Denver (LPD 9) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 136 of the 1979 volume:

WESTPAC ' 79 _ _— — • — ■ -— — liSp, i ( ©fe @i t i 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One: WESTPAC ' 79 Part Two: The CREW Departure Pg. 5 Hawaii Pg.ll Enewetak Pg.l7 White Beach Pg.23 Shimoda Pg.29 Yokosuka I Pg.32 Pusan Pg.37 Okino Daito Pg.41 Subic Bay Pg.4 5 OLY ' 79 Pg.57 Yokosuka II Pg.61 Hong Kong Pg.67 BYE SUBIC Pg.7 Homeward Pg.73 Tigers Pg.75 San Diego Pg.79 The Crew Pg. 87 The Denver Pg. 89 Commanding Officer Pg. 90 Executive Officer Pg. 91 Master Chief Pg. 92 Deck Pg. 93 Engineering Pg. 96 Navigation Pg.10 5 Air Pg.l07 Med Dental Pg.l09 Supply pg.lll Communications Pg.115 Operations Pg.ll7 X-Division Pg.l20 BMU-1 Pg.l23 LCU 1666 Pg.l25 Zy Jif- ; S— - .,w  V T-.. i LJl ,„„. Hi) i.i Hihiu- I ttrik - : , A .d. - WilU •V, ' - «.j. ..... v 1, s« X, - ■(■ ' . .rnl.ut • . - . ' . .. T ..il. V - rt,,;.l..« ' v:v - ' t-i «N.i...i .M , N ■;.! hiri,tl.«i, 7V ' .iU-Wh .- ,X „,,i ' ' ' r -- v ' Tryia d se ibe ' in ctwes « ' worjls, tj:i ves of four-hundred fifty Navy-pren ' ovete a ' p,eHod of 205 3ays i an impossible tasfc ' Csmte ' ned in these,p g|s is one attempt. Not all the pictures, phrases, places « r faces will ' , , meah something to everyone; they are not intenclpi jp. Mo.weverjt j§,h()ped r .tBat in the years to come every crewmember will fjn mi ing in these pages that brings back a nearly forgotten memory. £ ' One thing that can be said with certainty is that whetFft fqr you it was an exciting and happy cruise or a sad and lonely one, it was witHii ' ut doubt ■Vi r s t ' ■• ' ■ a memoraole cruise for Kanu Maria  nti-i, HI- t ,vi :iH.,vi. - A . 1 A ' r ' n j .;E .i..,.!, 1 - i Thefidiior WEST-PAC 1979 sr« or JUAN or rue i J DEPAR1 SAN DIEGO l MAR ANCHORED BOTOLON 7-13 fJUN PEARL HARBOR HI 8-11 MAR SUBIC BAY i IS-l J- eN ENEWETAK ATOLL 20-20 MAR ANCHORED NUMAZU 21 I JUN GUAM ..?.:! 30-31 MAR WHITE BEACH 26-2 ' r ' ' JUN ANCHORED OKINAWA 1 APR WHITE BEACH J JUL APR iwcHOREnTTOMAZu ;;:;;:;;::;;.: ::::::.;:;:: .;-:.. 5 ijaJJu. WHITE HEACH 5-[7 SHIMODA, JA 12-16 APR YOKOSUKA, JA 16 APR-4 PUSAN,°KOREA 7-11 NAHA,«OKINAWA 13-14 MAY ANCHORED, OKINO DAITO 15-18 MAY WHITE BEACH 18-22 MAY UPC BAY, P.I 25 MAY YOKOSUKA, JA : 6-30 JUL ;V ' X n A H- At MAY WHITE BEACH 2-3 — AlpC MAY HONG KONG 6-10 SUBIC BAY i 12-14 WHITE BEACH ; AUG 27-1 HAWAII, USA : 11-14 JUN ARRIVE SAN DIEGO 21 t mriliM r I liuu c !• ■ ■ A .io« — , A ' , S t ' f 1 v i ' %„ Xiruf m M ftf - WkablHjpD - Nukufeuu ' •V Null lilac V , „!, . « ' V xV ' MAR ;;nESAS IS r tuRi«a. KIM ISil.ANl ' N V Kcndayu - 1  I li.J. ' ' ■— ' ' ' - ' • ' ' f:i -ViliitHki 1 • ' ;; x ' Mna ui. . M- ! 7 M .hHl. ' , ■ J- X - ' ■V, -i V ' .- ■ .H, Unlv dp Ihai Departing March 1st began with a very dark and rainy morning. The USS DENVER pulled away from the pier and began WestPac ' 79. Some felt a flutter of excitement, others adventure and some undoubted- ly felt a sigh of relief as San Diego harbor faded behind. For many, parti- cularly the married, it marked the beginnings of a long family separa- tion, a familiar facet of Navy life. It seemed an eternity of agony and sorrow watching their loved ones on the pier fade from their view. But without that last desperate moment, the overwhelming joy and excitement of reunion could have never been felt. The loneliness of separation will disappear within seconds though, after the first embrace back on the pier in San Diego. For the married and single alike the cruise of ' 79 would last 205 days. For the married a big welcome home, and happy smile would await. For the bachelors. . .well a friend- ly grin and welcome to McDonalds would do . SAN DIEGO. CA. 1 March 1979 It wasn ' t the first trip outside the San Diego Har- bor, but for many it was the first trip out heading for the Deep Western Pacific. As the men watched the pier fade into the haze, thoughts began to turn to what lies ahead. UNREP AT SEA 8 March 1979 A week had already passed and things were beginning to settle in (visions of hula girls for example) , when on the eighth day an Underway Replenish- ment, or UNREP was scheduled. UNREPS are delicate operations involving skill and coordination. UNREP ships send the recipients needed supplies, be it bacon and eggs or fuel and bolts. This UNREP was the first all hands evolution for the cruise. Outside, the first crew, already well trained in their assigned jobs, manned their stations donned in life jackets and