Bexar (APA 237) - Naval Cruise Book

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m OFFICER ,. r Commander M.G. Grazda, USN, the Bexar ' s Executive Officer, was commissioned in 1942 following his graduation from St. Benedicts College. Commander Grazda served out the remainder of WW II as Torpedo Officer and Assistant Gunnery Officer aboard the Destroyer USS STACK. From July 1945 to May 1946, he attended General Line School, U.S. Naval Academy and three months later entered Submarine School. Commander Grazda ' s first submarine duty was aboard the BECUNA as Navigator, Communications Officer, Operations Officer, Engineering Officer and fina ' ly Executive Officer. Serving four years on the BECUNA he received orders to the Staff of COMSUBRON 2 for a year. In June 1952 he became executive officer aboard the submarine SALEFISH. A year later CDR Grazda took command of the killer submarine BLUEGILL, where he remained until July 1955. The next three years were spent at the Naval War College, Newport, first as a student and then remained on the College ' s staff. Leaving the War College in June 1958, CDR Grazda reported aboard the BEXAR for a tour as the ship ' s Executive Officer.

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r COMMANDING OFFICER Captain B.P. Ross, USN, the Bexar ' s Commanding Officer, entered the Navy in 1930 and attended the Naval Academy from 1931 to 1935. Upon graduation from Annapolis, he was ordered to the battleship, USS ARIZONA. At the outbreak of World War II, Capt. Ross was serving aboard the destroyer, USS BALChl. In April 1942, he was assigned to the destroyer, USS RADFORD, in the Pacific theater, where he served as Engineering and then Executive Officer for two years. After an eight month assignment in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, Capt. Ross returned to sea as Commanding Officer of the destroyer, USS McNAIR, during the closing months of the war. Since World War II, Capt. Ross has commanded the destroyer, USS EVERSOLE, and Destroyer Division 62, and served as Executive Officer of the cruiser, USS ROANOKE, in addition two tours in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and two years on the staff of COMPHIBLANT. Captain Ross served as Commanding Officer of the USS BEXAR from August 1958 to August 1959.

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i L to R 1. LT. TAPP, LCDR JARVIS, CAPT. ROSS, CDR. GRAZDA, LT. WARD 2. LT. FORDTRAN, LTJG HLAVA, LT. WALKER, LTJG NATZ, LT. KUKAR 3. CWO CRUMP, CWO FROST, ENS. TIERNAN, ENS. WILKINS, ENS. WERTZ, CWO DEAN, LTJG MONTE. EONE 4. CWO HERBST, CWO DONOVAN, ENS. GLADDING, ENS. WALZ, CWO LANG 5. LTJG NIDER, ENS. LOWDEN, ENS. STANNUS, Ish LT. MC KENNA, ENS. CRUSINBERRY, ENS. MOORE Mi L to R 1. RYAN ALC, NOVITSKI EMC, CAPT, ROSS, SKOCHENKO BMC, KIRK MMC. 2. BULLARD ENC, HOPKINS SMCA, THIERRY YNC, STE-FEN RMC, ZA3LACKI5 GMC, SPECKMANN HMC 3. KILLINGSWORTH SDC, SMO.INGER BTC, WILLIAMS RMC, CROSS SKC, CEBULA SFC, RAYSURN CSC