Walker (DD 517) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commanding Officer Commander Stephen W. McClaran, USN, the son of the late Rear Admiral John Walter McClaran, was born September 4, l926. Graduated from the U.S. Naval Acad- emy in June l95O, he has served aboard USS JUNEAU fCLAA-ll9l, USS MOUNT MCKINLEY CAGC-7l, USS LOFBERG CDD- 759l, and USS RICHARD S. EDWARDS CDD-9505. He has also served tours on the staffs of Commander Service Squadron Three in Sasebo, Japan, and Commander First Fleet, as well as a tour as a faculty member at the U.S. Naval Academy. He reported for duty in WALKER in December 1966 after serving two years on the staff, Commander-in-Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander McClaran is married to the former Patsi PritchardofHonolulu,Hawaii, and has four children, John, Stephana, Peter, and Victoria. ',,.f- ' 4 ., 5 X. Q lf S- . y ,ff T 9 Q' W-W r'f ! A 3 Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Robert F. Baril, USN, was born November l4, l935. He graduated from Maine Maritime Academy in 1956, where he receivedathirdengineer's license in steam and diesel engineering plants, and accepted a direct commission as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve. LCDR Baril served as main propulsion assistant and Engineering Officer aboard USS ROCKBRIDGE CAPA-2285 followed by duty aboard USS STRONG QDD-7585 where his duties included CIC officer, Engineering Officer, Operations Officer and Navigator. His next duty was as Commanding Officer of USS ACCOKEEK QATA-1815. He served as Program Manager for Fleet Training at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, followed by a year in Vietnam as training advisor to the South Vietnamese Navy. Lcdr. Baril relieved as Executive Officer of WALKER on December 23, l966. He is married to the former Johanna Christenson and has four children, Karen, Paul, Christen, and David.

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,. . -..,, - ,,.f- . ,. ,Q A m,,.3.v .A ,, KW gh- , , -. tips- . . ' 4.5: Q ny. -.-- ic-J-s,,.., Q- ,. -I ,N . ,.,.., .,,, .wwe ' . -. -.1 1, ,gr In , ' - - ' 1 rw Aw-. glfwwg vm -sh I. L .1 v .te VM- -, ,, 2 -Q wr, A , if, . W.. -, fi V -V .L , .azr-nLxfQd-.H -4' Destroyer On the way USS WALKER CDD 517l is the second U.S. destroyer to bear the name ofRear Admiral John Grimes Walker, USN. Commissioned on 3 April 1943 in Boston, she became a veteran of seven Pacific Campaigns during World War ll and participated in the final occupation of Japan. During WALKER's thirty months of war operations, high points included the destruction of four Japanese aircraft, the sinking of one submarine with a single depth charge run, and participation of six naval gunfire bombardments ofenemy positions, including the first bombardment of the Japanese home islands. No damage to the ship or iniury to any of its personnel was suffered. After the war, WALKER returned to San Pedro, California, and on 31 May 1946 was placed out of commission inthe Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego. On 15 September 1950 theqship was recommissioned USS M1-K J -,Al - '1H'Z V i, ,M Q Q Zh . ., J fn V.-r ' Q 1 ,L f. '- , f ' . -1- 9' ,a ,,-:sf',.,- Q- A wawsis . J 4 i'w',,', . , . fm' ,N 5.9 , 'fi - . , .J ff, sf ' .vw -Q , ' -- f ,-.S , 2 x . W-1 -N1 2, Q Q,-V' gf-Lf - 1 :Q ' , ' ' Aw--xgL,' -,...w-.iffhiis-gli., its NMA . Q' J VL kr 4-N A -A + ,its . ,W L, X 1 x . A i . . V J. 1 iw- ww? 155' , In V , P ,, ' A ..-1-. - - A ' g - ' .41 ' S Y . ff. X... .gn -4 . . 5 -M' - ' 'ie's..,1. , ' ' .-ww, 5 - ' , .,yfM-.K -C 'Qu A 1 , ' fog. Treat L, -'. f -H is K. ' ' WALKER CDDE 517l. During 1951 and 1952WALKER participated in the United Nations. Blockading Force in Korea. She returned to Pearl Harbor, and has currently made a total of thirteen post- war tours to the Far East. Her third deploy- ment to the Vietnam area since large scale U.S. involvement was from April to October 1967. WALKER has been the epitome of her one- word motto DESTROYER , embodying every concept the word beings to mind. She has amply filled the bill called for by John Paul Jones: Give me a fast ship for I intend to go in harm's way. Her can-do spirit in spite of her twenty- four years has never failed to live up to the motto of her squadron, Destroyer Squadron Eleven: ON THE WAY. V' Ln N -- .-.13-. ' . -.., A--or - .K ss -sus ,, -uf , -A, - V I 4 A V .. -N-ft-':,- '591.,,,,., ,Q V'

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1 l l l l i PRIL Finishing up our shipyard overhaul . . . refresher training , , , naval gunfire support training . . . antisubmarine warfare opera- tional readiness exercise. A hectic spring went rushing by Q5 WALKER, completing a regular shipyard overhaul of her 24 year old plant, hurried to retrain old hands and teach the new ones. As the deployment drew near, the pace quickened. A combat zone is not the place to learn, but the place where vigilance and readi- ness perfected through hard work may be called on at anytime. The polish and confidence come with experience, but unless the ship and her crew know their job they can not be counted on in an emergency. Whether working in a coordinated ASW team or answering an emergency call for gunfire support, training is the key to success. As the task group steamed out of Pearl Harbor April l8th, the men of WALKER were confident that they were ready. The morning of April 18th found WALKER, her sister ships ot Destroyer Squadron Eleven, the destroyer escorts of Escort Squadron Three and the USS HORNET CCVS 123 at the Bravo piers in Pearl Harbor,