Sellers (DDG 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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Adm. Sellers' Naval Career 8: Ship's History Born on February 4, 1874 at Fort Mclntosh, Austin, Texas, David Foote Sellers was the third son of Major Edwin Elias Sellers and Olive Lay Foote Sellers. At 16 he received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from the Territory of New Mexico. He entered the Academy as a cadet on May 21, 1890 and graduated with distinction June 5, 1894 standing fifth in a class of 47. After graduation, he was assigned duty on the armored cruiser USS NEW YORK as a midshipman. On July 1, 1896 David Foote Sellers was commissioned as Ensign and ordered to duty on the battleship MASSACHUSETTS. ln October 1898, Ensign Sellers assumed duties as Flag Secretary to Rear Admiral Albert Kautz on USS PHILADELPHIA. Ensign Sellers was promoted to Lieutenant in July 1901 and received orders to the Bureau of Navi- gation. While at the Bureau he served as an aide to President Theodore Roosevelt. Detached from the Bureau of Navigation in October 1904, he took command of the torpedo boat destroyer STEWART. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on July 1, 1907. In December 1909, Lieutenant Commander Sellers was appointed Navigator of the new battleship MICHIGAN, the first all big gun ship of the Navy or as more commonly known then, our first dread- naught. Four years later Sellers became a Commander and the Executive Officer of USS ARKANSAS. Commander Sellers took command of scout cruiser SALEM in June 1915. After two years he was trans- ferred and given command of USS BIRMINGHAM, with additional duties as Chief of Staff of the Destroyer Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. He served in this capacity until 1918 when he was promoted to Captain for war service and assumed command of the battleship, USS WISCONSIN. A year later Captain Sellers assumed command of the Navy transport,AGAMEMNON.Following service in AGAMEMNON, Captain Sellers commanded the District Forces in the Fifth Naval District. In May 1919 he reported to the Naval War College at Newport as a member of the staff. The following year he returned to the Bureau of Navigation until 1921 when he was appointed aide to the Secretary of the Navy. Captain Sellers assumed command of USS MARYLAND, our most powerful ship, in March 1922. De- tached from MARYLAND in 1923, he was ordered to command the new Naval Training Station at San Diego. When promoted to Rear Admiral on June 2, 1927, he assumed command of the Special Service Squadron at Balboa, Canal Zone. Appointed Vice Admiral in September 1932 Admiral Sellers was placed in Command of the Battle Force, a command embracing all of the battleships of the Navy. From 1933 to 1934 he was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Fleet. Admiral Sellers' last duty station was as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy from 1934 until his retirement in 1938. He died on June 27,1949 in Bethesda Hospital and is buried at Arlington Cemetary. Carrying out the traditions of the United States Navy, Admiral Sellers devoted nearly 48 years of his life to his country. Admiral Sellers earned the following campaign medals and personal decorations: Philippine Campaign, Spanish War, Mexican Campaign, Victory Medal with Bronze Star, Navy Cross, and two Distinguished Service Medals. He was awarded the Navy Cross for exceptionally meritorious service during World War I while in command of the battleship WISCONSIN and the transport AGAMEMNON. He earned two Distinguished Service Medals for meritorious service in connection with transport of troops to France during World Warl and for service in Nicaragua. He was decorated by both the Nicaraguian and Ecuadorian governments. USS SELLERS CDDG-Ill was christened on 9 September 1960 at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. Named for Admiral David Foote Sellers, a former Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet, she is the first ship to bear his name. Since her christening and subsequent commissioning in October 1961, SELLERS has been an active element in our nation's naval posture. She was on station in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea im- mediately after commissioning enforcing the quarantine of Cuba. Through 1975, she has completed eight deployments with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea and circumnavigated the globe in 1972, crossing the equator four times, steaming fifty thousand miles and visiting eighteen countries. During her extensive operations, SELLERS has engaged in numerous tests, evaluations, and training exercises including MIDLINK, Olympic Express, and National Week. She has served as Flagship for various squadron commanders and has hosted important personages. The list includes the Secretary of the Navy, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Prince Rainier of Monaco. The ship's initiative, diligence and proficiency in surface warfare has rewarded her with many awards and commendations. ln 1969 she won the Battle Efficiency E for DESRON SIX. This award, the Missile System E , Gunnery Systems E and ASW A for DESRON FOUR, and the Electronics Warfare E for Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Six were awarded to SELLERS in 1972. ln 1973, SELLERS was awarded the CRUDESLANT ASW trophy and in 1974, the Meritorious Unit Commendation. Recent history shows SELLERS completing her third major overhaul and subsequent training in 1975. In early 1976 she began her ninth deployment to the Sixth Fleet which included operations in the Black Sea. Later in the year SELLERS made her first visit to Northern Europe while on a North Atlantic cruise. During these cruises SELLERS added to her roll call of ports, training exercises and commendations. She received praise for her support actions during the Lebanon Evacuation operations, while her continuing ASW prowess brought further laurels. SELLERS was awarded the HOOK EM trophy for ASW excellence by Sixth Fleet during her Mediterranean cruise. Subsequently, she received her fourth con' secutive ASW A as recognition of her ASW talent. Since her christening, SELLERS' Motto has been, GUARDIAN OF FREEDOM. Hard work and perseverance have been the keystones of her history and will be the foundations of her ambitions to maintain liberty.

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.ws ADM David F. Sellers

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' 4.1 Cdr. Thomas I. Bender Commander Thomas J. Bender is an alumnus from Edinboro State College in Pennsylvania where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1960. Five months Iater, he was commissioned an Ensign after graduating from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Commander Bender's first duty assignment was as Main Propulsion Assistant aboard USS TALLADEGA CAPA-2085. In 1962, he was assigned as Engineering and Material Officer to LCU Division ELEVEN in San Diego. Following these tours, Commander Bender attended the Naval Postgraduate School for one year, 1963. After attending Destroyer School in 1964, Commander Bender reported for duty as Engineer Officer in USS EVANS CDE-10231. Between 1967 and 1968, Commander Bender served in Vietnam as a shipboard advisor to the Viet- namese Navy. Returning to the United States in 1968, he was assigned to Fleet ASW School in San Diego as Director of Officer TrainingfASW Refresher Training Coordinator. In 1971 he reported aboard USS DECATUR iDDG-31105 Executive Officer followed by a tour as Chief Staff Officer, COMDESRON TWENTY NINE. Prior to being assigned Commanding Officer of SELLERS, Commander Bender worked in the Offiqe of the Chief of Naval Operations, KOR-601. With over 15 years of distinguished service, Commander Bender took command of USS SELLERS CDDG-111 on 31 March 1976 in Naples, Italy. He commanded SELLERS on the remainder of its Sixth fleet deployment and later the same year, on a North Atlantic cruise.