Piedmont (AD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 136 of the 1982 volume:

' vw 'I . A,,, 'wav' ri P+ ,: . , f S5 sCVK5f4Xz7 2.- ' My x x 55.23 . .', ,. . 71 f W7 W X 1 if-,C ff , ' :F , 1 Q in QQ, 1 fm ,V ' V , i ak K 5, 2'- ,L L 1 fm--X -, V,-fy 1 s H4 4 r hi? ,Q LS ,f V, 4 Us .gjxifi Q ffv, ,am A, nz ' 'f 'H .. Q-A f Of 4+ v M X! f ' 7ZL'1'rx ' , iz- ff. .43 4. fli 1' ,-...NL ,J S., 1 V 4' n- w .-,, 1. x un 1 ' zz., ., Q Nc: I Mi? W' 2 ,,,.. ,v , , , QA-,117 exp .,,. ,Iv -,,-3 . .-, I , ,, 1 v ,Q , 4 Y 5-,uf iv-, x , ,,f.Y - ga. - viii ,Li as M, A 'J Q . . 1 1: .uf 1 2 Z H 5,55-yr ,, 4 'Q , , , , . - - 571, . Z gigs' 'v mfs EMS-,:1,'kiv, :w,tf4,j'V,3,ji7,23f -vs-ga Mw W V f ww QQ -ne'3A1,..m.m, Adil. ..,-..-.a,.J-rn F11 ' sm f?5.,Hff.L.3s.z AQ- .. i - r hh I ii i t hl i l 9 C l - w h Q ll l f yh f fif l i rn f o o h p p 1 Q This book is dedicated to the decommis- o dd f k of r G 2dd 1 ff dd ud sioning crew of the destroyer tender USS PIED- i 1 l 5 so o o eA l e1 s skAss i o MONT, to past crew members who served aboard Doc over the last 38 years, and to the b s l naval surface forces to whom Doc A PIEDMON T has pledged himself to support and , main tain. .3 May it serve as a tribute to the special if rs A i spirit of helping known so well to the sailors who served in Doc PIEDMON T, and to the 3 l tf r memory of United Sta tes Ship PIEDMON T and ilh i - the officers and men who served in him. l' l tltl if it - l t lrllit tlli t f ' rlfl lltllf fllt l l .1 ee--4 -I- l I 'ge Z yyylll. ' is 'f B ll t' .S. S. Piedmont Aj : ews - u e 111 of l' , '-It fi' THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF 59' 1 ' FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY. UNDER NO THESE PRESS COPIES AVAILABLE, I CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PRESS COPIES PLEASE PASS IT ALONG. , Ji TO LEAVE THE SHIP. XT0lul1le.10-Numbel' 17 C2.U,2fe'Q2Ii'5b Sunday, September 2, 1945 l PIEDIVIUNT RATES FIR T NAV I LIBERTY I CUNQUERED JAPAN Through the courtesy of Commodore MacArthur's Hdqrs., Yokohama :- TOKYO :- Kessing, the U. S. S. Piedmont has The Japanese have given Hwhole- Here are top American commanders been awarded the distinct and his- hearted support to the united nations expected to attend Sunday's surren- torical honor of being the first United occupation parties, Colonel Francis der ceremonies aboard the United States vessel to make a liberty in Gideon, chief of operations for the States battleship Missouri, as listed the Empire of Japan Far East Airforces, and members of by Associated llress: The Commodore has promised to crew of the first aircraft to land at General Douglas MacArthur, su- ll personally lead the liberty party to Atsugi airfield Tuesday, told INS preme allied commanderg Lieut. Gen. ' Yokosuka Field today at 1300. yesterday. Jonathan M.. Wainwright, hero of TOKYO :- It is almost. as if we were visiting Bat-aan, Tecelllll' liberated after three l A Sllokeelllall for the Japanese dignitaries instead of troops of oc- Y9211'S ill 21-IHD3-N959 P1'iS0U9I' Of: loaf l foreign office, today admitted that CUP9-tlfmio the Colfmel Said- 'They Comp? Aollllllal Cllostoll W' Nlmltz' Japan afol, a long tlmeii had realized have leullell ovel- l,a,.llll-ol-de to help commander of the llacific Fleet and that she was about to be defeated, US in GVQTY Way P0SSibl9-ll ljoolflo Qoooll oloool Gellollol Carl, A' but said that the surrender was a The high command officers, who opootz' oollllllollool 'of tllo,,Ulllloo shock to the Japanese people. V met planes, told the group that the Slfolos olllologlo olllfolioool Xloo ,Aol- Spokesman, T. Kase, was quoted by only safe zone for initial parties was lllllal llobellfl ll' Collllelv' ,lollllltz S United States correspondents, who in- within a two mile radius of Atsugi Clllel of Slolfl Aomlliol wllllolll F' tcrviewed him in Tokyo a few minutes airdrome. The Americans were warned Halsey' oolllolalloollofthe Tllllfl Fleet? -after he had been appointed to act to please not try to visit Yokohama Mol' Goo' Colltlo lo' Lolilloy' Sllaatzis 5 as foreign office and department of or Tokyo, unless they were with Clllef of stoffl Gollollal Goolgofc' - . information spokesman. Correlspon- armed American columns. llegllly' oollllllaoooll of tllo Fall ,l'la5t l l llentsl 1nterpretod.Kasc's remarks as But Tokyo and Yokohama were all olooelilllellt' Gen- ffqames Dflolltflel Y l ne first declaration of the Japanese entered Sllortly aftel.Wal.d by Amerl, Common or ef lllo lolglltll 'ollofoloo' 1 X policy, and fll-St revelation of why Cans without firing of Slrlgle Shot Lieut. Gen, Nathan F. Twming, com- X Japan Sul,l.omlol.od. I H' mander of the Twentieth ,airforceg Kasey an graduate of Amerlcais Am- DIVINE SERVICES TODQXY Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger, com- hearst College and Harvard Uiiivere 0900-Protestant Service. lllallooll ootllo Wfesuka oooolllltloll sity in the United States, was quoted The Band will furnish special foltoosl Lloot' Goll' 'E' C' vvlllteheadf 35 saying: music, and the Choir will Sing commander of the Fifth airforce and f I You must remember that one day the anthem Church in the of FEAF OH Oklllawai Maj- jG9H- 1' we were fighting furiously and every- Wildwood. A Brass Quartet -1950911 M- SWiUgi C0lT1maDdGi'. of the ' body in the country expected to die fKendeigh, Kelliher, Carter and Elevolltll olllo-olllo olvl-Slolli llrlg' Gell- on the field of battle. The next day Freemanj will play an arrange- Wllllolll 'Cloloollo oollllllalldel' ofthe ll, was Oval., and Japan had lost. NOW ment of the Hymn ,,MaStery the marine Fourth regiment, Lieut. Gen. ,, l Japan faces a serious material, moral Tempest is Raging, and there Rebeft D' Elollol-llellgelf Commander l and psychological adjustment. A Xylll be a duet by Mllks ahd ofthe Eighth army and commander The Governmellt had, for a ,long Anderson. Chaplain Lacour will of tllo allied Occupation ground follies 9' i time, been seeking' a way out of the Speak on the topic The Peace in tho Tokyo alloa' l A war. We asked Russia to act as of Godfl LONDON, , liason, and Stalin presumably told I9I5..Slmda E, - S - A A '- . ,. -l the allied powers at Potsdam that The Z wining. orvice' The formatlon. of a Pacloc allltd we wanted to end the war. be Difglzgtlfiplc IS' Bare to control commission, resembling the Kase claimed that neither the atomic - l n addlooll to mowr Power -glloupl llow llolldllllg bomb nor Russials entrv into the music by the Band, the Quartet the affairs of Germany, is being coll- warcaused defeat, Saying: fiigllxglii, lM1lks,'. Armstrong sidered in. the capitals of Britain, If You look at the calendar, you there Vlfrsool 'lull omg' and Clllllo' Rllsolalallfl the United States, will realize that we had already Shown X A .U e two soloists. both American and British sources in our approach to Moscow, that we olde tlme of Catholic Sorvloes Sald Thursday' Tllls proposal llllll be I , were determined to end the wal. will be announced later. laldlbefofe the SVC POWCI' COUnC'il of I l iiowevei-, it must be said that time -1.assessavmssssassesoossve oolelgll mllllstelsf 'llle to convene here actions helped convince the Japanese to h10IiNING MEDI-I-AT September 10' s Government was right in seeking ION KANDY CFYLON. l 'l IJ93C9.' sh xc . . 5 , . .J A .1 l I l ,x ...That the trial of your V' The position of the Ja n , ' millesiiliallelieJigi4ll'S:lglleolff1ce Zpokes- faith, being much more precious if on the Bui-lna front, lllvagzoeienfllllfggjs treated firmly thy allidjdxe .O e than Of. gold toot perisllelll' T when hostllltles ollooo tllere' that because we kllowloc ar V POWCTSIJ ez though it be tried with fire, Japanese Commander General Kimura , , I 9 W1f1f1U1Sl16d- X might be found unto raise d st had to ask the' ll' d page Sald that the ruestl f V so D an gl a ie command to criminals l I ll on 0 war so honour and glory at the appear- A help locate some of his units th . is most difficult and very og in of J K C . st Olll . - 'Y .9 very delicate, the greatest that faces :S hai. egos hrlst ' l ' Whom so l ced of dAdmlral Mountbatten dls- 1: W.::f 5:51 ye 2: to liERl.IN:- Q2 not 'et bill 'Tow ye See Him it LONDONi- ll The Berlin who Said last night lg will goy unssllllflilllgeanflgfll Q2 The Berlin radio Said the night of ' that the Russians llavo ollnollllood of Hl0ry...Receiving' the end the 31St-, that Polish authorities have that they plan to release 411,000 Cer- S: of your faith, even the salva- or found new mass gllollos Iloal' P0591 Elan war prisoners in the Soviet 'Cion of your souls. Ze lliozlllalllv Colltullled the skeletons of mon',Most of these are invalids or Zn 1 Peter 1: 7 8 9 3 12000 persons' believed to have been otherwise unfit for work. 89,'59I,Ik,,l,,If','r' ' loassacred by the Nazis, Associated rfrfrfffp.,,,,, ,gggggng I-ess reported- f 2 l l' l 'J I l ! :.:..i:g 5 - -9 Q li .,4 N l Sk Table of Contents Repair Mission of USS PIEDMONT ....... .. CommissioningfDecommissioning Crew ................ .. A Message from Cap tain McNicholas ....................... .. A Look Back at the History of USS PIEDMONT ..... .. The Decommissioning, 80 September 1982 ........... .. 4 I USS PIEDMON T Decommissioning Crew .... .. 49 Captain Thomas M. McNicholas, Jr. ....... .. 50 Commander William R. Madison ........ .. 51 ChaplainfCommand Master Chief ....... .. 52 Administrative .Department ............... ,,,,, 5 3 Deck Department ................... ,, 57 A Dental Department ............. ,, 64 Engineering Department ....... .. 65 Medical Department ........... .. 74 Operations Department ...... Repair Department ...... .. 79 Supply Department ...... .. 99 .Weapons Department - ......... ...... 1 09 ,Family Cruise, July 1982 ....................... ...... 1 14 ' USS PIEDMONT Underway .......... ,.f .......... 116' P. F. Test at NWS Earle, May 1982 .............. ...... 1 18 The Last Cruise 1 ........, .g .,..... Lg .......,.... , ........... , ......,. 4 ...... 122 The End and f Non Bonum Sed Perfectumj' .. ..... . 123 Letter to EXAPIEDMON T Crew Members ....... ...... 1 25 Odexto Doc ...... ....... . ..... . ...... 4 .,............ 126 .. Crew's Book Information ...,... .... ...... . . . ....... 128 4? wwf ,, ,iff IM ,W . f , , Hpffw' f,, , ' N. Ima, If ,f X ffff 1 ff? H Wgygy' F ??f' 'W 1 Qf'EFW?'as' 'hilqf -dig., Commissioning Crew, Decommissioning Crew, i J anuary 194 4 Bday 1982 V X- X X- ' X- 11 tX1Xv ' .'X:.t','XX lI,:fX X- X' X' 'X WX WX. 9.1-'IL X'2f1lX72'!-Z 'XV' 'X YH F' WXXWX f fXlf 'XYXWXXW XX Qu ' CWI X'f'..':'1X-'2'? fi 05?-XX , X , ,X XX ,X X - X 5 X X I X XX X X- X XX X X 'X X' -' qw XX, w ff, NX, -, XXXXXXX X X'v'f'X1: gfXX'fX .XX,Q1.-FVXXX -XXXX 52, :'XJ',XjX.,X2 .X ,,3gg,X-A X.y,Xy.XX .X ,X XXXX K X- ,X ,QXXXK-IX A, 5: X,K,,,f-.EVVA X 'g11.g fi 5 I., I-. 6? J 3 :. 4 'ig X - f X X X X XXX : W X X XX Xf fbf , A X XX X X X XX i A XX XX f XX X ff XXX X X X as XXX X XXXX X 1 X X X X off X X . X I A X ' X 1 l f' ' f H ' H2113Evif'1,5F f?Q:riX!f1 ,Av 1AlA W i iiflglfifwit 'A 1'XXJl 545: f XXX X 'V ' ' . X XX X L X X,X 1 X XX X X XX X X - . 2 Of: X X X v 1 X X X X . , X X X XX X ' . ' X A A'1 9u4 i?gfXX:i' L 1' 1w' 3 big i XX A,'X'., XXXXXXX 4w,N , fff,f-f. X -.'.N' 4 ww-, X ,,.XfAfN . ,XfX.XX '14-,X. X ,,,kv,xv. X 4.f' QX-X v.x v-,,- u X5 4'--4,'., : .1'q,w2,-N-ff: XXX .,x.1-- ,,'.1A.. .142- 'Af.4',-fX.' : - A ',.: 1 :J ' X4 .X .gXX1X,', 1 X ,.,XX X- XXX, X, WX ,,,, XXX., ,XX .X k,,, ,XXX ,XX XX., X, X, xxrx XXXX . X, HXXXX ,X,..XX ,..., ,HX ,,-, XX ,XXX XX X., ,XX Q X tmi,5,f'-:ZA . XX ,L - - - - ' X ,H X X. ,,,,, ., ,X., ,,,1 , XX X. ,XX ,X,., , X. ,,,X, X X, X.,,- .X .XX. ,X . X X ,H .MJ 32?f1iEW'4 -1 , , , .,f,,,W,M .X 2 X ., - ' X1-N .fzfw X ff 'Q 3I':5X7yXyX,, X, X.X ,,X,, morn X X ,XX XXXXXX X ,X ,. XX X V w7I!'biM ,yi 4,2 1 EX gf, W, z Wfyz ,X X- XXXXXX X ,4'XA I X. XX-X' .- Xf,,X,X2XX4 X ',', 1 X, 'XXXXg.1-mf X , 111.2 ,-f XX'. X gg X', f,XX24.j3Xf,XX,XX1X 'X AX. XX XfXX 'X ' X,-- J ,,'X 4 X.'XX, , fX AXXKI -.fwfr Xf'X' '-91 ffwLffP :'X- Xiff'-1: -X .A' u-'C '.X-f -'XXf X XX':':f1 X Q 'f 7 if W if 9 4 fX'1:iX '?f'5'.' PZCXWZTK, . XXX XXX XX, X'fj.A3 QXXXXX X41 5 JM' X,QX,'2.XMX'gXX2XfXXA gf-QXx.9gX-gk i :.:XXX'-,XlE2'Y 'X 'JN'--WI'i1X'LXx'f3 -Ziff' Z Xffiv XXXL fa XfXX'Xfae:frX 3 X X X, x,:'fXw3.ggXXXX:X.:1 XX 4-,. XXMXXQXX XX X 2-XXLXXQ.X:,:'?1XlifXX:XXgXeX:fXfg:f5XXgQ,?.zsXQ,-XM gg i' fl 'IN'-IXXFX-1JXX1'X-XIX-WXX'NXSX'-' lf- ' ' X XXXXA L, . , - A,-,C My ,XX 5 f 44' ,X 2 ,Q xi ' The Hi tor of USS if 'fx . if IJ , 1 Q- AWN . V gif N11 ,ze , '+ 3 1005 ag 5 X ggi! T Q ww: PIED QA - 75 A x 4 f ? 3 Doc PIEDMONT, so named after the Walt Disney dwarf character, retired from the United States Navy with over 38 years of experience. Above, PIEDMONT at anchor in Hong Kong 1196055 Right, PIED- MONT tends a patrol gunboat alongside Cyear unknownjg Left, PIEDMONT in the Pacific C1963Jg Far left, USS PIEDMONT docked at the famed Piedmont Pier in Yokosuka, Japan 119455. M' USS PIEDMO : 1944 PROLOGUE: Precommissioning During the 1930's, for those who could afford it, the only way to cross the world's oceans was by the great steamship liners. Majestic and proud, vessels bearing nationally-inspired names like ILE DE FRANCE, QUEEN MARY, and BREMEN carried their elite human cargoes with splendid grace from continent to continent. But times quickly changed with the turn of world political and economic events. Major conflicts were brewing in Europe and the Far East. The Great Depression continued to drain America of its prosperity. Combat readiness, a term that today has become a cliche, was on the minds of every world leader. Although the United States would not become involved in the global unrest for several years, by 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt was developing battle plans, military strategies and extensive programs to upgrade the country's naval fleet. New ships were to be built not ocean liners to carry glamorous travelers across the Atlantic on stupendous 10-day crossings . .. but warships to engage in battle on the high seas in remote areas of the world's oceans. A Ship to Support the Pursuit of Peace In May 1938, Congress authorized construction of a third DIXIE class destroyer tender . . . a ship ironically designed after the peaceful liners that made getting there half the fun. For future land battles to be fought in the distant western and southern Pacific, getting there ready to fight would be most vital to the ultimate outcome. This new ship - AD-17 - would be called PIEDMONT, following a naval custom of naming tenders after geographic areas of the United States. PIEDMONT was named after the rocky Piedmont Region which lies just east of the Appalachian Mountain Range and stretches from Alabama through Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. OPPOSITE TOP: Having just been commissioned, USS PIEDMONT is sleek and gray as he sails from Tampa to Norfolk on his Shakedown cruise. OPPOSITE BOTTOM: After receiving a camouflage paint job, PIEDMONT heads south toward the Panama Canal en route to the war in the Pacific. - 1982 The primary mission of the destroyer tenders during World War II was the same as it is today . . . to maintain fleet destroyers and other surface ships in a constant state of combat readiness, .no matter where these ships might be required to operate. A destroyer tender is, in efiect, a mobile repair andsupply depot. Manned by skilled craftsmen, their capabilities range from performing routine maintenance to completing repair work approach- ing that done by a naval shipyard. i In relating the history of the Navy during World War II, the most spectacular events remembered are 'the engagements of the combatant forces . . . surface, air, submarine and amphibious. The credit accpgrded the combatant forces was earned under fire and at great risk of life. . The Destroyer Tender: A Mobile Shipyard A less dangerous but no less vital contribution' was the work of the service force ships like USS PIEDMONT. The history of USS PIEDMONT describes no action against enemy ships, planes, or shore installations.HThere was none. There was, however, a tremendous effort expended by the officers and men of USS PIEDMONT' and other service force ships to keep the combatant ships at sea and fully capable of carrying out their combat mission. The fact that service squadrons of the Pacific Fleet played an indispensable role in the victory in the war against Japan is well known. These service squadrons . . . operating thousands of miles from estalished bases were something new in the history of naval warfare. Their vital contribution was recorded in the logs of ships like USS PIEDMONT. USS PIEDMON T: 'Non Bon um Sed Perfectum' USS PIEDMONT's keel was laid on 1 December 1941 six days before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The United States was already well-involved in World War II when PIEDMONT was launched from the Tampa Shipbuilding Facility in Tampa, Florida, on 7 December 1942 . . . a year to the day after the infamous attack. With a length of 530 feet, a beam of 73 feet and displacing 16,600 tons fully loaded, United States Ship PIEDMONT was commissioned into active service on 5 January 1944. 