Hue City (CG 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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Throughout this cruise, we have sent many pictures home. The majority of them being of ourselves with friends and the backdrop of an ocean, of course. To everyone ' s surprise, the pictures that friends and family commented on were the pictures of us going through the Suez Channel with the Egyptian soldiers in the backdrop carrying guns. The responses from our loved ones at home included: You all are so brave, I could never do what you do, I showed the pictures to friends, We ' re so scared for you, take care of yourself, and many more. There were days without end when we all felt drainea oui wishing that we were anywhere but the Gulf, having to always be on the alert - temperatures ranging from 50 degrees in Combat Information Center to 112 degrees topside - forgetting many times why we were here. I Each of us volunteered our services. We are here to serve our country. It is such an honor and by just looking at any television station or reading any newspaper, all of us serving for 4 or 30 years feel nothing but pride for what we have accomplished, what we are working on now, and the awesome work we will be doing in the future. We have spent six months showing our patriotism and safeguarding our country. Let us not shame ourselves by forgetting why we are here. Let us not tarnish the memory of our shipmates on the USS COLE and the innocent men and women brutally murdered in the Pentagon and World Trade Center. To say that every day was full of laughs, even the greenesf of our Sailors would know that not to be true. But every one of us has been educated in ways that only the warriors of HUE CITY could understand. Knowledge of our work and knowledge of each other have made better Sailors of us all. GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS USS HUE CITY! Deployment 2002 3

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ABOUT OUR NAMESAKE USS Hue City is the twentieth ot the Ticondemga class cruisers. Our ship gels its namesake from a famous battle t)f the Vietnam uar In fact, we are the only U.S. Navy ship to be named after a Vietnam battle. The city of Hue. South Vietnam, was the site of one of the fiercest battles in the Vietnam w ar Three under strength U.S. Marine battalions, consisting of fewer than 2.5(K) men. attacked and soundly defeated more than l().(KK) entrenched eneniN tnnjps. liberating Hue for South Vietnam. The Imperial C ' il . Hue gracefully retained the glor of Vietnam ' s past while its universities educated Vietnam ' s brightest minds for the future. Hue was a ssmboi of c crthing the Vietnamese people admired and respected. During the lunar New ear holiday of Tet - a very im|-H)rlanl week long holida cel- ebrated all over Vietnam- the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army launced a massive assult on South Vietnam. They seized the cit of Hue and its population of about I4().(KK) citizens. This Tet Offensive began on January . 1. I%8. The Battle of Hue lasted four weeks and cost some 142 .Xmerican lives. Marines of the F-irsi and l-ifth Regi- ments, fighting along the side of the .Xrm) of the Republic of Vietnam ' s First Di ision. were supported b U.S. Army 7th and 12th Calvary Regiments, among other units, in the Battle of Hue. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were driven out of Hue little by little as U.S. Marine triH)ps rettxik the city one blcKk at a time. The Marines ret(H)k the Treasury building, the uni ersit . the hospital, the Provincial Headquarters and. finallN. the citadel. On f-ebruary 26. 1968. the city ol Hue was declared secure. U.S forces remained another week to ensure the cil s safelv. ABOUT OUR CREST SHIKLD: Dark blue and gold are the traditional Navy colors: red is emblematic of courage and sacrifice. The trident represents past and present and symbolizes sea power and the vertical launch system of CCi 66. The tines of the indent represent the mordem AEGIS cruiser capabilites of anti-air. land, and surface warfare, while the bottom spike denolesi he ship ' s anti-submarine capabilities. The crossed swords fonn a saltire w iih the upper and lower quadrants depicting the two Vietnams and the p«)int where the cross illustrating the location and strategic importance of the battle for Hue. The smaller shield at the center commemi rates the Marines ' victorv and the raising of the U.S. Hag upon capturing the pro incial headquarters in Hue. The crossed Navy cutlass and Marine mameluke sword also express strength through teamwork and c(H)peration. and are combined with a palm wreath symbolizing the battle and victory. CREST: The fortress recalls the Citadel at Hue. ft)r which the U.S. Marines fought so valiantly to capture. The oriental dragon symbolizes both the fierceness of the siege and the fighting spirit of the crew of the USS HUE CITY. MOTTO: -nDELITY. COURAGE. HONOR represents the finest qualities of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps: fidelit) to one ' s comrades and the values of the country, courage to do ones duty regardless of the ci)nsequences. and honor as a principal virtue of the military profession. SEAL: The coat of arms in full color as in the blazon, all upon a white background and enclosed within a dark blue oval border edged on the outside with gold chain and bearing the name USS HUE ClI at top and C(i 66 in base, all in gold. 2 USS Hue City (CG-66)

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Commanding Officem CAPT Richard G. Hoffman, Jr Captain Richard G Hoftman was bom m Munich. Germany, while his 1 father served with the US Army overseas He attended The Citadel, graduating with a Bachelor ol Science degree m Biology and receiving his commission in 1975 I j Captain Hoflman ' s first sealo! ' was aboard USS ROARK (FF 1053) where he served in several Division officer positions and received his Surfao Warlare Qualification He next served al sea as Chief Engineer of USS ANTRIM (FFG 45) He completed his Deparlmen head rotation as Matenal Combat Systems officer, then Operations Officef with Destroyer Squadron 24. I f Captain Hoffman was next assigned as Executive Oflicer in USS STEPHEN W GROVES (FFG 29). Following shore duty he commanded USS DE WERT (FFG 45). He also serve as Operations Officer and Chief of Staff j for Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer ' Group 12 ENTERPRISE Battle Group. Captain Hoffman ' s most recen shore assignment was m the Pentagon on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Surface Warlare Directorate where he was the resources and requirements officer (or the Tomahawk cruise missile system. Other shore assignments include the Bureau a Naval Personnel as an assignment officer. Headquarters Marine Corps as tl Navy Aide to the Commandant, and in the Operations Directorate of U.S. Central Command His professional education includes the Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey California, where he received his Maslei of Science degree m Oceanography an The National War College Personal awards Include the Legion of Ment. Defense Mentonous Service Medal. Meritorious Service MeO (live awards). Navy Commendation Medal (three awards) and vanous campaign and service awards. Captain Hoffman and his wife. Pat. have two daughters, Chns and Linda 4 USS Hue City (CG-66)