Blue Ridge (LCC 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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History mm ' I Asia COMMANDERS OF THE SEVENTH FLEET VADM A S Carpender USN 15 Mar 1943- 26 Nov 1143 VADM T C Kinc, USN 26 Nov 1943- 20 Nov 1945 VADM D E Barbev USN 20 Nov 1945- 2 Oct 1946 VADMC M Cooke USN 2 Oct 1946- 28 Feb 1948 VADMOC Badgei USN 28 Feb 1948- 28 Aug 1949 . ' ADM R S Berkey USN 28 Aug 1949- 5 Apr 1950 RADM W F Boo USN 5 Apr 1950- 20 May 1950 VADM A D Sin USN 29 May 1950- 28 Mar 1951 VADM H M Martin USN 28 Mar 1951- 3 Mar 1952 VADM R P Bri USN 3 Mar 1952 20 Mav 195; VADM A M Pride USN 1 Dec 1953- 9 Dec, 1955 VADM W M Beakley USN 28 Jan, 1957- 30 Sep. 1958 ADM F N Kiv USN 30 Sep 1958- 7 Mar. 1960 ADM C D GrifTi USN 7 Mar. 1960- 28 Oct. 1961 VADM W A Sho. USN 28 Oct. 1961- 13 Oct. 1962 VADMT H Mo USN 13 Oct, 1962- 15 Jun 1964 VADM R L John USN 15 Jun. 1964- 1 Mar 1965 RADM J W W USN 9 Oct 1965- 13 Dec 1965 ADM J J Hvland USN 13 Dec 1965- 6 Nov 1967 ADM W F Bnnglc USN 6 Nov 1967- 10 Mar 1970 ADM M F We USN 10 Mar. 1970- 18Jun 1971 ADM W P Mji USN ISJun 1971- 23 Mav 1972 ADMS L Hollow USN 23 May 1972- 28 Jul 1973 VADM S H Inger. USN 19 Dec 1955- 28 Jan. 1957 ' ADM P P USN 1 Mar. 1965- 9 Oct 1965 ADMC P Sic USN 28 Jul 1973- VADMTB Hayward USN 14 Jun 1975- 24 Jul 1976 VADM R B Baldwin USN 24 Jul 1976- 31 May 1978 VADM S R Foley USN 31 May 1978- 14 Feb 1980 VADMC A H Trost USN 14 Feb. 1980- 15 Sep. 1981 ADM M S Hole. USN 15 Sep. 1981- 9 May 1983 VADM J R Hogg USN 9 May 1983- 4 Mar 1985

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History BLUE RIDGE (Continued from page 2) ships, provides a complete tactical picture of air, surface and subsurface contacts. From the NTDS picture, the most expeditious and coordinated weapons assignments may be made to protect the Task Force from attack. ASIS allows commanders to have logistical information instantaneously. In addition to the major computers mentioned above, an extremely refined communications system is also an integral part of the ship ' s radical new design. Through an automated patch panel and computer-controlled switching matrix, any combination of communications equipment desired may be quickly connected. The clean topside area is the result of careful design intended to keep the ship ' s interference to her own communications system at a minimum. A description of Blue ? ( ,tfe would not be complete without mention of her twenty-knot-plus speed capability. She is a great improvement in ship design, not only in speed, but also in habitability. Recreation rooms, air conditioning, ship ' s stores, spacious galleys and messing areas all help make life at sea a great deal more pleasant for the crew and embarked staffs. Blue Ridge has accommodations for 268 officers and 1200 enlisted men. SEVENTH FLEET (Continued from page 3) successes in Korea demonstrated the readiness and mobility of the Fleet. In early 1955, Fleet units evacuated about 38,000 military and civilian personnel from the Nationalist Chinese Tachen Islands, which had come under artillery attack from the mainland. The presence of Fleet units in the South China Sea cooled another hot spot in 1959, when political unrest in Laos threatened to spread to other Southeast Asian countries. Fighting again broke out in Laos in 1962. This time a Seventh Fleet Marine amphibious squadron, at the direction of the U.S. Government, was quickly moved to Thailand. Fourteen hundred Fleet Marines landed in Bangkok, while Fleet carriers and anti-submarine forces operated in the South China Sea. In August 1964, two U.S. destroyers were attacked by North Vietnamese PT boats in international waters in the Tonkin Gulf. This act triggered further U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict as aircraft from Task Force 77 carriers were launched against targets in North Vietnam. Throughout the following decade, the Seventh Fleet was heavily engaged in combat operations against Noth Vietnam and enemy forces in South Vietnam— through attack carrier air strikes, naval gunfire strikes, amphibious operations, patrol and reconnaissance operations and mine warfare. In 1973, a cease-fire agreement was signed at negotiations in Paris, after which the Fleet conducted mine countermeasure operations in coastal waterways of North Vietnam. The Fleet ' s continued involvement in Southeast Asia culminated in the spring of 1975, when Fleet units successfully evacuated thousands of refugees from Cambodia and South Vietnam when those two countries fell to opposing forces.

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USS Blue Ridge LCC- 19 COMMANDING OFFICER, USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) CAPTAIN JOHN H. HEIDT Captain John H. Heidt reported for duty as Commanding Officer from assignment as Head, Education Plans and Policy Branch, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. He graduated from Georgetown University in Washington in May 1961 and received his commission through the Reserve Officer Candidate program. During the first seven years he served on the staff of Commander Naval Base, Subic Bay, Philippines and aboard three destroyers in both the Atlantic and the Pacific-the USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884), USS Belknap (DLG-26)andUSS ' ( ' Wf (DLG-15)-servingin Communications, Combat Information Center and Operations officer billets. During the next two years, 1968-1970, he was assigned as an analyst in the Systems Analysis Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. During 1971 he served as the Special Plans Officer on the staff of Commander Naval Forces, Vietnam in Saigon. This was followed by a tour as Executive Officer aboard the USS O ' Callahan (DE- 05 ) in the Pacific. For the next three years he served ashore in various billets at the Fleet Combat Systems Training Center, Pacific in San Diego, California. In early 1977, Captain Heidt reported as Executive Officer aboard the USS Nashville (LPD-13) in Norfolk, Virginia, serving until 1979. Remaining in Norfolk, he assumed command of the USS Fairfax Co( «n ' (EST- 1 193) from July 1979 through July 1 98 1. He then served as Chief Staff Officer of Amphibious Squadron Four in Norfolk, until 1983, at which time he assumed command of the USS A ' t ' Hy?o - (LST-l 179) for a brief period before reporting to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island for one year as a student in the College of Naval Warfare. During this time he earned a Master ' s degree in International Relations from Salve Regina College in Newport. Captain Heidt is the recipient of the following awards and decorations: Meritorious Service Medal with one star; Navy Commendation Medal with combat V and three stars; Combat Action Ribbon; Navy Unit Commendation with one star; Meritorious Unit Citation with one star; Navy Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon); National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea); Vietnam Service Medal with seven stars; Humanitarian Service Medal (Lebanon); Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two stars; Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation (Combat); Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation (Civil Action); and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Captain Heidt is married to the former Patricia Fitzgerald of Chevy Chase, Maryland. They have five children: John, Anne, Michele, David and Stephen.