John Thomason (DD 760) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN 1 iam ix :fy al . K if CCMMANDER JACK A. CHRISTENSEN, USN Commander Cl-lRlSTENSEN graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and received a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1944. I-le served in various Merchant ships until 1948, when he assumed his first Navy duty in USS Tl-lOMS JEFFERSON CAPA-30D. I-Ie briefly returned to the Merchant Marine in 1949. l-le assumed his naval career in 1950 aboard USS OKANOGAN CAPA-220D. This was followed by a tour at the NAVCOMMSTA Pearl, 'as Officer-in Charge, Naval Radio Station where he transfered to the regular Navy. He returned to sea in USS SI-IELTCN QDD-7603, then to the Naval Station, Rota, Spain. ln 1961 he became Executive Officer of the USS BLUE QDD-744D. Prior to coming to USS JOHN W. Tl-IOMASON QDD-7605 he'was Commanding Officer of the Naval Radio Station, Cutler, Maine. Commander Cl-IRISTENSEN attended the Armed Forces Staff College in 1964. , 6

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WW , M1 III! 11 .Ill ,5n,, I ESI-I JOHN W THOMASON CDD 7605 was placed In commission 11 October 1945 under the command ol: Commander WL Tagg, USN On 30 September 1950 she sailed for the Far East to loin units ol: the Seventh Fleet in support ol: the Korean War arriving at Sasebo Japan on 27 October 1950 Her principal duty was plane guard and screening unit for Fast Carrier Task Force 77 off the east coast ol: Korea until 9 November when she took up station patrol of Wonsan Harbor Korea She returned to Sasebo on 22 November and aliter a brleli stay at Yokosuka departed on 19 December for repairs and anti submarine warfare training operations at Pearl Harbor On 23 May 1951 she was detached from Task Force 77 with battleship NEW JERSEY and destroyer USS BUCK For a gunstrlke on the Korean rallyards and other installations In the area of Yang Yang Returning to Task Force 77 in February 1952 aliter six months rest In the IIStates'l she was detached with the cruiser ROCHESTER CCA 124D and destroyer LOBUR6 CDD 7595 lor shore bombadment of the Korean coast On 1 February 1952 the destroyer USS John W Thomason CDD 760D rescued a downed pilot from the carrier ESSEX south ol: Yang do lsland Between the months ol: April 1954 and July 1958 USS JOHN W THOMASON CDD 760D conducted three more tours ot duty in WESTPAC ln March 1959 Thomason entered the Long . - I I ' , . I .. . . 1 i 'I 0 . L1 V , . I I - ' - I Beach Naval Shipyard tor an extensive overhaul as the prototype ship in the FRAM II CFLEET REHABILITATION and MODERNIZATIOND program. On 1 April 1962, due to the administrative reorganization ol: Cruiser-Destroyer Forces, Paciliic, USS JOHN W. THOMASON became the Flag Ship for COMMANDER DESTROYER DIVISION 153, lateri changed to COMDESDIV 213. On 22 March 1966 USS John W. Thomason CDD-7603 departed San Diego, California For another WESTPAC Cruise. Serving as gun tire support ship in the months ol: May thru June and again in August, oft the coast ol: Viet Nam Thomason displayed a brilliant shore bombardment record.' 5

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COMMCDDORE 1 117' '1'..,'fTlff?lZ,f5f ,,,. ' A' Q. . .X . .,., .-. CAPTAIN JUSTIN E. LANGILLE, III! Captain LANGILLE assumed command of Destroyer Division TWO HUNDRED Tl-IIRTEEN on 26 January 1966 after commanding USS RICHARD B. ANDERSON CDD 786D in the Pacific Fleet Ior 18 months. Captain LANGILLE attended the Citadel before graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1945. In 1953 he completed the Command Communications Course at the Naval Postgraduate School and in 1959 received his Master of Science in Management Engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute. I-Ie also graduated from the Armed Forces Staff CoIIege in 1962. In addition to extensive experience in cruisers and destroyers, Captain LANGILLE qualified as a Naval Aviator and served in aviation I:-iIIets For six years. During the Korean War, he I:Iew with the U.S. Air Force. Other assignments incIude Instructor Duty at the U.S. Naval Academy, duty with the Naval Security Group in Japan, duty on the Staff of the Secretary of the Navy, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy. '7