Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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GQMMANDING OFFICER CAPTAIN GEORGE S. MORRISON George Stephen Morrison was born in Rome, Georgia on January 7, 1919. He is the son of Paul R. and Caroline (Hoover) Morrison. He attended Leesburg High School, Leesburg, Florida prior to entering the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Mary- land in June 1937. After graduation from the Naval Academy, he served on board the USS PRUITT (DM-22) for two years while the ship was engaged in the Aleutian Campaign and was present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Following designation as a Naval Aviator in August 1943, he was retained as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station, Mel- bourne, Florida, instructing in fighter type aircraft. His first operational aviation duty was with Fighter Squadron NINETY-FOUR. During that period he was deployed aboard USS LEXINGTON and participated in numerous strikes against the islands of Wake, Hokkaido and Honshu. For action in connection with these strikes he was awarded three Air Medals. He is a plank owner in the USS VALLEY FORGE, being a member of the ship ' s company when commissioned in January 1946. In February 1947 he reported to the Office of Naval Research, Washington, D. C. as Projects Officer. This assignment was followed by a tour of duty at the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project at Sandia Base, Alburquerque, New Mexico, during the early stages of development of atomic weapons. In January 1951, and for the following two years, he was attached to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as the Coordinator of Atomic Energy. January 1953 found him in Korea as Naval Liaison Officer with the Joint Operations Command, Korea. Returning to the United States in March 1954, Captain Morrison assumed his first command, that of Fighter Squadron 112 with deployment to the Western Pacific. In June 1955, he again returned to Alburquerque to serve as Executive Officer and later as Commanding Officer of Naval Air Special Weapons Facility. December 1958 brought orders again to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, engaged in Astronautics Developments Programs, an assignment he held until June 1961. He joined the Staff of Commander, Carrier Division FIVE as Operations Officer in June 1961. After this as- signment Captain Morrison was the Commanding Officer of USS GUADALUPE. On November 22, 1963 he assumed command of the attack carrier USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31).

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMANDER CLARENCE R. JOHNSON Commander Clarence R. Johnson entered the Navy from Marshalltown, Iowa in 1942 as an Aviation Cadet. He was commissioned an Ensign and designated a Naval Aviator in June 1943. Upon completion of flight training he served at NAS, Anacostia, D.C., as Assistant Operations Officer and Test Pilot. He subsequently served with the SEVENTH Fleet in the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan. Following World War II, he was attached to the Staff of the Department of Interior, Coal Mines Administration where he served as District Transportation Officer until September 1947. After attending the All Weather Flight School at Corpus Christi, Texas, he was attached to various squadrons, which included duty in VX-4 and then as Patrol Plane Commander in VP-51 until late 1949. He then attended the University of Kansas from September 1949 until June 1950, and returned to Corpus Christi as an instructor at the All Weather Flight School, 1950-52. From that time until 1955 he was attached to VC-35 and was OHicer-in-Charge of a Night .Attack Team in Korea. It was during this period while flving off BOXER that he was rescued by the destroyer SUMNF ' R after ditchmg at sea at night oft ' the east coast of Korea. In 1955, Commander Johnson was ordered to the Armed Forces Staff ' College at Norfolk, Virginia. Upon completion of his studies and for the next three years he was assigned to the Office of the Bureau of Aeronautics Representative, Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc., F l Segundo, California as Production Officer and Production Test Pilot of the AD ' S, A3D ' s A4D ' s and F4D ' s. His next assignment was duty under instruction in the F3H Program prior to assuming duties as Commanding Officer of VJ--53 from March 1959 to November 1960, which included a WESTPAC cruise on board TICON- D1.R )(, A. h v.,s during this tour of dutv that his squ.idron won the COMNAV AIRPVC pjrrnv 111 .MisMlt k(.t .It Point Mugu. lie then served with the Fleet Tr.uning Croup, San Diego, as Head of the Air Department, training CVA ' s, CVS ' s, LPH ' s and AV ' s during underway training, 1960-62. In July 1962 ' he assumed duty as Commanding Officer, Instrument Training Sq ' ..iadion, v ' A-126 of Canier Air XK ' ing 12. In September 1963 he reported to BON HOMME RICHARD -js Navigator and in May of the following year became Execu- tive Officer of the attack earner. Commander Johnson wears the Distinguishcl Flying Cross with gold star, the Air Medal with gold star, and the Fetter of Commendation with Combat V and one star.