helmets. Inside, the remainder of the crew receives their briefing on what the day ' s events will hold for them. On deck, each member of the replenishment detail sets about his assigned task. As Denver takes sta- tion alongside the supply ship, a gunner ' s mate shoots across a shot line which is attached to a series of mes- senger lines. The deck sea- men pull these lines across until the highline itself is brought aboard and attached to a Kingpost . The pallets of supplies are then ferried across the choppy waters. One by one the bagged up pallets of supplies are sent across. Once in reach of Denver ' s crew they are lowered, unbagged and moved inside by forklift where the other crew awaits. The United States Navy is one of the few Navies in the world capable of alongside replen- ishment while underway. ' ' Above Decks... Below Decks Once briefed, the in- side crew foinns an assem- bly line, passing boxes through passageways, down various ladders and into storage rooms, some many decks below. For the Den- ver crew the first OTREP lasted most of the day, explaining why few let- ters were postmarked 8 March. Finally, in cele- bration of a successful, timely operation some of the newly acquired sup- plies were broken out. 10 HAWAII, USA 8 March 1979 WAIKIKI Sunny beaches by day, and a grand sunset every night. 12 GOOD-BYE USA Our first stop outside the continental USA was a short one. On the morning of 13 March, the Denver and her crew bid the USA fare- well but our departure was not without a few memorable events. SAIL ON, AND THANKS FOR THE SHOW. Next Stop Enewetak 13 WELCOME TO... Hard working though she may be, the Denver always managed to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule to slow things down for a little bit of play. Those breaks took the form of Flight Deck Picnics. With the aid of the food department, grills and charcoal were set into motion pumping out pounds of hamburgers and hundreds of hot-dogs. The crew took care of the rest. Dun- garees took a hangar to cut-offs and grease turned to sun tan lotion. 14 On several occa- sions a skeet shoot was set up to help pass the waiting moments until the ' chow ' was ready. For some the day simply meant a leisurely stroll in the sun. . .others however took the opportunity a lit- tle more seriously, with skate boards and kites. For the music lovers the local hummers and strummers ban to- gether for a few hours of entertain- ment. All together three picnics were held which earned the decks of the Denver the fond nickname of STEEL BEACH . STEEL BEACH i r4 Strummers 15 On one side; THE LAST RESORT 16 ENEWETAK, ATOLL 20 March 1979 Enewetak is a very small island, barely 2 miles long, located deep in the Pacific. Although small the island now holds a lot of big mem- ories for the crew ar, being our first quote: liberty port: unquote . 1 - f ■ .;- ' mm I v W ' My .:r P i Since space is limited the Denver crew was given an area a little larger than a ball diamond to hold their follies, a bar-b-que, some refreshments and a chance to get away from it all-way away from it all. Once at the picnic area a vast array of ' things to do ' was offered. One could eat, drink, play ball, walk along the beach, col- lect sea shells, get a sand crab drunk, count grains of sand, converse under a tree or walk around in circles. 18 L i y 1 Jt -y In all honesty, most of the crew enjoyed their stay on Enewetak, with its ' tro- pical blue waters, clear skies and snowy white beaches. After all, it was a break from the hum of everyday life on the ship. At days ' end the crew of merry liberty makers packed up their day ' s catch of sea-shells, hopped on the bus and made their way back to the liberty launch. After the necessary repairs to the island ' s craft were completed, the USS Denver ventured onward. All was not fun and ex- citement for the Denver crew however, while some played the others worked around the clock repairing local vessels in the area. For their contribution the Denver was awarded the HUMANITARIAN AWARDS MEDAL. -■: 19 Corpsman ' s Needle Wrath There comes a time (or two) in every Navy man ' s life when it is time to line up and re- ceive the Wrath of the corpsman ' s needle . The WestPac of ' 79 held no less in store. From this we quote another famous naval saying WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO SUCKERS? ■OLIT, mm. • % ' C ■nr.  Ota cotciowi J. «• M. J. on tnun, i- T. c. no ' W . 0. B] «:«■ ' M. CAXZA, s.  . c. aij-  . • mj ccn . B. sT SII? -  •  • - BJ.. J. . ■ «-. I. m. OLDKn. I o '  irL. c. nztscK, n rrs. J. wtos . J. ' XSA. I. tttO. D. s UaAtSVM tworsoii, k MBOD T. I. iToms, J. nttr, I.  . I. . t. ■•uj ! I. ■UBUR. c.  . D. - LlI 20 A few pokes, punches and prods were the theme for the day, not to mention the aches and pains that seem to follow for days after- wards. But it is all in the line of duty. After the last of the list had been tracked down and shot (to use the term loosely), final tabulations were taken and to the re- lief of all, no casualties reported. 21 MEDEVAC The USS Denver steamed a little faster towards Guam the last day enroute to evacuate an ailing sailor. For the crew it meant an unexpected night out in Guam. Since the ship ex- pected to get underway early the next morning, it was a short Cinderella Liberty but enough time for some to venture down- town while others choose to make the EM Club their tem- porary home. Next stop: A real liberty port ! ! 29 March 1979 Early arrival in Guam...but no pics please! 22 WHITE BEACH OKINAWA, JAPAN White Beach, Oki- nawa is another sleepy little base that you have probably never heard of. Small though it may be, it comes with all the necessi- ties of life: a place to sit and have a drink, take a swim, do some shopping, wash a little laundry or play tennis. All of which the Denver crew had time to enjoy. White Beach was Denver ' s most frequented stop. But because of its ' size and distance from town, not every stop had a liberty. 24 The most visited area on the base was of course the clubs, always under the watchful eye of the local shore patrol. In- side a sailor could find all the essentials. . .a barber shop, exchange and the club. The club in itself could entertain a fleet for the night (and often did) . It was complete with brew, bells (the type found on slot machines) and music. White Beach was a short 30 minute taxi or bus ride from Kadena Air Force Base. And just outside the base lay the city of KOZA. 25 K n WKi H si l (pf Sifl mm t E S In Koza Running down the center of KOZA is a street as famous as Okinawa itself.. BC Street. On any given night one could find a goodly portion of Den- ver ' s crew in front of their adopted band Condition Green ? The sound of blasting, ac- cent-less Rock and Roll had be- come hard to find. But this band (by request) has now received its ' place in Denver ' s history. Condition Green 26 Okinawa wasn ' t without its moments. . .although you had to be there to understand, many remember the final score: AIR FORCE: 0, DOGS: 0, DEtT ER: no casualties Peaceful Visitors (AKA Trees) 27 Denver ' s Forest On April 5th the USS Denver received some short, stransely dressed visitors. Since they seemed to be friendly (and trained) , we decided to let them board. Later on we found that they were actually Marines (trees to many) . They were our first encounter, with the exception of our own assigned representatives of the Corps, but not our last encounter. Pictured above is one of Denver ' s very own Marines, even though every one knew he could kill on command, leap bulky paper work in a single bound, or bite a bullet, he still insisted that his friends call him GUNNY T . I I ' i_ ' M in -r -3 t L -i f 1 ? 28 SHIMODA, JAPAN 12 April 1979 Years ago Commodore Perry ' s Black Ships pulled into the port of Shimoda, Japan to open formal trade relations with the Orient. Nowadays, the occa- sion is relived each year by ships of the U.S. homeported or visiting the area. Although the USS Denver wasn ' t part of the festival... tV w ii- The festivals held there by the crew will be long remembered, by both Americans and the Japanese. Being anchored out in the Bay, the only way to shore was by liberty boats. Now Shimoda is not knovTn for its peaceful waters, so the Denver crew soon became proficient in bronco boat riding. Once in the boats the worst was over. The landing lay on the outskirts of town. A ten minute walk soon brought the reality of Japan all around. 