Porterfield (DD 682) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIFT CO ORS! May 15, 1967, Pier 2, San Diego Naval Sta- tion. On that sunny morning the USS POR- TERFIELD QDD-6825 made preparations for getting underway. The last embraces were shared, the parting farewells voiced, the brow taken back, the lines singled up, then . . . . . .it was one long blast followed by three short blasts and we backed away from alongside the USS AGERHOLM QDD-8261. lt was a smooth evolution, the type that re- flected the training necessary for what lay ahead. We were heading for Vietnam. As part of DESDIV 52, we were deploying to join other United States Naval ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. The following pages will reflect some of the reasons why the 24 year old veteran took her officers and crew over 5,000 miles to war and what they experi- enced during WESTPAC '67, JR 1 Q Q Q

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LCDR Wright is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Class of 1954. He has had extensive experience in the De- stroyer Navy with greatestemphasis in the Weapons area, beginning with his first tour of duty on board the USS WREN QDD- 568J as Fire Control Officer, ASW Officer and lst Lt. Following his next assignment as CIC OfficerfMissi1e Control Officer on the USS TOLEDO fCA-1337, LCDR Wright was Commanding Officer, USS PORTAGE QPCE-9025 for two years. LC DR. Wright then underwent two years of training in Ordnance Engineering at the U.S. Naval Post-graduate School, Monterey, California. From July 1962 until January 1964, he served as Weapons Officer of the USS TOWERS QDDG-95. His last assign- ment prior to the PORTERFIELD was at Naval Ship Missile System Engineering Station, Port Hueneme, as Project Officer for various developmental tests. LC DR. Wright reported on board 7 November 1966. 3181 '- - - ' , WGQ5 ffl t ,L -V-. ........,..ru..a..,44....,..n-vf-e...,,a,.,.,..4.......eV..L......-.' --A--A K --f - ,Nd . V if :,.l,,Y-.. g,.V,:,.aw.,-g- -,af faf- f A - ---fl - -S-

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V' J: F -?'WW'f-P-W Hs- f. 9V'i'f'r:1fzf1rQ:. JW? 'W nz . -1.-, rw-:f f .szfw-2,44 V 1' -:Q W W 't'?f'?f ff'Z3 49.4, f e Q O0 if 1 ,V iw! 1 f e f 4 1 Q , if Z2 1 'Z 1 'A YQ W K' Q QV ' M21 v'YWj 5Q54ig.QZf Z' ff iw ff Z X 1 ff fd - wif. f-zz -1 .X 'east w,,.,:EfZ.ff'wG'vf 'i '.f...-'WW' 41. y 5 if ff wif U' f ' '11 ,Je .J 11 -- f-Y f 1121 'fllfy '11, ,Zli9ef0i'ft4faL'Y. tff5kTf?0'f 5537? ZW?-'fW'T1 X W' 2-1112. -'f'ff,.-Ffimie '-iffy K if N 4 , , UNDERWAY FOR WESTPAC As we sailed past Point Loma and headed West, a feeling of expectation prevailed. during our scheduled refueling It was great. But all good things must end and There was a lot of the unknown ahead, but with some regret, we continued on to this was a highly motivated crew, a crew readied by months of intensive training. We were ready and the guns were ready. The cruise to Hawaii was relatively un- eventful and the days were filled with training drills and regular ships routine. Past famous Diamondhead and then the Arizona Monument. . .a very sobering moment as we all pondered its signifi- canoe, Then, after a day and a half of Hawaiian sun and surf, we set sail for Japan. Again, it was smooth sailing and the days eased steadily by. Next, came Midway, the tiny island of World War II fame. We managed to combine a refreshing sw i m Yokosuka, Japan.