John Thomason (DD 760) - Naval Cruise Book

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I.. ,r L... ,.f - . .... ..-' - -. 1. - - -A ---- ...L ...--. - A A -- 22.1.1--b --f -. ., -.- , - ' :Q 5 'L ' '- 'VD . .. - - ' - H- A - .. . . -.... .....,,,g1iF,-ffiifk Jin-.'.....rnL'.-. -P-f-f-.-if ? 221:r-- --1' . - ':'2:-.':-2-:Iii-Iii-'f'1'f. T 1- tr--:sl--''2-M521-f-'-1...:i4'F41' '2!?f'1'. fag. I 'fdaeta After weeks of intensive operational readiness preparation, USS jOHN W. THOMASON with other units of DESDIV 153, and USS KEARSARGE CCVS-331 departed San Diego on April 19, 1963 for the Western Pacific and the Seventh Fleet. Before joining Seventh Fleet, however, the HUK group stopped in Hawaii to participate as recovery ship in the Mercury MA-9 manned space shot. From 10 May to 17 May, THOMASON and USS TAUSSIG QDD-7465 were on station ready to recover Major L. Gordon Cooper USAF , in the event he was forced down south of his landing area. For the third, eighth, and eighteenth orbits, THOMASON and TAUSSIG were the designated Pacific Recovery ships. Recovery ship duties ended when, on May 17th, Major Cooper completed his scheduled twenty-two orbits and was recovered by USS KEARSARGE QCVS-335 on target . jOHN W. THOMASON said goodbye to Hawaii on 4 june and sailed West for japan, fueling enroute at Midway Island. On Sunday, 16 june, THOMASON moored in Sasebo, japan, the first japanese port of the cruise. Other japanese ports visited during the next five months were Yokosuka, Osaka, and Wakkanai. In Wakkanai, japan's northernmost port, THOMASON was the first U. S. Navy ship seen since 1961, and in the four days that THOMASON stayed, 14-18 September, over 7,200 visitors toured the ship. Other ports visited between operations were Buckner Bay, Okinawa, Hong Kong, B. C. C. 3 and Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. ' Notable exercises participated in during the cruise included an Operational Readiness evaluation by COMASWFORPAC from 21 May to 28 May, exercise Tire Iron , a joint CVAXCVS STRIKEX , AAWEX , and ASWEX , from 12 August to 22 August, and an ASW exercise with the japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force from 18 September to. 22 September, during which THOMASON hosted a japanese observer, Commander A. Isoyama. The high point of the cruise was in Subic Bay, where THOMASON was given a rigorous Administrative Inspection by Captain R. A. Hubbard, COMDESDIV 0153 embarked in THOMASON, assisted by USS LOFBERG CDD-7595. Due to hard work and intensive preparation, THOMASON received the unusually high grade of OUTSTANDING. 3 On 21 November, THOMASON said sayonara to WestPac and departed Yokosuka for a direct transit to San Diego, arriving 3 December. 7 .,,A, in . Q,-..-,...........,.... ,, . Jm.-..,, ..,, ,-1-5. fi?-...,... . ...-..,.+::f-N 7:51, ,f-,',1.unun-:fran-fvx-rr-1-c-'sfa-Y-E . 'r1v-a w'-'sgiw PM-2-2-4-A - Zlfi-iliffff'-HlDFH?'F:b1TFI'fYfY'Wxfi' -S : ??3'V-'15 75531-'-Ffilfv'-E A '

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LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RICHARD F. DONNELLY, EXECUTIVE OFFICER 25+ 5'4- in 1954 Where he received a commission as Ensign in the U. S. Naval Reserve. Lt. Commander Richard F. Donnelly graduated from Northwestern University fm' Upon completion of Gunnery Officers Ordnance School in Washington D. C. , - LCDR. Donnelly was ordered to the USS SALAMONIE QAO-265 Where he served as Gunnery Officer and Legal Officer. A tour as Executive Officer aboard the USS GREENWOOD QDE-6795 and Navigator aboard the USS PREBLE QDLG-151 preceeded his assignment to the USS JOI-IN W. TI-IOMASON QDD-7605 as Execu- tive Officer in May of 1962. c if gi 6 Q, I f . QL

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