11 ., gs Y. fb ,Commissioned S S .Izmuarv 5 0 ' 1 PIEDMONT was commissioned at a time when the Navy was rapidly expanding and most of the ship's personnel were as new to salt water as was the ship. Early in February 1944, PIEDMONT departed Tampa on a shakedown cruise to Norfolk, Virginia. While in the Norfolk Naval Ship Yard, PIEDMONT was painted in a camouflage design, a scheme to delude the enemy as to the size of the ship. On 6 March 1944, PIEDMONT sailed for the Panama Canal en route to the war in the Pacific. After a brief stop in Panama, PIEDMONT sailed on to San Diego to refuel and replenish supplies. On 21 March, he was underway for Hawaii. Less than 24 hours after arrival in Pearl Harbor, PIEDMONT had taken his first Pacific Fleet destroyer alongside. PIEDMONT remained in Pearl throughout the 12 'K A 1? USS PIEDMONT COMMISSIONED: This original collage honoring PIEDMONT's 1944 commissioning ceremony was actually created some 38 years ago. months of April and May during the feverish preparations for the Marianas Campaign. During the month of May, the crew set what was then a record in expending a total of 110,000 man-hours on repairs to other ships. At one time PIEDMONT had seven destroyers alongside while at the same time working on jobs for more than 30 other destroyers moored in the harbor. Having served this comprehensive apprenticeship, PIEDMONT sailed from Pearl to join the fleet in the Marshall Islands in mid-June. July and August were months of great fleet activity at the distant Pacific atoll called Eniwetok. Periodically, task group units supporting the Marianas Campaign would pull into Eniwetok for rest, replenishment and repairs. Unlike duty at Pearl, all jobs were a race against the clock, without the availability of shore facilities. In Pearl most underwater repairs to other ships were done by the shipyard. While in Eniwetok, however, PIEDMONT personnel performed underwater repairs to ships while they were in a floating drydock, or, in many cases, while they were waterborne. PIEDMONT's repair and supply departments were always open for business. Day and night, destroyers, destroyer escorts, patrol craft and other ships returning from Saipan were repaired and provisioned. After the first week, the ship was like a conveyor belt with stores being loaded on the starboard side and the requirements for the combatants being unloaded on the port side. During the month of July, 99 ships were provisioned with 888 tons of stores. The month of August turned out much the same, with ships returning from the invasion of Guam. PIEDMONT Sails into the Southwestern Pacific In September 1944, with the Central Pacific Campaign virtually completed, PIEDMONT sailed into the southwestern Pacific with the rest of the fleet in preparation for the Philippines Campaign. By early December, damaged ships began returning to the island haven of Manua. USS SAUFLY IDD 4051 and USS KILLEN IDD 5931 were both severely damaged by japanese suicide planes and were assigned to PIEDMONT for repairs. A shipcheck showed KILLEN's hull damage to be too extensive to be repaired by PIEDMONT. SAUFLY's hull damage was repairable but she needed a replacement barrel, slide and housing for the number one five-inch gun, which were not available in the area. Quick to respond, PIEDMONT's repair department set to work and stripped USS KILLEN. SAUFLY's hull damage, extending from her weather deck davits to her third platform deck, was repaired, as were her main 5 4 battery director and radar. The ship was then returned to the fleet ready for sea. Temporary repairs made KILLEN seaworthy, and SAUFLY's damaged five-inch gun was placed aboard as cargo. She then sailed for the West Coast for permanent repairs. Seeadler Harbor: The MOUNT HOOD Tragedy On the morning of 10 November 1944, while anchored in Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands chain, two explosions were heard to port. USS MOUNT HOOD IAE 1 11, lying about 3500 yards away, had blown up. No trace of MOUNT HOOD remained. Between MOUNT HOOD and PIEDMONT, USS MINDANAO IARG 31 was' ' anchored and suffered terrible punishment from the explosions. Fire and rescue parties were immediately dispatched from PIEDMONT to MINDANAO, and other ships alongside her, where the First Lieutenant of PIEDMONT took charge of the rescue operations. The doctors and corpsmen gave first aid treatment to the injured and those dazed by the explosions. Motor launches brought the seriously injured to PIEDMONT's sick bay, which soon overflowed to cots set up onthe weather decks. In the operating rooms the doctors worked until the last casualty had been tended. It was some time before the sick list dropped to normal from the high figure of 72. 'V . Though PIEDMONT suffered only superficial damage from the explosions, numerous five-inch projectiles and steel fragments flew over MINDANO and landed on PIEDMONT's decks and superstructures most of them ricocheting off. One man, a signalman, was: killed by the base of a five-inch shell. N One 250-pound aerial bomb penetrated the movie locker on the boat deck while another plowed through a Below left, this sign in 1944 proudly proclaimed Honolulu Crossroads of the Pacific. Below, USS PIEDMONT in Pearl Harbor, 1944. i wx 952, ,, 5 A--1 .J... . m '4'.. . lb 1 1 1 r 1 1 1 1 xr i 1 I 1 Ii E tier of bunks. Fortunately, neither bomb .exploded and personnel in both compartments escaped injury. I Operations sched- . uled for. early 1945 demanded the presence 1 of all available tender strength at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands. Early in january PIEDMONT departed the Manus Islands for Ulithi with Service Squadron Ten. The months of january through April demanded of Doc PIEDMONT his most sustained affort. Those same months witnessed the seaborne invasion of Lingayen, Iwo Jima and Okinawa and found the repair department averaging more than 1,000 completed job orders and almost 100,000 man-hours of work each month. In the peak period extending from 23 January to 19 February, a period of 18 days, more than 1400 job orders were completed for the 18 ships tended. During that period, PIEDMONT again became a pipeline in order to meet the replenishment demands of ships alongside. Due to the demands of fleet operations, for 18 days all hands worked continually supplying the 45 ships at the atoll with a gross tonnage of 686 tons of fresh and dry provisions. I I I I During the long, bitter weeks of ,the , Iwo Jima-Okinawa operations, the United States ,Fleet suffered more damage than at any. other time in its history. USS CANSEVCORT IDD 6081, beached and abandoned after being hit by a suicide plane during the Mindoro landings of November 1944, was patched, refloated, and towed to Ulithi for temporary repairs which would permit her to return to the United States under her own power. It was found that the explosion of the number four boiler had completely destroyed her after engine room. Extensive damage had been inflicted upon her bilge web frames and she had been pumping 500 to 1000 gallons of water per hour in order to remain afloat. First, she was drydocked at Mindaro and the concrete which had been used in patching her hull was chipped out and metal patches were substituted. Then, following 30 days of availability alongside PIEDMONT, she returned to the States under her own power, weathering a typhoon en route. Mission: Keep Destroyers Fit to Fight On 20 April 1945, USS MCDERMUT IDD 6771 made port with a three-foot by five-foot hole in her port side. In addition she suffered a damaged downcomer tube in her number three boiler, a smashed 24-inch search light, a damaged 40mm gun and a faulty torpedo tube. Ten days later, MCDERMUT was underway from alongside PIEDMONT ready for sea. USS HALE IDD 6421, having suffered extensive damage to her port side bridge structure during a collision with a carrier during refueling, came alongside on 1 May 1945. just 22 days later she stood out of Ulithi to rejoin 14 -4115. PIEDMONT pollywogs are transformed into shellbacks, 1944. the fleet fully repaired. - I Q ' .- The most badly battered of the battle-damaged ships serviced by ,PIEDMONT at Ulithi was USS HAZEL- WOOD IDD 5311 which came alongsideon 4 May 1945. Her entire bridge superstructure was amass of tangled wreckage, the forward stack had been ,completely destroyed, extensive bomb damage extended downto her I 1 1 1 1 interior spaces and the radio room had been destroyed.. Numerous Ndead were still to be removed from the wreckage. In the 20 days that HAZELWOQD remained alongside, the following repairs were completed: The wreckage of her bridge was cleared away down to the level of her main deck, and temporary patches were welded on the main deck to insure watertight integrity. The 40mm gun director platform and the after steering platform were remodeled into a navigating bridge. A 12-inch searchlight, a standard compass and three sound-powered phones were installed. A canvas awning was fabricated and installed over the rebuilt bridge structure as protection against the weather. Finally, emergency cabling was run and on 24 May 1945 HAZELWOOD sailed for a Navy yard in the States. USS STERETT IDD 4071 was taken alongside on 25 April 1945 after having suffered serious hull damage off Okinawa as a result of a kamikaze attack. Temporary repairs were made in only five days to enable her to return to the States safely. With the cessation of all organized resistance on Okinawa in June, PIEDMONT moved to the naval base at Leyte, Philippines, for much-needed rest and repairs. However, the stay was short and on 30 June 1945 PIEDMONT sailed for Eniwetok. At Eniwetok the repair department was ,occupied chiefly with the construction and development of fleet recreation facilities ashore in anticipation of the fleet turn-around scheduled for late August. The fleet did not 3 1 1 1 r 1 'lf' I . I s L return to Eniwetok however. On 14 August 1945, the Japanese were forced to accept Allied surrender terms following the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Apocalypse No More: japan Surrenders On top of the news of japan's surrender, PIEDMONT received orders to get underway. PIEDMONT was selected as the Pacific Fleet destroyer tender to move into Tokyo Bay with the first naval units for the occupation of Japan. On the morning of 16 August 1945, the ship departed Eniwetok to rendezvous with the Third Fleet about one day's steaming from Japan. The voyage was made memorable by a typhoon, the center of which passed about 30 miles from PIEDMONT. A long-awaited event took place on 28 August 1945 when PIEDMONT dropped anchor in Sagami-Wan, Honsu, Japan. Early on the 30th, PIEDMONT moved into Tokyo Bay. PIEDMONT divers immediately went to work clearing mines in the harbor in preparation for the arrival of USS MISSOURI. On 2 September 1945 the Japanese officially surrendered by signing an agreement on board this battleship, ending World War II. PIEDMONT was moored just a few hundred yards away on during this historical occasion. Later, while moored in Yokosuka, PIEDMONT supplied provisions and clothing to the landing forces and to the hospital ships standing by to care for released prisoners of war. During this early period, hot meals were furnished and the restoration and development of the naval base for use by Allied Forces was started. Much of this latter job was accomplished by PIEDMONT while the crew carried a heavy load of destroyer work. PIEDMONT became such a permanent feature in Yokosuka that the dock to which he was moored was named Piedmont Pier. X Three PIEDMONT sailors hang out on a street corner in a small town in the Philippines in June 1944. CPhoto courtesy of Mr. Glanvillej PIEDMONT at anchor in the South Pacific, 1945 1 6 I, no 'f , U., ,is Scrapbook: The War Years 3: While PIEDMONT crew members indeed Worked hard to support the ships involved in battle, some good times were also enjoyed, before and after the Japanese surrender. Clock- wise from Right, a PIEDMONT crew member poses outside the Yashura Houseg a PIEDMONT crossing- the-line ceremony in the Pacificg a PIEDMONT sailor visits natives on some South Pacific islandg and a portrait of Keeoho, a young japanese lady from Yokohama. CPhotos courtesy of Mr. Bob Glan- villej F N i 9 ki -.4v., .. 4 ' N tim- . p. , ,W ,, . w'.m l Q rw, NS o l 7-. s l .jk :Q I - Aim 1 . x . it -K, K . A xx. , Q Plankowner s Personal Account of the F11'st Two Years by Bob Glanv1lle Cformer Pharmac1st s Mate Second Classy USS PIEDMONT went 1nto comm1ss1on on January 5 1944 but for months pr1or to the comm1ss1on1ng date crew members had been arr1v1ng at the Navy barracks 1n Ebor C1ty Cnear Tampa Fla where PIEDMONT was bu11tJ and were bus1ly engaged preparmg the sh1p for duty Tons of suppl1es were loaded and hundreds of thousands of xtems from nuts and bolts to med1cal suppl1es had to be catalogued and stored The work went on seven days a week and I belxeve members of the Med1cal D1v1s1on spent Thanksg1v1ng mormng 119435 loadmg f1ve1nch shells When crew members boarded the sh1p there was a parade of sorts through the shxpyard to the sh1p w1th the crew 1n dress blues Workers who had bu1lt the sh1p l1ned the way applaud1ng each d1v1s1on as It passed Each crew member carrxed h1s own sea bag wrapped up 1n one of those damnable hammocks and more than one of us staggered under the load Later when PIEDMONT left port crowds l1ned the harbor entrance to b1d us farewell The people of Tampa were very proud of the1r hand1work From Tampa to Norfolk to Panama and Beyond Chesapeake Bay for a shakedown crulse At that t1me lf I m not m1staken the sh1p was pamted w1th the whlte black and gray strlpes that were symbol1c of duty xn the North Atlant1c so that IS where we all were sure we were go1ng The shakedown was uneventful and we were soon surprlsed to f1nd ourselves sa1l1ng southward through torpedo Junct1on and on to Panama After a scen1c Journey through the canal w1th a stopover at Colon Panama we traveled on to San Dlego a most beaut1ful c1ty and accord1ng to the scuttlebutt one of the best l1berty ports 1n the country Flnal outf1tt1ng took place 1n the San D1ego shxpyard and we were on our way to Hawau We spent the Spr1ng of 44 1n Hawa11 t1ed off Ford Island Lots of d1me a dance g1rls Most of the crew got some leave t1me at the Royal Hawa11an Hotel where b1g t1me stars enterta1ned everyday PIEDMONT was placed 1n drydock and glven a new coat of pa1nt blue and gray all over From Hawau we travelled to the Marshall Islands and anchored off En1wetok For a number of weeks we remamed there prov1d1ng support for the destroyer fleet and tend1ng to the med1cal needs of the natlve populat1on Once or tw1ce a week we were perm1tted ashore for a cold cuts p1cn1c and our two can ratmon of Iron C1ty beer L1fe aboard sh1p proved qu1te tolerable There was a soda founta1n w1th real 1ce cream laundry barber shop and 3 Well eflulpped SICK bay There was a large machlne shop Wlth the crew capable of handlmg almost any repa1r work The crew 1ncluded a complement of d1vers for underwater repa1rs and skllled techn1c1ans 1n nearly all other f1e1dS 1nclud1ng the manufacture of false teeth and parmal plates There was always fresh water for showers and plenty of c1garettes at f1ve cents a pack There were movles each n1ght frequent band concerts and the fanta1l and once 1n a wh1le a v1s1t1ng enterta1nment troupe CCapta1n Edd1e Peabody and Jackle Cooper were among those v1s1t1ng the sh1pJ We d1d a lot of card play1ng Cno gambl1ng of coursej and spent a lot of t1me read1ng and wr1t1ng Ma1l del1ver1es were frequent except when we were underway Meals were as I recall qu1te good At any rate they kept the crew healthy Other than one 1nc1dent of food po1son1ng Cmvolvmg all not on l1berty at meal t1meJ wh1le st1ll t1ed up to the dock ln Tampa I cannot recall any other 1nc1dents of food related problems Each hol1day no matter where we were there was turkey dress1ng and all the trlmmmgs S1ck call was held two or three t1mes a day and routlne prevent1ve mnoculat1ons were per1od1cal ly g1ven to the crew Dur1ng the course of more than two years on board I recall only three deaths Cout of a crew of 1400 or so th1s seems remarkablej An electr1c1an backed 1nto an open panel and was electrocuted a seaman fell down a ladder lead1ng to the pa1nt locker and was kxlled And a s1gna1man lost h1s arm at the shoulder from A beer party on a South Pac1f1c beach, 1944 O . , , as - . . , , ' . 7 7 3 ! - . . . D , . . , . u A v 'Q . ' ' U 1 1 - 4 . , s 4 . . 7k , . ac - . . . . . , 1 , . - ' , a u . . . H , , , . , .,v ' 9 , . . . . . . , ' . . - . . , Y I From Tampa we made our way to Norfolk and - - - - - - - CC Q! ' ' . . 0 , . . - . ' , , . . . . , cs ' ' 37 . 3 7 at . 