30 In the downtown area Denver ' s crew found a taste of old Nipon as well as New Japan. The area consists of hundreds of lounges, coffee shops, shopping ar- cades and friendly people. For some, however, Shimoda was merely a stopping point for a train ride to Tokyo or Yokosuka. Surrounding the city is a beautiful array of hills and mountains overlooking the bay, memorable in more ways than one. 31 32 N ■■ Ul .tiil-IL l i f ' - -fSTOhr W irt , .a- YEN SALCS MON .H.U SAT 1600 TO 2000 138 UBB UN UD HOUOAYS YOKOSUKA, JAPAN 16 April 1979 ■■ ' ' ,jM w!P ' ' tg • ' f jt -Ui.,,J| g ' — HiAtflHUIff ' t? ., i 1 Japan has changed drastically over the past ten years; it ' s no longer wooden bridges and cherry blossoms. The Yokosuka Ginza, no longer cherry blossoms Yokusuka, if you ask any old timer about the place, was about the most wonder- ful liberty port that ever was. But those were the old days. Today, Yokusuka is a modern, bustling, expensive city. Just outside the main gate is the Honcho, which translates to Number One . It was once the Pacific ' s heart of night life, but now it is slowly dying. Just a short distance away the new face of Japan is seen in the blocks of shop- ping centers, walking malls, restaurants and department stores. 34 35 36 ,jii« a)KV ' A ' k f PUSAN, KOREA 7 May 1979 ' :XV Again rain followed the Denver, this time into Pu- san, Korea. Pusan was Den- ver ' s first real liberty port. Oh, the stories we could tell, but we won ' t. Since liberty was again at a maximum, the crew had the chance to get away and see a bit more of the world. Pusan is a mere 4-hour ride from Korea ' s capital and only 6-hours away from the North ' s border. Many chose to remain in the area (for that reason). Meanwhile, many a first time WestPac ' er found true love (sort of) in an area called Texas Street. 38 gm IBI V : - ' W S MliVI B SfT BfT ' ' rr Vr i fiBt! W 1 Besides Texas Street the city of Pusan had a great deal to offer in the way of night clubs and entertain- ment. As with most liberty ports the streets were line with shops and bar- ters. Pusan even offered their own version of a YMCA. After four days of strolling, eating, shop- ping and stopping at the Y , the Denver pulled out of the ship-laden port to begin again. Many were vowing to return, even if it meant signing their life away, because Korea for many is the Japan of old. Next stop : Naha, Okinawa . mp Si 39 40 OKINO DAITO 15 May 1979 I 41 1 6 ODS OKINO DAITO Shlma is a speck of an island off the coast of Okinawa. For years it has been in use as a ' no effort ' bombing range. Simply hit the island and you score (oh wow!). After loading up with sup- plies at Naha the Denver, with a task force from Okinawa, set forth to add a little challenge to the site and make the jet jockeys earn a living. Armed with dozens of painted tires, 49 salvaged ve- hicles and barrels of white paint we began. After the completion of the three day dawn-to-dusk operations for the bombing range, the Denver decided to add a little something for the Surface Warfare Community. Another range was soon constructed for surface ships to take practice on. The Denver ' of course took first shots. Higher officials al- lowed six days for the completion of the ranges, but since the job was complete in half the time we returned to White Beach for a few days extra liberty. 42 7 ' 43 I -• ■ Ss Ods, the other side 44 PHILIPPINES 25 May 1979 OLONGAPO CITY, PHILIPPINES General MacArthur once said, I shall return. Since then hundreds of thousands of sailors have made the same vow. (How- ever, MacArthur was not located in Olong- apo City). Simply put, Olongapo City is one of the last true Sailor liberty - ports. It is one of the few remaining paradise ' s on earth. 46 The streets are lined with bright lights and the hustle and bustle of the clubs, shops and very friendly people. The major mode of transportation in the city is a strange breed of jeeps (Jeepneys) which, for a small fare, will carry you anywhere you want to go. Sim- ply ask any WestPac sailor about Olonga- po, and he ' ll give you stories for days on end, with a gleam in his eye. 47 CPO Onload -- Who says Chiefs only eat and sleep I Here is proof that at least once a year they perform manual tasks (loading more food) . Since the CPO ' s mess separately from the rest of the ship, they have to purchase their own ' goodies ' else- where and bring them aboard themselves. Bag upon bag, box after box is loaded up and pain- stakenly hauled up the brow (no crane available) and then they are stacked in the CPO mess. There they are unpacked, examined (pilfered) and put away for future cases of the mun- chies. WHY DO I ALWAYS GET THE HEAVIES? ANYBODY SEEN THE COOKIES? 