Conolly (DD 979) - Naval Cruise Book

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if Olga 'at SHIP'S CREST The ship 's crest features CONOLL Y's offensive weapons systems: the 5 inch guns, the anti-submarine rockets and the LAMPS anti-submarine helicopters. The four stars are indicative of Admiral Conolly's rank, the colors reflect the different aspects of his distin- guished naval careerf red for his amphibious assaults, blue for his destroyer duty and gold for his scholarly achievements as president of the Naval War College. ' The ship 's motto, Leading the Way , represents the spirit of Admiral Conolly's wartime achievements in amphibious warfare, where time after time, forces under his command led the way to the recapture of territory taken by the enemy. Our ship 's crest, created through the artistic talents of Engineman Third Class Allen Harmon, displays this motto and will serve to remind us of the superior stan- dards of performance and combat readiness associated with the C O- NOLI. Y name and will guide us in leading the way in military smart- ness, personal beha vior and combat prohciency, I

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I' I 14 fx 5 . ,.,n- 71' DMIR L RICHARD LANSING CONOLLY . ADMIRAL CONOLLY WAS BORN IN WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 26, 1892. HE WAS A GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY, AND RECEIVED A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. HIS SHIPBOARD ASSIGNMENTS CONSISTED PRIMARII Y OF DUTIES ABOARD BATTLESHIPS AND DESTROYERS. IT WAS ONBOARD THE DESTROYER USS SMITH DURING WORLD WAR I THAT HE RECEIVED THE NAVY CROSS FOR I-IIS PART IN SALVAGING THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT WESTBRIDGE. ADM CONOLLY WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST ABLE AND SUCCESSFUL AMPHIBIOUS FORCE COMMANDERS OF WORLD WAR II. HIS DETAILED PLANNING, BRILLIANT EXECUTION AND MERITORIOUS LEADERSHIP DURING THE INVASION OF SICILY WERE CHIEF ELEMENTS IN THAT VERY SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT. HE ALSO CON- DUCTED THE SUCCESSFUL ASSAULT ON SALERNO, ITALY, BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE PACIFIC. THERE HE LED AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS ON KWAJALEIN ATOLL, GUAM, AND THE PHILIPPINES. AT WAR'S END HE WAS IN COMMAND OF OCCUPA- TIONAL FORCES IN NORTHERN JAPAN. HIS MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS ASHORE WERE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR OPERATIONS, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, U.S. NAVAL FORCES, EASTERN ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEANQ AND PRESIDENT, U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE. ADMIRAL CONOLLY WAS AWARDED NUMEROUS DECO- RATIONS AND CITATIONS DURING HIS NAVAL CAREER INCLUDING THE NAVY CROSS, THREE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDALS, TWO LEGIONS OF MERIT, AND MEDALS FROM GREAT BRITAIN, BELGIUM, SAUDI ARABIA, MOROCCO, GREECE, FRANCE, NORWAY, DENMARK, AND PORTUGAL. AFTER RETIREMENT FROM THE NAVY IN 1953, ADM CONOLLY WAS APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF LONG ISLAND UNI- VERSITY. CONCURRENTLY HE ALSO SERVED ON BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF BOTH THE BROOKLYN AND NASSAU COUNTY CHAPTERS OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. ADM CONOLLY AND HIS WIFE WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH OF AN AMERI CAN AIRLINES JETLINER WHILE TAKING OFF FROM JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT ON I MARCH 1962.

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CCMMANDING OFFICER CDR SCOTT A. FRY