Pine Island (AV 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICERS MESSAGE This year in the life of the USS PINE ISLAND has been most interesting and busy. This is evidenced by the fact that the Ship has been deployed from her home port for eight of the past twelve months. Our active schedule has, however, given us- the opportunity to visit many interesting places such as the Galapagos Islands, Acapulco, Panama, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and our home away from home - Okinawa, For many members of our crew this has been their first opportunity to visit these foreign areas. Our deployments have provided us with many in- teresting experiences, but there have also been some less pleasant aspects to our cruises - separations from our families and loved ones for instance. Perhaps, the hard- ships of separation will make our return from this cruise seem all the brighter. This has also been a profitable yearg the Ship was awarded the Battle'Efficiency Award on 24 April for the period of November l962 to February 1964. This was the fourth con- secutive award presented to the PINE ISLAND for being the most outstanding seaplane tender in the Pacific. May this cruise book remind you of some of the places we have visited, the work.we have done, and the efforts we have made in showing the American Way of Life to other countries. - W-.--H,-TW'-qfvr

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HIS TOR Y 0 THE USS PINE ISLAND The USS PINE ISLAND was built at the Los Angeles Drydock Shipbuilding Corporation, San Pedro, California by the Todd Shipbuilding Company. On 26 February 1944, she slid down the ways, and was commissioned on the twenty-sixth of April 1945. Shortly after commissioning, the PINE ISLAND headed for WESTPAC where she served in the final days of World War II in advance seaplane tender operations. At the end of the war, the PINE ISLAND put into Tokyo Bay and was there during the formal surrender ceremonies. I In April of 1946, the long awaited and unusual cruise home, the trip around the world, began. Enroute to the United States the Ship made calls at Sasebo, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Ceylon, Aden, Alexandria, Egypt, Naples, Italy, Algiers, Praia Terceira and finally Norfolk, Virginia, her new home port. In December of 1946, Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USNR assumed command of the PINE ISLAND, a unit of Operation ','High Jump. The Ship sailed to the frigid operating area of the Antarctic and remained there for two months conducting extensive experiments with military equipment in the extreme cold. These were the initial operations in preparation of the Antarctic Operations of the International Geophysical Year. The Ship returned to the States via Rio de Janeiro and the Panama Canal to her new home port, San Diego. From 1947 until she was decommissioned in May of 1950, she was deployed to the Far East off the China mainland. After war broke out in Korea, the PINE ISLAND was put back into commission on 7 October 1950. Almost immediately she departed for Yokosuka and Iwakuni for seaplane operations under Commander Fleet Air Wing SIX. Later that year, a change of command switched operational controltto Fleet Air Wing ONE. During this time patrol planes were making valuable reconnaissance patrols over heavily infested enemy waters, obtaining valuable data. After a tour of nine months, the PINE ISLAND returned to the States. In recent cruises, the PINE ISLAND has been flagship for Commander Fleet Air Wing ONE who also commands Patrol Force Seventh Fleet and the Taiwan Patrol Force. The PINE ISLAND servesadualpurpose when deployed to the Far East. She is the flagship for the Admiral and his Staff and is also a seaplane tender. The tender maintains a seadrome, and provides aircraft with such services as sea lanes, communications, fuel, arms, food, jato, repairs, briefing of pilots and the berthing of personnel. 1..- .i