48 WHAT BAG ARE THE OREOS IN? HE, HE, I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. DON ' T TELL ME YOU FORGOT I OH NO, MY cookies: 49 During all of the Den- ver ' s beach operations, members of Beach Master Unit One assigned to the ship were on shore direct- ing traffic. They tell the crafts where to come in, and usually where to get off. In times of trouble, they are always there ready to pull their friends out. But living ashore, apart from the ship and often apart from the landing par- ty, has its ' moments. Beach Masters Unit ONE 50 TEMPO CAPER II ' r lL. 7 June 1979 Denver ' s Docs While the others were drilling under wartime conditions, the Docs of the Denver went out to see if they could be of any help to the people of the nearby town of Boto- lon. The good they accom- plished can be verified by any of their 450 pa- tients there. Everything from blood pressure to minor field surgery was undertaken. f 52 w SB BfiJl l y - B r ' ' wml iiiTw JB et ' VM AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE, WITH A SMILE AT THE END. Once the day was done they packed up and were on their way. The smiles and gratitude of the people they met was pay- ment enough, but the ma- yor of Botolon decided to make them all citi- zens of the city, with full honors. A departing farewell, Botolon was left behind, but the memories live on. 53 After all was over and done a goodly portion of the crew .was invited to a party over at the Mayor ' s house. Here are a few scenes from the night. Don ' t wor- ry about the focus-it looks pretty normal to some who were there-a little blurry. 54 Once in a while a little mischief comes over part of the crew. When this happens one of them usually sets the Mail Bouy Watch (pg 60) while others capture a sea- bat. Luckily a seabat came along just in time, and several crewmen got a good look. Once you ' ve seen a seabat it is very un- likely that you will ever forget it. To capture one simply find a dark box, cover it and one will begin to use it for a home. When he moves in turn the box over and look, a very memorable creature. 55 It was a quick trip back to Subic then on to Okinawa for a landing exercise (LAND-EX). From dawn to dusk hundreds of Marines invaded a place called Kim Red from the air and sea... a long day for the Denver but a successful one. Kim Red ' s landing was not the only exercise we had but one of the largest. It included three of the other units of the squad- ron: Tarawa, Fort Fisher, and Barbour County. 56 0.1 ni I JT ' OLY - 1979 We got it! The Olympics of 1979 will not soon be for- gotten by the crew of the Denver, It came in two parts, the Professional and the Physical. Although Denver didn ' t take the physical, we made a good showing. We did however take top honors, and prove our professionalism, in the Professional phase which earned for us the Top Gator award. 58 The physical events included tug of war, races, line toss, relay races and beverage chug (oopsi Not part of the official events), and of course arm wrestling. On the front cover of this section is none other than the infamous Mr. X , world meanie in the arm wrestling arena. No one could stand against him. Some cf the winning events are pic- tured on these two pages. After the judging was complete the winning team of each event was intro- duced and presented atop the honor pallets. Finally the moment of truth ar- rived and Denver had taken first place. The Captain made the acceptance remarks but because the trophy was on the other side of the world, it was necessary to hold off on its presentation until we arrived in Yokosuka. It seems the last holder got a little too fond of the white- hatted gator. 59 Some of our favorite watches. 60 K % M _„y-JMfcrl :: - .J m- Wtmm Buam: YOKOSUKA II « ifliVil 6 July 1979 Our second trip to Yokosuka proved to be as full of surprises as the first. We only intended to remain in the area a short time. During our three-week stay the Deck Depart- ment decided to give the Denver a face lift. First in order was a new coat of paint for her hull, then a new sunface for the flight deck. It was a lot of hard work for many but the finished product looked great. Meanwhile, down below, the rest of the crew began restocking. 