Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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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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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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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.