0 , U 00 n 5 , .W 6 ' 7 ' sc 7 17 a piece of shrapnel from the explosion of the MOUNT HOOD CNovember 19445 and died several hours later. Of course there were other deaths on board but all were non-crew members. We served as hospital ship for the destroyers assigned to PIEDMONT. We had 40 Or 50 hospital beds and even a mortician in our crew. And On to the South Pacific From the Marshall Islands we sailed to the Admiralties and anchored in Manus Bay. Same routine. Same beach parties. We spent Christmas 1944 there. With the war winding down, we traveled to the Philippines and anchored in Leyte Gulf. While underway, we were blacked out after dark and were roused an hour before sunrise by the raucus clanging of general quarters. Everyone had to report to his battle station with most being forced to use outside routes in pitch darkness. Imagine hundreds of men moving quickly to and from all W I Four PIEDMONT Corpsmen on the weather- deck C1944J parts of the ship in complete blackness. Quite a feat, but one we expeditiously learned. PIEDMONT had three or four five-inch batteries and a lot of smaller weaponry including 40 and 20mm and 50 cal. machine guns. When the five-inchers were fired, the ship shook and quivered to its keep. Dust and asbestos particles falling off the overhead pipes filled the air with a haze. It goes without saying that the guns were not fired too often. Fortunately, PIEDMONT never directly engaged the enemy. It used to be said, half jokingly, half sincerely, that PIEDMONT was too valuable a ship to risk in combat. From the Philippines we sailed on to Tokyo Bay as part of a massive convoy. We celebrated V. J. Day by blowing the ship's whistle a couple of times. We arrived in Tokyo Bay several days prior to the actual signing of the surrender documents. Anchored only a short distance from USS MISSOURI we then moved to dockside in the Yokosuka naval shipyards. Here the ship was to remain for many months with the crew temporarily assigned to 18 local shore duty. Within a few days of landing, liberty was granted and we roamed unarmed throughout the japanese cities, including Yokohama and Tokyo. I can recall no incidents of violence. Work hours were long as the harbor was filled with wreckage of sunken vessels which had to be moved out of the channel and a multitude of bodies to be scooped up and buried. One by one we were rotated home in accordance with the 'point' system. PIEDMONT returned home to Alameda, California on 15 March 1946. Japan . August 1945 by Captain Francis L Robbins Commanding Officer 19441945 Later we were ordered to Eniwetok to prepare the isolated island for the American Occupation Forces who were staging throughout the Pacific to take and occupy Japan It was there that we heard about the atom bombs and that Japan was surrendering We were selected as the only tender to go to Japan for the surrender ceremonies After passing through a typhoon en route PIEDMONT arrived in Japanese waters Among the dead bodies and wrecked Japanese ships we got alongside what is still known as Piedmont Pier We were there for seven months We found a Japanese film of the Pearl Harbor attack in a cave in Yokosuka plus many gold bars and many other things all sent back on USS MISSOURI Cwith the Admiralj O I . . . - 9 . . - 9 KC ' . . . . . ' as 7 . . Ki ' . . . . . ' - as PIEDMONT re- 1 9 4 6 mained in japan in sup- port of the occupation forces until sailing home and arriving in Alameda, California, on 15 March 1946. PIEDMONT proceeded to the U. S. Naval Shiyard, Mare Island, California, for a much needed overhaul in October 1946. In January 1947, PIED- - MONT rejoined the Fleet at San Diego, where he again took up his mission of tending destroyers. In October, PIEDMONT departed San Diego for Tsingtao, China . . . via Pearl Harbor . . . arriving at his destination in November and remaining until August 1948. PIEDMONT tended U.S. and Allied ships as the only floating repair facility in Far Eastern waters. The ship departed China in September 1948, returning to the States via Yokosuka later that month. PIEDMONT earned the Navy Occupation Medal for his Far East service during the periods 2 September to 2 February 1946, 11 june 1946 to 4 February 1947 and 12 September to 15 September 1948. PIEDMONT also earned the China Service Medal for service during the months of February and March 1947 and for the period 2 March to 10 March 1948. After completing a ten - month period tending des- 19 5 troyers in San Diego, PIEDMONT deployed to the western Pacific in February 1949. While en route to Saipan, PIEDMONT provided repair assistance to USS ELDER IAN 201 which had been disabled by fire on the open sea. Repair parties from PIEDMONT rendered the small ship capable of proceeding again under her own power. PIEDMONT then continued on to the Philippines. PIEDMONT commenced direct participation in the Korean War on 27 june 1950, arriving on station in Japan to provide tender services to ships of the Seventh Fleet. He remained there until relieved in November of the same year. PIEDMONT again earned the China Service Medal for service from 16 until 30 May 1950. During the war, PIEDMONT completed four tours in the western Pacific: 4 September to 27 October 1950, 1 August 1951 to 12 February 1952, 9 September 1952 to 9 March 1953, and 11 April to 27 July 1954. During these periods he provided tender service to ships of six nations: Canada, Columbia, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and the United States. During the last period of 1954, PIEDMONT served as flagship for Commander United Nations Blockading and Escort Forces. PIEDMONT earned the Korean Service Medal with four battle stars, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation for his contribu- tions during the Korean War. USS PIEDMONT moored in San Diego Bay, 1954 In February 1956 PIEDMONT returned from a six-month tour of duty in the Far East which included visits to the Philippines, Taiwan and japan. In April PIEDMONT sailed to Bremerton, Washington, for a two-month yard period at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Upon his return in June he became flagship for Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet and at the same time was awarded the Battle Efficiency E for Fiscal Year 1956. Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force remained embarked in PIEDMONT until November. - In january 1957 PIEDMONT again de- parted the continental United States for his annual tour of duty in WESTPAC, visiting Subic Bay, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sasebo, Kobe, and Yokosuka, before returning to San Diego in the summer of 1957. Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, moved his staff on board on 8 November 1957, when PIEDMONT was readying himself for another WEST- PAC deployment. On 23 June 1958, PIEDMONT departed San Diego and steamed for Yokosuka via Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 12 july and embarking Commander, Destroyer Flotilla One. Upon arrival in Yokosuka, PIEDMONT anticipated a normal tour of six months in port. These plans were shortlived, however, when the Lebanon Crisis erupted. Three days after arrival at Yokosuka . . . on 15 july 1958 . . . PIEDMONT steamed for Subic Bay to stand ready and alert to participate, if needed, in the Middle East action. The ship remained in the Subic Bay area from 21 july to 28 August 1958, when again its services were needed to support ships and men at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, headquarters for the Taiwan Patrol Force. The offshore island of Quemoy, held by the Nationalist Chinese, was under heavy bombardment by Communist Chinese artillery. Several units of the U.S. Seventh Fleet were moved to Kaohsiung to forestall this action and PIEDMONT rendered services around the clock to ships engaged in convoy and patrol duty in the Taiwan Straits. PIEDMONT provided fresh food and supplies to the Third Marine Air Wing, which was flown from Japan to meet the crisis. After a highly commendable performance at Kaohsiung from 30 August to 17 November 1958, PIEDMONT was relieved and steamed to Hong Kong for a stay of one week. Leaving Hong Kong on 28 November, the ship arrived in Yokosuka on 4 December 1958 and embarked Commander Destroyer Flotilla One. USS PIEDMONT ' was relieved in WEST- PAC by USS DIXIE IAD 141 on 12 January 1959, at which time he steamed for San Diego, via Pearl Harbor, arriving in his homeport on 30 january 1959. After a leave and upkeep period, PIEDMONT departed San Diego in March for a yard period in San Francisco, arriving back in San Diego in May. Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet embarked upon the ship's return from the yard overhaul and remained until December 1959. PIEDMONT at anchor, 1957 lv . F' w 2F run 41 35517 w E H On 5 January 1960, 1 9 6 0 the day of his 16th birthday, PIEDMONT sailed on his ninth postwar deployment to WESTPAC, arriving in Yokosuka on 24 January. Commander Destroyer Flotilla One embarked and PIEDMONT relieved USS PRAIRIE on station. Tender services were carried on until 10 March 1960. On that date PIEDMONT sailed for a rendezvous with the ships engaged in OPERATION BLUE STAR . . . a large scale amphibious operation held off the coast of Taiwan. Following the exercise, for which PIEDMONT served as host ship for some 40 news correspondents, a stop was made in Kaohsiung where old friendships from previous deployments were renewed. 'I f I, ' Q USS PIEDMONT in 1959 On 7 April 1960, PIEDMONT arrived in Subic Bay for an extensive period of tender services. In the next three weeks PIEDMONT worked on 12 destroyers along side and did ship-to-shop work on another 20. The efforts of the crew during this period of time were particularly outstanding, especially considering the intense heat everyday. Following four days at sea, PIEDMONT returned to Yokosuka on 2 May 1960 and immediately took destroyers alongside for tender services. During the months of August and September an extremely heavy workload was encountered and about 25 per cent of the entire year's repair work was accomplished. In Fiscal Year 1960, PIEDMONT won the gold E signifying five successive awards for battle efficiency. r 21 PIEDMONT departed 1 - from San Diego for another WESTPAC deployment on 11 july 1961. On this tour, PIEDMONT was in Japan working on many destroyers alongside and others in the harbor. PIEDMONT returned to the United States on 10 March 1962. He then commenced a five-month period of overhaul and modernization at Long Beach Naval Shipyard. On 31 January 1963 PIEDMONT completed his Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization CFRAMJ overhaul. During this time, PIEDMONT acquired the capability to repair Anti-Submarine Rocket CASROCJ systems and the flight deck, helicopter deck and additional berthing compartments were constructed. PIEDMONT's WESTPAC deployment in 1963 began in February and concluded in September. Upon arrival in San Diego, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, embarked once again. In May 1964, Gun K Mount 52 was removed, creating the Captain's Circle Deck. In June PIEDMONT departed for WESTPAC again. The ship arrived in Subic Bay at the end of the month, four days prior to the arrival of Typhoon Winnie which swept across Luzon and found PIEDMONT near the path of the storm. In July 1964, PIEDMONT visited Hong Kong where he took aboard a party of officers and men who had been chosen to sail the abandoned SS MID AMERICA from the Saigon River to Hong Kong. Following the July trip to Hong Kong, PIEDMONT spent short periods in Sasebo and Yokosuka. PIEDMONT's stay in Yokosuka was cut short on 10 August when the ship departed for Subic Bay to service destroyers and other Seventh Fleet ships following the Tonkin Gulf incident. After more than three months in Subic, on 24 November 1964 PIEDMONT headed for his homeport of San Diego . . . arriving there on 11 December 1964. The in-port sched- ule was busy as usual but somewhat more ur- gent as PIEDMONT concentrated on preparing destroyers for front-line duty in Vietnamese waters. PIEDMONT deployed again in September 1965. His first port was Yokosuka where many ships came alongside. Hong Kong delighted the crew in November . . . immediately prior to three months of tending in Subic Bay. USS PIEDMONT in the Pacific, 1961 E D U P l. J e e 1. s r 4 , ,ff fi Q I I 1, W., ,, , -5 y .A Z, ,, 4 A W, ,. I 2 it ,, .. f if 1 ai .. 9 b 21 PIEDMONT pointed his bow toward San Diego in February and on 3 March 1966 he returned to port. ce1ved the Battle Ef- ficiency E Award n August 1966. Presented by Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, the Admiral noted that PIEDMONT accomplished two firsts for a tender . . . namely the removal of the Number One stack from USS BRAINE KDD 6301 to repair the blower system, and the repair of the bow of USS DUNCAN IDD 8741 while alongside. He explained that these undertakings were normally assigned to a shipyard. 1 PIEDMONT re- ' - cc 73 i PIEDMONT tends Destroyers in the 1960 s PIEDMONT then went into overhaul dur- ing the period from September 1966 until january 1967. This was followed by his nest deployment to the Far East. PIEDMONT arrived in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 13 February 1967, and after two months sailed up to Subic Bay, arriving on 10 April. The ship steamed home in early june 1967, with brief stopovers in Hong Kong and Yokosuka, arriving in San Diego on 10 July 1967. 23 During the year 1968, PIEDMONT's 1 9 6 repair department ac- cepted a total of 10,203 work requests from ships of the destroyer force. Included among the repairs accomplished was the replacement of all five-inch gun barrels on USS NEWPORT NEWS. Twelve men from PIEDMONT replaced a total of 12 barrels within only 48 hours. In Kaohsiung, repairs were made to the hull damage of USS FORSTER . . . damage sustained as a result of a collision during underway replenishment. In San Diego, PIEDMONT divers made a propeller change on USS HENRY B. WILSON. Other services provided during the year were to fleet oilers, two submarines, an amphibious landing craft in addition to destroyers and destroyer escorts. After a seven month deployment to WESTPAC in 1968, PIEDMONT returned September. 1969 to San Diego on 16 Departing on 28 April 1969 from San Diego, PIEDMONT began his 16th deploy- ment to the Far East. During the seven month cruise, PIEDMONT assisted in salvaging all usable gear and parts from the after section of USS EVANS IDD 7541 after it was towed to Subic Bay following a collision with the Australian aircraft carrier MELBOURNE. The collision had severed the destroyer's bow from the USS PIEDMONT in the Pacific, 1968 M., MW remainder of its hull. Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was the next working port for PIEDMONT, where he stayed for one month. On the way to Hong Kong, PIEDMONT avoided Typhoon Viola. Following a rest and recreation visit to Hong Kong, the ship continued on to Subic Bay to work with renewed vigor. On 11 September 1969' USS PIEDMONT was awarded the Ney Memorial Award, signifying the most outstanding food 'service to be found aboard PIEDMONT's category of ship. In the fiscal year ending 30 June 1969, PIEDMONT was awarded the Battle Efficiency E his seventh in 14 years. Following another port visit to Kaohsiung, 'Doc' headed for Yokosuka, Japan. The ship moored at Piedmont Pier on 6 October. He departed Yokosuka on 5 November en route to San Diego, where he arrived on 22 November. During 1969 PIEDMONT cut the ribbon to reestablish the Warrant Officers' Mess, paneled the crew's messing facility, constructed a new chapelflibrary, built a dental examination room and waiting room, refurbished office areas and storage spaces and other areas to improve habitability. 