Cogswell (DD 651) - Naval Cruise Book

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CDR 0.6. BAIR

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CAPTAIN 'S BIOGRAPHY CDR Orlie G. Baird entered the Navy in March 1943. After boot camp and radio technicians school he served in the South Pacific in LCC-48 and USS ALCYONE as a radio technician. In 1945 he was selected for officer training and entered NROTC. In 1949 he graduated from the University of Michigan with a B,S, in Physics and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. Sea duty billets after commissioning included duty as CIC and Electronics officer of the USS SPANGI-ER DE-696, in commissioning and as Operations Officer of the USS HARVESON DER-316, and as Commanding Officer of the USS LORIKEET MSCQOQ-49. During 1955-56, CDR Baird completed the Command Communication Course at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California. He then served for two years on the Staff of Commanderin Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the summer of 1958, CDR Baird was ordered to the USS ROCHESTER CA-124 as Communications officer. In 1959 he became the Executive Officer of the USS RUPERTUS DD-851, a unit of DESRON 3 which became the first U.S. destroyer squadron to be homeported in Yokosuka. CDR Baird completed the Command and StaffCourse at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island during 1961-62. He was then ordered to OPNAV where he served in the Operations and Readiness Division of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Communications. While serving in OPNAV he received his Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. I-Ie was promoted to his present rank the same month. CDR Baird wears the following service ribbons: Navy Good Conduct Award, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Q2 starsp, World War II Victory, National Service Defense, and Philippine Liberation Q2 starsj. He is married to the former Gaynor M. MacDonald of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Bairds have 2 children and now reside in San Diego, California. ' CAPTAIN 'S MESSAGE Our 1965 WESTPAC deployment spanned a period of more than six months. In this time frame we steamed a great many miles, and shared many challenges and tasks. There were many high points for all of us, as operationally, I am sure that it was one of the busiest and most varied deployments COGSWELL has experienced. The temp of operations remained very high through- out this period, and we saw withanew perspective the impact of a war that is cold in name only. Unfortunately, our schedule included few liberty ports, however, the extended periods at sea provided a very real test of our state of training and material readiness. Added importance was placed on day to day maintenance and operations, and the often overlooked quality of sheer endurance. The crew of COGSWELL is essentially young. In fact almost 70 percent were born after the ship was commissioned in August 1943. The crew is made up of a cross section of America, with at least 1 representative from all but 7of the 50 states. These men, and their wives and parents, are the force behind GOGSWELL, and create the spirit that shapes per personality. It is true that a ship has an almost tangible spirit and personality, but these qualities are derived from the combined personalities of those who give her life. This is a time when writers and leaders belittle modern youth and note the increasingly prev- alence of the attitude: What's in it for me ? It is a time when newspapers carry stories that reveal a frightening lack of self discipline and responsibility to neighbor and community. The popular role is that of a cynic, Only fools volunteer . In spite of these examples and warnings, it is both reassuringand humbling to daily observe the men of a destroyer as they carry out their duties while serving their ship and country. A 2100 ,ton destroyer has a minimum of creature comforts, requires extended hours for watches, maintenance, and'repair, and as has been true of the sea for centuries, provides an inherent element of.danger in all required evolutions. Yet COGSWELI. could not have made the initial transit from San Diego to Subic Bay if her crew had observed an eight-hour working day, or shied away from hard work performed under con- ditions of extreme heat, or cold. Her record for this deployment is a tribute to the modern destroyer man, who refutes the theory that all modern youth are soft, lack discipline, and refuse to work or accept responsibility. To me, the high point of this deployment must be the men of COGSWELI., and what they- did for their country during the WESTPAC deployment of 1965. It will be a, cherished memory' for the rest of my life. ...