Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN J. D. BUTLER Commanding Officer 19 March 73 to Present Captain J. D. BUTLER was born in Napa, California. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and later attended the U.S. Naval Academy. His first assignment was aboard a destroyer during the Korean conflict. After a tour at the Armed Forces Special Weapons project, he became Gunnery Officer of the escort carrier RENDOVA. From June of 1956 thru early 1958, Captain BUTLER attended General Line School and followed that tour with two years at the Naval Gun Factory. He returned to sea in 1958 where his first duty assignment was as Engineering Officer of COMDESRON 30. In 1961 he served as Executive Officer of the radar picket destroy- er USS BAILEY. He attended Naval Intelligence School from mid-1962 to July of 1965 and then was assigned to the staff of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific in Hawaii. Captain BUTLER then spent some 18 months at the Armed Forces Staff College as a student before becoming Commanding Officer of the USS BOLE in February of 1969. He assumed the duties of Surface Operations Officer on the staff of Com- mander Carrier Division ONE in late 1967 and took command of Destroyer Division 92 in July of 1969. In December of the same year he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. Captain BUTLER holds several medals and decorations including three Bronze Stars, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Unit Citation. He is married to the former Diana TAFT of Los Angeles, Ca., and they have one daughter — Celeste, age 9.

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BLUE RIDGE is the first ship ever designed and built as a Connmand and Control Ship; all others have been converted fronn other type ships. She is the third ship to be named for the Blue Ridge Mountains in the United States. The first BLUE RIDGE was a Great Lakes passenger steamer that was purchased for use as a Navy Transport during World War I and the second was an amphibious force flagship that saw considerable action during World War II. Unlike her World War II predecessor which was quickly converted from a merchantman to a flagship, the new 620-foot United States Ship BLUE RIDGE represents a unique effort and achievement in the amphibious Navy ' s command ship design. In this 19,200 ton ship are found the facilities to direct and manage every phase of an amphibious operation; indeed, the BLUE RIDGE represents the accumulated know- ledge of four decades of the Navy ' s experience in the difficult effective Amphibious Force Coordination. Initially conceived in 1963, assumed the distinction of carrying one of the world ' s most sophisticated electronics packages to sea. BLUE RIDGE utilizes her main battery of computers, communications gear, and other electronic facilities to fulfill her mission as a command ship for Amphibious Task Force and Landing Force Commanders during Amphibious Opera- tions. The task includes the landing of troops, air and gunfire support, task force protection and logistics support. A description of BLUE RIDGE would not be complete without mention of her twenty- knot-plus speed capability. However, not only in speed, but also in the category of ship habitability — BLUE RIDGE is a great improvement in ship design. problem of Control and BLUE RIDGE Recreation rooms, air conditioning, ship ' s stores, spacious galleys and messing areas all help make life at sea a great deal more pleasant for crew and embarked staffs. BLUE RIDGE has accommodations for 268 officers and 1200 enlisted men. BLUE RIDGE departed the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in mid-February of 1971 and set sail for her homeport of San Diego. She deployed to the Western Pacific for the first time in January of 1972 and served as flagship for Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. SEVENTH Fleet and Commanding General, NINTH Marine Amphibious Brigade. BLUE RIDGE participated in several opera- tions during a North Vietnamese spring offensive and spent considerable time off the coast of Vietnam, including stints of 63 and 37 consecutive days. She ended her first deployment in August of 1972. BLUE RIDGE ' S second WESTPAC cruise began in late February of 1973. She was not needed in Vietnamese waters this time, however, as a peace treaty had been signed in that worn-torn area and American forces were no longer used there. BLUE RIDGE ' s job remained the same in WESTPAC as she continued to serve as flagship for PHIBFOR- SEVENTHFLT. This time her mission dealt with training joint amphibious operations with the Navy of the Republic of the Philippines. She also served as a flagship during Operation Golden Dragon, the first large-scale exercise with Korean forces in many years. In addition, BLUE RIDGE made several interesting and relaxing port visits while deployed. Among the ports visited were Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. She again operated out of White Beach, Okinawa while overseas. BLUE RIDGE returned to the United States in late October 1973. i

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CAPTAIN P. H. SPEER Commanding Officer 1 July 72 to March 73 Captain P. H. Speer was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1928 and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Speer, presently of Ridgway, Pennsylvania. He began his Naval career in 1946 when he enlisted in the Naval Aviation College program. Following two years at Wisconsin State College, Captain Speer entered flight training in 1948 and was designated a Naval Aviator in February 1950. His first assignment was with VX-3 at the Naval Air Station, Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was subsequently ordered to VF-172 and participated in the introduction of the F2H Banshee into the Korean War, flying from the USS ESSEX. Captain Speer attended General Line School, Monterey, California, in 1953 and then was a flight instructor in the Naval Air Training Command until 1955. He served as Operations Officer with VF-111 aboard the USS BON HOMME RICHARD and as combat instructor with VF-124. He was subsequently named Executive Officer and Command- ing Officer of VF-211, making two combat tours to Southeast Asia in 1966 and 1967. During his tour, VF-211 became the first Navy squadron to down more than five enemy jets and also won the Naval Air Pacific Combat E for excellence. Captain Speer scored a personal kill of a North Vietnamese MIG aircraft over Hanoi on 19 May 1967. He made two more deployments to Southeast Asia on the staff of Commander Carrier Division Three in 1968 and 1969 prior to reporting to Miramar Air Station in California for training as a prospective Air Wing Commander. He took command of Attack Carrier Air Wing Eleven in October 1969 and of Attack Carrier Air Wing Fourteen in January 1970, making another combat tour of Southeast Asia on the USS CONSTELLATION. He assumed command of BLUE RIDGE in July 1972. He left BLUE RIDGE to take command of the attack carrier CONSTELLATION (CVA64). His personal awards include the Navy Cross, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star Medal with Combat V , 21 Air Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross. Captain Speer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California. He is married to the former Genevieve D. Nagy of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. They make their home in San Diego, California. A si ! €Sm