7 On 1 July 1970 PIEDMONT changed 1 9 Q homeports from San Diego to Long Beach, California. The sixth day of August marked the start of Doc's 17th deployment to WESTPAC. On 16 August PIEDMONT received a message that he had received the Battle Efficiency E for the second year in a row. On 9 january 1971 PIEDMONT got under- . way from Subic Bay for Hong Kong and Yokosu- ka en route to the United States. Nine days were spent moored to 3 buoy in Hong Kong and seven days were spent at the Piedmont Pier in Yokosuka. From 17 February to 13 April 1971, PIEDMONT was docked at Pier 16, Naval Shipyard Hunter's Point, San Francisco. Twelve days of that time were spent in drydock. On 16 July PIEDMONT was again underway . . . this time for a period of operational readiness training and inspection in the San Diego area. On 6 August PIEDMONT returned to Long Beach Naval Station where he remained until the end of the year. A For 44 days from 1 january to 13 February 1972, PIEDMONT was in a cold iron status. Twenty feet of the after stack was replaced . . . numbers one and four boilers were rebricked, the wind boxes on all four boilers were repaired, numbers one and two triple Uss PIEDMONT off Hawaii, 1970. effect evaporators were overhauled and the forward and after main machinery spaces and bilges were cleaned and painted. PIEDMONT spent 298 continuous days steaming from 14 February to 9 December 1972 with 50 days underway. At approximately 1400 on 31 October 1972, while PIEDMONT was in Subic Bay, an airplane crash was observed by personnel on the signal bridge and several personnel on deck. The incident was reported to the Officer Of the Deck, who called away all ship's boats. The captain's gig, a 40-foot utility boat and the divers' boat responded and were at the crash scene within five minutes. A systematic search of the area was conducted, but no survivors were found. After the initial search was completed, the boats began collecting structural debris from the aircraft. Many large sections of the plane were recovered. Several PIEDMONT crew members who observed the crash later provided statements to aviation investigative personnel. On 17 February 1973 PIEDMONT re- ceived a message that he ' had once again received the Battle Efficiency HE. On 6 August 1973, two days out of Long Beach and departing on his 20th and last WESTPAC deployment, PIEDMONT had an engineering casualty that slowed the ship's speed. A main feed pump had failed. The resulting loss of steam to the engines and electrical generators caused a temporary loss of lubricating oil to one engine which resulted in damage to the engine bearings. While pump and engine repairs were being made a second accident occurred. A make-up feed line under suction, which transitted a full tank, split. This allowed fuel to enter the make-up feed line and contaminate the feedwater and condenser systems thereby causing a severe boiler casualty. The cleaning process on the boiler took over a week. Both repair jobs involved a lot of hard work, with repair personnel assisting PIEDMONT engineers. The engineering casualties limited the ship's speed and forced the decision to bypass PIEDMONT's first liberty port, Hawaii. The ship headed directly for japan to report to Commander Seventh Fleet and to relieve USS PRAIRIE CAD 151. On 5 january 1974, PIEDMONT celebrated his 30th anniversary of commissioning. The cele- bration in Yokosuka, japan, was highlighted by a special message from the CNO and the cutting of a giant birthday cake by the most senior and junior men aboard. PIEDMONT departed Yokosuka for the last time on 12 january and arrived in Long Beach on 31 January 1974. On 8 March Doc PIEDMONT moved to Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, California, for an extended restricted availability CRAVJ period. The hull was sandblasted, repaired and repainted. The engineering plant was modified to use distillate fuel instead of black oil, generators and boilers were overhauled, and many of the living spaces were remodeled. On 30 June PIEDMONT was transferred to the Sixth Fleet and, although still in the shipyard undergoing a restricted availability, he continued to tend 12 ships in availability during the months from June to August. Finally on 4 November 1974, the task was completed and PIEDMONT was underway for his new homeport of USS PIEDMONT Homecoming, 1972 02505 3 .va- Naples, Italy. PIEDMONT transitted the Panama Canal on 13 November as he had nearly 30 years before when he crossed the canal in the opposite direction en route to the Pacific War Zone. On 2 December 1974, PIEDMONT arrived in Naples. The year 1974 was a very busy and very significant year for PIEDMONT. The year was also the dawn of a new life for Doc. In less than one year, PIEDMONT had completed a distillate conversion as part of a comprehensive and successful RAV, passed refresher training, transferred from the Pacific to the Atlantic Fleet, off-loaded and then reloaded all ammunition, experienced an 85 per cent turnover of personnel, moved most dependents to a foreign country, steamed over 15,000 nautical miles, changed homeports, and provided tender services to 42 ships. PIEDMONT got underway on 17 January 1975 for his first opera- tion in the Mediterran- ean. The trip took Doc to Izmir, Turkey, to provide tender services to Turkish as well as American naval ships. PIEDMONT returned to Naples on 5 February. During March through the first half of June, PIEDMONT remained in Naples supporting units of the Sixth Fleet. On 21 June, PIEDMONT departed Naples for Toulon, France, for rest as well as work. The ship PIEDMONT crew mans the rails entering Toulon, France. returned to homeport on 3 july. I PIEDMONT was underway again on 25 August 1975 . . . this time for Palma, Majorca. Although the port visit was brief, six ships received tender support during the one week visit. After returning to homeport, PIEDMONT remained in Naples from 7 September until 4 November, when he got underway for Barcelona, Spain for a port visit. PIEDMONT returned to Naples on 15 November to resume providing services to ships of the Sixth Fleet. The BELKNAPXKENNEDY Collision On 22 November 1975, USS BELKNAP ICG 261 collided with USS JOHN F. KENNEDY ICV 671. In the ensuing fire, BELKNAP's superstructure was all but destroyed. PIEDMONT was placed on 24 hour standby in case it became necessary to render assistance in Sigonella, Sicily, where USS BELKNAP had been towed following the collision. PIEDMONT sent several crew members there to assess the damage to BELKNAP and make her ready to be towed to Naples, where PIEDMONT was making preparations to ensure BELKNAP's watertight integrity for a trans-oceanic voyage. BELKNAP was towed out of Naples by USS HOIST IARS 401 on 21 December 1975 en route to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for repairs. PIEDMONT remained in Naples for the last few days of the year. 27 Q The start of 1976 found USS PIEDMONT moored in Naples, begin- ning his second year of service while home ported overseas. In january, Doc got underway for a four-day training cruise off southern Italy. From early February through the first half of April, PIEDMONT remained in Naples, providing repair services to ships of the Sixth Fleet, including the Sixth Fleet flagship, USS LITTLE ROCK ICG 41 and various destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships and oilers. PIEDMONT also sent repair personnel throughout the Mediterranean to work on ships in other ports. On 19 April PIEDMONT departed Naples for a second visit to Toulon, France. In addition to liberty in the southern French port, crew members made excursions to Marseilles, Monaco, San Tropez, Cannes, Nice, and the French Alps. While in Toulon, PIEDMONT worked on USS SARATOGA QCV 601 and USS RECOVERY CARS 431 and completed a self-tender availability. On 28 April, PIEDMONT returned to Naples. During May and june, PIEDMONT remained in Naples, providing further repair support to fleet units in the Mediterranean. During the month of june, an air of anticipation spread throughout the ship as PIEDMONT prepared to change homeports once again. 28 Christmas 1975 on the mess decks On 28 June 1976, Doc raised the homeward-bound pennant and steamed toward the United States. Norfolk, Virginia, was to become PIEDMONT's new homeport. The ship made two stops on the way the first one, Rota, Spain, on the first of July. That afternoon, PIEDMONT went alongside USS PUGET SOUND IAD 381 to cross-deck men and materials. PUGET SOUND pulled out later that day and headed for Naples, relieving PIEDMONT as the Sixth Fleet tender. That did not prevent PIEDMONT from working while in Rota, however, as the ship took two frigates alongside for repairs. PIEDMONT spent the bicentennial in Rota and on the next day, 5 July, pulled out for Portsmouth, England. On 9 July 1976, PIEDMONT was moored to the South Railway Jetty in the English port with HMS VICTORY, Admiral Lord Nelson's historical flagship, docked nearby. PIEDMONT got underway on 13 July for the last leg of the long voyage home. The entire trip was marked by heavy seas, high winds, fog and rain squalls. PIEDMONT lost the use of the starboard shaft on 20 July when problems developed in the reduction gear. With the use of the port shaft only, PIEDMONT arrived in Norfolk just one day late, on 24 July. The ship docked at the Destroyer and Submarine Piers and on 28 July moved into Hampton Roads to off-load ammunition. On 30 july, PIEDMONT returned to Pier 21 and Full Steam Ahead, Norfolk-bound started an availability with USS FORRESTAL ICV 591. During August, ten ships were tended, with USS COONTZ IDDG 401 and USS RICHARD E. BYRD IDDG 231 alongside. Commander, Service Group Two and his staff made PIEDMONT their flagship in September 1976. During the remaining months of the year, PIEDMONT tended various Atlantic Fleet ships in Norfolk while preparing for the ship's Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection CNWAI1. On 9 December PIEDMONT passed the inspection with excellent marks. PIEDMONT headed out to sea for one day on 21 December to test the newly repaired reduction gears which had rendered the starboard shaft inoperable the preceding summer. began 1977 at the Naval Destroyer and Submar ine Piers in Norfolk, Virginia, providing repair services to ships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. On 1 February, PIEDMONT got underway for a port visit to sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The warm weather provided a welcome break from the northern cold. The ship returned to homeport on 11 February. In April 1977, preparations for PIEDMONT's regular overhaul began with a visit to the Naval Weapons Station at Yorktown, Virginia. After off-loading ammunition and weapons, PIEDMONT returned to Naval Station Norfolk prior to entering the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock yards on 2 May. One of the larger jobs completed on PIEDMONT during the overhaul was the sandblasting, treatment with anti-rust protection, and repainting of the hull. With the overhaul completed on 21 November 1977, PIEDMONT headed out to sea for trials, returning to port on 23 November. The ship got underway on 5 December to reload ammunition at the Hampton Roads anchorage and then 1 9 7 7 proceeded to sea for further underway refresher training before returning to port on 9 December. In 1978 PIEDMONT made what was to be his last overseas deploy- ment. Preparations for the Mediterranean cruise started early in the Year as PIEDMONT continued to provide fleet repair services for Atlantic Fleet ships in Norfolk. PIEDMONT got underway for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For several weeks, numerous battle and readiness drills were conducted . . . the object of which was to make PIEDMONT fully capable of operating with ships of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Having successfully completed refresher training, PIEDMONT returned to Norfolk on 30 June 1978. On 6 july final preparations for the Mediterranean deployment began with a trip to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown to backload weapons and ammunition. After the backload, the ship got underway for Rota, Spain, on 11 july. The Last Deployment PIEDMONT arrived in Rota on 21 July for refueling and turnover with USS PUGET SOUND. PIEDMONT got underway a few days later for Palma, Majorca, to provide fleet repair support to Sixth Fleet ships. 1 While in Palma on 6 August, PIEDMONT was visited by Miss America and her USO-sponsored troupe. A show was presented on the forecastle, and included dancing, singing and other entertainment. PIEDMONT departed Palma on 19 August and proceeded to Naples, Italy, where the ship arrived on the 2lst. PIEDMONT remained in Naples for approximately two weeks providing fleet repair support for Sixth Fleet ships operating out of the port. On 31 August, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Thomas D. Hayward, visited PIEDMONT. PIEDMONT provided repair services to the Sixth Fleet flagship, USS ALBANY ICG 101, in Gaeta, Italy, from 5 until 25 September 1978. The ship then steamed back to Naples for a week and a half, and then to Rota, Spain, for five days. On 16 October, PIEDMONT arrived in Tangier, Morocco, for a port visit. While there, PIEDMONT was visited by the American Consul General, the Vice Consul and the Governor of Tangier. After completion of the port visit on 20 October, PIEDMONT sailed to Palma for fleet repair services and on 20 November continued on to Naples for the final time. USS PIEDMONT arrived in Naples on 22 November for repair services and turnover with USS SIERRA IAD 181. After the turnover, PIEDMONT, having been relieved as the deployed Mediterranean tender, proceeded 29 l 1 l l w 1 w !!T!'! 1771! YIYTTS TQ l 5. it l . ,. ,. l l l . l I I l v l l ,n l 1 l 1 l s l l l , 1 1 1 r. F v l ,w w 5. .l wi lf' li if l , l E li l. +3 ii ln il lk' :fl ,. 5 1 I. ag lj ,i ls. 11 E , . L 'K' to sea en route to Norfolk. The ship made a stop at Rota on 7 December for voyage repairs before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the last time. PIEDMONT arrived at Yorktown weapons station on 19 December and offloaded ammunition and weapons. The next day, the ship returned to Naval Station Norfolk where crew members were reunited with families just five days before Christmas Day. The remainder of the year was spent in port for post-deployment upkeep and the holiday leave period. Welcome Home PIEDMONT - 1978 The first few weeks of 1979 found PIED- MONT in his homeport of Norfolk, having just returned from the Mediterranean deployment. Repair work requests were being accepted and repair of Atlantic Fleet ships continued at a normal pace. PIEDMONT was underway on 5 March 1979 for Yorktown to offload ammunition. The next day he proceeded to Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina, to provide repair services to ships homeported there. PIEDMONT remained in Charleston for approximately three weeks, departing on 30 March for Norfolk. En route to homeport, numerous drills, including general quarters, man-overboard and fire-at-sea, were conducted, as it would not be likely that PIEDMONT would be underway again soon since he had been chosen to serve as temporary flagship for Commander Second Fleet. PIEDMONT returned to Pier 25, Norfolk, on 2 April 1979. 30 During the month of April, several alterations were completed to accommodate the Admiral and his staff. The reason for the Flag being shifted to PIEDMONT was because the Second Fleet flagship, USS MOUNT WHITNEY ILCC 201, was preparing to enter Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for overhaul. On 7 May 1979, Vice Admiral W. McDonald, Commander Second Fleet, and his staff embarked in PIEDMONT. Due to Second Fleet's extensive communications requirements, not all of the staff's communications equipment could be moved on board. Several trailers housing this equipment were set up on the pier. As a result, PIEDMONT remained in port while Second Fleet was embarked. Business As Usual for PIEDMONT During the 10 months PIEDMONT was serving as flagship, repair work continued as usual. On 2 july 1979, VADM T. Bigley relieved VADM W. McDonald as Commander Second Fleet. In June 1979, the first two women officers reported aboard for permanent duty. LT Mary Bookwalter was assigned as operations officer and LTJG Sherryl Krupski as repair office division officer. They were followed in August by ENS Beulah Galvin, assigned as educational services officer, and in October by LTJG Victoria Gradel who assumed duty as disbursing officer. PIEDMONT ended 1979 in port in Norfolk. LT Bookwalter and DCA, 1979 l V l V 4 ,nv ,fp I 2 N fi e 5 vw' Y 9 .1 A 2. X 2 PIEDMONT com- menced the new year and a new decade in Norfolk serving as flag- ship for Commander Second Fleet, Vice Admiral T. Bigley. PIEDMONT continued to provide repair services for ships in the Norfolk area. PIEDMONT got underway on 21 January for five days of at-sea training in the Virginia Capes operating area. Numerous drills were conducted at sea for the first time since PIEDMONT transitted from Charleston, South Carolina, to Norfolk the previous spring. Commander Second Fleet debarked PIEDMONT on 14 April 1980, shifting his flag back to USS MOUNT YVHITNEY ILCC 201. On the following day, PIEDMONT got underway for three days of at-sea training off the coast of North Carolina. Shortly after PIEDMONT's return to port on 21 PIEDMONT in Mayport, 1980 April, Commander Service Group Two embarked for two weeks. Rear Admiral R. W. Watkins and his staff used PIEDMONT as his flagship until 27 May. On 28 May PIEDMONT departed Norfolk for Naval Station Mayport, Florida. PIEDMONT arrived in Mayport on 30 May 1980 to provide fleet repair services to the ships homeported there, including an aircraft carrier and several destroyers, cruisers and auxilary craft. On 25 june, PIEDMONT served as host to his sister ship USS YOSEMITE IAD 191, which was returning from a Mediterranean deployment to her homeport of Mayport. PIEDMONT departed Mayport on 5 July en route for a port visit to Nassau, Bahamas. An engineering casualty, however, required PIEDMONT to return to Mayport for repairs and to cancel the port visit. PIEDMONT had a heavy work schedule waiting in Norfolk. 