62 Restocking meant moving hundreds of the necessities onboard, cokes, candy, etc. Working party upon working party was called away. Amid all the labor though one could spot an occasional canned ham in the crowd. Three weeks of fitting up... could it possibly be the first sign of our upcoming return to the United States? ■Willi Thailand was next on our schedule, but as our schedule changed, so did our plans, AND our stay in Yoko. 63 Denver Lends On July 19, 1979, Denver men contributed their time and talents to a small Japanese Hospital for leprosy patients by painting hallways and hospital rooms as well as replacing the ceilings in one of the wards, In addition they toured the entire hospital and met many of the patients, deve- loping lasting friendships. Over the past 80 years Sisters of Charity of the Roman Catholic Church have operated the Hospital outside the Japanese town of Gotemba at the base of Mt. Fuji. Hundreds of Japanese people afflicted with leprosy (a disease of the nervous system) have been treated and cared for there. 64 A Helping Hand Denver is grateful to these volunteers: SM3 ALTHAUS, AN AUSTIN, J02 BOHANNON, SM3 BRADLEY, BM3 BRADLEY, RM2 GONZALEZ, AN QUYTAN, EN3 LONG, LIS BLECKEN, OSS A RAMIREZ, HT2 STUART, HM2 LOPEZ, MM2 WOMACK, RM2 MUDD, MRl FELICANO, QM2 KHUR, QMSN BROADUS, RMSN MAYNOR, RMS CRAIG, RMS SAWYER, LIS PARSON, PACE INSTRUCTOR KOHN, AND CHAPLAIN SASSAMAN 65 DENVER ' S 10,000th At 1 :45 pm, 13 August 1979 a double-bladed, green copter, belonging to the Marines touched down on Denver ' s flight deck. Soon, the ship ' s IMC crackled and the Captain ' s voice an- nounced that the bird had just completed the Denver ' s 10,000th landing. Soon after the air operations were complete the captain, air crew and pilots of the helo gathered to cut a celebration cake, enjoyed by all. The CO., Air Crew, and Pilots of the 10,000th landing (August 3, 1979). 66 HONG KONG 6 AUGUST 1979 HONG KONG VISIT Again stranges modes of transportation (Bonka Boats) , took the crew to and from their new liber- ty port. But the (seeming) risk proved to be worthwhile. First a trip through Hong Kong Bay, ladden with ships, old and news. s 1 ff ' ' ' r J| ' 1h 1- The Hong Kong area is split into three sections: Downtown, Hong Kong (the actual city), Wanchi (the, well, part of town) , and Kowloon (across the bay from the city) . Hong Kong is probably rated as one of the best ports for shopping, sightseeing, and seeing the orient. Many of the Denver crew found their way to view the Chinese border, which appears to be a strip of land several hundred feet across, and nicknamed No Man ' s Land . Hi « |£ . Good-bye Subic Bay On August 13th, the USS Denver and her merry crew again pulled into Subic Bay. Officially the trip was to pick up supplies and Marines in preparation for the MAFLEX operations coming up. Unofficially however, it was to bid farewell to the many friends acquired in previous trips. Before leaving the area, Denver spent several days off the coast of Subic, (within light ' s view) and the happy town of Olongapo. 70 i b .1 . .||a $M[. I  5a 1 107 ■SFir- ' vnj MAFLEX 27 AUGUST 1979 MAFLEX was one of the Den- ver ' s, as well as the task forces ' , largest exercises, with all the ships putting thousands of Marines ashore by way of air and sea. AL I a ■-;■ | -t)rt|r ftftl |k ' P ,1 . f. MAFLEX operations began off the coast of Subic with several days of rehearsals. The task force then moved north towards Okinawa, but had to take, shall we say, a few detours to avoid being part of natures wrath, a local typhoon. Going Home!!! On the calm but cloudy morning of August 31st the USS Denver weighed anchor and ended WestPac ' 79. Our replacement was on station but it wasn ' t until we saw the whites of their eyes that we actually shifted loads and colors. Finally, the long-awaited words were passed, Shift Colors, Underway For The USA. With the work over and the waiting just beginning, crewmembers began to find time to catch up on the rest of the world. Back In The USA 11 September 1979 Pearl Harbor... TIGER CRUISE ' 79 14-21 September 1979 Hawaii USA Tigers Young And Old The Tigers (dependents of Denver Crewmen) came from all over the U.S. They flew to Hawaii early to meet the ship as she re- turned. There were 27 Tigers in all, some sons, a few dads, a couple of brothers and even an uncle or two. For the trip between Hawaii and San Diego, they became part of the crew-eating, living, even working with the rest of the crewmembers. 76 The Tigers were moved into the empty state rooms (left by the Marines and Staff) and slowly began feeling their way around the ship. After a few days of getting lost at every turn they got used to their new temporary home. They had a sample of the Denver ' s food and some even had the opportunity of getting up at 0430 to become part of the Mess Crew. For the more quiet mo- ments Denver arranged a demonstration of our fire power and even arranged for a few Cobra Helicopters to make a visit from the near- by USS Tarawa. First a few fly-bys, then a simulated rescue and finally on deck for the Tigers to take a closer look at one of the Navy ' s finest helicopters. 