Joseph Strauss (DDG 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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The communications alteration IS a prototype Paclflc fleet destroyer lnstallatlon encompassing the concepts evolved from the Communication Afloat Work Study proyect In addition to relocating all equipment adding new equipment and Increasing commumcatnons capablluty nt emphasizes the man machine relationship to maxlmlze communications capablllty and provides adclutlonal quality assurance equipment for malntalnablllty of all communications systems JOSEPH STRAUSS commenced her present cruise In early August 1968 leavtng Pearl Harbor Hawan, In company with USS WALKER USS TAYLOR and USS JENKINS under the command of Commander Destroyer Squadron ELEVEN After brlef lnport periods ID Yokosuka Japan and Sublc Bay, Phnllp pines JOSEPH STRAUSS reported for duty In the Vietnam war zone and began operations as a SEA DRAGON unit lnterdlctlng lines of communications and supply routes In North Vietnam During this portion of her operations JOSEPH STRALJSS destroyed 52 supply barges and destroyed or damaged 21 bridges on North Vietnam s Coast Highway The ship received hostile fire from North Vietnamese shore batteries twice In this forty flve 1119 590 I5 H99 Only heCGUSe ffee men dey P9f'Od without damage to rl-me shtp or crew On have chosen to make xt so and It will remain 5 October 1968 JOSEPH STRAU55 'eff The TO 'k 1 free only so long as free men have the strength Oulftovls1tPusan Korea and Sasebo Japan A change of pace from gunfire operations followed as JOSEPH STRAUSS reported for aircraft carrler escort duty on Yankee Station ln the Tonkln Gulf VICS AClVT1lVC1l J0l'1l'1S -l-l'1UCl'1 OF1 20 October 1968 The ship served as a plane Quard for USS CORAL SEA and USS INTREPID, both attack carriers launching day and night strikes Into North and South Vietnam After the cessation of U S operations IH North Vietnam JOSEPH STRAUSS conducted naval gunfire support rn the Mekong and resolution to resist those who would have it otherwise Delta Prom the Mekong Delta region, JOSEPH STRAUSS proceeded to Kaohsiung Talwan for a week of upkeep and returned to the gunllne IH the northern part of South Vietnam on 28 December where she fired mlsslons In support of U S Marines, U S Army and Korean Marine operations Prom her final gunflre support mlsslon on 6 January 1969 JOSEPH STRAUSS Once agaln reported for carrier escort duty with USS CQQAL SEA After four days of hugh speed operations JOSEPH STRAUSS lourneyed to Hong Kong B C C for rest and relaxation From Hong Kong the ship stopped briefly rn Sublc Bay Phlllpplnes then lourneyed below the equator to Newcastle New South Wales Australia JOSEPH STRAUSS helped celebrate the Royal Hobart Regatta for flve days In Hobart Tasmania Australua This was followed by a vnslt to Dunedin New Zealand The shlp finally terminated the seven month cruise returning home to Pearl Harbor on 28 February 1969 by way of Pago Pago American SGFTIOO . 1 I - 1 1 , . 1 1 , 1 1 -1 1 ' 1 I. ' 1 . . , - . .. . . . . ff ' U K V I I - 1 -1- I' 1 - , A I 1 I ' ' ' V ' ' I I, Jw , I- 9 - . .. , . V I l U , .. 1 . 1 1 , 1 -' -1 ' 1. 1 1 1 1 ' 1 1 - 4 1 ' 1 - 1 '

