Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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DEPARTURE 18 October 1974 USS BLUE RIDGE ' s third deployment to the Western Pacific began near noon on a bright sunny day weathermen like to call cheery. For most of the crew and for the dependents and friends on the pier, it wasn ' t as cheery as it was sunny. For as the giant Amphibious Command and Control Ship backed away from its berth at the Naval Station, San Diego, the realization of the forthcoming seperation, scheduled for some seven months pervaded almost everyone ' s thinking. Her brilliant white number 19 reflecting on the surrounding harbor waters, she turned ponderously in mid channel, pointing her bow toward the center of the blue arch of the Coronado Bay Bridge. Last waves of loved ones came from the end of pier 3, and then as her 22,000 horse power engine beat the dirty water 10 Jm

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BETWEEN CRUISES We spent the better part of a year in San Diego between cruises. During that time, we returned to sea for periods of training. There were always new men reporting aboard, and they required hands-on ex- perience before they could be integrated into the crew. There were also exercises involving other ships and the Marines — Operations Bell Cannon and Bead Ring up at Camp Pendleton. In short, the months were not idle. BLUE RIDGE also visited San Francisco during a two week period. A hard week of exercises on the way was rewarded with a week for visiting one of America ' s most beautiful cities. The highlight of the period between the second and third WestPac cruises came during our first, and to date only missile shoot. Newly installed Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles of BLUE RIDGE ' S Basic Point Defense Missile System roared aloft to defend her from attacking drones from the Pacific Missile Test Range. Three launches, one, a spectacular night firing resulted in two confirmed kills. The third missile followed a malfunctioning target drone into the ocean — a moral victory at least! On 20 September 1974, we said goodbye to an old friend and welcomed a new one as Captain J. D. Butler turned over BLUE RIDGE ' s command to Cap- tain W. D. Hart. And then, WestPac III. kml r.

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■ af the i prer. n trie ousty terof ■aves then rater under her stern into a white froth, she moved off to the duty that called her in the Far East. For some of the crew with families, in the Republic of the Philippines or elsewhere east, this was the beginning of a long journey home. BLUE RIDGE ' s departure came five days short of one year since she had returned home from her se- cond deployment west. In the intervening months there had been new marriages, events that in many ways add yet another member to the crew, because as surely as the men of BLUE RIDGE are called upon to do their duty, the wives also serve their country ' s needs. The departure left things undone — the hinge on the car hood that broke the evening of the 17th when the oil was changed for a final time by the man of the house, or the fence unpainted. It left other things done — the vows of lasting love, the promises of a spring morning in 1975 to be kept as BLUE RIDGE and her men return to San Diego, the knowledge that she and her men would ably meet the forthcoming challenges. BLUE RIDGE and her men would be gone over the holiday season. Gifts and greetings would be ex- changed through the mail. In most hearts aboard the purposeful grey ship there were hollow spots, existing for a reason. They were there to harbor the night time dreams and the daytime thoughts and memories. They were there to hold and love that which was out of reach for the com- ing months. 11