Merrill (DD 976) - Naval Cruise Book

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SEA-FEVER I must go down to the seas again, to the lovely sea and the sky, And ail I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. And the wheel ' s kick and the wind ' s song and the white sail ' s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea ' s face and a grey dawn breaking. I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying. And the flung spray and the blown spume and the sea-gulls crying. I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life. To the gull ' s way and the whale ' s way where the wind ' s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover. And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick ' s over. -John Masefield

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WESTPAC 80 SHIP ' S LOG April I Departure San Diego. First MERRILL Deployment April 7-11 Inport Pearl Harbor, Hawaii April IIOI Group Sail with USS MEYERKORD (FF-1058) April 18 Outchop Third FIcet lnchoup Seventh Fleet April 2! BSF Guam (Ship ' s beach party) April 22-26 INDEPENDANT to South China Sea April 26-28 Passex South China Sea with HMNZS CANTERBURY April 28-May 16 INPORT SUBIC BAY. Philippines (WESTPAC HOMEPORT) May 16-21 Enroute Rdvu USS MIDWAY (CV-41) May 21 28 CNO Project ops with USS MIDWAY May 28- June 2 Contingency Operations off Coast of Korea with MIDWAY Battle Group to relieve CORAL SEA Battle Group (KIMCHEE STATION) June 3-8 Inport Yokosuka. Japan June 7 Commander Gee relieved by Commander Paulson June 8-17 Escort USS MIDWAY in support of CNO Project June 18-19 Inport Chinhae. Korea June 20-22 Transit to Hong Kong June 23-27 Inport Hong Kong, British Crown Colony June 28-29 Transitex to Subic Bay June 30- July 6 Inport Subic Bay. Philippines July 4 FIL-AM DAY, MARDI GRAS streets of Olongapo July 7-10 Passex with THAI Navy SEA SIAM EXERCISE July 11-14 Inport Subic Bay. Philippines July 15-23 Escort USS MIDWAY July 23-26 Enroute ASWEX Work up July 26-28 Inpo rt Chinhae. Korea ASWEX Work up July 29-August 3 ASWEX K4-80 ROKN and USS KNOX August 3-4 Inport Pusan, Korea August 5-7 Enroute Subic Bay August 8-14 Inport Subic Bay, Philippines August 14 Embark CTF 75 Staff (Flag ship SCTG 75.2) August 15-20 SCTG Operations August 20 Rescued 62 Refugees in South China Seas August 21-23 Inport Subic Bay, Philippines August 23-29 SCTG Operated with British Task Group 138.1 August 29 BSF Subic Bay (Last Time In WestPac Homeport) August 30-Sept 2 MINSK CVHG Surveillance Operations September 2-3 Transit Pusan September 4-6 Inport Pusan. Korea September 7-9 Transit Yokosuka September 9-13 Inport Yokosuka, Japan September 14-24 SCTG Operations Dakota Run (Sea of Okhotsk) September 24-25 Inport Yokosuka, Japan September 25 Disembark CTF 75 September 26-30 Enroute Rdvu Constellation evaded Typhoons Thelma and Vernon October 1-7 Transitex with USS CONSTELLATION Battle Group October 3 Outchop Seventh Fleet lnchop Third Fleet October 7-9 Inport Pearl Harbor-embark Tigers October 9-15 Transitex with USS CONSTELLATION October 15 ARRIVED HOME, SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA WESTPAC ENDS

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This book is dedicated to the true SPIRIT of the Merrill, the fine officers and crew of the USS MERRILL (DD-976) with their can do attitude. During the course of her deployment she has always been in the fore front and setting new goals for all to follow. Many long arduous hours were spent getting her ready for any event to take place be it unreps, flight quarters, or just the long watches themselves. It takes team work to do all this from the quartermaster to get us from point to point to the operations specialist to avoid contacts to the engineers who operate the very dependable propulsion spaces. She has completed naval gunfire support, screening the carriers assigned, participated in several combined exercises with allied nations, special continguency operations, and even projects under developmental testing and evaluation. This has been Merrill ' s first deployment and it will not soon be forgotten by all. This book will hopefully show that the Merrill was not lacking in SPIRIT for the SPIRIT still lives on in every man aboard the Merrill.