77 September 2 1 Few got a good night ' s sleep on 20 September, because everyone knew that the Denver was only a few miles away from home. Those who did sleep will remember how those long and often lonely days were erased on the morning of September 21st. Just knowing that in a few short hours you will be with your loved ones on the pier seems to make the days of the cruise disappear and become memories instead of reality. The first sign of reality came as the image of Point Loma cut through the haze. Then it was around the bend where North Island and the Coronado Bay Bridge lay in clear sight. Finally as the ship sailed under the Coronado Bridge, hats flew, cheers were released and the piers spotted. On the pier it was clearly visible that the Denver was coming back with a warm welcome. Banners made by both dependents and crewmembers of neighbor ships flew in the breeze. Unlike the day Denver got underway, today was a bright and sunny day, rain or shine. 78 ' fHHF ' n 1 a - a KJi fc ...... ' ..3 fc • - ' J MB ' 23 JiS ' i ' ' I Kfi- ' . hI jH Hflbu Biiii Home, San Diego 21 September 1979 DENVER SPORTS Throughout the entire cruise while some of their shipmates saw the sights and others rested up , one group of Denvermen do it Better ; they are the members of the various sports teams. They proved they could do it better. by bringing home the Commodore ' s Cup at cruise end. The trophy proves the Denver is the Task Force ' s best. Teams included the Denver ' s softball teams (slov- pitch and fast pitch) soccer team, basketball team, golf team, bowling team, and handball team. 80 81 WestPac ' 79 Photo Contest 82 On our way back from Hawaii we de- cided to take a look at some of the pic- tures the crew had taken. Of the 17 entries the three best were chosen and here they are. First Place Glen David Second Place Gary Rhodes 84 r 86 i I ' m wild and I ' m mean I ' m creating a scene, • Gone Crazy Well I ' m good and I ' m bad, and I ' m happy and I ' m sad, and I ' m plain lazy. Well I ' m quiet and I ' m loud, I ' m gathering a crowd, and I like gravy. About half off the wall, I learned it all , in the Navy. T . ▼ The Crew i 450 Strong borrowed from Pick up the Tempo ' USS DENVER LPD-9 The USS Denver is officially rated as an Amphibious Transport Dock, She was built at Lockhead Shipbuilding and Con- struction Company, Seattle, Washington and was commissioned 26 October 1968. She is the third ship to bear the name of the city a Mile High, a Mile ahead. OVERALL LENGTH BREADTH MOLDED DISPLACEMENT COMPLEMENT SPEED ARMAMENT TWO 570 FEET 84 FEET 16,550 TONS 1000 TROOPS OVER 20 KNOTS ,50 CAL TWIN MOUNTS 88 I 89 Captain Vincent E. Cooke Commanding Officer 90 f K ' ' 1 I - k VII ■ Commander J. H, Goodwin Executive Officer 91 PNCM Fred D. Buck Command Master Chief 92 i 1st 2nd Division t k O LTJG MALLORY SN CROSS SN REID BMSN CHESTER BM3 BRADLEY BM3 MORIN BM2 LEYENDECKER SR CHAPMAN SA WUJCIK SN HOLT SA WAGNER SA ZIMMERMAN SA DILLMAN BMSN BRYANT SA STALLWORTH SA WALLACE BMSN IMUS SA JACKSON 94 SA DOUGHTY BMl THOMSON SN BROWN LTJ6 FANN t - iy m ife BMl JONES SA ROSE SA ANDERSON BMSN KEMP SA WILLIAMS YNSN RAMSON %  I y pl SA MILLER BMSN GAGE BMSN HILL SN HERSHEY BMSN MANCUSO SA STONER SN ESTES SN GOLDEN SR ARCHER BMSN HURT BMSN CROSS 95 LT HADEL (ENGINEERING OFFICER) CW03 HOWARD (ELECTRICAL OFFICER) Engineering Department BT2 VI CK (B) BTFA SERATA (B) 97 mr k. LTJG NOLTE BTCS BARANKO B Division BT2 KARNES t t 1 . FA HEINEMAN BTFN OLINGER FA THORPE BT2 ANDRADE — 1   — «« BTl BRAMAN BT3 DAVIS FA RAMIREZ BT3 CARTEL BTFA ROBINSON BTFN PORTO 98 FA KUHN FA HOTCHKINS BT3 JENKINS FR STEET BT2 OLA BT2 VILLANUEVA FA HOPPE FA BIVENS FA DURANT BT3 DAVIS BT3 MARZ FA ALLEN FA DELAIR BTFA HELT BTFA LUTZ BTFA WING BT3 WILSON BT3 KIMBALL FA SULKOW BTFA SEYFRIED 99 • I , i ENS YABUT 11 J!rff ' ' r ' MMFN MENESES MM3 PRESA MMFR BLOCKER MMC BROWN iA.