Elmer Montgomery (FF 1082) - Naval Cruise Book

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- - -' nf-ff-.GA sw-muff .1-In-,:,. ' ' Ml- I -I is -,.., .LL ,C ,A-3, NI, ,,,-.-,.-.f.- S53 if 2353 S1151 COMMANDING OFFICER COMMANDER JOHN J. KEARLEY GRAD- UATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN MONROE- VILLE, AL IN 1965. HE ENTERED THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY IN JUNE 1965 AND GRAD- UATED WITH THE CLASS OF 1969. AFTER TRAINING AT THE FLEET SO- NAR SCHOOL IN KEY WEST, FL HE REPORT- ED TO THE USS ALLEN M. SUMNER QDD 6925 AS ASW OFFICER, MAKING ONE MEDI- TERRANEAN DEPLOYMENT AND, LATER WAS PROMOTED TO OPERATIONS OFFICER. HE REPORTED TO THE DESTROYER SCHOOL KNOW SURFACE WARFARE OFFI- CERS SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HEAD COURSEJ, NEWPORT, RI IN 1971 AND GRAD- UATED WITH CLASS 36 IN 1972. HE REPORT- ED TO USS KNOX KDE 1052fr IN PEARL HAR- BOR IN MAY 1972, SERVING AS WEAPONS OF- FICER UNTIL MAY 1974. AND MADE ONE DE- PLOYMENT TO THE EASTERN PACIFIC FOR SPECIAL SONAR TRIALS. COMMANDER KEARLEY THEN RE- PORTED TO THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY AND, AS A BRIGADE OFFICER IN THE OF- FICE OF THE COMMANDANT, WAS THE THIRTIETH COMPANY OFFICER FROM JULY 1974 UNTIL JULY 1977. UPON COMPLE- TION OF HIS TOUR AT THE NAVAL ACAD- EMY, COMMANDER KEARLEY ATTENDED THE PROSPECTIVE ENGINEER OFFICER COURSE AT THE NPTU, IDAHO FALLS, ID. UPON COMPLETION, HE SERVED AS ENGI- NEER OFFICER, USS EL PASO QLKA117j FROM JANUARY 1978 TO DECEMBER 1979. FOLLOWING THIS TOUR, HE REPORTED TO THE COMMANDER, NAVAL SURFACE FORCES, ATLANTIC WHERE HE SERVED IN THE OPERATIONS AND PLANS DIVISION, FROM JANUARY 1980 TO JANUARY 1982 CONCLUDING HIS ASSIGNMENT AS THE CRUISER DESTROYER SCHEDULING OFFI CER 1 OMMANDER KEARLEY WAS THEN ASSIGNED AS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER USS OLIVER HAZARD PERRY QFFG 75 IN JULY 1982 MAKING ONE DEPLOYMENT TO , 4 L , A .,, A .S-1.-.. ---'Y'--'f- WI WWW' COMMANDI G OFFICER CDR John J. Kearly THE MIDDLE EAST FORCE. COMMANDER KEAR- LEY REPORTED TO THE CHIEF OF NAVAL MATE- RIAL IN DECEMBER 1983 AND WAS ASSIGNED FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS AS THE EX- ECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR, OF- FICE OF NAVAL TECHNOLOGY QLATER TO BE- COME A PART OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL RESEARCHJ. COMMANDER KEARLEY HAS BEEN AWARD- ED THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL, TWO NAVY COMMENDATION MEDALS, THE NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, AND VARIOUS UNIT AND OTHER AWARDS. COMMANDER KEARLEY IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER JUNE SADIN OF KENSTINGTON, CT- THEY AND THEIR TWO DAUCHTERS, EMILY AND LESLIE LIVE IN MAYPORT, FL. 3 '71 a xl 7 7 7 1.4

