Monrovia (APA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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RUY S. BENSON CapTain, UniTed STaTes Navy Commodore Roy S. Benson became Commander TransporT Amphibious Squadron SIX in AugusT oT I954. Rrior To assuming This duTy he commanded The aTTacIc TransporT BAYEIELD. During WorId War II he was Twice dec- araiaa wiTh boTh The Navy Cross and The Silver STar While Qammandinq The submarines TRIGGER and RAZORBACK. The TRIGGER won The PresidenTiaI UniT CiTaTion Tor acTions in which Commodore Benson Took parT. He was graduaTed Trom The Naval Academy in The Class oT I929 and aIso served on desTroyers and The baTTIeship NEW YORK, besides sub- marines, beTore joining The Amphibious Eorce.

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FOREWORD Warsbips of Hue Uniled Slales Navy luave cruised in Hue lvledulerranean Sea since Hue early nine+eenHu ceniuiy Begirnino viHu Hue war wiHu Tripoli ID l802 and almosl coniinuously since l88o American sea power luas operaled in Huis area ol more Huan one million square miles wluiclu Hue ancienls called Hue cenuer our Hue earHu Tluo lufeonlrerranean was ol ra eoic importance in warld aflalrg Cenfurles beufo e America was discovered ln ilue counuries bordering Huis area civilizalion was born Pluoenicians Romans and oHuer powerful peoples . . , ' ' J ,X - - - . . . u l N1 I . V L. . . ' I 1 . . . l . . A ' 'I II I- ra I . . , . . i ' .nl I J u rs ' ' J - . . I r l I I ' 1 I louqlul 'ro conrrol I+. Tlurougluouu luislory il luas been Hue vilal sea linlc be- lween Europe, Africa and Hue counlries ol Hue Near and Middle Easl. Tlue lvledilerranean luas been called Hue loveliesl ol all seas, favored by silualion, sluape, and climale above all oHuers, and likewise belore all oHuers discovered and sailed. Tluis is Hue l-lelen among oceans: like luer il was de- sired by all Hual saw il, and capuured by Hue boldesu. Tluen il was lualuf lorsalcen, obscured by Hue lame of new and dislanu oceans: rediscovered, as if were, aufler Huree luundred yearsg and Jroday, before our eyes, il is louglul over anew. 'k In Hue unsel'Hed years immediauely following Viforld Warll, sluips out Hue Uniled Suaues lvledirerranean Squadron luelped +o eslablislu peace among Hue counuries out Hue Ballcans and Hue Middle Easu. Tluis is Hue lvledilerranean SixHu Fleel, 'Ufanqible evidence ol Hue Uniled Slales' inleresl in an area wluose srraleqic imporlance lowards Hue mainlenance ol peace is rec- oqnizedf' 'Tlue Medilerraneanu-Emil Ludwig

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K' gil .,.4-- -.T-TTTHT gil-I l ' aff' Li' x, d ik Q '3 ,,-' REX B. LITTLE Caplain, Uniled Slales Navy Capulain Rex B. Lillle luas served on a wide variely ol sluips since gradu- aHng from Hue Naval Academy in l932. l-lis ufirsl lour ol duly was aboard Hue balllesluip CALIFQRNIA, and luis lasl, before ioining Hue MONRQVIA, was in Hue capacily as Complroller lor Hue TwellHu Naval Dislricl. Caplain Lillle served as gunnery ollicer aboard Hue Cruiser SALT LAKE ClTY, and gunnery and execulive olllicer on Hue balHesluip lQWA during World War ll, and personally ucired Hue lirsl sluol ol Hue lasl bombardmenl ol Japan. He luas commanded Hue radar deslroyer l-l. W. TUCKER, Hue Weslern Pacific: Training Group, and acled as execulive oHioer for Hue Underway Training Elemenl, Subic, lpluilippinesl, and al Hue lllinois lnslilule of Teclunology.