Amphion (AR 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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' W .?. ' JOLYI THE AMPHION ODYSSEY MAY- JUNE 1957 - One of the oldest and most frequent bits of scuttlebutt on the AMPHION was the possibility of a cruise to the Mediterranean, During these two months rumors reached a fever pitch, and at last the mixed hopes and fears were confirmed. Official word appeared in the Plan of the Day that the AMPHION would be deployed with the Sixth Fleet from July 18 until January 24, 1958. Hearts sank or rose according to the individual but with her customary pluck the AMPHION dug in and reconverted many ship ' s spaces in preparation to house the offices of Service Force Sixth Fleet as its flagship. JULY 8 - The big day for departure arrived with the AMPHION ready to go. The crew was eager but reluctant - eager to see more of the world, but reluctant to leave family and familiar shores. For many there was much ahead that was un- known and unexperienced - new duties, new liberties. The first sense of newness came with the closer living condi- tions due to the reconversion and the boarding of over 100 passengers for transfer to the Med area. At approximately 1400, the stay-at-home AMPHION edged away from Pier 5, NOB, Norfolk. The pier was thronged with many dependents shifting vantage points to receive and return the last smile and wave of their rapidly disappearing loved one. At the same time on the ship, those not waving, and later everyone, were discussing or dreaming of the new experiences just ahead. JULY 9 - After firing drills off Cape Hatteros in the morning, the AMPHION set its course for Gibraltar. JULY 10-17 - The ship crossed the Atlantic with a minimum of rough weather, but we discovered that she could rock and roll too. Despite a week without sight of land, time never hung heavy on hands. There was work, a battery of shots in Sick Bay, General Quarters and Abandon Ship drills, and the first of many letters to write. 16

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Chaplain E. S. Jones Chaplain Edwin Stoddard Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanio on May 22, 1919, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur S. Jones. His first twelve years of schooling were spent in the State College Public Schools, graduating from State College, Pa. in the class of 1937. In 1941 , he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pennsylvania State College. Shortly after college graduation. Chaplain Jones entered the military service in the USMCR. He was commissioned on November 1, 1941 and received promotions to First Lieutenant, October 1942 and Captain, April 1943. From October 1942 to October 1945, he served overseas with the First Separate Engineer Battalion on Guadalcanal, Tinian, and Okinawa. During these war years. Chaplain Jones decided to devote his life to the ministry. After separation from active duty, he continued his education toward this objective and received his Bachelor of Divinity from Drew University, Madison, New Jersey in 1949. Chaplain Jones, a Methodist, served as minister in churches in Plainfield and Livingston, New Jersey and Briggsdale, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. However, it was not long before Chaplain Jones felt his greatest coil as a minister to be in the military service. He was appointed as a Chaplain in the U.S. Navy in October 1951. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, Decem- ber 1951 to March 1952; First Marine Division, Korea, March 1952 to November 1952; 2nd MAW, Cherry Point, North Carolina, December 1952 to April 1954; and USNTC, Bainbridge, Maryland, April 1954 to April 1956. He reported aboard tHe USS AMPHION (AR-13) on May 14, 1956. Chaplain Jones was married to the former Miss Jane Oglevee in 1945. They now reside In Norfolk with their two child- ren - Robert, nine years, and Barbara, six years.

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JULY 18 - Early in the morning, it was not only good to see land again, but exciting to realize that it was actually Spain on our port and Africa on our starboard. Immediately, the candid Charlies set themselves to clicking away and they scarcely stopped the rest of the day - in fact scarcely for the rest of the cruise. Finally, just ahead, we saw the Rock itself - Gibraltar. Around 1200, we pulled within the breakwater and tied up for several hours. Though no liberty was granted, still we got our first flavor of Europe by sightseeing from the decks. The day was warm, bright, and cloudless; the city of Gibraltar clinging to the base and side of the steep mountain seemed to welcome us to the Med with its architecture and foliage so new to us. Around 1400, after depositing most of our passengers and receiving much-needed mail, we pulled away from Gib- raltar, accompaniedby a large school of porpoise, and set course for Cannes, France, there to relieve the USS EVER- GLADES (AD-24) and takeThe Staff on Board. wry CITIZENS