Pocono (AGC 16) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 17 text:

'T?1'Tff?l! ' F +5 Q 1 U: ?r E Q F Q H Because of the storm we returned one day late,and the concern of everyone waiting on the pier that cold November morning was evident. But as we got closer and closer to the pier the anxiety dis- appeared and was replaced by smiles, knowing that all were safe and that we would be in the Norfolk area for the rest of the year.

Page 16 text:

Our trip back to Norfolk was uneventful until we reached the coast of Florida. Radar first picked up the storm, and we were soon right in the middle of it. The high winds,up to 70 knots at times, whip- ped the seas up to 30 feet, and CAPT Barkley found little choice but to head into the wind and wait the storm out, After two days of constant rolling .and pitching, the storm finally broke and we set our course for Norfolk once again. Damage to POCONO was negligible, and the ship passed a test that could be likened to the one the crew passed at Guantanamo.

Page 18 text:

The next week was spent in our final phase of formal training - Amphibious Operational Training-conducted at Little Creek. Here we practiced the techniques of the amphibious landing, the final stage of the most complex of all mili- tary maneuvers,the amphibious operation. Some of the many areas covered were boat control, small boat ' handling ,d ebarkation control, ,and amphibious communications. As at Guantanamo, everything led up to a final battle problem for which our over- all training achievements were consid- ered GOOD. Upon completion of training, we returned to the Naval Station and made preparations to receive guests. Late in November, POCONO once again re- sumed her role as a flagship when RADM D. F. WELCH, Commander Amphibious Grou Four,and his staff embarked at the Naval Station for an extended stay. Captain Paul H Barkley entered the Navy in 1939 after attending Trinity University in Texas. In his long and varied career, he has served in many capacities and has commissioned five ships. 'Capt- ain BARKLEY has served as a faculty member at the Navy Postgraduate School, Monterey, and with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in the Federal Republic of Germany at Bonn. Several of his many commands include the Uss LEARY CDD-8795 and the USS OBSERVER CMSO-14.615, both of which he comm- issioned. Captain BARKLEY reported to POCONO from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations where he served as the Head,Warships Branch of the Ships Material Readiness Division. In January he will return to Washington for duty with the Strategic Plans Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Capt- ain BARKLEY is married to the former Miss Marguer- ite Allen of Washington, D. C. They have one son, Paul, who is an undergraduate student at the Mich- igan State University.