Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDER W. C. HOLT 37 Dec. 71 to 15 Sept 73 Commander William C. Holt, a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, was commissioned in 1958 at the Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. A graduate of Palm Beach Junior College and Florida State University, his initial service was as Engineering Officer aboard the ice breaker USS BURTON ISLAND. Visiting Antarctica once and the Arctic three times, BURTON ISLAND was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation during this period for scientific achievement in the Bellinghausen Sea, Antarctica. In 1961 Commander Holt was assigned to the destroyer USS BLUE as Operations Officer and in 1963 he became an instructor and scheduling officer at Fleet Training Group, San Diego, California. From 1966 to 1967 he was the Executive Officer of the destroyer escort USS PARLE. He subsequently served a two year tour as Surface Operations Officer on the staff of Commander U. S. SIXTH Fleet aboard the cruiser USS LITTLE ROCK, where he was awarded the Navy Commenda- tion Medal. Commander Holt was then assigned to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C., where he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal as Manpower Coordinator in the planning of the new NIMITZ class nuclear aircraft carriers and the SSN-688 class fast attack nuclear submarines. Commander Holt assumed the Position of Executive Officer aboard USS BLUE RIDGE in January of 1972 and served in that capacity until September of 1973 when he left to take command of the USS MOUNT VERNON. Commander Holt is married to the former Georgina Joyce of Everett, Washington. The couple and their two sons reside in San Diego, California.

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CDR R.W.S. CHRISTENSON Executive Officer Sept. 1973 to Present CDR R. W. S. CHRISTENSON was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1934. He began his Naval career in 1952 when he entered the Reserves. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1953 to 1957, graduating as a commissioned Ensign. His first billet was as Communications Officer and First Lieutenant aboard the USS WILLIAM WOOD (DDR715). Early in 1959 he attended the submarine school in New London, Connecticut, and then followed that with a two and a half year tour as Communications Officer and Assistant Engineering Officer aboard the submarine SEA OWL (SS405). CDR CHRISTENSON attended the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, from March of 1962 to June of 1964, graduating with a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences. He then spent five months as Communications Officer and Assistant Plans Officer for Submarine Squadron ONE and Submarine Flotilla FIVE. He followed that with two years as Communications Officer and Intelligence Officer for Submarine Squadron FIFTEEN. In October of 1966, he took over as Operations Officer and Navigator aboard the USS CHARR (AGSS328), and then in December of 1967 assumed the duties of Executive Officer aboard the USS BAYA {AGSS318). Following his Baya tour, CDR CHRISTENSON moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he worked in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy for a year. From mid-1970 through mid-1971 he attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. This was followed by a tour as Executive Officer of the Naval Ordnance Engineering Facility at Keyport, Washington. He became Executive Officer of BLUE RIDGE (LCC19) in September of 1973. CDR CHRISTENSON is married to the former Mary L. Johnson of Minneapolis and they have three sons: Kurt 13, Jon 12, and Grant 11. He is the son of Virginia Warnhoff Christenson of Minneapolis.

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.-.--« Commander Amphibious Group One, who also serves as Commander Amphibious Force, U. S. Seventh Fleet, and Commander Task Force 76, is tasked v ith directing and coordinating the movement and actions of the amphibious ships deployed to the Western Pacific. During times of strife, the group com- mander is responsible for one of the most complex forms of modern warfare — the amphibious assault. In such an operation, his main concern is placing a hardhitting Marine landing force ashore and keeping it there. Now, however, with the Navy operating in a peacetime existence. Commander Amphib- ious Group One has found his major concern somewhat altered. At present the major task of the U. S. Navy pertains to the training and readiness of its various units. This holds true in the Amphibious Force also and was exemplified by the major exercises BLUE RIDGE and other gator ships participated in during 1973. Included were a major operation with South Korean forces and two amphibious exercises with Naval Forces from the Republic of the Philippines. CTF-76 MISSION