Robert H McCard (DD 822) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 5 text:

HIP The destroyer, MC CARD, was built in the yards of the Consolidated Steel Corporation at Orange, Texas. The ship's keel was laid on june 20, 1945 and launched on November 9, 1945. During this period, the shipyards of the United States were producing destroyers at the rate of one a week in answer to the tremendous need for this versatile type of craft. At the time of the japanese surrender the ship was so nearly complete that it was decided to continue its outfitting and the ship was commissioned on October 23, 1946. The U.S.S. Robert H. MC CARD was named in honor of Gunnery Sergeant Robert H. McCard, USMC, who served with distinction in the Marine Corps from December 18, 1939 until his deaths in action during the battle for enemy held Saipan on june 16, 1944. Mlhile serving as a tank commander, Sgt. McCard's vehicle was put out of action by enemy gunfire. Ordering his tank crew to escape, McCard covered their evacuation with hand grenades and machine gun fire until his death. For his conduct in action, Gunnery Sergeant McCard was awarded the Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor. After its commissioning the MC CARD made a shakedown cruise of two months at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then reported for duty with the Des- troyer Force, Atlantic Fleet. She was assigned to Squadron TEN and was based in Newport, Rhode Island. The ship operated out of Newport until September 1947, when she entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul period. Overhaul completed, the MC CARD proceeded to the Mediterranean where she joined the SIXTH Fleet in March of 1948. Late that summer the ship returned to Newport, her home port, from where she operated on type training during the winter of 1948-49. In the spring of 1949 the M-C CARD once again proceeded to the Mediterranean where she spent the next five months as a unit of the SIXTH Fleet. Returning to the United States in the fall of 1949, the ship entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a long overhaul period, which lasted well into the spring of 1950. From the Naval Shipyard, the MC CARD went to Guantanamo Bay for a short period of Refresher training. This was followed by a Midshipmen Cruise, which lasted the whole summer of 1950, and which saw the MC CARD visit Carribean and Canadian ports. The Midshipman Cruise ending early September 1950, the ship returned to Newport, where she spent the remainder of the year in and out of her home port on type training. A third tour of SIXTH Fleet Mediterranean duty occupied the oflicers and men of the MC CARD from the end of March until early October of 1951 after which the ship entered Boston Naval Shipyard for four months. Lastly, the ship spent six weeks at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training. During the summer of 1952 the MC CARD participated in a training cruise for NROTC Midshipmen, visiting Belgian and Portugese ports with seventy-five midshipmen embarked.

Page 4 text:

...M 4.4 01-1 ftelkl ,, , , Commander james P. Jamison, USN was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania in june 1918. After attending schools in llittshurgh he was appointed to the Naval Acadenty from which he graduated and was commissioned in 1941. He served as Gunnery Officer in the USS I7r'r'11t11r, lfxerutive Ofhcer of the U.'S.S' lizzrns and USS liorflelon, Commanding Officer ol the USS Fogg and on the stall of the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet. He was selected for instruction in a course in Guided Missiles at Johns Hopkins University and in 1950 was awarded the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Following this he served as Guided Missile Ofiicer in the USS Norton Sound. Commander Jamison leaves the McCard to join the stall of Commander Cruisers-Destroyers Pacific as Assistant Readiness Officer. ln just eleven months as Skipper of the McCard Commander Jamison has won the devotion and admiration of the entire ships company. 1176 can say no more than that we think he is the best there is. To him THE MC CARD LOGBOOK is respectfully and affectionately dedicated. Q

Page 6 text:

L U O3