows: First Lieutenant of the USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, JR. (DD-850), Destroyer School Newport R.I., Weapons Officer on the USS STRIBLING (DD-867), Aid and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Flo- tilla Three, Naval Post Graduate School for a Master of Science degree in Management, two years as a Company Officer at the U.S. Naval Academy and one year as the Exchange Officer at the U.S. Military Academy, Execu- tive Officer of the USS CAPODANNO (FF-1093), as a detailer for LCDR ' s and later as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel, Washington, D.C., and finally, before coming to the CARON, he served as Flag Secretary on the Staff of Commander, Second Fleet. Following his tour as CO, DCR Yonkers is scheduled to be the Surface Operations Officer at Com- mander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Eight. Married to the former Mary Jo Kitzmiller of Erie Pennsylvania, they have three sons, Pete, Jeff and Rob. Commander Glenn F. Gottschalk assumed the job of Executive Officer in July of 1 980, in relief of LCDR Bud Weeks. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, class of 1968 and his past assignments are as follows: First LT of the USS ALLEN M. SUMNER (DD-692) and as Main Propulsion Assistant of the same ship. Naval Postgraduate School for a MS is Computer Sci- ence, Destroyer School Newport R.L, Engineering Offi- cer aboard both the USS GARCIA (FF-1040), and the USS BRUMBY (FF-1044), Engineering Instructor at the Naval Academy (1974), Material Officer on the staff of Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Eight, and lastly as Commanding Officer of the USS PEGA- SUS (PHM- 1). Commander Gottschalk is a graduate of Pressure Fired Boiler School, Tactical Action Officer School, and Prospective Engineer- ing Officer Course, Idaho Falls. A recipi- ent of the Naval Achievement Medal, he is married to the former Susan James of Girard, Ohio. They have two daughters, Tara and Erin.

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Next Page: USS STUMP and USS CARON en route to Mardi Gras. CARON at the Norfolk piers during the blizzard of FEB 1980. which closed the Naval Base for five days.