31 PIEDMONT departed Mayport on 13 july after repairs had been made, arriving in Norfolk on 15 july. On 14 August PIEDMONT's personnel boat and one of the utility boats placed first and second, respectively, in the 1980 Naval Surface Force Small Boat Regatta for Norfolk-based commands. PIEDMONT was host ship on 17 September to the newly-commissioned destroyer tender, USS YELLOW- STONE IAD 411, which arrived in her new homeport of Norfolk following a trip from San Diego where she had been built. A 6B100,000-Plus Reenlistment Ceremony took place on board PIEDMONT on 3 November 1980 with Admiral Harry D. Train II, Commander In Chief Atlantic Fleet, reenlisting seven PIEDMONT crew members who collectively received over Sl00,000 in reenlistment bonuses. PIEDMONT departed Norfolk on 6 November for Port Canaveral, Florida, to serve as launch area support ship for test missile firings from the Royal Navy submarine HMS RENOWN. Several practice maneuvers were conducted with the nuclear ballistic missile sub during the first week. Two unarmed Polaris missiles, modified by the Royal Navy, were fired during the second week. PIEDMONT returned to Norfolk on 24 November. PIEDMONT remained in port carrying out his repair mission throughout the remainder of the year. 2, if HMS RENOWN Heads Out To Sea CLeftj ADM Train Addresses Reenlistees CAboveJ ADM Train Presents a Plaque USS PIEDMONT be- gan 1981 at the Destroyer and Submarine Piers in Norfolk with USS DUPONT IDD 9411 along side, During the months of january and February, PIEDMONT provided fleet repair support to various ships in the area, including USS DUPONT, USS KING IDDG 411, USS AINSWORTH IFF 10901, and USS SOUTH CAROLINA ICG 371. On 23 February 1981, PIEDMONT departed Norfolk for a port visit to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. During the four-day transit, at-sea fire drills, general quarters, abandon ship and man-overboard drills were conducted. Emergency medical procedures at battle dressing stations and on the bridge were practiced during simulated battle problems. Steering casualty drills were held, a nuclear attack drill was conducted and the water washdown system was fully tested. A helicopter crash on the flight deck was simulated and the ship's 20mm guns were test-fired. PIEDMONT entered Port Everglades on 27 February for a four-day visit to the Ft. Lauderdale area. The ship departed Port Everglades on 3 March for Norfolk. While underway, additional readiness drills were conducted. Security force personnel and armed watch- standers were familiarized with small arms firing. PIEDMONT arrived in Norfolk on 5 March. PIEDMONT provided regular repair support during the month of March to various fleet units, including USS GUADALCANAL ILPH 71, USS SAIPAN ILHA 21, and USS DAHLGREN IDDG 431. During the week of 6 April 1981, inspectors from Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet conducted the annual Intermediate Maintenance Activity IIMA1 Audit on board PIEDMONT. PIEDMONT continued to provide repair services to Norfolk-based ships during the month of April, while preparing to depart for a temporary assignment to Naval, Weapons Station INWS1 Earle, New jersey. On 27 April 1981, PIEDMONT departed Norfolk for New Jersey. During the three-day transit, underway drills were conducted to maintain PIEDMONT's readiness posture. Additionally, AFFF systems were checked and a chemical warfare exercise was conducted. Service To The Fleet PIEDMONT arrived at NWS Earle on 1 May to provide four weeks of extensive fleet repair support to the ammunition ships USS SURIBACHI IAE 211 and USS BUTTE IAE 271. Over 2000 members of the general public visited PIEDMONT, which had been assigned as open house ship, on Armed Forces Day, 16 May 1981. USS PIEDMONT departed Earle on 28 May for a three day visit to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. Following the visit on 1 june, PIEDMONT got underway for Norfolk, arriving the next day. Left: Gunners Do Their Thing Above: PIEDMONT in Newport, May 1981 .1 . During the month of June, PIEDMONT resumed its regular mission of fleet repair in Norfolk. Among the ships tended were USS MOINESTER IFF 10971 and USS ELPASO ILKA 1171. On 13 July 1981, CAPT Thomas M. McNicholas, Jr., relieved CAPT George Tsantes, Jr., as commanding officer of USS PIEDMONT during a change of command ceremony on board. Families and friends of PIEDMONT crew members boarded the ship on 24 july for a day-long family cruise which took PIEDMONT out into the Atlantic Ocean for a brief taste of life at sea. 1 Sw 'UIQ' !Ih-5. CAPT McNicholas Assumes Command During July, PIEDMONT provided maintenance support for USS HARRY E. YARNELL ICG 171 and other surface combatants in Norfolk. On the evening of 5 August the ship's emergency recall bill was exercised as PIEDMONT prepared to get underway on short notice as part of the fleet exercise, Ocean Venture 81. PIEDMONT departed Norfolk on 6 August for the Virginia Capes operating area. A nerve gas attack was simulated, battle conditions were set and the ship's water washdown system was activated. A man-overboard drill was conducted and general quarters was set in the middle of the night. Early the next morning on 7 August, PIEDMONT's rescue and assistance team responded to a fire drill on board the fleet tug USNS ATAKAPA QT-ATF-1491. Later that morning, the fleet tug and PIEDMONT conducted a towing exercise with PIEDMONT being taken under tow by ATAKAPA. In the afternoon, PIEDMONT returned to Norfolk. just three days later, PIEDMONT got underway for Florida, arriving at Naval Station Mayport on 12 August for a three-day port visit. 34 Night Launch: The Missile is Fired On 14 August PIEDMONT got underway for an overnight transit to Cape Canaveral to serve as launch area support ship for missile firing from the fleet ballistic missile submarine USS NATHANEAL GREENE ISSBN 6361. PIEDMONT arrived in Port Canaveral on 15 August. PIEDMONT headed to sea to rehearse maneuvering and communication procedures in the designated launch area on 16 August. PIEDMONT returned to Port Canaveral on 17 August . . . however, due to the tropical storm Dennis, PIEDMONT got underway again later that day to weather the storm's fury at sea. On 19 August PIEDMONT without storm damage returned to Port Canaveral, returning .to sea for a day-long rehearsal run on 20 August. On 21 August over 250 guests, including a large number of VIPs, boarded PIEDMONT for a cruise to the launch area for the missile firing. After a spectacular night launch, PIEDMONT in company with NATHANEAL GREENE returned to Port Canaveral. The next morning, PIEDMONT departed Port Canaveral for Norfolk, arriving on 24 August. On 9 September, PIEDMONT's 40-foot utility boat, 33-foot personnel boat and 26-foot motor whaleboat all placed first in their- respective classes in the NAVSURFLANT Small Boat Regatta. On 10 September Rear Admiral Berry, Deputy Commander Naval Surface Force, presented the Traveling Trophyu to the boat officers and crews during a ceremony on board. During October, preparations for PIEDMONT's inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey V1 Q, 1 l v l 1 1 l Il 7 .J .Q ix., ., X ,, Wreath-Laying, December 1981 CINSURVJ began in earnest. Berthing compartments, the enlisted dining facility, storerooms, office spaces and workshops were renovated and the engineering plant was upgraded. Most of this work would continue for several weeks. PIEDMONT departed Norfolk on 3 December for Ft. Lauderdale, arriving on 5 December for a four-day port visit. On 7 December, members of the local Navy League sponsored a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony on board PIEDMONT in honor of the servicemen who died at Pearl Harbor. PIEDMONT departed Port Everglades on 9 December, arriving back in Norfolk on the 11th. For six months from July through December 1981 PIEDMONT was a COMNAVSURFLANT Retention Super Star, thereby earning the privilege of displaying the retention Blue R on his side. PIEDMONT remained in port throughout the remainder of the year, providing repair services to USS JOHN F. KENNEDY ICV 671 and other ships at the Naval Destroyer and Submarine Piers in Norfolk. january 1982 The year 1982 began with the knowledge that PIEDMONT's decommissioning was a very likely possibility. This was not evident, however, on 5 January 1 982 The Final Year PIEDMONT Birthday Cake, Jan. 1982 1982 the day of PIEDMONT's 38th anniversary of commissioning. If the amount of enthusiasm demonstrat- ed by the crew in singing Happy Birthday to PIEDMONTH could influence a decision to keep the ship on active duty, there would have been little doubt that the crew could look forward to 1983 and celebrating PIEDMONT's 39th birthday. While officers in the higher echelons of the chain of command proposed extensions for PIEDMONT, a final major attempt by the crew to save PIEDMONT was vigorously pursued in the form of preparing for an inspection in February 1982 by the Board of Inspection and Survey CINSURVJ. In January the supply department received an excellent or outstanding mark on each segment of the annual Supply Management Inspection CSMIJ. A bumper sticker contest was held, soliciting suggestions for the proposed sticker. Love Me Tender was selected from the many good ideas submitted. A combination awards ceremony and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Thanksgiving on the mess decks 35 36 ' 'X : 1982 . . . the beginning of the end As 1982 ,turned to, the beginning of PIEDMONT's final days also commenced. The photos on the facing page show PIEDMONT at Pier 25 in September 1982. Above, during his last cruise in July. At right, the legendary Doc PIEDMONT himself. wmlnatlvuiic' rvf fi 8 H ., 1 , .. , 1. H, W, ,, - Januar . . . February . . . UR birthday was held in january as well as a blood drive for NRMC Portsmouth. To improve the efficiency of division officer management techniques, A Command Assistance Team CCAT1 was formulated to take an indepth look at the individual methods used for personnel and material management in each division so that the best methods could be shared. A PMS inspection was conducted in January as well as a review of department PMS programs. On 26 January 1982, CAPT McNicholas announced to the crew on a televised Captain's Call that PIEDMONT was definitely scheduled for decommission- ing and that numerous attempts to seek an extension had not been successful to date. He emphasized the need to maintain PIEDMONT in the best possible material condition in view of the upcoming INSURV. February 1982 In early February, the enlisted dining facility was closed for a few days so that the overhead could be painted. The appearance of the mess decks was enhanced with new table clothes and flower arrangements. Another shipwide zone inspection was conducted in early February this time by COMSERVGRU TWO personnel accompanied by PIEDMONT crew members. , , ' 9 My Q, ' ,Wy , W .X 4, ,W 38 The Chief of Staff also toured the ship with CAPT McNicholas. Following a shipwide field day on 17 February, PIEDMONT was fully ready for the inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey, which was held over a period of four days, from 22 until 25 February 1982, The inspectors gave PIEDMONT a very thorough inspection and during the critique on 25 February, reported that the ship was fit for further service. They additionally commented that PIEDMONT was the best ship of those scheduled for decommissioning which they had inspected. All was not yet over though insofar as efforts to keep PIEDMONT in commission. Another request would be submitted to extend PIEDMONT's life at least for a matter of months, until the new USS SHENANDOAH KAD 441, under construction in San Diego, could arrive in Norfolk. The Saturday immediately following the INSURV inspection was designated HPIEDMONT Family Visit Day and crew members had a special opportunity to invite family and friends on board to see the ship while it was still in its inspection-ready condition. March 1982 On 3 March, Snow White, a secret admirer, sent Doc PIEDMONT's crew two arrangements of flowers with a note You are all the greatest obviously in recognition of the ship's success on the INSURV inspection. Repair work continued at the normal steady pace following the IN SURV. On 15 March PIEDMONT moved from Pier 25 to Pier 5 to work on the destroyer USS DuPONT IDD 9411 which was in need of underwater hull repairs. The repairs resulted in a newspaper story with the headline proclaiming HPIEDMONT DEMON- STRATES TENDER's CAPACITY TO FIX ANY- THING. During March, while PIEDMONT was also providing repair services for USS PHARRIS IFF 10971 and JOHN KING IDDG 31, Rear Admiral John T. Parker, Commander Service Group TWO, toured the ship prior to moving his flag to PIEDMONT. f ig -Za fs'-aifgi pr' -'Q 'Q hi. ag-. RADM Parker boards USS PIEDMONT April 1982 On 6 April Rear Admiral Parker and the Group Staff moved on board PIEDMONT while USS YELLOW- STONE IAD 411, their usual flagship, was at sea for underway training. The PIEDMONT crew and their families celebrated the new spring season with the annual 'Spring Fling' Picnic on 17 April at the Fleet Recreation Park. During the month of April, PIEDMONT tended USS SAN DIEGO IAF S 61 and USS MERRIMACK IAO 1781, among other ships, while preparing to depart Norfolk for a port visit to Boston and a temporary assignment at Naval Weapons Station Earle, NJ., to tend two ammunition ships and a third ship undergoing overhaul in New York City. As the Group Staff departed PIEDMONT to return to YELLOWSTONE, PIEDMONT departed Norfolk on 26 April for Naval Weapons Station Yorktown to offload weapons. PIEDMONT arrived in the bustling port city of Boston on 28 April for five days of liberty. Mooring at the Commonwealth Pier near downtown, a short walk was all that was required to see the many historical and cosmopolitan sites in the city. pril...Ma Earle May 1982 PIEDMONT departed Boston on Sunday, 2 May, for Naval Weapons Station Earle. The ship transited the Cape Cod Canal with a cook-out picnic in progress on the flight deck . . . followed by a boxing smoker on the penthouse deck. The following morning, PIEDMONT arrived in Earle. 1 PIEDMONT was assigned to the weapons station for three and a half weeks to provide repair services for USS SURIBACHI IAE 211, USS NITRO IAE 231 and USS RECOVERY IARS 431. A The crew was tested for physical fitness on 13 May the annual P.F. test was followed by a picnic. Over a thousand visitors boarded PIEDMONT on Armed Forces Day, 15 May, for a tour of the ship's repair shops, mess decks and bridge. On 25 May a commemorative photograph of the crew assembled on the forecastle was taken. PIEDMONT departed Earle on 27 May with a number of sons and fathers of crew members and members of the Jersey Shore Council of the Navy League aboard for the overnight cruise back to Norfolk. Immediately after PIEDMONT returned to homeport on 28 May, regular repair services to Norfolk-based ships on the waterfront began again. PIEDMONT in Earle, May 1982 'lug 39 A 40 , ,W . 1, -U-. Tfv- 1',1A7 5:f rP? 'LV - ' 1:-- Lf -ff-S2535 f'fr5'-3r.w,g:.5f1d+9k: 'lo-ff' :af 2132- 'tw 'f 1, T 4:1 . .V ii ,wy.L5,v3g.gv1.Y::.-,1 ,- 1 22.-eifekrlg 15:11, wg, 1 L. W , fp: 1 -' - . -A-fu-g, cg.. xg ,ff-if ,l,L,:g1:: . Ulwvfzx. . - 5-' J - , V , - K, --e x .fziw .X , . -K: SS PI ON Owners Reunited A , ,, , H.- A , ,1- , Y ,xv-fy.,-W -' 1 ' 'if ' -. ,l- ee tj 1 J 1 - . k A,-X , ,- if , iz. 5' ' ,J z kin, . 1 1-J., xf,-tx'-,. ' f '- '. F mf fl ..p1 l Z i , J 5 Z 1 Q1 V 4 . X : O mm1'SS1.0D1.Hg Ceremony . .. as Doc saw it June . . Again 7163, . Jul Back Home listing target dates for completing various preparations for decommissioning. The sup?-2' Cf?-gfiiiiit soon commenced off-loading non-essentia- suppne: and parts, Various notices and instructiontq were established concerning phasing out or ','2I'lO'.lE snip runitrons. 30th repair-related and those dealing eferjfnajr shipboard operations. Q 1 t ' ' As repair work contznued. and '.f.' zu-: continue through the end of August. Rear Admiral Parker and the COMSERVGRU TVCO Staff once again ernbarked in PIEDMONT on 15 June for several days and then returned to YELLOVJSTONE. The Staff rertrned to PIEDMONT on 25 June for about t 'o '.f.' eeks unti 9 July. July 1982 On 6 July 1982. a PIEDMONT notice was issued concerning the decommissioning cerernonjr on 30 September. The retirement of US-S PIEDMONT was by now a definite reality. PIEDMONT Arrives at Pier 25 June 1982 Although the number of months remaining until decommissioning were quickly diminishing. PIED- MONT's repair department worked at the usual heavy pace. In June, PIEDMONT was tasked with providing tender services to USS GUADALCANAL ILPH 71, USS SAVANNAH IAOR 41, and USS INCHON ILPH 121, among others. Plans for setting up a Maintenance and Training Team KMTTJ were formulated in the middle of june in anticipation of PIEDMONT being leased to the Turkish Navy immediately upon decommissioning . . . a 'hot-ship turnover., Reassignrnent orders began to arrive regularly. On 10 June 1982, a USS PIEDMONT notice was issued 42 PIEDMCNT got undenffag' for the last time on Ivfonday. 