Claude V Ricketts (DDG 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE MAN - CLAUDE V. RICKETTS Claude Vernon Ricketts was born in Missouri on February 23, 1906, and was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1929. For duty in World War Two he received a letter of Commendation with Ribbon and the Legion of Merit with Combat V , After instruction at various staff and war colleges he reported in june 1949 as Commanding Officer of USS ALSHAIN QAKA-55j. In july 1952 he became Head, Amphibious Warfare Branch, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. After Commanding the USS SAINT PAUL QCA-731 and serving as Commander Destroyer Flotilla Four, he became director of Strategic Plans, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. On February 1, 1961, he became Commander, Second Fleet, and on September 25 of the same year, he assumed, his last duty in the U.S. Navy as Vice Chief of Naval Operations. While serving as Vice CNO he devoted his enormous energy and talents to many projects of importance to the U.S. Navy and the NATO alliance. On july 6, 1964, Admiral Ricketts died of a heart attack. On july 28, 1964, USS BIDDLE was renamed and recommissioned USS CLAUDE V. RICKETTS QDDG-51 in memory of the former Vice Chief of Naval Operations. At the name-changing ceremony, the Honorable Paul H. Nitze, Secretary of the Navy, spoke of the appropriateness of renaming the ship in honor of Admiral Ricketts because of the great contributions and efforts the Admiral had given to the concept of mixed-manning and the Multilateral Force.

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The Standing Naval Force is deployed throughout the vast, 12 million-square mile North Atlantic which is crossed by the Western world's major shipping lanes. Here, more than 3,000 merchant vessels can be found on any day. NATO'countries depend on the continuous free access to these sea lanes - the countries are presently operating approximately two-thirds of the world's tonnage of ocean-going cargo vessels in support of a large portion of their foreign trade. l The Western powers' dependence upon the Atlantic's lifelines has lately been acknowledged, and challenged, by the navy of the Soviet Union. Traditionally a land-orientated power, the Soviet Union has come to realize over the past two decades the importance of the waterways and has grown to become the second most powerful maritime nation. Confronted with the ever-increasing figures in Soviet naval contruction, the countries of the NATO Alliance found it necessary to reappraise their overall defensive strategy. Undoubtedly this has had a profound effect on the decision to establish a permanent NATO naval force. ' ' While naval units of the Alliance had been operating together for very brief periods' over a number of years, it was not until February of 1965 that naval vessels of several countries participated in extended exercises, lasting approximately six months. Dubbed Exercise Match Maker l, Il, Ill, in succession, the annual training periods continued through 1967. The success of Match Maker convinced many that a permanent international force was feasible. The Standing Naval Force Atlantic was first activated on january 13, 1968 at Portland, England, after having been approved in full at the NATO Ministerial Meetings in Brussels the previous December. The first ships to join STANAVFORLANT were the British frigate HMS BRIGHTON, the Dutch frigate HNLMS HOLLAND, the Norwegian frigate HNOMS NARVIK, and the American destroyer USS HOLDER. Since that time, ships from the NATO 'member nations of Canada, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States have played a vital role in NATO's permanent multi-national naval force.

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COMMANDI G OFFICER COMMANDER THOMAS RUSSEL SHERIDAN UNITED STATES NAVY Commander Sheridan graduated fromtthe United States Naval academy in june 1963. Upon commissioning he reported to USS HENDERSON fDD-7851 as Main Propulsion Assistant, then Engineering Officer. In April 1965 he reported to Coastal Squadron One as Officer-in-Charge of a swift boat, patrolling the coast of South Vietnam. After receiving a Master of Science degree in Systems Analysis from the Naval Post Graduate School, and attending Department Head Course in Newport, Commander Sheridan reported to the USS CHARLES F. ADAMS QDDG-21 in july 1970 for duty as Operations Officer. Upon relief, he attended Nuclear Propulsion Training and then reported to the NIMITZ Precommissioning Unit in Newport News, Virginia, as Prospective Main Propulsion Assistant. When the Senior Officer Ship's Material Readiness Course was established in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to provide additional technical engineering training to Prospective Engineer and Commanding Officers, Commander Sheridan was sent in as an instructor, where he stayed until February 1980. Commander Sheridan is married to the former Jacky Horseman of Arlington, Virginia, and they have a daughter, Shelly.