Duxbury Bay (AVP 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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BRIEF HISTORY OF THE USS DUXBURY BAY CAV?-333 The USS DUXBURY BAY is a small seaplane 'render 3I0 feel long and 42 fee'I wide. Whera fully manned she has a compIemen'I' of .250 men. She began hercareer on 2 Ociober I944, when she was launched aff 'rhe lake Wash- ing'I'on Shipyard, Kirkland, Washinglon. The name DUXBURY BAY came from a bay of Ilwe same in Massak chuse++s. She was commissioned aI' Lake Washingron on 3I December I944. I A+ San Diego, in February. I945. She conducfed her shakedown cruise and performed her Hrs? flevfcling opera'I'ions. I The DUX Ieff I'he S'ra'Ies on I2 March I945, for Pearl Harbor. Upon arrival she was assig Sed I'o Commander Air Force, U. S. Pacific FIeeI'. From Pearl Harbor she proceeded +o Eni'Iwe+ok, Ihe Marshall Islands, Guam, 'I'he Caroline Islands and Okinawa. I+ was aI' Okinawa 'rhar +he DUXBURY BAY saw i+s only aclion during World War II. During an air a'I"rack she suffered sIighI' damage and IosI' one man. This was in May, I945. She conlinued 'I'o Iend seaplanes un'riI 'rhe end of hosI'iIi+ies. Af+er I'he war she re+urned Io San Francisco, arriving Ihere in OcI'ober, I946. In I947 and I948 Ihe DUX made Iwo cruises Io 'rhe Far EasI'. In March, I949, she was underway for a round- 'Ihe-world cruise Ihaf Iook her Io Pearl Harbor, Manila, Singapore, Colombo, and Ihe Persian Gulf. On Ihis Irip she remained in +he Gulf for one monlh, serving as Flagship, Commander Middle Easl' Force. In January, 'rhe DUX again deparled for Ihe Persian Gulf and Io du+y as Flagship, Commander Middle Easl Force. Since +ha'r 'rime she has compIeI'ed seven cruises 'ro 'rhe Persian Gulf.

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I Commander Malcolm S. Ragan, USN, was born on 8 November I9I5, af Yonkers, New York. A+ 'rhe presenf fime, he and his family are residing a+ I I5 88I'h Sfreef, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Commander Ragan graduafed 'from Wa- bash College af Crawfordsville, Indiana, in I936. He enfered 'rhe Navy as an aviafion cadef in Ocfober I937, and was degignafed a naval aviafor in November l938, upon com- plefion of flighf fraining. Prior 'ro reporfing aboard I'he DUXBURY BAY in March I954, Commander Ragan was Chief Sfaff Officer of Commander Naval Air Bases, Thirfeenfh Naval Disfricf, in Sea'HIe, Washingfon. During World War II, he flew Liberafors and Privafeers in 'rhe Pacific and was in command of a pafrol bomber squadron in fhe Philippines during fhe Ia'Her parf of fhe war. I Capfain Henry H. Hale, USN, was born JuIy,23, I907, in Gary, Indiana. Af 'I'he pres- enl' he resides al' 5508 Brile Drive, Befhesda, Maryland. He is married and has fwo daugh- +ers: Sally and Rae. Capfain Hale enfered 'rhe Naval Academy in I927 and was commis- sioned as Ensign in 'rhe U. S. Navy in June, I93I. In I934 he was designafed a Naval Aviafor. In I940 Capfain Hale 'roolc ,command of a fraining squadron a'I' Corpus Chrisfi, Texas. In I94I he commanded fhe firs'I' Naval AviaIor's Ins'lruc'for School af Corpus Chrisfi. During' World War II he served on I'he carriers SAN JACINTO and"FRANKLIN and was decorafed for valor on bofh. He was awarded 'rhe Navy Cross while on 'rhe FRANKLIN. Capfain Hale has served on 'rhe Sfaff of Commander, Sixfh Fleel' and Sfaff of Com- bined American and Brifish .Forces in Triesfe. Since July, I954, he hasserved-as Command- ing Officer, USS DUXBURY BAY IAVP-38I. I I A I