12 July remaining within Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads waters in order to :indict special operations in the harbor. PIEDMONTS last rev: days at 'seawere exciting with the ship operating with helicopters and Navy Seal Team members who were ccndncting boat and helo exercises with the ship. After three days at sea in and out of the approach channel tc Norfoht. PIEDMONT sailed up the York River cn 15 lulrr to Naval lNeapons Station Yorktown to 'rnlca - ,- ..-.-.,-.-..-..-av L.. .. ..-- -C--C--A--1-5 weapons and ammunition. The next day. families and friends cf PIEDMONTS crew boarded the ship for its final voyage . . . a S5-1013 dependents' cruise back to Pier 25 in Ncrfclk. A cook-out picnic on the flight deck highlighted thi' final family cruise. During a televised Captains Call on 22 Lluly. C.-XPT McNicholas addressed the crew on tl s I'-llllftff of decommissioning. During the month of July. the ships service dii.isiOH held several clearance sales with discount price' tc deplete the stock in the ship's store and the tobacco shop. Towards the end of the month. with the retiremerli of PIEDMONT only a matter of weeks EV-'EV PIEDMONT began repair work on its last custonzer. L iss airs MOUNT WHITNEY QLCC 201. while completing repw - to other ships that had started earlier in the month. i f I I I K I l 1 I f ' 'A A ugust . . . September . . . Stand-Down Carpenter Shop personnel prepare to close up shop. August 1982 The month of August was the last month USS PIEDMONT would provide routine maintenance to ships of the Atlantic Fleet. Preparations for the decommissioning ceremony were finalized during August. Invitations were mailed, plans for the reception to follow the ceremony were formalized, and color and honor guards were drilled. On Wednesday, 4 August, the ship's Final Fling beach party was held at NAB Little Creek and crew members, families and friends gathered for the last time. Crew members had an opportunity to bid on the ship's two recreation vans through a 'sealed-bid procedure' during August. After the middle of the month, the repair workshops began to close down, disbursing was no longer authorized to cash personal checks, more and more personnel were transferred to their new duty stations and those remaining prepared to close down business and move off the ship. X On 17 August 1982, PIEDMONT shifted berths to the head of Pier 25 and a floating barracks CAPLJ was brought alongside. On the first of September, all berthing compartments would be sealed off. The decommissioning of USS PIEDMONT was quickly approaching and so was the annual Combined Federal Campaign CCFCJ. Even with the hectic planning and preparations for closing down all business, the CFC campaign started early so that PIEDMONT could contribute to the charity drive. On 19 August, a kick-off presentation was held on CCTV. The campaign would complete in September with 97 per cent of the crew contributing over S14,000. September 1982 On 31 August 1982 crew members who lived on board PIEDMONT moved their belongings to the APL alongside for the last month. The next day the Enlisted Dining Facility closed down. All personnel were now entitled to commuted rations. On 1 September, working hours were altered because no meals were being prepared on board. The duty section was provided with box lunches from the naval station galley. The decommissioning stand-down had begun. During the first half of the final month, while most routine business ceased, other shipboard functions were conducted as usual. Navy-wide rating exams were given, medical conducted audiograms, and PIEDMONT's football team continued its winning tradition. As the days passed, however, the approaching decommissioning became more obvious. A stroll throughout the ship showed locked berthing areas, a barren mess decks, closed-down shops, and some material and equipment as well as all combustibles removed from the ship. After 10 September, the ship's store was closed. The post office closed on 15 September and while disbursing continued to issue travel pay, the laundry closed down, low-pressure air was secured, the firemain was secured along with flushing and cooling water, smoking was no longer permitted inside the ship, port holes were covered with plywood, and Medical, Dental and Personnel ceased to conduct routine business. During the three days preceding the decommission- ing ceremony, a frenzied atmosphere spread throughout the ship as all spaces had to be cleared of all remaining loose gear, equipment and working material. Each and every shop, compartment and office space had to be made ready for an indefinite period of storage. 43 , T 5, 1 2 f 7 yr'-, , 1' 5 YiQG0 , , N' fi ., .L fgv 'c-3 -1 re -Fi jx .-1, Ei 1. .-iv .- 1 L X L Ti k df. '1 1 r 5531 x F f L ,.. 'f x - x ., A 4 N M14 , ' X A 1: 1 H J: , +f?.f'?.AfL -. -ff::.,, .- A . -,J , - 4:g1'3fsf' ' f, hmm ,- g:.1eff .. , V W f-,g.1..', 1,70 , ,M , 'H 'f5'9 'f'M W2 15, ' 'Q ' -,-w '5, Mdwzygg Y -. 'Nw 7W7,,,-'.- :,1:?f7Vfa9 ' I S ,M .. ,.fj?'7'M 1 ,1 , L .- -f .-1 - gf.: Vg -Q QV, H W V' N Y ,M Y g WM W - L. , ww. M1'j, +rm 4, ,S P' 1 WJ ,gf M g 'W M ww ,, Nw Wglw f L 65? 'mi L L 1 , f 1 'L N , . '1HrFw'7f7':zf:pw ., ,- , -YM-m:1'v ' ' X A. lf, w f , VJ -M J.. ' 1512 'V ,Milli , '- ,, .A ' ' V P-2 I J-fm V' 1' W MI' ,, f , 1 I-Y'U.sn1'f'Im-12'3 'Th1f'mgU'w :MV JM' -. , ,,:,,l,L,x..,2- ji. ,J ,MW ,fy K7 ,., .A,L1!J.,,A. RZ W The Decommissioning 30 September 1982 The morning skies of Thursday, 30 September 1982, broke the day with threatening rain clouds. On Pier 25, the ceremonial speaker's platform had already been constructed, workers lined up chairs and raised the reception tent. In the morning, the crew's living barge was towed away from PIEDMONT's side all crew members having moved their personal effects off earlier. Around noon, crew members began to arrive wearing pressed whites and ribbons in anticipation of the decommissioning. An eerie echo sounded throughout the ship as crew members took a final walk through the hull. Although the ship was not yet officially closed down at this time, the heart of USS PIEDMONT had all but ceased to function. A cold, empty hull a lifeless shell full of memories was all that remained. The decommissioning ending PIEDMONT's existence in the U.S. Navy would soon arrive PIEDMONT's untimely though inevitable rendezvous with destiny. The Decommissioning Ceremony Promptly at 1430, the ceremony commenced with an invocation by Captain H. F. McCall, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet chaplain. Rear Admiral john T. Parker, Commander Service Group Two, the principal speaker, spoke of PIEDMONT's dedicated service in time of war and peace, of his tenure as Commanding Officer of USS PIEDMONT from 1973 until 1975, and of PIEDMONT's recent accomplishments and of its unsurpassed reputation of service to the fleet. Captain Thomas M. McNicholas spoke next of PIEDMONT's history and of Doc PIEDMONT's special spirit. During the Captain's address, on the 'O2' level, DOC PIEDMONT himself appeared, waving good-bye to the crowds on the pier below. Then came the decommissioning. Orders to lower the commission pennant were given and the symbolic pennant came down. The quarterdeck watch was secured. Watchstanders filed down the brow the last crew members to depart the ship. With the ceremony over, the scattered clouds that hung over Norfolk quietly grew in intensity as crew members and guests gathered in the reception tent for 46 W 3 , . ,...' . M s--14,0 ..W .X , 'la 7.-zysfyyg www My all f ' 7 QW ' ' X . . - f 1- Maw. .321 - fit. ' .. . - N ,J R X if ... ' ' EQ: ' 'x SWS.-. ' Egg ,-: Q. Lf- f ' xsmwfs -f , -Q sl' v ,. r .1 we . 4 . .gal , ye ' , , , . .' ss - ? ' ,JGQJ53 It 'ki 'N 43 W VI , . ...P 'ff 1. . , sf fr .h .1 f , f , 'ff TWT f -f ' Above: USS PIEDMONT. Opposite Page, Top: The Decommissioning Crew. Left: CAPT McNicholas. Right: The Ceremony Program. farewell greetings, hand-shakes of good luck, and last, but lasting, chats. Later, ex-USS PIEDMONT was towed away from Pier 25 as the skies filled with rain. PIEDMONT was gone . . . but his history, memories and spirit will long live on in those who served aboard him, visited him, knew him. E 25 Z 1 r I r R 2 ! 6 5. 9 l u :- E A S x 1 l 1 5 l 4 5 A 5 x I Q E 5 r E I E i M A as if . , - 1 4 4 ' :wr ' as .3 . .f Y Q . I r , ' fill l, Q i NS: ..ff ' ' 5 l 3 ' H :gsffg ,V W , ,tt ' Epllggug 1 5 E S Ex-USS PIEDMONT was towed to the Inactive Ships Facility in - Portsmouth, Virginia, following the decommissioning ceremony to await ' rf 6 ? Q sxwwnw f ff' fs X ,Zvi y M, ,K QW if ' A 5' . we f' QTY final disposition. Congress had approved a bill to lease PIEDMONT to one of the United States' staunchest allies, Turkey. Forty-seven PIEDMONT crew members had been selected as Military Training Team QMTTJ members to instruct Turkish Navy personnel on the operation and maintenance of the ex-AD 17. In mid-October, the ship returned to Norfolk Naval Base, the first stop en route to its new home in Turkey. The ship's hull number was painted over in anticipation of receiving its new name, TCG DERYA IA-5761, at a commissioning ceremony on 2 November 1982. The spirit and uniqueness of Doc PIEDMONT can never again be fully recaptured but at least the ship will continue to fulfill its intended mission of service to the fleet for years to come. KN 1 47 51 I l 1 i 5 i 5 x 1 : i 4 l S S r 1 :1 33 a a J Above: The commission pennant comes down Above Right Doc PIEDMONT greets children on the Rear Admiral Pai ker pier. Right: Captain McNicho1as and 1 -4 llg 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 X 1 1 S 3 r 5 1 J 1 5 Z P 1 1 1 1 4 1 5 1 5 2 1 1 -1 1 Y , , 1 1 1 1 yu K s E Z , i - ' A x J a- vw Chapla1n LCDR Herbert Barker USS PIEDMONT S Chaplam L1eutenant Commander Her bert Barker was responsmble for the rel1g1ous gu1dance and moral support of the crew Among h1s many dut1es he conducted weekly worshrp ser VICCS on board and conducted spec1al memor1al servrces He also acted as a counselor rn helpmg personnel wrth personal problems or d1ff1cult1es flnd a solutmon Chapla1n Barker d1rected the operat1on of the sh1p s chapelfh brary wrtnessed Captam s Mast proceed1ngs and worked w1th the Drug and Alcohol Program Adv1sor CDAPAJ 1n lead1ng substance abusers onto the road to recovery Command Master Ch1ef ETCM Bryan Rader The Master Ch1ef Petty Offlcer of the Command Master Ch1ef Electron1cs Techn1c1an Bryan Rader played a v1tal role 1n the cham of command occupy1ng a pos1t1on that requ1red act1ve 1nvolvement 1n all levels of pol1cy mak1ng He acted as a l1a1son between the enl1sted commun1ty on board USS PIEDMONT and the Com mandlng Offlcer He was also the l1a1son between PIEDMONT S famrly members and the com mand Among Master Ch1ef Raders many dutxes he served on the Human Relatmons Counc1l the Str1ker Board Plann1ng Board for Tra1n1ng Welfare and Recreat1on Counc1l Awards Board and the Command Advancement Board ' x The Administrative Department was primarily responsible for the administrative management, person- nel administration and guidance for the ship and crew. These functions were carried out by the Administra- tive Officer, Personnel Officer, Career Counselor, Chief Master At Arms, 3-M Coordinator, Human Resources Management Specialist, Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor, Ship's Secretary, Discipline Officer and Public Affairs Assistant. The Personnel Officer was re- sponsible for the administration of all matters relating to personnel man- agement and distribution. The Ship's Secretary supervised all shipboard correspondence and reports. The Command Career Counselor provided guidance to crew members on Navy career benefits as well as retirement and veteran's benefits. The Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor CDAPAJ coordinated drug control programs and processed applicable personnel for treatment. The Administrative Staff con- sisted of the following work centers and offices: Captain's Office, Person- nel Support Center CPSCJ, Legal Office, Master-At-Arms, Post Office, '03' level classroom, Career Coun- selor Office, Educational Services, and Public Affairs Office. Adminisfrt iv Depaffm ENS Gregory Moore Administrative Officer Journalist CJO3 Master-at-Arms CMAJ Navy Counselor CNCD U CD 7 U7 1-xO 'UD Z3 szCD 3 QD 3 O lllll 'U o EL fl Q C3 7? 3 S2 Yeoman CYNJ 53 l E 5 l V V L V V L V F l V r D i 2 l l 5 L P r L 1 l V V 1 L. f -.-T V1-M r HI'-.4 Administrative Department YNCS William Maloney MRCS Robert A. Park YNC Howard jackson PNC Earl L. Winn HT1 Michael L. Brown PN 1 David L. Chavez EM1 Ernesto Delacruz BT1 Robert Sprout TM2 David DeWa11 102 Steven J. Dow RP2 Leo W. Fogerty PC2 john B. Gaboury PN2 Richard Lajoye RM2 Larry W. Rachel AW! if gi M 1 N X ' M f ' .vp , , -V i 1 X 9 f ff f ,W ff A f: 0 . Opposite: CAPT McNicholas, ETCM Rader, and CDR Madison look on as NCC Lassiter touches up the paint on the Blue Retention HR. Above YNC jackson supervises YN2 Robertson. Right: PC2 Gaboury serves a customer at the post office. Qi' ' PN2 Jeffrey Roberts YN2 George Robertson PN3 Albert V. Hogg PC3 Michael Monahan PN3 William Mousley ' P -4 55 i 7-liil :-f -E' - -V PN3 Kevin D. Scribner Q PN3 Kenneth Smith PNSN james Davis SN Andrew Milwee PNSN Lawrence Myers SN Willie Potts Top: NCC Lassiter mans a desk and a telephone. Above: PN3 Scribner on watch. Right: PCs pick up the mail. 56 sl l J l l Deck Department - consisting of three divisions - was primarily responsible for maintaining the exterior surfaces of USS PIED- MONT in top-notch condition. FIRST DIVISION personnel performed routine deck preservation tasks in upkeeping the forward half of the ship, operated the two forward service cranes and handled the anchoring devices. The Seaman and Boatswain's Mates of this division also stood watches on the signal bridge and in the pilothouse while underway. SECOND DIVISION personnel also performed routine deck preserva- tion work in the aft half of USS PIEDMONT. They also operated the two cranes in loading supplies and repair work. Like their shipmates in First Division, these personnel also stood underway watches. BOAT GROUP personnel were tasked with maintaining, operating and handling of PIEDMONT's small boats. They also maintained boat deck areas and stood underway watches, particularly keeping a lifeboat ready while USS PIED- MONT was at sea in the event of a man overboard. fr ,Vi 1 -, '- VV gii, X E i f gl A',, I CWO4 James Salavejus First Lieutenant it I 4 , lf ff, Boatswaln s Mate CBMl 'J 57 ug. ai.. , D i i K E I r v l F l l Fir t ivision BM2 Donald Ernsberger BM2 Ronald K. Sparrow BM3 David A. Carso BM3 Jay C. Owens SN james R. Detogni BMSN Douglas A. Fick SN Danny L. Furrow SN Bart S. Garrison SN A. M. Heister SN LeRoy Lawrence Left: Boatswain's Mates touch up paint. Below: BMSN Kilburnand LTJG Carden stand watch on the bridge. 1' X X X ' 7: ' W' W , ' .. ,i ff fi fl N .,,.., y ffff - Q is Ni . X 'f , f 5 I Y . A 7 7-pc, ' .ifmtsnn is .I fi 4 I Y f fy? I f ' 1 'Y Left The fleet tug ATAKAPA gmves PIEDMONT a tow dur1ng Operatlon Sea Venture 1n August 1981. Above: PIEDMONT enters Norfolk Naval Base waters. SN I. C. Love SN Roger R. McCracken BMSN Mark A. McGill BMSN Steven C. Mullis SN Bruce Reed SN Michael A. Walker BMSN Daryl J. Wilson SA Brian M. Cassidy SA Anthony J. Garrett SA David L. Haynes 59 econd DIVISIGH BMCS Thomas L. Griffin BM1 Andre Barry BM1 Gerald Penor BM3 Daniel E. Park BM3 Michael P. Sciacca SN john A. Barfield SN Kenneth H. Callaway SN Edward Davis SN Richard A. Gravit BMSN Jeffrey L. Kellam SN David Kennedy BMSN Bruce E. Lesisko BMSN Robert A. Loriaux SN Darryl H. Pitts SN Phillip Schillinger if all Above: Second Division personnel. Right: BM3 Park. .. nv sw Q . 71. SA Mark L. Engler SA Steven M. Ford SA jeffrey Schueler SA John A. Wright BMSN David Vredenburg SA Michael J. Bogus SA Keith L, Cooper SA Frank K. DuBose SA Christopher Eliff 61 Boat Group SN Steven J. Eberwein SN R. W. Kucinski SN Howard G. Larson SN Preston W. Long SN Dana C. Truitt SA Edward Casenave SA Keith L. Cooper 62 ENS Grace Mehl, Division Officer BM3 Ted W. Heath BM3 J. R. Johnson mask SN Lashley on Boat Deck. F ' r 1 5 I l 5 Y L O l 9 1 i n X I N i i i 1 1 1 W 1 P ' s -I SA Joseph Larming SA Eric Lashley SA james Spillman SR joseph Banka SR Michael Peterson ff Q I 3 f 4... i Dental Department LCDR Robert Sergent LT Bredon W. Berg LT Lloyd McDonald DTCS Richard Booker DT1 Francisco Verzosa DT2 Daniel Makad DT3 Victor Kimble DT3 Kevin Scipio SN Daniel Stone DN Froilan Vanta DA Carlyle Lane 64 - ,e xe we ,t - .N 'Y-F9 .,x x - 2 Q5 f Left: LT Berg and DT2 Makad perform operative surgery. Above: DT1 Verzosa and DN Vanta. The Engineering Department consisted of four divisions, tasked with operating and maintaining the main propulsion plant, supply utility services such as steam, water, air and power, and maintain damage control operations. AUXILARY CAD DIVISION promoted shipboard habitability by maintaining air conditioning systems, laundry and dry cleaning equipment as well as various ship equipment such as the ship's cranes, anchor windlass, steering gear and boat engines. BOILER CBJ DIVISION was the heart of the Engineering Depart- ment because this division operated and maintained the four boilers -A e,,,1.'