Ashland (LSD 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commanding Ufficer EUGENE C. RUEFF COMMANDER United Swiss Navy 4 V 4 Y w V 1 I .

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USS Ashla ncl: History The USS Ashland was built by the Moore Dry Dock Co. Oakland, California where her keel was laid on 22 .Iune 1942. The ship was commissioned on 5.Iune1943 and served with the Pacific Fleet during the remainder of the war. The Ashland was the first dock landing ship built, and the largest specifically for amphibious warfare. Seven Battle Stars were earned by the ship on the Asiatic - Pacific Area Service Medal for participating in the following cam- paigns: Gilbert Island, Marshall Islands, Mari- anas, Tinian, Leyte and Iwo Jima. After her war service the Ashland was placed out of commission in reserve as part of the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet in March 1946. Recommissioned in 1950, the ship departed for the East Coast in 1951, and was attached to Military Sea Transportation Service. An extended trip was made to Thule, Greenland, from June until September of 1952. The Ashland later par- ticipated in various operations for MSTS on gips to Greenland, Newfoundland and Cana- a. On 1 November 1956, the ship was transferred to Commander Naval Air Force, Atlantic for evaluation in LSD seaplanetend- in . 9 Following this evaluation period Ashland was again decommissioned and transferred to Atlantic Reserve Fleet. During the Berlin Crisis, the ship was again recommissioned in November 1961, this time at the Berkley branch of the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Dry- dock Company, Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet under Amphibi- ous Squadron FOUR. L Since that time, Ashland has participated in several amphibious exercises and deploy- ments with the SIXTH Fleet in the Mediterra- nean and in the Caribbean operating areas. On 3 .lune 1965, ASHLAND deployed to the SIXTH FLEET returning on 4 November 1965. ASHLAND left Little Creek on 3January 1968, deployed to the Mediterranean, operated with Task Force SIXTY-ONE as a part of the U.S. SIXTH FLEET, and returned 30 May 1968.

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COMMANDER RU EFF WAS APPOINT- ED TO-MAIN E MARTINE ACADEMY, CAS- TIN E, MAIN E, IN 1948, ANDWAS GRAD- UATED AND COMMISSIONED ENSIGN IN 1951. FOR THE FOLLOWING Two YEARS HE WAS ASSIGNED AS EXECU- TIVE OFFICER IN USS LSIL 1091, THEN OPERATING IN THE KOREAN AREA. UPON HIS RETURN TO THE .UNITED STATES IN I953, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE OFFICE OF NAVAL OFFICER PROCURMENT IN NEW YORK CITY FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, FOLLOWED BY TOURS INVOLVING NAVALSCHOOL- ING AT THE U.S. NAVAL CIC OFFICERS SCHOOL, GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, AND THE U.S. NAVALJUSTICESCHOOL, NEW- PORT, RHODE ISLAND. I HE THEN REPORTED ABOARD USS COTTEN IDD-6691 AS OPERATIONS CIC OFFICER, AND IN MAY 1956. wAs TRANSFERRED TO USS PRICE IDER-3321 AS OPERATIONS OFFICER. HIS ORIGIN- AL TOUR OF SHORE DUTY FOLLOWED wHEN HE WAS ASSIGNED AS ORDIN- ANCE OFFICER FOR THE COMBINED STAFF OF COMMANDER EASTERN SEA FRONTIER AND COMMANDER ATLANTIC RESERVE FLEET. IN 1960, HE WAS ASSIGNED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF USS HYADES IAF-281 THEN LOGISTICALLY SUPPORT- ING UNITS OF THE UNITED STATES SIx- TH FLEET IN THE MEDITERRAN EAN SEA. HE wAS THEN ASSIGNED AS SUR- FACE MISSILES SYSTEMS OFFICER AT THE U. S. NAVAL GUIDED MISSILES SCHOOL AT VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA. IN THIS CAPACITY HE WAS IN CHARGE OF OFFICER AND ENLISTED TRAINING IN THE TERRIER, TARTAR, AND TALOS FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS AND ASSOCI- ATED MISSILES. IN SEPTEMBER I964, COMMANDER RUEFF WAS ASSIGNED AS COMMAND- ING OFFICER OF USS KRISHNA IARL-38I THEN SERVING AS THE REPAIR SHIP TO COMMANDER AMPHIBIOUS FORCES. U. S. ATLANTIC FLEET. IN MAY I965, KRISHNA WAS' TRANSFERRED TO THE U. S. PACIFIC FLEET WHERE SHE SERVED AS PRINCIPAL LOGISTIC SUPPORT COM- MAND FOR UNITS OF U. S. NAVY AND COAST GUARD PATROL BOATS INVOLV- ED IN UNITED STATES COUNTER-INSUR- GENCY EFFORTS IN VIETNAM. COM- PLETING ONE YEAR OF DUTY IN VIET- NAM, COMMANDER RUEFF RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES TO ASSUME COMMAND OF USS ASHLAND ILSD-II. COMMANDER RUEFF WEARS THE NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL, KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL, UNITED NA- TIONS SERVICE MEDAL, MERCHANT MARINE KOREAN SERVICE BAR, KOR- EAN PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, VIETNAMESE SERVICE MEDAL. NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL, VIET NAM DEFENSE CAMPAIGN MEDAL. HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER MISS CHARLOTTE R. MURPHY OF IRVINGTON. NEW JERSEY. THEY PRESENTLY RESIDE IN VIRGINIA BEACH. VIRGINIA WITH THEIR CHILDREN, NANCY AND ERIK.