Wichita (AOR 1) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 22 text:

EXECUTIVE CJFFICER COMMANDER W. L. ZANZUT The fifth deployment of WICHITA to the western Pacific was one requiring the flexibility, ingenuity and initiative that onlyihe best can produce. You, the men of WICHITA certainly demonstrated this by providing reliable support to the Seventh Fleet. Without missing a single commitment you performed in heavy seas, adverse weather and shortages in manpower thal would have significantly hampered men of less fortitude. To participate in such an effort and see you continually rise tothe challenge has been a special privilege that I will always remember. Now that we have returned for a long awaited reunion with oul loved ones, I am certain that those traits demonstrated during the deployment will manifest themselves in continued outstan- ding performance ln EASTPAC operations. W. L. ZANZOT Commander, U.S. Navi

Page 21 text:

CGIVIIVIANDING CDFFICER CAPTAIN R. E. SHEETS By the time you receive and read this cruise book, the seven and one-half months of your life that were spent aboard WICHITA in the Western Pacific will have already begun to fade into a surprisingly few memories. Cruise book committees, much like our memories, are kind to us, for they tend to emphasize the good times and block out the many long, hard hours of work that made this deployment one in which we may all take pride. Everytime we were needed, WICHITA was there, fully ready to do the job. That is a record that no one can surpass, and few tif anyj can equal. It was accomplished through the solid teamwork of each and everyone of you, and when the final count was made we came up with 154 wins and no defeats, and that's not too shabby. The WICHITA Linemen,'proved that they had a heart just a little bit bigger than anyone else. When the call for con- tributions to the Combined Federal Campaign was made, you responded with the largest man-for-man donation of any ship in the Pacific Fleet, and double the dollar contribution of our nearest competitor in Service Group UNE. Each of us will remember this cruise in a different manner, and each will take something different with us when we leave WICHITA. For me it is the pleasure in knowing that no matter where our respective paths may lead, for a brief period in the span of a lifetime we went the same way together. Roger E. Sheets Captain, U.S. Navy :Sw-5. Y f

Page 23 text:

f , mf, . , W., f f . k I ,,,VV , Fifi- t. t. 2 ,x 2 M .. . ' . lwiffw . .f Mn ,iffff ' . ,fm 1 ,N I V, ryrfr 11,1 I , 'Viz' 'f . . ,f', wx .. , , T QTL if 1 - C V T uf- ' , ' my , ' ' T a f. ,X , , 4 ,, , ,, ,, K f ,l ,.,' f f 'f,, , , s AUX . If . f , 1 f h pififfff' 75 2'- X xvvsv w.' ff . ,ff M W W f J If 1 X , 4' X 'ravi ,. - 2 V 1 3, ,,,,, IH PAST CD. CAPTAIN J. F. VARLEY A commanding officer undoubtedly feels a certain amount of grief when he has to leave behind a crew which he has lead for 21 months in meeting every commitment in the finest tradition of the Navy. lt is with such a heavy feeling that Captain James F. Varley left his adored crew on WICHITA for duty as Commander, Service Squadron Three QCOMSERVRON-35 in the San Francisco Bay area. The crewmembers themselves were somewhat sullen that day also, and even after several months had gone by, continued to speak of the inspired leadership of Captain Varley which had urged the crew to win the Battle Efficiency award fthe EJ, still proudly displayed on WlCHITA's bulkheads. Although Captain Varley seemed to fit right in as CO of an oiler, few had known of the breadth of his 23 year career during which he had served in various positions ashore and aboard five submarines. Few, if any, knew that he had been XO and CO on the USS VOLADOR QSS-4905 and the USS CATFISH QSS-3395 respec- tively, or that he had participated in the first submerged launch of the only Polaris missile with a nuclear warhead. Rather, the crew knew Captain Varley as that warm and affable gentleman who could play volleyball or drink beer with his crew and easily maintain or boost WlCHlTA's fine reputation as an outstanding ship. His parting words on WlCHlTA's overall performance were There was not a single casualty in our ability to perform any job. And l think that speaks most highly of what the ship is capable of doing. He added, l'm leaving this ship when it's in peak condition, and I think all future commitments will be met. . . 2 r