..,...r..- -gi:.,::.af.i which were the initial source of power for PIEDMONT. MACHINERY CMJ DIVISION operated and maintained PIED- MONT's two main propulsion tur- bines which drove the electrical generators as well as pumps, com- pressors, condensors and related systems. REPAIR QRJ DIVISION main- tained the watertight integrity of USS PIEDMONT and controlled the ship's readiness to combat fire and flooding. Personnel in R Division also operated a maintenance shop for the repair and maintenance of PIEDMONT's hull, decks, struc- tures and fittings, piping and drainage systems. ' 4 -1 2 ' - fi -W .- 1 f-2 a ' '-ii ' l 'J - 'V H 3' '-he V ' 2 fi 'Wit fv'.w'21.-Di:-7' Q 2.1:-will?'2,6f'v f iJ',-2-fl'-2 '-Wiwm fir-P -734.Q..-'f-'?1Exi'.C r'5H?.i312 J1'4H 3 ' 'iii'-'Elm-hi-!'?'Hl.f,vi '22 6341.7 Vififiifil IPWRLGE2-1,-4 wi ' ' 1-fi if tiff? A, 4 f ' Z f '- L i -Y f T' L,-'.H,f QQ-.V 3..,--iq,-'3H.'fi efi'p,f:1-'wa'2,35-'i'1 'i.:1,ug1-iw? RJ-V 213.5 itET ,X'ig.:..iv'.'m?,.jlib!a.,IhF'i 3iT'F i,3..'e f 'si ,,Y,WJ1i:f,f1i 4H'b'.NgH51:fiqEv-E !:.3aina-'fi-.iiflifbf -, ' Y v K L'--1 .le 2 i- F' 'vw pl . H 2 ii fr -JW f --193, '!i'f,'i.- aiu -R-'W 1..aa1'fDfMH:'3.ihu?'w.:Hci13:4-a.FfLi-l?,i:Mii'.-'i.fw. 1-:rw fi 1-'Li'- V f g, f fi-fl -iw, Y Q I 5,-1 i-yy. zjgnu --gig 55.5 4i,s',ei J , , V f f . - -. f f f 4 V, . , R-1:1 ,M 4 a saw., M- i .i VN, ww - ax.-.-HV'Q,-:fix-i-eamwL1f1.ie.1uvs:w.qaUi-me -1.. mu-e i-'41-' ., Y f ' ' ' . A ' 'i , ' ' 'W 2 ' 1'-Z1 .SRP-ll: 357' 'I iNkf 3 'i ' E' ' 54: iKi?3 FvQ-I.-E:'B E'f5,f-V29953' iF1iQA.il'5Hi1F!i- s1'a'.-'.iiS??.f H13 ' ,f Z f . .V , , 'f , , , , f ' V , - , kg I , f, .jw,1-., .L'y..- L-Q g.j',.,1-', lkLra',gifs,3L.,.7l.v-Jtgdinixi iQ?.ifY:',: 2.3- ,wfi,f--EG-iliflfi-5i ?'WJi,S.m3'7!?-.ie.!. .,,,,g1J,ii-ii'J'LI2',:f6F:La 1,5Zf399111-bi?qFg.'l--265-L?-i-'?!E?',mtf 31,53 :L-'Aw ' - , V r V. - -4 f 'U-.-fi 2-Ta. J H w..',',-'Z vhHf' if-1:x.-5.-i--5+J 5,w6221--'fE,.i?..f-4,4,l'2,1P'.. ::'.3zwaiiawa'fn'1'.viG J 1'.ihf?32'9'N'H445-i'V3'F?HJiI'M'C.CE-'Wi-I sL:i11T-'Mihai-Ev'.J'H..riQ-I-WeiI AL.-HI 1 I . ., ,Q 1,51 VW, -Y w:,..'.ewi-nhmwuw'.:'.-HL'-,,a.:.i.i-wimc-ua an .e-ea. , , 1 1 f- 2, e- -V 1 , . ,fs ., i we , sim. .v.,,ii,-1-4.5,..1,.w-,,'-1.-',1 afmi-'f.1.ami1 iv,-+:.n H1i.1-s,'e M1 1 f ' . ' ' - ' J. 'v M'-H HM .-NJ. 4-T 'Tw' W -lip' '1 'f A 1-.C-2' i-41,31 im,-1'4,vW.i'51Time.-w1?:?m1.imzzryai -a.Em 4,14.-1-1-.W.1'.S1-ww?1 li-61' I , , , , V, H 4. -..-, Q ,-,. V , , , .,,., 1 .V .ii ,,,, 1 ,--.- .,.. . L vi.1,-wfiil, -L1-',, it ,.,, , ,V ,, ' H ' '-.fl-2' , uh Hb- ,f-.Aa 2: in -,J 'Hal H-1 5-'GJ' -'MW' 1' QL -' ?.aiv4'e1?e,f'c'Q'-Q 2'-Kailua'1-EHlit -'alqg--'--'5511'-113-giwisiiA-'lG'13y,.-Q5 2 CAN? 2 . ' f ' , H ' S ii 2, 'L.'- uf -'TH 'J w FZ, bfi ' 21Z:v,.v J? iufkiiv-A Q-5-'F 232233 H,'i'i'W3 LF,-'21l?iW?-'iii i'3i.i'h5HP55n',:H?3Ee51'.Xv5' ?',253uL H1 1 3' - f ' f , 1 , - jk- f 1 , v , 'Q f , if 2, fj:,'-5211 - -,'E i-1.1--',': its-'1'5'1: fwfazi' ,,'k.,5-v2g','3n3'.Evii'i'..'.,i,1'fH!bk:3'. -3-X223.E55UQPIEQ3.Qv'bi13'ffI2v:'l9'e'Qfx.Li1QqifH521q,qq 5,Q-35.7gQ'Q-A121515'5-1',q5.'5j'Egl'?vQlQ?ffA'fgrEg5'?ia 111152 ff ' - ' ' J ' 3 I-- Y, ' V -,il ' 4 ' , ' i ' I Lw 'Vt hifi' Fi' fi Y 'fi' USWVE 5,5'ffi'f'v i'2-i '7Z'1l ,-ici: 11-ir'-Q'wk'9'?w51f3:II'2i'i?.'3fH?M'1l.Ua'fiirilf' Ei 65:5-aEK.9'Ai1iE'UV1 Q-TIES?.-'53l51'iW'.i'2'5f'1'. Jimi? 1' , , a ' , 4 , : f ' ' 1 - 4' , Lf- '2 L- -it '2 Fi- f',.fI'1 f ,J aJ.v5 Tl' 2'.5h:!'w!'E2.fb1342523 S-:L'?3f3 3V!f1r'1Vf'iI'iEi,.fJy'E'1! F-Wifi-L it-fi'Hs!24C.ig'.,:b1'E REQ0'4 flilFI-5:7'2'5fE-9521:H4iw 9iFllifi'2r ' f ' Y -' f ' f ' ' T 'J . i 1 'f 'Z - 'fi-I'-'rift' 'riff' '1 ,T-J 'Hf 3,-Rf , -W'3...2: '-S 2321-55:3 .Li-'25-: i',i.Ev'i' efiilllijif-3-14'i'ii,,i1-GHZHlik'3'-inE+6li!E'3i-5,554:lf.Baum-?.-i1FHriEIflfE-K 191153 f , ' V .4 Y , f - f ' , 1, sv, 2 4-J i 5 2 L 4-1' Q we-,, -we if-A-in 1f-ff-Mt'1.9,-'.5'if1f -cga:,,:,-1--JM,2,:.:f::'-19.9-.xi:1'al,?2.iw1v.m ,:Hn,q,wg:-.fnigii , - ' , , 1 , - 'Y . 3 , 7- , -1 3, ' I 1, -.5 ---,230 i-21' 1, Qwmwff- :It LT Robert L. Graves Chief Engineer i, ,, X ,,t, sw 'Qs -5.2.1. J' W 'J' I Boiler Technician KBTD I i Engineman KEN! Hull Maintenance Technician CHTJ Machinists Mate CMM? 65 A ilary Q 5 Di ision MM1 Vernon Simms MM1 Ronald Williams EN2 Ronald DuPlanty MM2 William Gill EN2 Osbond Kindle EN3 John Marriott EN2 David Sterner FN Joseph J, Bald ENFN Michael Campbell ENFN Cyril J. Hill FN Billy Humpnries 66 4, 1 Wim! . S , S 9 Q W 551 WNW iii! L +- An Engineman at work. ----.---- Y ,,:a ..-l MMFN Michael Kokinda ENFN Danny Moore ENFN Raymond Smith ENFN Louis Spettel FN Timothy Taggard FA Hollis Bean X, New NPS: I' u J.1.'i 55 law 1 rs Q1 mn., h 'K HA, , is , S fq V is Q' 1' 3 K X LT Sara Brown tries on a new gas mask. .f ' N iii A ex in its x i K 67 Boiler Q J Division LT Beulah C. Galvin BTC Alan T. Thackeray BTI Richard Entrekin BT1 Donnie L. Tilley BT2 Owen McPherson BT2 Mark R. Taylor BT3 joseph Bartley BT3 Larry S. Basley BT3 Timothy Herbert FN Matthew Butler f 4 BTFN Carl R. Crowell ' frf., 'Il H, . Q 3' J 9 x FN David C. Hilton FN Todd G. Lesher A Boiler Technician keeps watch on 3 boiler, 68 5 Ns 4 3? T' A 1 B Division personnel. BTFN Robert Mauldin BTFN Shane McGraw FN Timothy Miller FN CQ V. Morris BTFN Jay Shroader BTFN George Terry FA Robert M. Meza FA Richard Perez ' FA Roger Segusa FR Allan Parson 69 Maohiner M Division MM1 Michael O'Conner MM2 David Emig MM2 William Wheeler MM3 Randall Free MM3 Richard Gregory LT Roger L. Hedrick MMC James Stewart MM1 Peter Doherty MM1 Thomas Leach of Q, W ff mf 1 A Machir1ist's Mate on watch. I li i 4 l 1 w I l l ,l I I M MM3 Lenon. MM3 Joseph Humphries MM3 Thomas E. Rice MM3 Donald Woolard MMFN john M. Gaefe MMFN Howard Gubbs MMFN Barry Lenon MMFN Kenneth Linder MMFN James McFarland MMFN Dale L. Smith MMFN joseph Yenger FA Charles Bennett FA Ray Chamberlain FA Patrick Scholler FR Kevin Barnes 71 Repair Q J ivision CWO3 john Werderman HTCS James C. Faris HTl Gerald Hawkins YN3 John Clifford HT3 Donald Horton HT3 Patrick Larotonda l X HT3 Timothy A. Smith HT3 Thomas Uriverzagt HT3 John W. Wood 7 2 gi sw s yrs was A , '-R 'xx , wi , , B , i, I Opposite: CWO3 Werderman. Above: HT3 Horton and friend at the 'Final Fling' in August 1982. Right: An HT makes repairs to a fire hose. lf' .MW X .- 1 X i f --.-I HTFN Robert Dougherty HTFN Phillip A. Lea HTFN David Loucks HTFN Peter A. Nimick V1 Xi , HTFN Robert Paden A FN Robert A. Stoe FA James W. Allen f ' f? -. ' 'f A e xx Q 1 N! VXWN Q X ff K , fs f X X f f U S 1 4 'W 3? Q f Z , J 710 Q f Z fx Q Qgfa if W ,A ,Ng f 0 , '55 N KW Kiwi-fx W4 fr rg V, MN 73 Medical Department 7 I 5 V x ' 1 A , 4 LT Peter A. Bertani LT Susan E. Presseau HMC Frank L. Hans HM1 Darnell Dixon HM2 Jon Salonimer I V W, I C! ' f?4,ff5 Z HM3 Raymond Bumpers P f HM3 David DeHaven A HM3 Girjadayal Gayadin X HM3 Derril S. Pruitt SN Brian P. Farrell I L i QQ-s...i. T, Above: HM3 DeHaven gives a t' t h' b t 1-1 Right: HM3 Pruitt. pa len ls es S ot' 391 ssre V We . , P H X if L A X K A '-4 11. The main objective of the Operations Department was to provide USS PIEDMONT with rapid and reliable communications and to safely navigate the ship from port to port. In Radio Central, Radiomen screened hundreds of messages each day for those intended for PIEDMONT. They also processed outgoing messages with topics rang- ing from a reenlistment request to an urgent situation report. Signalmen kept the ship in touch with other ships and commun- icated with them by flashing lights. The SMs also kept track of harbor epar m nt movements while PIEDMONT was in port. Operations specialists enabled PIEDMONT to see over the horizon while at sea. While underway, they were the first to see land or an approaching ship. They plotted and calculated information that the Officer Of the Deck would need on the bridge to make correct decisions to avoid close situations. Quartermasters kept a careful account of where the ship was while at sea, where it had been, and where it was going. These personnel advised the OOD on the necessary courses to get PIEDMONT to its destination. ft xx bu M1-x Unix! Mm KN' W LT Winfred Aker Operations Officer -.-.-...i Operations Specialist COSJ Fiadioman QRMJ Signalman CSMJ Quartermaster CGM? 75 5 i 1 N i ,f , W,,,,,,.w . rj L Gperations Department RM1 George T. Mayo OS1 William T. Souza RM2 Danny Barrett RM2 James Burchell OS2 Winston Harrison LTJG Phillip Altizer SMC Stephen Magga QM1 Stephen Klipp RM1 Steven Maxey QM1 Klipp plots PIEDMONT's course. Right: LTJG Altizer 76 gk is s ,,.1 -s ,Nw Y ' 3 5' Az, in K , ft: gm? Lf, ss . sf, XX Q fx . es we ts Was, '- ff 7 V X X X i A sw S is N - s W X A Z nf ff if ' vvn OS3 League and OS3 Cruz. Li SM2 Garrett Robinson RM2 Paul Ruiz SM2 Paul Thomas OS3 David Allen OS3 Alexis Cruz OS3 Gary League SM3 David Ream RMSN james DiCarlo RMSN Calvin Fox SN Rocco Glanders RMSN james Glass SN David Overton SMSN Timothy Petersen QMSA John Gravatt 77 Right: SN Overton on the port bridge wing. Below Left: QM1 Klipp. Below Right: QMSA Gravatt. The Repair Department was the largest and most diversified depart- ment on board USS PIEDMONT . . . consisting of seven divisions and over 300 personnel. USS PIEDMONT's mission - to provide fleet repair support to all types of surface ships - was the responsibility of the Repair Depart- ment to carry out. Through the administrative sup- port of the Repair Officer CROJ Division, the Hull Repair Division CR-lj, the Machinery Repair Divi- sion CR-25, the Electrical Repair Division CR-35, the Electronics Repair Division CR-41, the In- strument Repair Division CR-SJ , and the Quality Assurance Division CR-65, PIEDMONT had established an outstanding reputation as a Can-Do tender along the Water- front with extensive repair capabili- ties to combatant and non combatant naval ships ranging from mine- sweepers to destroyers to cruisers to aircraft carriers, as well as several shore activities. The Repair Department made PIEDMONT capable of fixing any- thing from an intricate electronic device to a damaged side of a ship. S l T in 'llf i i,.1.. , - , ' ' I , z i a - T fiii ' ' L ,il' i if Y T I 1 i fl 3 77, CDR john C. Scalzo Repair Officer LCDR Robert E. Wallace Assistant Repair Officer Q Q Electrician's Mate fEMJ 'rr I Q Electronics Technician QETJ Instrumentman UMD Machinery Flepairman CMRJ Patternmaker KPMD 79 Repair Uffiee QRO D'v1s1on LT Lemual R. Harris ICC James Bentley HTC Richard Connors HTC Preston Price HTC Charles Shaffer HT1 William Anderson EM1 John E. Hall EM1 Thomas A. Hepp 80 HT1 Levitt. 'hu x c..,. I-IT1 Joseph Raymond SK1 Stephen Thomas GSM2 Jeffrey Grimm BT2 james Hughes ET3 Michael LeBlanc MM3 Michael Mansfield YN3 Buford McKenzie EM3 Terry Wieczorkowskm Hull Repalr 15 1v1s1on LTJG Steven A. Carden HTCS James G. Barrett HTC Lonnie Atchinson HT1 john L. Dennis ML1 John W. Kappes AHTI Dale S. Houst HT1 Benjamin Rivers HT1 Dennis Walton BM2 Stanley Johnson HT2 Steven Johnson ML2 Reynaldo Pamolo PM2 Stuart Phelps HT2 Lee R. Pitchford HT2 Larry G. Scott HT2 Gerald Spatz In March 1982, PIED MONT's Hull TCChn1C1anS constructed a cofferdam to afix to USS DuPONT S side while making exten sive repairs to the hull 82 E n l i 'SY' Wfr' XY P HT2 Derrick Williams HT3 Michael Castle ML3 Bruce Champagne HT3 Thomas Downs BM3 Daniel T. Hagen HT3 Robert Cameron HT3 Robert Leible HT3 Alan L. Lomax HT3 Timothy Malek HT3 James Marshall PM3 Jon M. Prazen HT3 Michael Walker HT3 Floyd P. Wiser HTFN Michael Buechlin HTFN Charles Carnahan SN Lloyd K. Danner WQWWYZKWW HT3 Castle receives a PIEDMONT P 83 HTFN Patrick VEckenrode HTFN Alan L. Heck HTFN Scott LaDue HTFN R. J. LaFerriere HTFN Allen McClain HTFN john Mehalko HTFN Patrick Meyer HTFN John Pierson HTFN Eugene Salsbury HTFN Richard Shultz 84 sn, , W Right: ML1 Kappes in the foundry. Above: personnel Watch a smoker. Opposite Page, Left: PM2 Phelps and HT2 Pitchford. Right: SN Danner. HTFN Steven Smith HTFN Timothy Smith HTFA Robert Franklin HTFA Randy Hargrave SA Douglas Johnson HTFA Frank J. Ogle SA Brent L. Ross HTFA Kevin Reece HTFA Wayne Tardiff HTFA Thomas Wisseman FR Matthew Baker HTFR Douglas Scheid - ss R X ft' Q 5 Machinery Repalr -25 MMCS john C. Berk MRCS Edward Hanson BTC Edward Cockrell BTC Ronald Dibbern MR1 Michael Hallman BT1 Christ Hanson MR1 jose Llanes MR1 Ralph Wareham BT1 Eugene Weisbeck MM2 David Aubrey MR2 jon D. Bonds BT2 Jerry D. Culp MM2 Patrick Donahue MR2 Bryan Gilmore MR2 Russell Gray MR2 Mark S. Hines 86 l P ,YAl' K ' ... do MA., , L .. , , we M.. x , X Nl A at 1 6, so U 1 S Doherty and MM2 Quealey and families on the Family Cruise from Yorktown in July 1982. Boiler Shop personnel pack up equipmen preparation for the decommissioning. BT2 Robert Mason MR2 Myron May BT2 David Mynes MM2 Robert Quealey BT2 Thomas Watts MR3 Leonard Araiza MM3 John Baskin ' 4 -.. fir. , i I I I I yw, X W be it h r Zwwixxx. MM3 Merle Brown MR3 Timothy chiison I I I CAPT McNicho1as pre- sents MM1 Doherty Wit A a letter of appreciation at one of the last awards ceremonies. I I I I I MM3 Leonard Easterday MR3 Michael Gresham BT3 Steven Mills BT3 Richard Mitchell MM3 Russ Morrow BT3 Wayne K. Scott MR3 Bradley Smith MM3 Martin Taylor MR3 John Wieczorek MRFN Bryan Alterauge 88 MM3 Paul Cornwell MR3 Jeffrey Craft M , 2 mf uw, 'UU 49 V f M M -J JYMA t.i,iiiiiIi.i. . I Left: B'Il2.Scott and MMFN White inspect a valve. Joint. Below: MM3 Cornwell stands watch in the machinery spaces, ' T W R MMFN Vaughn Beard FN Derek L. Collins MRFN Cardinal Endsminger MRFN Ronlad Martin WW 'tx MQ MMFN Charles White P FA Edward Crawford MMFA christopher Given 1 MMFA Steven J. Zucchi 89 1 Electrical Repair R-35 W, we sn, X ' Q-.1-A f N , X- -rf, ,V 'QW CWO3 james A. Swartz , Q EM1 William Dewhirst X ss -x - A EM1 Augusto Evora rs ,i V EM1 Alberto Nevado f r ., N IC1 Thomas O Gorman e x w fr A C X ,xxx fx fz' Q , 0' ' i ,Rf , s, w 1 EM1 James Roberts IC2 Russell Bennett ' EM2 Jenista Brown EM2 Antonio Chavez 5 1 J 6 Wamswwww sv i 1 QW: J ,Z W WZ, 4, f ,W -wwf, 'f f Nggg I i Electricians work on an electrical z part in the motor rewind shop. -. 90 XXX, X uk Q ' 9 X N X x X alt! - '- his -ef rx .1 l 'Q X : fei-blxsww i Q-2-Eff v 5. 'X-mi IX +- ks-P' , IC3 Wackerstein EM2 james Dodge EM2 Paul Holper EM2 Jerome Jacobs EM2 juan Jimenez IC2 Brian Powell EM2 Rodel Valdoria EM3 Joseph Castro EM3 Darius Harvell EM3 Kenneth Koon EM3 Kenneth Maupin EM3 Erich Seitz IC3 Steven Wackerstein 91 Electric Shop personnel EM3 Allen Wooldridge HT3 Steven R. Yost EMFN Clevell Baldwin ICFN William James EMFN R. C. LasDulce 92 M W ' , f , a,.,,W,,..,,,,,,,,,,..,, I W 'if 'V 1 EMFN Robert Castle ICFN Donald Gildea EMFN Kurt Reckfort EMFN Allen Schultz ICFN George Spivey EMFN james Tryon ICFN Keith Warmack ICFA Michael Kish :' I Yfoww-Q.-f , Electronics Repair -45 RMC Arnold Armstrong ETC Gary Saggio ETC Daniel Wilkerson LT1 Wilbur Banks ET1 Michael Cosgrove RM1 William Henderson ET1 John Pugliese ET1 Dwight Rieger ET2 Richard Blahut ET2 Robert Gilbert '. -.-- l l l l 1 3 is l is ET2 Randy Holliday I ET2 Jeff Larson 3 l M i l M i l s i 1 ' f ET 2 Howard Morton X M ' ,f l X. f ,M gf 1 ET2 David Okoniewski c l gy' MQW K, ,,,, 3 f Q fx 'ff ' ig., X Q V I Qmvsxrarfw , N. 'K x 'X wx I x s ,MW .f e ,Q t , A -sms g ff 52 92, , if' in ' R f , R ,ia, i r , ' 55315 X I f A i,f f RMI Henderson, ET1 Rieger and ET3 , X p s Mehl are caught off-guard on the weather Ni, deck. M . SSA 5 ' MW 93 ET2 Mark J. Scott ET2 Phillip D. Shade ET2 Daniel Sundberg ET2 Gary Tinklepaugh ET2 Martin Wicz ET3 Matthew Bestercy ET3 Donald Kirkman ET3 Brian Mehl LI3 Paul Plaschko 4 W ,V Q7 1. f wf 4, - W, mfw, ff -'14, ' ' ?,,,,,,j' ,VW Right: ET3 Mehl picnics on the deck. Below: RM1 Henderson works on a teletype machine. Z M., , R . ,W 'af no f . k,.ff.w,..: r .1 2 X 1 Ei 5 'l l 1 N I l -ni Left: ETSN MacDon- ald works on an electronic part. Below: LI1 Banks supervises the print shop. ET3 Richard Siley PH3 jerry Teal ET3 Franklin Waller ET3 J. Wiedenhoeft SN Mark S. Bates ETSN Steven johnson ETSN Donald Leger ETSN Robert MacDonald PHAN Charles Yelton 95 w-11,-:gur- Instrument Repair - Q 77, f ., ' ' . i 1, 1 , , ffwja, ' Q IMC Robert Kotrba I IM1 Melvin Houck ' IM1 Earl F. Maupin OM1 Jerald Pankau OM1 Terry Wilson I -1 f A xi I OM2 Douglas Hoopes ' ' IM2 Daniel Klein ' V I i ,l I 4 UL, ' , ,Nf.:.