Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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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.