Dixie (AD 14) - Naval Cruise Book

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During a visit to Seattle (June 1963), change of command ceremonies were held with Captain Arthur Parris relieving Captain Neil H. Fisher as Commanding Officer. Captain Parris had been Executive Officer on board DIXIE in 1959-60. DIXIE departed Seattle for return to San Diego, with brief stops at San Francisco and Seal Beach, California. She arrived in San Diego on 22 June to ready herself for another tour in the Western Pacific. On I August 1963 DIXIE once again departed San Diego for the Western Pacific and a deployment which would last until 6 February 1964. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii she arrived at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan on 19 August, relieving USS PIEDMONT (AD- 1 7) of repair services for the SEVENTH FLEET and as flagship Flotilla ONE. The WESTPAC stay, which included a good will side trip to Hong Kong, BCC in November, saw DIXIE active in many fields. Early in the deployment, 19 DIXIE Boilermen, Boilermakers and Machinist Mates were given a special commendation by the Commanding Officer of the USS SOUTHERLAND (DD-743) for superhuman efforts in affecting repairs to the engineering plant of the destroyer. A CRUDESPAC record was set by DIXIE during the tour when she accomplished the complete regunning of destroyers FRANK B. KNOX (DDR-740) and USS MANSFIELD (DD-728) in four and six hours, respectively. In the area of People-to- People relations, DIXIE took the Japanese orphans of the Kobo Aigi-En Home near Yokosuka under her sponsorship. The 42 small children were entertained by DIXIE on three different occasions: the annual Oiso Long Beach Picnic; a Thanksgiving party; and a Christmas party. Men of DIXIE also volunteered their services in assisting in repairs and construction at the Japanese Orphanage. In January 1964, enroute home to San Diego from the Western Pacific, where she was relieved on her SEVENTH FLEET duties by PRAIRIE (AD- 1 5), DIXIE learned that she had won the coveted E for Battle Efficiency a second consecutive year in the 1962-63 CRUDESPAC tender competition, thus qualifying for a hashmark to be displayed beneath the E she had won in 1962. After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, DIXIE arrived as scheduled in San Diego on 6 February 1964. April brought another award to the credit of the DIXIE. Good food, properly served, earned DIXIE the NEY AWARD. DIXIE won over CRUDESPAC ships serving 300 or more men. Seven destroyers tied alongside kept DIXIE ' S repair department going full blast during May. Servicing seven destroyers at one time is an unusual occurrence even for DIXIE. Also during May, the 1963 FORCE ATHLETIC TROPHY winner was announced. This was the second consecutive year that DIXIE copped the trophy over the other tenders of the Pacific Fleet.

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DIXIE after FRAM II conversion On 2 February 1962 DIXIE departed San Diego for her next Far East employment, which was to last until September 1962. During this tour in the Western Pacific, DIXIE again earned the Combat Efficiency Award for tenders in GRUDESPAC. One of the contributing factors to the receipt of this award was the simultaneous refueling by high lining of two destroyers at sea. The destroyers involved were USS COLAHAN (DD-658) and USS LAWS (DD-558). This was an operation never before accomplished by a destroyer tender. On 20 February 1962 DIXIE affected rescue at sea of a 34 foot sailing yawl 180 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. The yawl, owned by J.D. Challinar, QMC, USN (Ret), was sighted at 0630 in 14 foot seas, with winds up to 50 knots. The yawl had been adrift in heavy seas for about 14 days. DIXIE also transported 30 Vi tons of HANDCLASP material for distribution to authorities in the Far East. On 14 April 1962 she completed construction and installed two 1,200 gallon fresh water tanks for use by St. Joseph ' s Elementary School, Olongapo, Zambales Philip- pines. On 16-17 May 1962 DIXIE embarked the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and the U.S. Naval Attacher the purpose of taking part in the 23rd Black Ship Festival at Shimoda, Japan. Change of Command ceremonies were held on board the DIXIE on 8 July 1962 when Captain Neil H. Fisher relieved Captain Bryan H. Smith as Commanding Officer, DIXIE ended her tour of duty in Far East on 9 September 1962 when she was relieved by her sister ship USS PRAIRIE (AD- 1 5). She returned to San Diego on 25 September 1962 to again take up the duties of tender and flagship for CRUDESPAC.

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A change of command ceremony was held 27 June 1964 aboard the USS DIXIE (AD- 1 4) as Captain E. I. SUMRALL, USN, formerly assigned to the Army Desert Test Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, relieved Captain ARTHUR PARRIS, USN, as commanding officer. As flagship for CRUDESPAC. the DIXIE was host to Rear Admiral MARSHALL E. DORNIN, from May until July, when the DIXIE left San Diego for Todd Shipyards, Long Beach, California. DIXIE was in Todd Shipyards from the middle of July until the middle of October. During this time, DIXIE underwent repairs and drydocking for the first time in almost a year. After the yard period and a cruise back to San Diego, DIXIE steamed to Seal Beach, California to onload ammunition and stores for the forthcoming WESTPAC cruise. On the morning of 3 November, DIXIE left her berth in San Diego to sail for the Philippine Islands via Hawaii. With smooth sailing all of the way, DIXIE arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of 9 November. After one day of taking on stores and liberty for the crew DIXIE continued on her way to the Far East. DIXIE steamed into Subic Bay on 23 November and commenced to carry out her assigned duties of servicing the destroyers of CRUDESPAC in Subic Bay, Hong Kong and Yokosuka, and participated in operations in the South China Sea in support of COMSEVENTHFLT units. DIXIE returned to the states on 8 May, 1965, and became the flagship for Rear Admiral W. H. BAUMBERGER, Commander, Cruiser- Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, on I August 1965. Captain E.L. SUMRALL was relieved by Captain W.J. COLEMAN in change of command ceremonies aboard DIXIE on I October 1965, at San Diego, California. DIXIE, under the command of Captain COLEMAN, left Pier 6, U.S. Naval Base, San Diego, on 25 January, 1966, and headed southwest on a course for Hawaii. It was not a smooth trip; DIXIE plowed through waves 13 feet high and was buffeted by winds of 30 knots. The Pacific crossing took 18 days including a stop over at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where CDR W. L. BUSHY was relieved by CDR A. G. HENRY as Executive Officer of the DIXIE. February 13, 1966, saw DIXIE nosing into the Naval Base at Yokosuka, Japan. Work orders from the USS MATHEWS (AKA-96) were waiting and provided the official beginning of DIXIE ' S mission in the Far East. While in Japan, DIXIE ' S basketball team scored often and was inv ited to remain in Japan to participate in the COMFLEACTS and COMNAVFOR JAPAN tournaments when the ship left on 24 February 1966. In Kaoshiung, Taiwan, DIXIE relieved the PIEDMONT (AD- 1 7) and began work on destroyers from the Taiwan Straits Patrol. The ship already 43