Mount Hood (AE 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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BARRON C. NELSON CAPTAIN UNITED STATES NAVY

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-vi !v I HAVE EATEN YOUR BREAD AND SALT, I HAVE DRUNK YOUR WATER AND WINE. THE DEATHS YE DIED I HAVE WATCHED BESIDE, AND THE LIVES YE LED WERE MINE. WAS THERE AUGHT THAT I DID NOT SHARE, IN VIGIL OR TOIL OR EASE; ONE JOY OR WOE THAT I DID NOT KNOW, DEAR HEARTS ACROSS THE SEAS? RUDYARD KIPLING, 1885 SmyWi;. m v - •

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ONLY A SEAMAN REALIZES TO WHAT EXTENT AN ENTIRE SHIP REFLECTS THE PERSONALITY AND ABILITY OF ONE INDIVIDUAL, HER COMMANDING OFFICER. TO A LANDSMAN THIS IS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE, AND SOMETIMES IT IS EVEN DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND-BUT IT IS SO. A SHIP AT SEA IS A DISTANT WORLD IN HERSELF, AND IN CONSIDERATION OF THE PROTRACTED AND DIFFERENT OPERATIONS OF THE FLEET UNITS, THE NAVY MUST PLACE GREAT POWER, RESPONSIBILITY AND TRUST IN THE HANDS OF THOSE LEADERS CHOSEN FOR COMMAND. IN EACH SHIP THERE IS ONE MAN WHO, IN THE HOUR OF EMERGENCY OR PERIL AT SEA, CAN TURN TO NO OTHER MAN. THERE IS ONE WHO ALONE IS ULTIMATE- LY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE NAVIGATION, ENGINEERING PERFORMANCE, AC- CURATE GUNFIRING AND MORALE OF HIS SHIP. HE IS THE COMMANDING OFFI- CER. HE IS THE SHIP. THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING ASSIGNMENT IN THE NAVY. THERE IS NOT AN INSTANT DURING HIS TOUR OF DUTY AS COMMANDING OFFICER THAT HE CAN ESCAPE THE GRASP OF COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY. HIS PRIVILEGES IN VIEW OF HIS OBLIGATIONS ARE ALMOST LUDICROUSLY SMALL, NEVERTHELESS COMMAND IS THE SPUR WHICH HAS GIVEN THE NAVY ITS GREAT LEADERS. IT IS A DUTY WHICH MOST RICHLY DESERVES THE HIGHEST TIME-HONORED TITLE OF THE SEAFARING WORD- ' CAPTAIN . CAPTAIN NELSON WAS BORN IN MAYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, ON NOVEMBER 19, 1941. THE SON OF A CAREER AIR FORCE OFFICER HE LIVED IN MANY LOCATIONS DURING HIS CHILDHOOD, INCLUDING JAPAN, MOROCCO, AND GERMANY. HOW- EVER, HE CONSIDERS HIS HOME TO BE STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA. HE GRADUATED FROM TRINITY UNIVERSITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN AUGUST, 1964 AND WAS COMMISSIONED THROUGH THE RESERVE OFFICER CANDIDATE PROGRAM ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1964. HIS FIRST TOUR OF DUTY WAS ON BOARD USS FIREDRAKE (AE-14), HOMEPORTED IN PORT CHICAGO, CALIFORNIA. IN AUGUST, 1966 HE REPORTED TO USS HIGBEE (DD-806), DEPARTING IN SEPTEMBER, 1967 TO ATTEND NAVAL DESTROYER SCHOOL (CLASS 22) IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. FOLLOWING GRADUATION HE RETURNED TO USS HIGBEE (DD-806) AS THE WEAPONS OFFICER. IN AUGUST 1970 HE RETURNED TO THE FACULTY OF NAVAL DESTROYER SCHOOL AS ACADEMIC PLANS OFFICER. IN MAY, 1972 HE ASSUMED DUTY AS COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS TAWASA (ATF-92). HIS SUBSEQUENT SHORE TOURS INCLUDED FLAG SECRETARY, COM- MANDER TRAINING COMMAND, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET, (1974-75) AND STUDENT AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE (1975-76). HE REPORTED TO USS KISKA (AE-35) AS EXECU- TIVE OFFICER IN OCTOBER, 1976. THIS FOLLOWED BY TWO CONSECUTIVE TOURS IN THE SURFACE OFFICER DISTRIBUTION DIVISION OF THE NAVAL MILITARY PERSONNEL COMMAND, FIRST AS PLACEMENT OFFICER FOR MLSF SHIPS AND SECONDLY, AS THE ASSISTANT FOR SURFACE WARFARE. FOLLOWING GRADU- ATION FROM THE NATIONAL WAR COLLEGE IN WASHINGTON, DC, IN JUNE, 1982, HE ASSUMED HIS PRESENT ASSIGNMENT AS COMMANDING OFFICER, USS MOUNT HOOD (AE-29) ON 7 JANUARY 1983. CAPTAIN NELSON ' S DECORATIONS INCLUDE TWO NAVY COMMENDATION MED- ALS, A NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, BATTLE EFFICIEN- EY ' E ' , AND SEVERAL OTHER PERSONAL AND UNIT AWARDS. HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER KIMBERLY ALLISON VON ALT OF SYOSSET, NEW YORK. THEY HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, MICHAELY AND LAURA, AND RESIDE ON YERBA BUENA ISLAND IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY.