Ashland (LSD 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commanding Uffic er JAMES J. RIDGE COMMANDER United States Navy BORN IN CHICAGO, CDR JAMES J. RIDGE ATTENDED SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. BEFORE ENTERING THE NAVY IN I953, HEGRADU- ATED FROM BOSTON COLLEGE, RECEIV- ING HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS. HE WAS COMMISSION- -ED FROM THE NAVAL OFFICER CANDI- DATE SCHOOL, NEWPORT, R.I., IN JANU- ARY I954. HIS FIRST DUTY ASSIGNMENT WAS IN USS COCOPA IATF-IOII FOLLOWED BY A TOUR IN USS LLOYD THOMAS IDDE-764I AS GUNNERY OFFICER. IN I959, HE RE- PORTED TO STAFF, COMMANDER DE- STROYER SQUADRON TWENTY AS STAFF OPERATIONS OFFICER. IN I960, COMMANDER RIDGE ATTEND- ED THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL IN MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. THE FOLLOW- ING YEAR HE WAS ORDERED TO USS WINDHAM COUNTY ILST-I I70I WHERE HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER. IN JANUARY I963, HE JOINED THE STAFF OF COMMANDER OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION AS ASSISTANT FOR WEAPONS TACTICS AND TRAINING IN THE UNDERSEAS WARFARE DIVISION. CDR RIDGE ASSUMED COMMAND OF USS DESOTO COUNTY ILST-II7II'ON 30 SEPTEMBER I965. UNDER HIS COMMAND, DESOTO COUNTY TOOK PART IN SEVEN CARIBBEAN DEPLOYMENTS AND A SIX- MONTH DEPLOYMENT WITH THE U. S- SIXTH FLEET IN THE MEDITERRAN EAN. CDR RIDGE IS MARRIED TO THE FORM- ER MERI DELL SHARBUTT OF NEW YORK CITY. THEY HAVE THREE CHILDREN, JAMES WILLIAM, EILEEN TERESA AND MATTHEW CAMPION.

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xx USS ASHLAND li' A

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