Joseph Strauss (DDG 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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4:1 The content of this ,cruise book charts a voyage of USS JOSEPH STRAUSS from its beginning on August Sth T968 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to its conclusion on February 28th l969. During these seven months Joseph Strauss engaged in a spectrum of operations and visited ports in the Western Pacific as far north as Yokosuka, Japan and as far south as Dunedin, New Zealand. Tackling the trek head on, the officers and crew proved themselves professionals in every sense of the word whether participating in naval gunfire support,' plane guarding for the monol Iithic aircraft carriers, conducting special' oper- ations for Commander Seventh Fleet, or on the offensive off the coast of North Vietnam during challenging Sea Dragon operations. A Through all was the steady hand, dynamic presence and tireless effort of her Captain, Com- mander Lawrence Layman, who was later to be awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Prepared to conquer the inevitable emergencies of a war cruise, the flag ship of Destroyer SQ'-JOdl'OVi ELEVEN became a combat veteran during the first month as it came under the fire of North Vietnamese shore batteries in the Gulf of Tonkin. Some six months later the crew became veterans of a different sort at the hands of King Neptune and his band of affable Shellbacks. Whether in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philip- pines, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand or Pago. Pago, Joseph Strauss extended the hand of hospitality to all it could encompass. Joseph Strauss entertained a variety of visitors from Admiral Freeman, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force Pacific, to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Australiap Twelve thousand visitors from New South Wales, Tasmania and the Otago Peninsula crossed 'the ship's brow in Australia and New Zealand. However, none will soon forget the ghostly phosphoresence of the waters of the Tonkin Gulf, the brilliantly lit skies over battle areas in South Vietnam, longnights of opaque blackness and the slap of water against the hull mixed with thoughts of home. ' DDG-T6 made her presence known whether supporting ground troops, competing in the Royal Hobart Qegatta or socializing at the Hong Kong Hilton as we performed with pride and self confi- dence as crew members of the United States Navy's finest destroyer. THE EDITOR iiosfixbilig, Fareward J LQ1,l.9Q 49'