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On 31 April, JOSEPH STRAUSS enTered Da Nang I-larbor To receive insTrucTions before ioining The Naval Gunfire SupporT Line off SouTh Viefnam. ThaT nighT, The firsT on The line, JOSEPH STRAUSS' guns Were crediTed wiTh sTopping an enemy aTTacl4 on The marine arTillery base aT Gio Linh. During The nexT six days, 631 rounds were fired in supporT of The 3rd U.S. Marine and The 1sT ARVN Divisions in The l CORPS Greg. JOSEPH STRAUSS moved norTh again on 6 May 1967, To reioin OperaTion Sea Dragon. ln a parTicularly heavy encounfer wiTh shore baTTeries on 15 May, The ship received over 130 rounds of enemy fire. Some rounds exploded wiThin 20 feeT of The ship buT only minor shrapnel damage was received. Pushing souTh on The nighT of 17 May, JOSEPH STRAUSS reached The DMZ To parTicipaTe in OperaTian BEALJ CHARGER, ln supporT of This Marine amphibious assaulT, 783 rounds were Tired aT enemy gan emplacemenTs. '- JOSEPH STRAUSS reTurned To OperaTion Sea Dragon unTil her final deparTure on 26 May 1967, During This second Tour 1300 rounds were expended in 30 missions desTroying 5 logisTics crafT and 415005101 defense siTes. JOSEPH STPAUSS was fired on a ToTal of eleven Times during her Two Tours on Sea Dragon, Commander Lawrence Layman, USN relieved Commander EllioTT as Commanding Officer on 17 July 1967. AfTer four and one-half years service, JOSEPH STRAUSS commenced her firsT regular overhaul on 1 AugusT aT Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. This exTensive, six-monTh overhaul included a major modernizaTion and alTeraTion of The missile and AnTi-Submarine Warfare sysTems, reconfiguraTion of communicaTions sysTems, insTallaTion of approved ship alTeraTions, and general repairs. W --.....,,ww.

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Farmer xecutive llf icer l.ieuTenanT Commander Spane was born in Ely, Nevada on 5 November l936. l'le enTered The UniTed STaTes Naval Academy aT Annapolis, Maryland from The STaTe of Nevada in June i954 and was commissioned an Ensign inFJune l958. l-le was advanced To his presenT rank of LieuTena'nT Commander on l July l966. After leaving The Naval Academy l.ieuTenanT Commander Spane was assigned,To The desTroyer USS COLLETT CDD-730D To which he reporTed off The island of Ouemoy in The fall of l958. While serving aboard USS COl.l.ET-l' QDD-7305 he carried ouT duTies as ASW Officer, Fire ConTrol Officer and FirsT LieuTenanT. ' ' ln May i960 he was assigned To The STaff of Commander DesTroyer'FloTilla THREE where he served as Personal Aide and Flag LieuTenanT To The Commander. ' From July l96l unTil January l963 he served as -OperaTions Officer and Senior WaTch Officer aboard The de- sTroyer USS LYMAN'K.SWENSON CDD-7295. During mosT of This Time The USS SWENSON CDD-7295 was permanenTly assigned To The UniTed STaTes SevenTh FleeT and was homeporTed in Yokosulia, Japan. In February i963 l.ieuTenanT' Commander Spane reporTed for duTy ar The Bureau of Naval Personnel in WashingTon, D.C. where he acTed as AssisTanT LieuTenanT, LieuTenan-T QJunior Oradel and Ensign DeTailer aT The Grade As- signmenT Desk. He was laTer reassigned wiThin The Bureau of Naval Personnel in order To serve as AdminisTraTive AssisTanT To The Surface CapTain DeTailer. ' ln January i966 LieuTenanT Commander Spane reporTed as Commanding Officer of USS OALLUP CPG-85l- USS GALLUP was The firsT of The Navy's new 40 l4noT gunboaTs To reporT To VieTnam. l-le was awarded The Navy CommendaTion ,Medal wiTh CombaT Vi for his parT played in The capTure ofa NorTh VieTnamese Trawler. ' l-ieuTenanT Commander Spane is married To The former Mary Alice OriffiTh of ForTy ForT, PennsylvGr1iG- l.iGuTenOnT Commander Spane received The Navy AchievemenT Medal for his conTribuTion To The WEST PAC Cle- ploymenT of JOSEPH STRAUSS5