Berkeley (DDG 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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' gp S . -.. ,r J, .K U! , ,,?1gM,, 1. 3 Q ,5iL..,i-'fag .,3,,. f st 1 at COMMANDER WILLIAM R. SNIEDBERG' IV CDR SMEDBERG reported to USS BERKELEY as its third Commanding Of- ficer. This followed a tour of duty in com- mand of USS BRONSTEIN QDE-10371, one of the U, S, Navy's most advanced Anti- Submarine Warfare ships. After graduation from the U,S. Naval Academy in 1951, CDR SMEDBERG served in the Battleship WISCONSIN QBB-645 for three years, during which period the ship, although homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, spent 14 months in the Western Pacific dur- ing and after the Korean War. This tour was followed by two years in the Atlantic Fleet Destroyer USS BEATTY QDD-7569. In subsequent sea duty, he has served as Commanding Officer of USS LAWRENCE COUNTY QLST-887j, as Executive Officer of USS JOHN A BOLE QDD-7755, and as CO of BRONSTEIN, all homeported in San Diego, California. With the exception of attending the Naval War College in 1961-62, both of CDR SMEDBERG's shore duty tours have been in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations -- the Fleet Operations Division in 1956-58 and the Strategic Plans Division in 1962-64.

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CAPTAIN MICHAEL D.. RICINAK Skippering the BERKELEY on the first leg of her WESTPAC cruise was Capt. RICINAK, A graduate of the U.S, Merchant Marine Academy in 1944 he soon saw action in the WW ll Pacific Theatre while on board the USS NORTON SOUND, Peacetime duty following the war included assignment to the USS NESPOLEN QAV-551 and graduate school at Miami University of Ohio where he met and married Mrs. Ricinak, the then Miss Rose Johnson. Capt. Ricinak was finishing instruction at the Navy General Line School, Monterey when the Korean Conflict began. Once again he was back in the Pacific, this time aboard the USS ESSEX QCVA-91, later Korean duty included assignment as Opera- tions Officer aboard the USS HYMAN QDD- 7323. ln 1953 the Captain shifted to the East Coast and staff duty with COMDES- LANT. In 1956, he was transferred to the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission, 1958 through 1960 saw him as Exec of both the USS BRISTOL QDD-8573 and the USS DEWEY QDLG-141. Prior to reaching the BERKELEY in 1964, Capt. Ricinak had a tour of shore duty with both BUPE RS and the then Under Secretary of the Navy, Paul Fay. The men ofthe BERKELEY served under him for two years and saw him make Captain in November of 1966. In January of 1966 Capt. Ricinak was relieved at sea in the Tonkin Gulf following a very fine tour aboard BERKELEY. He now serves as Chief of Staff, COMCRUDESFLOT 7.

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I 1 l Q 5 l 1 I F l E ' 1 1 i r V V w 1 I X4 l 'K as ,4 ,, CHANGE OF COMMAND Aural or K 'sv X ,V It perhaps was not the most glamorous way for a new com- manding officer to arrive but it was symbolic to say the least. The BERKELEY was on search and rescue duty and one of her most vital arms, the helicopter, was to bring in the new C.O. When all the orders were read and when new skipper said to old, I relieve you, Sir , what passed between the two men was a ship already at sea, already' in the heart of a most vital and dangerous task. Battle stations were manned throughout the ceremony. At a moment's notice the whole event might have been called off in order to respond to a call for assistance. Such was not the case however. The weather was balmy and the Tonkin was relatively quiet that day.