John Paul Jones (DDG 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDER LOUIS R. LESTER, JR., USN Louis R. Lester, Jr., son of Louis Rhea and Helen Evans Lester, was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on February ' 14, 1930. After graduation from Albright College in 1951, he at- tended the Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island. Commander Lester, then an Ensign, was ordered to USS MALOY (DD-791) after gradu- ation and served in that ship as Damage Control Assistant and later, as Engineering Officer. In November 1954, as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, Commander Lester was or- dered to USS BORIE (DD-704) where he served as Operations Officer of that Norfolk- based destroyer. From Alay 1956 until December 1957, he had duty as Main Battery Officer and later Air Defense Officer in the heavy cruiser, USS TOLEDO (CA-133) homeported in Long Beach, California. From January 1958 until March 1960, Commander Lester, as a Lieutenant served in the Bureau of Naval Weapons, Washington, D.C., as Project Officer for construction of the Polaris Missile Facility near Charleston, South Carolina. Following this tour, he was Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In August 1962, as Lieutenant Commander, he returned to sea duty as Executive Officer of USS BLANDY (DD-943). From June 1963 until 1964, he was in Command of USS DEA- LY (1006). Commander Lester attended the School of Naval Command and Staff of the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, from August 1964 until June 1965. After graduation, he remained on the Staff of the Naval War College. In March 1967, Commander Lester received orders as Prospective Commanding Officer, USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DDG-32) and was the first Commanding Officer upon her com- missioning as a guided missile destroyer on 23 September 1967. He is married to the former Shiela Shore of Che ' y Chase, Maryland. They have two children, John, eight, and Nancy, seven.

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COMMANDER LOUIS R. LESTER, JR., COMMANDING OFFICER USN

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LCDR. ROBERT L. JENSEN USN EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lieutenant Commander Robert L. Jensen, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Jensen of Big Springs, Nebraska, graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1957. He attended the Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island. Upon graduation he was ordered to USS HORNET (CVA-12). He was assigned to the Combat Information Center on board HORNET and during this tour, deployed to the Western Pacific for six months with the Seventh Fleet. In 1959, he was ordered to Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center, San Diego, California as an instructor. During this tour he in- structed the Senior Officers Course in Surface and Anti-Air Warfare tactics. During 1962, while awaiting construction of USS GRIDLEY (DLG-21), he deployed to Seventh Fleet aboard USS INGERSOLL (DD-652). Upon his return to the United States, he reported aboard the Pre- commissioning detail of GRIDLEY in Se- attle, Washington and remained on board after commissioning as CIC Officer. While on board GRIDLEY, he deployed to the Western Pacific via Australia during the Coral Sea Celebration of 1964. He attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and upon graduation in 1965, received the degree of Masters of Business Administration. Mr. Jensen then returned to sea as Oper- ations Officer of USS WADDELL (DDG- 24). This assignment carried him to Southeast Asia for two deployments. Lieutenant Commander Jensen reported as Prospective Executive Officer of USS JOHN PAUL JONES in May 1967. He is married to the former Virginia Penick of Lewellen, Nebraska. They have two daughters, Marcia and Susan.