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I had the great personal fortune of knowing Elmer Mont- omery. We first met on Guam in late 1944. We needed a clerk- ypist, Sgt. Montgomery reported. Work piled high and the ,ours were long in that little quonset hut office, but when Elmer aid have a moment, he would lean his chair against the wall and ull a small, White leather-covered Bible from his hip pocket. Vherever the Bible fell open in his hand he would begin to read and find serenity. The other NCO's had trouble figuring Elmer, but they lik- d him. He was quiet and a bit Withdrawn, but he was no loner . He could chuckle at a bawdy joke and join in the bull essions, though he winced at some of the more earthy profan- ay. In February we sailed for Iwo Jima. After several days of .erce fighting, division staff sections were ordered to provide eplacements for badly mauled front-line units I had to provide vvo. I selected the two I thought could best be spared from my upply operation. I was just about to send the names to the divi- ion adjutant when my executive officer popped into my dug- ut. Sgt. Montgomery wanted to see me. The sergeant saluted and informed me he had heard about he call for reinforcements. You're not one of them , I told img thinking it would put his mind at ease. That's what I talk J you about, Colonel, he said, I Want to go forward. I ex- lained that I considered him essential to our supply mission nd for the first time he argued. He wasn't loud, but he was rm. I'll never feel right if I don't go up when I'1n needed, e said. Pm needed now. I'm older than most of these kids. ve had a lot of experience looking after myself while hunting ack home in Montana. I can look after them up forward. I fN1 i Lf' for I fi , Q S7 Ship's Namesake: GT Elmer Montgomery The following Tribute of a Marine, quoted in part, was written by former Assistant Secretary of the Navy James D. Hittle. It is printed here to provide an insight into the character of the man in whose honor this ship is named. realized he Wouldn't take no for an answer. I never saw Elmer again. A Marine from his frontline unit told me the story. The platoon commander had been killed and Elmer was assigned under a staff sergeant as assistant platoon commander. The or- der came to attack. The patched up platoon moved across a slight rise to and into a small saucer-shaped area where it was pinned down by a carefully camouflaged Japanese machine gun. If they stayed, they would soon be blasted apart by mor- tars. Elmer crawled and rolled within yelling distance of the staff sergeant. The Marine who told me the story paused, pulled on his cigarette and pressed a bandage on his arm tighter against his own wound. Sgt. Montgomery yelled, when I draw the fire, roll the platoon over the rise. And while the platoon commander was saying no Sgt. Montgomery stood up and fir- ing his rifle from his hip, walked into the machine gun. We're here because he drew the fire long enough for us to slide back over the rise. They never found Elmer. A few minutes after his platoon reached safety, our artillery laid down a barrage on the ma- chine gun emplacement. The big shells churned the ground and everything on it mercilessly. He and his little white leather-cov- ered Bible became, forever, part of the hallowed ground of Iwo Jima. ' I suppose memories fade and maybe Sgt. Montgomery's decoration for bravery is almost forgotten, but whenever I think back to all the brave men I have been privileged to know, Elmer heads the list. 1

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EXECUTI E OFFICER avigator LCDR arren M. p Lobs Lieutenant Commander Warren M. Lobs gradu- ated from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, PA in 1966. He initially attended Temple University and ultimately graduated from Spring Garden College, Philadelphia, PA in June 1972. He entered Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI and was commissioned in September 1972. His first assignment was on board USS PYRO QAE 245 where he had various division officer jobs. During this tour he made two WESTPAC deployments. He then reported to USS DU- BUQUE QLPD 85 in November 1975 as Main Propulsion Assistant and completed a third WESTPAC deployment. Commander Lobs next reported to the U.S. Naval Academy as Naval Science Instructor in December 1977. Upon completion of his tour at the Naval Acad- emy in December 1979, Commander Lobs served as Operations Officer on board USS BIGELOW QDD 9425 during which time he made one Middle East Force deployment to the Persian Gulf. Following this tour, in May 1982, he report- ed to USS, SANTA BARBARA QAE 285 as First Lieutenant, making one deployment to the Indian Ocean. In January 1984, Command- er Lobs was personally selected as the U.S. Navy Liaison Officer for U.S. Central Com- mand's special activity in Nairobi, Kenya where he served until March 1986. Upon completion of this tour, he reported to USS ELMER MONTGOMERY QFF 10821 as Executive Of- ficer and has completed one Mediterranean de- ployment. Lieutenant Commander Lobs has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Med- al, Navy Expeditionary Medal and various ser- vice awards. Lieutenant Commander Lobs is married to theformer Ruth Woodard of Plymouth Meet- ing, PA. They and their son, Joseph, live in Jacksonville, FL. 3