- 1 W : .w.3444f ,f,f l ' N 'I R N? l 6t,,,: AQI, ?,, 7 I vi: f-as ,zflinm f , ': A 3 ' f ' . if A XX, , -. I I ,Jus ' OM2 Walter Reasons ' I IM3 John A. Gruelich ' ,if Q , I 1 X. U00 Right: IMC Kotrba works on a typewriter. Above Right: IM3 Hood reads a PMS card on fixing an IBM Selectric. ,,fff,W 1 il ll ffbg, Below: IMI Houck works on a delicate instrument. Right: OM3 Smith listens up to the chief. WW 7 OM3 Jeffrey Guernsey IM3 Kenneth Hood IM3 Henry Monroe IM3 Lance Shaffer OM3 Dale Smith IMSN Richard Brown IMSN Scott Reisman 97 uality Assurance CWO2 Julius Lenhart ENCS John W. LeCroy HTC Samuel Belton HT1 Edwin Black EN1 A. B. Canonigo MR1 Frank Lichtenwalner HT1 Daniel W. Stahl IC2 james Monday HT2 Richard Murphy EN2 Daniel Podolski EN3 Terry Campbell EN3 Theodore Deamus ENFN Matthew Bullock KQV? MZW5 1 HT2 Murphy and HT1 Stahl stand before the radioactive material vault. by , . N M i,--'rw ' 98 'fax SX c f is The Supply Department provid- ed the means by which USS PIEDMONT work centers and per- sonnel could carry out their functions and responsibilities. The Supply Support Division CS-lj was responsible for the pro- curement, receipt, storage, and issue of general stores material, adminis- tration of the ship's operating funds, the inventory and control of equipage, and the preparation of financial reports. The Food Service Division CS-25 prepared meals for PIEDMONT's crew, sometimes in excess of two thousand meals a day. The Mess Management Specialists and mess cooks operated three dining facilities the Enlisted Dining Facility CEDFD, the CPO Mess, and the officers' Wardroom. The Ship's Service Division CS-35 operated the ship's store, tobacco shop, two barber shops, laundry and dry cleaning plant and several vending machines. Disbursing CS-45 distributed the crew's pay twice a month and maintained special pay and allotment processing. Automated Data Processing CS-75 kept tabs on endless informa- tion items concerning PIEDMONT activities utilizing the shipboard computer system. D T rlir1 i 5 1 - 1 --,-' .-.-',-' r T , T ilss .- ,- 'r.f -,-r 1 . . T n 2 1rt-l -.'s . T T lslrr i ...,. T 1 alih --lr CDR James E. Leeper Supply Officer LCDR Mark E. Easton Assistant Supply Officer I Data Processing Technician iDPi Disbursing Clerk CDKD Mess Management Specialist UVISJ Ship's Service- man CSHJ Storekeeper CSKJ 99 Q. 1 l. w 1. 1: Mi Supply Support QS-ll LT Harry Guthmuller SKCS Antonio Arraiga SKC Roger Mondarez ,SK1 Felicito Jacob A SK1 David Lambert L i L i SK1 Pelasio Mikaele VSK1 Allen Wilkinson 'mr 5 i .. 1 x f A f SK2 james Collins V Os , SK2 Luther Tesoro ,, h I - , S A C, ff 5 , ,yy x fx I N n QQ Right: 'DK1 DeCastro stands Watch on the quarterdeck. Above ay -R-ight: 'SK1 jacob files ' a supply status card. , A,!'V,rff. x ' 1 X WW: 'gel-if-sis xx wi sNgVl -1- f st X I in , -r' rw X Ts 44 as .xxx 5 1 XXx f , X rr .QA I TX in 5 SX as . ss mmm ...WMM-NNN-N Left: A masked Storekeeper cleans out the overhead in the Supply Support Center. Above: SK2 Williams chucks wood supports onto the pier. K L x 72,1 ' 5 SK2 SK3 SK3 SK3 l z , r A1 5 , i I I P f X I Xrrrtl , MW WW '-5332' if NMMVQ W-QWM1 M., U w.wwwW,...,' .WM is N ...W,,.,..,r.,, ,M i ll 5 Albert Williams Reginald Jack 1 Lorenzo Lewis Henry L. Woods n N 5 i SN Richard Day SN Dennis Devine SKSN John Fitzwater SKSN Duane Mangum SA Paul Bizzell 101 Q Food Service QS-25 LTJG Adolfo Ajero MSC Avelino Tomaneng MS1 Edenelino Calpo MS1 Jaime Esquerra MS1 Reynaldo Hernandez MS1 Leonardo Lambinicio MS2 Lester Clark MS2 Greg Mielenz MS2 Theodore Moore ,V,v 102 Zf f X V l 1 1 L I l Left: MS3.Collier, MSSN Lewis and MS1 Hernandez prepare d1nner m the enlisted galley. Above: MS3 Knowles cleans up afterward. 3 -A '11 'fa ll N MS2 MS2 MS3 ea' if' Wwe . 'if92iFY:ii5m.ii?5752f,gpf V, nfs, ,. 'Q .N , 65 k sf f a.. X sy I F QAWX V MM' 5 Rss, QV' xQ -sW'PfffASn,ww,g A l l MS3 MS3 l MS3 MS3 MS3 Above Left: Galen Sambajon Lorado Vicente Anthony Collier Frederic Frere Patrick Garrett MS3 james Knoles Gary McLean Thomas Nelson Robert Peters MS2 Vicente stirs a pot of potatoes. Left: ComNavSurfLant birthday cake. 103 Right: MS2 Moore and friends on the july 1982 Family Cruise. Below Right: MSSN Aquirre. Below: MS2 Clark and MSSA Reusing fix chow. MSSN Michael Kweder MSSN Carl S. Lewis X it N . MSSN Haywood Silcox MSSA Frank D. Minio MSSA Gary Reusing MSSA James L. Simms MSSR Eric W. Fowlkes 104 ig QE? hip's Service QS-3 and DlSbU1' ing is 45 D1v1s1on ENS Patricia E. Baker SH1 Daniel DeHerrera SH1 Hudson Tapplar SH2 Cecil Allen SH2 David W. Hoff SI-I2 Theodore Thomas SH3 Daniel Hutchinson SH3 Kelvin Thomas SH3 Gregory Toson SH3 Calvin Womack SN Phillip Colangelo fi SN Wells gives a haircut DKC Remegio Penetrante DK1 Aquilino DeCastro DK3 Jerome Begany DK3 Juan R. Rivera DKSN Alfornia Gresham 106 Left: SH3 Hutchinson operates the tobacco shop. Below Left: Disbursing Clerks cash checks on the mess decks. Below: MSC Bulaong fixes ENS Baker's hair-do. L-'31 Z ,. Tix 9 14 Y .6 ADP QS-75 Di ision DPCS Roger R. Avery DS1 Gregory Contino DP1 Gary Fergusan DP1 Leslie W. Hagood DP1 Anthony Kelly DP2 Darrell Miller DP2 Richard Steinbauer DP3 jeffrey Adolphs DP3 Robert A. Little I3 A Data Processing Technician X feeds information into the com- E35 puter. ,, DP3 David L. Rembert DP3 Allen D. Stallard DPSN James V. Ables DPSN' Randy Barger DPSN Steven Schmidt DPSN Steven Vereen ADP personnel check over job-related PQS. Q ? Q 1 1 355 ffl , l 1 E 5 108 W X V l r 1-ul The Weapons Department covered three capabilities of today's modern Weapons systems. The Gunner's Mates of' the armory provided maintenance of PIEDMONT's 20mm gun mounts and various small arms. They also maintained inventory of the ship's cargo ammunition and trained per- sonnel for shipboard security. The Gunner's Mate Technicians and Torpedomen of the ASROC fAnti-Submarine Rocketj Shop were responsible for the testing, assembly and maintenance of the ASROC's PIEDMONT carried in storage. The Torpedomen of the Torpedo Shop were responsible for the testing, assembly and maintenance of the torpedos carried in storage on board USS PIEDMO T. ., V x , V. 1 - VV 'V .V 'V 1: - H- VV V ,V 1 g V- V - V3 V f V . 5 W' QV, fsVV.fg1.a V ' VLV L, ,-:::V.e uf: -mwzavf. .V tg, V1-ea, V, VV V , , ,, ., V V V..1VnV,.--V-VVJV.aff.WVaV,V4...VVmf.1f.w, 4-w:V.Wa..iw amfflwwe-mga-mi law-liturgy! f:V am M if aaa Ami-fee , VV ,V V fV ,V VV V4 V. V ,wav Ame-GV -Vale-myth?euxaacvivwaV-1a1:igaaw-m -fwwiwwztw wilwifwau vel! -ai-Uri-iyv..a4i?2lf1u fhugim-.xg ' V54 -aa-2.VVV V V 1. f V .mf - f ' 'ffm'-AVV Q 12 niixinaue-QVws.:m'Nw:G5Lax-wfmmffaqifligiife fi:?+w:f-wfxll.-F-n,5.w..1-gielia Km- - an aaa 3 V , ,Q f V Q - Sf f?112:VV VV V V V: V-, ,-Q, Vw- -- awww-Lim-'Wlewwwv--1rc,-is.Venice www:aw-vd3?FlfVwsnV,wMVmwmm41x-P'-Wlwmfgiebx-wfrkqffwtltw-e -. 1 e-5 fff2sVV:,V , VV V V 1- 1 we ., V... M - ..nm,m+'sslim-we.asm-Rgqvrnq1,+ iiqi:.+.s-eeiwkfzqifamfwxlwiym-V n',ym,4.f,.ggM9w- si, V V -'M , V . , .wwQ-l-wiim3im- wif- V . v -. - rV1ef'Vf:Vf41VV,Vf'V , V wr-Vi: .guvfw Viz:-N as-w em: aff- mllai-aspllmmwa-vii!-:'.i.,i-mnv.afe.V'.wEfa-MMmi4.-wwwmwwfrymzfm m4fYV'rWl +1 l-. J-9 VaV:VfVfV ,. .V V V ,V VV V . V VV m em- ,.-. new .-wi-1 M..g.VV1-1-Mwe-.-Vwmlimlmffw,min--ew-flwwflmw-' w Maw- .,.V-lm-'ilu -r-.rd ia QM ,,,,,2,,V,,,,,, . , L V, V, ,.,,.. ..w,, Vw 5-tm. Vi im- , ful V V , 1 . - V' V 4, : VVV .5 V.--.wap .w,,,aAiL:4faV:ffVwha-Q'341:A1ef.5.igiee.iiV-mm.vamp-F.f:ia,g,w-Sglmffv.:gaweremTNg5:fqwg45:wf3yi.w...aw-H'rrl9a1VavarVK -- we awk-tfVV V, ,V , VV. V L1-.w.1,-fe.. Vi, ,ff-.mi My.,-H. .Vai 1, . 4. V, V V ,V , , VV VVVV . Vf. , :maf2V-42,31.V-via-wVf14.Vi-fleimw.mamW-P9.6Vimwwlmeaww-.sire-lea-pmwmwiiw-wifi.-+wrwwfaHvrVmia! nm rg, ,M-g,,1, I ,. , V. , 4 , k , , ,k, k T V V , E .1 4 k 1 v ,-,4, ,.5,.Qg, Mupgq NNGAV..it,f,,1.-w-w..l.v.+V-imw.1lvWizi.wf.q.ueaWM.wjngfnmbvfmsz-.u,wV M,il,iui5?x,,..g-gmmmffg,--. qw. ,af . V V, V 'VV . 5 ' VV :VV V Q 1:-u-V 1 lk , : ,, ' , .- 2:2 72f3f.V'fV:,1iVV 1, ' ' 1 V V 'V VV V V-Q , -1Vf-.- .. -J we V V f V, VV V 1 Vzf knit-qw - we my K, V, V V ,Vg ZVV .14 .VV gV,,,,1V, Q.: aeQmlf.VwrM,V 144- . J! 1 35 f:-we-,',V, V , 3 V, V, 'V ,, V -V QV rf-Va -V33-V' a.V41:aFVia's.c,fp2:gV:' Q1wHi.e+w41emalfew2:m4'1rQ:-ffm!gawkQQmv?gaiinrluta-K6V1i5f1W1ifkFxMn e+fwx9ArsilHyef.1v:wq. KM- H --H. iz. I f I V 1 V' N A. ,. ' . M li ,V ' . , M - , :Vi u VV f A - .- .ill fa K- 'ii .V 3 V ,V V V ' V 5 Vi':VQf',' ,V V, V ' VV 2 43 f -vm. 953.11 c' if V 4 . V ' 1 , V -1, VV' V ,,,VV: ziQl'u.,,iagi-aicSzi'rVtWwfx?,i,ef.-. gf fffeff 1-V VV ,,,-' , V 11'-' , V:,f',g,,V:-s w hg- awk ' V V .V 44 ?f 2- 5 ti' T2 ' ' ' V ' 1 V iff!-' Jeff 'L I 'f 'HC J -Pie' ff wwV,1n:V'u!2.'25-1,-'afff'1V4Z aV-F viii?-:'3 4ViP-1 fmieuge hw -.HuPL'-'bV:12,5'xM'1:i171-3'1,..'LV-4H'.lk.r ' :.' w. .Y 1.1 H f,:ln'!'91:' NX' e5SL!1' ku 11 i3lVKIYT4VwMlf'wlfWl 45-1' e2!91v:. Ella' V V V V V' 5 V' Va. -4 .445 ixmavlw-lwxlwewilkv., 4 V ' ' N V ,V,, , ,,,V .,.,,,VV,.,. XV. ..,..V, .,.,,.- V..,, .,.., V,,. , V. .. ,, . . ., A my nm . . .V ., , V , V , V. , ,fi V. V.:-we .aff-me::y,:VV-4-:,.w'1 AirieeatimVawwwrw-1 '-lfwlilwll CWO3 Robert L. Owens Weapons Officer Q ff- ,' Xl sf Gunner's Mate KGIVU Torpedoman's Mate QTMJ 109 4 .V.. Weapon Department TM1 Donald L. Davis GMT1 James McDermott GMG1 Ronald E. Petty TM2 Brian Hutton GMG2 William Robinson Opposite Page: Weapons personnel fire PIED- MONT's 20 mm guns. Below: Close-up of one of the gun mounts. Right: CWO3 Owens. ff M-Huw 1 7 ff JW, GMG3 Terrance Jones TM3 Michael Holmes TM3 Kenneth McCurdy TM3 Ronald Rucker GMT3 Anthony Sellers :iff f '4 , K' ' Q ,f X 4 . V yi 0, X. to ff We , . z f f W , -- Y ,f y Wig ff , 7'.I wwf ,.......o--- ...Q-- x Above: MS3 Jackson attempts to play the gunman. Right: GMG3 Jones GMTSN Steven L. Heuton TMSN Michael F. Plummer GMGSN Steven M. Reddick TMSA Roger A. Schmidtka N ! NWN ,,,....m1sH'V. X f A tg-Q W ette . t . .1 kywg Lf' I M wgwfte A A 1 se Q AVS x vga' sxtst if XX. Q- 1 X 112 XS New 5 si - XY QS' Q Ne . 1 at Jw , X X X A ww SQ Q Q - X- N N X X we . X mxytx ee .5 x.NXXXXXX SSSSS it at X ,Y , R ri ,l If W rw ww vm-wlwmvw-v X vw. nv, -f Y, X V, wvwmx 1 Wxvdi ' V. v , X V, iffjff hoc: 'V I anne -,Mya 4 , A, M , xv ' 1 win, 'vo gwvl l gn WX, ,PJ vw va: 454 5,-11 2' i 4 mn, - QW I , a .Q X .. July 16, 1982 Families Join Crew For Last Voyage On Friday, July 16, 1982, USS PIEDMONT got underway for his last cruise . . . a six-hour voyage from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown back to Pier 25, Norfolk. Over 400 guests, friends and families joined PIEDMONT crew members for the last voyage which took PIEDMONT down the York River and into the Chesapeake Bay. A cook-out picnic was held on the hangar deck as PIEDMONT cruised toward Hampton Roads and the naval base. When PIEDMONT arrived at the pier, the only other time the sea and anchor detail would be set came in August when the ship shifted berths to the head of Pier 25, PIEDMONT's home for most of the past few years. 114 gnn4....4....,1 .. iQ 3 ly' I l .. 'Q' 4' V 1 I . 2 'Q tl, . K fs-Q AA.,, , is vw 'ii'5'3 ' my SWF' Q 5 S' ix , l 5 ,,, fi ,cf I5 Opposite Page: Top, first, busses of families and friends arrive at Yorktown. Bottom: the guests prepare to board Left: The Yorktown bridge. Below: Guests flock the bridge and forecastle areas. fl 1'-U' USS Piedmont Underway Right: The anchoring detail. Below Left: CWO Glover waves. Below Right: CAPT McNicholas, a harbor pilot, CWO Brophy and CDR Madison on the bridge wing on a cold day, underway. Opposite Page: Top Left, a tug neck-in-neck with PIEDMONT. Top Right: SN McPherson on watch. Bottom: The sea and anchor detail on the port bridge wing. N 116 ily .x .., pp, ...aw sr' ' f fs 1 f .a M, f 4 X f X1 - YpQx'q,, , TW, L p-um- N my X F , I! ,, M qS'sm'zs ., ., N ,J-wi... Y P' iq s X5 5 M AX P.F. Test at NWS Earle, The annual Physical Fitness Test challenged the fitness of the PIEDMONT crew in May 1982 while PIEDMONT was in New Jersey. At Right, LI1 Huffmanistrains to Sit up. Below: Runners warm up prior to boarding the bus down the pier for the running area. Opposite Page: Top Left, SH3 Hutchin- son at the picnic following the P.F. Test. Top Right: Sit-ups on the pier. Bottom: MM1 Williams and ET1 Rieger. 7 J W fy 7 6 Wffpibf A W My 1 0,4 2 1 V X ' 'LZ fy X I W4 Q, f A B ff W I Q-S ' f - f' . f f EQ 121, ' 7 f 2 n , 1 'limi X i W fw Mtn ww W ff V f MWN.,,,,4.,..,,W ,,M.m,, A 2 I A f 1 1 X ,ff V' ' ,gkipiy I7 'ww wx! 4 ,f if 7,5 LV Y, ,Q f ,M ff f ,V , f xx X f , f my ' 1 f I, , ,, uv , , V ,I , I , X X ,V my X ' , f ar ,, V ,V I , .W -2' - , , ', 4 f ,, .yf -ff, ' W 4 4 f . ' I -U d u A , qv W af arf 4, an , ',, ,, MM. , Aviv f v f,,,,,-14:44 ' uve , ,f , urfuwlvv -nv 1 Q . Ivy. ',',, 9, 1 , 1 , 4 0 4 , 'Y Av ,,4f ,-,,, 044, 1l,L'7.,,f' U vy V 1 l4 ' ,,L, ,,7 4,.',fvi 1 Q,' , , Q U F f C ,Vw ff faq QQ, . v 'i . 4 uv .-, 1 SY 3 1 M ,Q V Y 49: Q K V 6 W 1 54. 'Q gl I V , 'W I . UV' 1 Q 'D 1 1 S ,,w1 ' 'yv ' vLvf 'mfg Y ' sv- , U ., f ,lg f V, :J :ff-'v +, , yy, 'fxmff Qfhg., 9 4 ',,- m ,,,. .44-fs 1 , 'L , . C ,J ' f ', X . X 'wr ,yuan-n ue 'vggcv ld u ,Qi ,vtvqvyik , i , ig, . Q N A. 11,7 r ., 1 -v 5 f- asf, If , -J , if gi, Off. k . ,iv ,V - ' A .Wi fl'-I X -A . . ln. , K I' kd: K. .,,. .,X, . vs Q W , .,, A, Q.. ,.-Q A24 X29 Sy1f,'i a .QQX .' , A 9 A L 1 .V m-'rf H--AL , ,.f, V .Ai 9 xg' . 1 Q O lo,,-: is, V 'Q ' s ,,f .s , .V-- Q' A Ie K ,O X! '-QIQS. XX vi. . Q -Lg 'A 'K' 'ww fn -iii , -.I x- - . , we1Q1Qy,,'.Yja.,..h'k g1,,. xo ,A , - - Q., Yr, 1 I' x Q , hn,.. !1q, x Q . Q' . xx, , 'L' .1 . X The End A few more days and we'II be gone. Come October no flags at dawn. Time has come to lay ole Doc for his rest. For as the crew, we know he was the very best. Things get better with age or so we're told. But Congress says USS DOC is just too old. Now his time has ended his story told. As we say to him, 'God rest your sou1.' - RM2,james D. Burchell 21. -.L ,, - ga f 92 r, o oee0 Piedmont IAD-171 0 1 rf , ' T FOR THE CREW. o r ,,, ,. ........ 'ffafti .B:JfsfffiN.?f.'ffY'?.'i'i'i i'iF?f't'f1 at ........ 4 T ige0r00T3?iii0fTackIes Major Repair on 0uPont's Hull I A th P Mggsiojj Now HEAR -rule I IEUMUNTU1- Port Briqf: Ft. Lauderdale,aFIorlda 1 0 gecngnized at Sailor Awards Ceremony ' of the yea.: 0enos1ationeeAl1nost Complete meomomeee English Teacher Keeps PAM on hw or UNDER Armed Forces Day a La h WAY 2,000 Enter the 0pen House unc Area S . 0 .a 0 snip Shifts Bantam airport Sh-p 3 to 0 ' ' Six-Section .5,m,xoBN tmp. A0631 X T ull XNBBV at '95 3 io 0 efa ty 1fi3r6Pa Shop overhaul Repm Meal Hours nstmas Part!! Ship's Band Gett ng It All Together I ! s 1 F l 1 1 i 4 1 X 1 Q 2 i X X Q I Q liff,,,.,,.,,,,, V WH! , V . , , ,, , ., I G A , , k,.. N, ,A Z 5 Z ,V L X, A...- ..,, ,,., ., W ' Ode to Doc He was born in a time of strife, Designed and built for a hard-Working life. Through the War years he did strive. To keep the other ships fit and alive. He excelled in performance and in skill. His many accomplishments are remembered still Now that his career is endingg His shops will be closing down. As his spirit Was never bending, His memory will be renown. ..:..4g1-qa,-..,- . 4 , , US IED ON 17 D Dec litmissioninga Although several personnel expressed an initial interest in producing the USS PIEDMONT IAD 1 71 I DECOMMISSIONING CREW'S BOOK, only a -few individuals actually made-af commitment. B I wouldlike to ekpress my gratitude to the following people who assisted in sales because without their help, this book would not have gotten into the hands of the crew.' EM2 Antonio Chavez, HT3 john Wood and MS3 Haywood, f Also, many thanks to ENS Greg Moore who provided the to do this book and to LT Beulah Galvin who coordinated the crew's photo and provided much moral, support. , ir'g 1 B A Thanks also to Ms. Beth Layton, a free-lance photographer who stepped into the scene during PIEDMONT's last few days and unselfishly took many much-needed photographs. V , V I also thank Captain McNicholas and Commander Madison for their careful and attentive look-over of the book for authorization of its content. I S V Last and certainly not least, many thanks to the staff of Walsworth Publishing Company's cruise book office IMr. Barry Brown, Ms. jean Czeiler, and Ms. Sherry Everettj who provided the professional guidance in getting this, my first attempt at a publication this size, off the layout sheets and into final production. - Steven J. Dow Staff Ed1tor ............ ..... S teven J. Dow, JO2, USN Photography ..... ...... ' ......... Jerry Teal, PH3, USN l CRUISE BOQK OFFICE ' I I I 1203 West Lnttle C eek Road COMPANY Norfotk, varg 23505 Mlrcolino, Mo. U.S.A. t x ,p I , , , L, ,M , . ,W .K 'K . Sf 4 V . . 1 4 . 1 K I' . V ' 1. . H, Ai A. , -,,- ,,,.,-..Y,.,.,,, 5,1 4 by 5 A PAYoYp,iiA--xiuvnn F4 k J- Y i -Wi, iw W 774 fr YY Win ,, A ,W ,,-,...,.,..?A.----w-- -- w' W f , we ,yn mf K f A, 74, ,U Z?Xj!, 2, QQ, ' ,M 0 X W 1 E z W Q, if fy! . AW f ' ,, -: Q. X- we, f xkfxxxx f,4 ' f 'Z' ff W M ff , . . ff, mf , ,f, .- ff , ,. ,L ., , f My, ftx Hvff SJ , X x . . ,, ,,,, , ,, X . . . M 1 ff MZ , , M4 J C 'V 'fn ,, 7-Q'3!:T,W l'bevZQ,'ff,f' ff:,,. f X . , 4,7 , . . V , -, . -M' YH. In 4... ---1-- -- --A ----,--V -. . A , W, , , - - 4 k g -Q 5 A in V v A ' I W i q -vw, NY Q 0,-,',,,M,,-,..p,.,L.f..p-A---. f 2 2 ,Q ' W... .v J' H 1 1 W f 'fza w fq ' ff, s 2 ' rw x zff .. A-1 ,, '14, J 44-14A A 1 f x m viw K 4 MKG, 1 ' ff: 1 f, 3, W f :if f f - wxwkfw J f f Q 1 ' . ' ' 1 wut - K ,w,, ,4 E, pf- X ,,,,l , My Q ,