Ajax (AR 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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Page INDEX P Se 1 Dedication 2 AJAX History 11 Capt. Stefferud 12 Change of Command 14 Capt. Seesholtz 15 Cdr. IVIurray 16 Departure 19 Underway 24 UN REP 26 Univ. of AJAX 28 Crossing Date Line 30 Model Contest 32 Fun and Games 36 Spanish Cultural Club 38 Sports 45 AJAX Band 46 Tiger Cruise 48 Ports of Call 63 Photo Contest 65 Admin. Department 71 Deck Department 77 Engineering Dept. 87 Dental Medical Dept. 90 Godzilla 91 Operations Dept. 95 Repair Department 131 Supply Department 139 Blood Drive 140 Poem 141 More crew pictures 142 Homecoming 144 WestPac Summary 145 Contributors 146 Staff 148 Starship AJAX Cruise Log 24 Aug. Depart San Diego 26 Aug. UN REP with Blue Ridge 31 Aug. arrive Pearl Harbor 1 Sept. depart Pearl Harbor 7 Sept. cross Date Line 9 Sept. CHOP to 7th. Fleet 11 Sept. evade Typhone Babe 13 Sept. arrive Yokosuka 5 Dec. depart Yokosuka 9 Dec. Arrive Keelung 14 Dec. depart Keelung 18 Dec. arrive Yokosuka 25 Jan. depart Yokosuka 28 Jan. arrive Pusan 2 Feb. depart Pusan 5 Feb. arrive Yokosuka 5 Feb. depart Yokosuka 9 Feb. CHOP to 3rd. Fleet 11 Feb. cross Date Line 15 Feb. an-Ive Pearl Harbor 17 Feb. depart Pearl Harbor 24 Feb. arrive San Diego ' fj Ji jpnn '

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At the end of World War II , AJAX re- turned to Pearl Harbor. There was a Pacific Fleet letter out then requiring any ship returning to the United States with over 250 men in the first leave party to send an Officer ahead with a list of men and their home des- tinations. The following is a quote from the officer AJAX sent ahead to Pearl. When I presented my orders and list, a lieutenant at the desk said, ' I am sorry but there are 65,000 men on ships in the bay awaiting land transportation, and your men will just have to wait. I can only regard the AJAX, as just another ship. ' A captain sitting a couple of desks away heard him, and asked him to repeat the name of the ship. When the lieutenant said ' AJAX ' , the captain said, ' For two years that ship has been doing things for other people and now someone is going to do something for them! ' the AJAX was taken care of. Even the man with the longest distance to travel got home for Christmas 1945. Homeported in San Diego after the war, AJAX made five tours of duty to the Orient during the years 1950 to 1958. Three of those tours were during the Korean conflict in which she provided logistic support for ' The Passage to Freedom in Tourane, Indo-China. In 1960, during her sixth tour of duty in Japan, AJAX received orders from the Chief of Naval Operations to be homeported in Sasebo, Japan. Through the next decade AJAX would provide considerable support to the seventh fleet and perform numerous good- will visits to our allies in the Orient. In February 1970 AJAX received word that due to cutbacks in military spending overseas, her homeport was to be changed effective 1 June 1970 . On the morning of 6 August 1970, AJAX steamed into San Diego harbor to a warm welcome from a crowd of AJAX families and friends. AJAX is one of the oldest continuously commissioned ships in the Navy. She has logged more time with the Seventh fleet during the Vietnam War years than any other ship in the U .S . Navy . Altogether AJAX ' s history has been an impressive one. She has serviced everything from the smallest boat to the largest aircraft carrier in the Navy, some- times with as many as 22 ships alongside for repair. Sailors who don ' t know, look at AJAX and say It ' s just another ship . They don ' t realize that for 34 years she has served as a hospital, supply center and a repair facility for those ship ' s and sailors in need of her help. USS AJAX with ships along- side in Yokosuka, Japan harbor Westpac tour 1977.

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Captain D. R. Stefferud Dear AJAX friend, This cruise book records another very successful de- ployment to the U .S . Seventh Fleet in AJAX ' s long and proud career. In these pages we have tried to incorporate memories, however imperfectly, of a dedicated and pro- fessional crew fulfilling an important mission in the ser- vice of our country. There were difficult times and long days of separation from family and friends; there were as well rewarding times when we knew we were doing tlie job, doing it wel I , and doing it together as a crew . I salute the finest ship ' s company in the Fleet, our steadfast friends at home and throughout the Navy who wil read this book, and hope that your memories will be pleasantly stimulated by the words and pictures set down here. With great affection and respect D.R. STEFFERUD Captain, U .S . Navy Commanding Officer 4