-? t. M Division MMFA LOPEZ MMFA WALSH MM2 CRON MM2 BOBO MM2 DAVID MMl TROTTER MMl FRANKLIN MM3 MARTIN MM3 RICHARDSON MMFA HILL MMFA MOLINA MMFA ITURRARAN 100 Engineering Department The Engineering Department is the ship ' s Utility Company. The hole snipes and fresh-air snipes provide everything from 22 knots of speed to power for your bunk light. These dedicated shipmates are responsible for power and lighting systems, interior communications, heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, piping, plumbing, main propulsion, ballasting, propulsion fuels, ship ' s hull, potable water and even the movies you watch. Every compartment aboard ship contains some structure or equipment that falls under the responsibility of the ENGINEERS. u 101 1 ft I iH 1 y ICC WARNER EMS CLAXTON EMS EILERS ICS MILLER t « k 1 - t f A J FA MARTINEZ EMFN OSTRANDER FN SHUBERT EM2 SMITH FN JAMES EMI ROBERTS EMFN ALHAMBRA ICS DAVIS EMS LEOMA IC2 BARBE i w EM2 MORRIS IC2 SMITH EMFN SELBY EMFA DEAN FN BEARD 102 A R Division •« M M«MM k. 41 HT3 DONALPSON HT2 REYNOLDS . HT3 GULLEY HT3 MONTECER FN WILLIAMS HTFN TURNER HTFN EADS FN BEAUDOIN HT2 CHRISTIANSON HT2 RICHARDSON FA BANDY HTFN BAROAO HT3 BRAINGER HTl FREDERICK 103 t m % f I M ' F g WiSr 33 HTI BAKER MRS BURFORD MM! BASS MM3 CRONK ENl KNAPP • 1 i ENFN LEWEY ENFN JONES ENFN MUIR ENFN GREBE ENFN BEHRENDT MR2 DEOSSIE ENFN BRIFFITH EN3 SALAZAR ENFN KIBBY ENFN PATCHES EN2 NASCHKE ENS ROBINSON FN VALDEPENA MRFN DODGE MRS BURT 104 Navigation QMC TENA LT DIXON QM2 KUHR QM3 FERNANDEZ QMSN BROADUS QMSN DAVIES QM3 WAYBRANT QMSN MOORE 106 Air LT NELMS ENS BAJUNE j t ■ ' I ABHl HULST ABFl BORREGO ABFl VICKERS ABFAN JANUSZ AA GOMEZ AN AYERS ABFAN KEY ABH3 NICHOLS ABH3 TYREE ASEAN DAUDERT ABH3 ROBINSON AN GUYTAN ABH3 WURSTER AN BIGGINS ABF3 SAMUELS 108 LT (DC) ROBBINS LT (MC) MAYER HMC ZIEL Medical Dental HMl FREDERICK HM2 DEAS DTI BUANGAN HN WHITE HM2 LINSAO HM3 HERNANDEZ The Doc and DT3 FREEMAN LT (MC) BROWER HM2 LOPEZ 110 r LCDR BEATY Supply SKI MORAN SK3 BROWN SKSN RAYMOND SKSN HODGES SKSA RUSSOW SK2 DAKE MSC LEWIS MSI NAVALASCA MSI VENZON MSl CASALME 112 MSI BALINTEC MSSA WHITTEAKER MSSN RANDLE MSSN WATSON MS3 MENESES MS2 SYFU MS2 BROWN MS3 CAMPO MSSA HUDSON MSSR BREEDING MSSN HAMN MSSN HODGES MS2 BARRIOUS MS3 MENESES simpiPiY Almost Missed PAPA DOC SHSN JEFFERYS (S3) SHSN BOWLIN (S3) 113 ENS CARRABES S3 Division SHSN ARMSTRONG SHSN LEVERETTE SH3 STRICKLAND SHI VALENCIA SH3 SINGLETON SH2 HOHN SH3 RATCLIFF SH2 SANCHEZ SH2 ROSARIO SH3 HERRERA SH3 FIMBRES S4 The Rich Kids! ENS DONOVAN DKl DORIA DK3 HARTLEY DK2 ADAMS DKSN BECK 114 RMC BRITT RMCS LYON CR CS DIVISION RMl BROOKS RMl BUTLER RMS BOWEN RMSN MAYNOR RMS WHITEHEAD RM2 MUDD RMSN SMITH RMSN BROWN SMSN RANSOM SM3 BRADLEY SMSN CETNAR SMSN BURGIE SMI CASEY 116 The Operations Department is the eyes and ears of the fhip, con- sisting of 3 highly trained groups of professionals. Her combat infor- I metion center is run by Operations f-pecialists and Electronic Warfare, Technicians . In CIC, operational and time sensitive information is collected, evaluated, displayed and dissemi nated to the ship control stations requiring the information. Electronics Technicians maintain her radars and communications equip ment in a finely tuned state of readiness . OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT i ■- m i LCDR SCHEERER LT MARLOWE EWC VANHORN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT OSl WRIGHT OSSN IRONSIDES 0S2 RUBALID OSSN PURIFOY OSS ROGERS OSSN RAMIREZ EW2 PLUE OSS ADAMS EW3 MORRISON OSS CORNELIUS 0S2 HALL YNSN GARZA 118 LTJG ZIESCHANG OE Division ETI COLEMAN ET3 MUTTART ET2 LOO EISA PALMER ETSN SMITH ET3 DANIELS ET3 PETERS Already Gone! OS! BOZMAN 119 PN3 BIGHAM LI2 BLECKEN YNSN PEARSON YN3 UPSHAW PNCM BUCK LISN BEAN YNl RICHTER PC2 WEST PN2 RANDALL PN3 MCCAIN X DIVISION Already Gone! T YN2 GUAJARDO 1 LI2 NOLAN LIS PARSONS 121 LT SASSAMAN 1st LT GOLOGANOFF GYSGT TRIADO MACS WARNER BMl GROCHALA SM1 PUAAULI NCI PALLAS QMl MARTINEZ YN3 PITTMAN 122 u,ii,tdttitmuimi BMU 1 BM2 HOWIE BMl DESROCHERS HMl HOUSTON CMS WHALER RM3 SAWYER CM3 KINGSON CMCA ROLLINS BM3 MARROQUIN BM3 SILLS SN RICHARDSON SM2 HENDERSON BM2 MURRAY CMCN CANSLER SN ROESCHLIER CM3 LESSMAN EOCN PRAIA SN JOHNSON RMS CRAIG BMS SHIVER SA ARMSTRONG 124 LCU 1666 BMC THURSTON (OIC) ENl KING QM2 SULLIVAN MSI GALBADORES BMSA MOORHOUSE 126 ENl SITES (CHIEF ENGINEER) RM1 MANN EMI AURE ENFN NOLAN BM3 WILLIAMS 127 WESTPAC 1979 credits written, photographed, produced and designed: J02 Dennis K. Bohannon assistance on final layout: FN E Beard copy proof: LTJG Randy Fann published by: Walsworth publishing Co. Cruise Book Committee Captain Vincent E. Cooke LTJG Randy Fann Chaplain Robert Sassaman MACS Keith Warner Produced aboard USS Denver 1 March Thru 21 September 1979 128 WALSWORTH www Cruiw Book Salm Office. COM?AN?lll Inpaham Street-SaiW 202 ■ San Diego, California 92109 .. .. -7