John Hall (FFG 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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Admiral John L. Hall, Jr. - General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave him the nick- name Viking of Assault . General George Patton, tough critic of fellow military leaders, heaped high praise on him. He was one of the toughest and best athletes of the U.S. Naval Academy. These descriptions of Admiral John L. Hall, jr. were befitting of his huge frame, his daring military exploits and his prowess as an athlete. However, to Dr. Susan Hall Godson, his niece and biographer, said he was a gentle giant, with more than a fair share of humility. Admiral Hall was a brilliant attack force commander of World War ll and former Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was the Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Task Force during the North African landings in 1942 and received the Distinguished Service Medal for opening ports and preventing sabotage while Commander Northwest African Sea Fron- tier. - In February 1943, he became Commander Amphibious Force, North African Wa- ters CEighth Fleetb, expertly cross-training Army artilleryman and Navy gunners so that his ship call-fire missions could be conducted in direct support of troop advance rather than at targets of opportunity. His concept proved devastating to enemy forces and tank divisions as he led one of the major assault forces engaged in the Si- cilian Occupation C9-12 July 19435 and the bitterly contested landings at Salerno C9-21 September 19435. These bold achievements brought him two awards of the Legion of Merit. In November 1943, he took command of the ELEVENTH Amphibious Force in England, earning the Army's Distinguished Service Medal for his superb leadership of this am- phibious Force O which landed and so effectively supported the Army V Corps on the Omaha beach sector off the coast of Normandy injune 1944. he received a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal for command of the Southern Attack Force QTF 557 during the invasion throughout the Okinawa campaign. In October 1945, he became Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He later was Commandant of the Fourteenth Naval District and Commander of the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia. From August 1951 until his re- tirement in May 1953, he was Commander Western Sea Frontier with additional duty as Commander Pacific Reserve Fleet. Admiral Hall was a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, and attended the college of William and Mary for three years before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated in 1913. He starred in football for three seasons at William and Mary and four years at the Naval Academy. As a matter of fact, he excelled in three sports at the Academy and was awarded the coveted Academy Sword for athletic excellence. Ad- miral Hall passed away in 1978 at the age of 87. 9 3

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THE CREST The colors of the chevron in the lower portion of the shield are blue and gold. The 3 blue chevrons symbolize the as- sault landings in which Admiral Hall's out- standing leadership abilities contributed toward a successful conclusion. The top blue chevron is pointing in the direction of the embattled area which is in red. This represents the penetration of fortified land ares from sea. The colors blue and gold are traditional to the U S Navy and further allude to two awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Admiral Hallg red and white refer to two awards of the Legion of Merit. The rampart heraldic goat refers to the Naval Academy where Admiral Hall's career began. The Naval cannon, along with a lightning bolt symbolizing electronic communications, allude to Admiral Hall's concept of cross training Navy gunners and Army artillerymen so that his ship call-fire missions could be conducted in direct support of troop advance on the land. The heraldic mount in the base represents the land areas upon which Admiral Hall's assault landing concepts proved so successful in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific battle areas. Motto: Simper Wctores Latin for ALWAYS VICTORIGUS 2

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Ship's Mission A t Y 'I 1, V, . V, . f. , 1 ffiii 'OTC ?Tu'g ', l ' V , A i t , ,. ' l V ' - . ' . Q A ' ,' l l ' 'Q ' rl 3- 1 . 2 'il' .' ' , , I ' I l 1 A A fl' V' V ' i 4 l l . 1 . Q ' a E , , I . ' Q, V ' r I ' USS JOHN L HALL is the twenty-sixth ship of the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY class guided mis- sile frigates. She is home ported in lVlayport, Florida. The USS JOHN L HALL was built by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine and commissioned on the 26th of June 1982. After its commission, the USS JOHN L HALL quickly earned the reputation of a ship that is Always Victorious . The ship's mission is to provide in-depth protection for military and merchant shipping, amphibi- ous task forces, and undenrvay replenishment groups. She is capable of Air Warfare, Surface Warfare, and Undersea Warfare. The USS JOHN L HALL also conducts counter drug operations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in support of America's War Against Drugs . The USS JOHN L HALL and her sister ships represent a break with tradition in many ways: a gas turbine powered propulsion plant with variable pitched propeller, austere manning, and a high degree of computer automation, a fully integrated combat systems suite, two helicopter hangers, auxiliary propulsion units to maximize maneuverability and a ship control console that provides steering and speed control directly from the bridge by a single helmsman. These fea- tures, combined with a sharply raked prow, narrow length-beam ratio, high maneuverability and a low profile, mark the USS JOHN L HALL as a fast ship, ready to go into harms way in defense of our nation. 4 l