Ashtabula (AO 51) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER l ga l 1 i l l m mmm Aihybfz, Captain William Edward Norrington vvas born in Los Angeles, California on 12 October 1911 While earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, he was captain of the Uclh soccer team. Captain Norrington entered the Naval Reserve in 1940. He completed tours OH TSE cruiser WICHITA, The USS SALMONIE CAO-265 and then took part in four war patrols on the U S-30. Captain Norrington was made Executive Officer and Navi ato f th USS RASHER SS-2691. On g r o e f the first five of her seven war patrols, she equaled a record of 18 sinkings totaling 99,901 long including an aircraft carrier and the second largest Japanese merchantman. While Executive Officer of the USS CUSK CSS-3485 the first fifteen launchir19S of Cl Quided missile from a submarine vvere accompllslled' hn 1952 Captain Norrington took command of the USS GUAVINA, le irst submarine oiler. t-le became Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS MADDOX HDD-73111 in 1955. From 1957 until 1961 Captain Norrington served first GS Osslslonl F ' 9 head administrator of TERRIER, TARTAR and tALos development in BUORD, and then became assistant director of the Missile GU'd9nIiIe U Allbofne Division for these missiles and the SIDEWINDER, TYPH9 ' S . . BROC and ASROC missiles in the nevv Bureau of WealOOf1S- .Ol lo l9'l4l'1Q command of ASHTABULA on 9 August 1963, Cclploln rrmgloll WGS feSF9Ortsible for PacFlt Ammunition logistics while stationed at CQMSERVP ' AC in l-lavvaii. I tain and lv1rs.lXlorrington have three children and presentlY reslde in Los Alamitos, California.

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COMMANDING OFFICER 2QhZ ' M Captain John Starr Hill was born in Atlanta, Georgia on November 22, l9l5. He entered the Navy as an Aviation Cadet and was commissioned an Ensign in the U. S. Navy in October l940. He became a flight instructor and in April l942 he was assigned to Patrol Squadron FIFTY-THREE, then being fitted out, and served as a patrol plane commander with that sqaudron which operated in the Caribbean Area. ln July l943, he joined the Navy's first Night Fighter Squadron, VFCNQ SEVENTY-FIVE, and participated in operations in the South Pacific until June T944. Captain Hill was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement during operations against enemy Japanese Forces in the Solomon Islands Area while attached to the Night Fighting Squadron. He commanded a fighter squadron at the close of World War ll and became a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center. He was Command- ing Officer of one of two first iet fighter squadrons to see action in Korea. During his second tour at the NavalAir Test Center as Chief Projects Officer of Flight Test he vvas the first Navy pilot to fly the Sea Dart, FJ-4, A3D and A4D. He commanded the first Air Group to deploy in the USS FORRESTAL and was the first pilot to land the F3H Demon aboard at night and vvas the first Centurion OOO Carrier Land- ingsl on the FORRESTAL. He vvas Executive Officer of USS MIDWAY, Operations Officer for Commander Carrier Division FIVE, and Director of Training for the Naval Air Training Command. He became Com- manding Officer of USS ASHTABULA in September l962 and was relieved by Captain William E. Norrington in August l963. Captain and Mrs. Hill have three children, Starr, Dale and Randall.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR Hampton was born in McCloud, Oklahoma on June 29, I927. He was commissioned an Ensign on 2 June I95O. Previously to relieving LCDR Dan Morgan as Executive Officer in March I963, LCDR Hampton was a Missile Flight Safety Officer at the Pacific Missile Range in Point Mugu, California. LCDR Hampton's first duty assignment was aboard the USS JOHN A. BOLE, CDD-755D from September I95O to October I952. He qualified as DD Engineering Officer during two cruises to WESTPAC. His next sea duty was as Gunnery Officer and Executive Officer aboard the USS BLACK BATTLE RIVER, CLSMR 4045. LCDR Hampton went on to become Commanding Officer of the USS WINNEMUCCA CPC-II45D which operated out of Kwaialin. In September I955, Mr. Hampton reported to the Fleet Training Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he served as Gunnery School Officer and Emergency Shiphandling Instructor. LCDR Hampton next became a student at the General Line School at the U. S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. His studies there included Special We- apons, Nuclear Power Engineering, lnternational Law, and Missile Guid- ance. His most recent assignment at sea was aboard USS HELENA QCA-752, a Regulus Cruiser, as CIC and Assistant Operations Officer. LCDR and Mrs. Hampton have two children, Diane and Charles Jr., and presently reside in Westminster, California.