Brinkley Bass (DD 887) - Naval Cruise Book

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:YF 5 II II 1 It II EXEEIIIEIVE IIEEIIIEIE ,,.... .Lf-,,, Lieutenant Commander Buster E. Toon received his commission in the United States Navy on January 6, 1942. Before coming into the Navy Mr, Toon attended East Texas State and Northwest- ern University. He was the Executive Officer of the U.S. S. LST 382, and later became the Commanding Officer of that ship. He served as Gunnery Officer aboard the U.S.S. RENDOVA QCVE II4j, and then assumed duties as Officer in Charge of Fire Control School, at Washington D,C. During World War ll, Mr. Toon served in the cam- paigns of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. Mr. Toon assumed duties as Executive Officer of the U. S.S. BRINKLEY BASS, during her yard period of I952 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyards. His skill and strict ad- herance to drill has made the BASS one of the cleanest and well organized ships in the Navy.

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IZAPIAI lu f vi , I. 4 1 XX 'Qu Commander Gordon Gemmill entered the U. S. Navy inJuly 1941. He had previously attended Phoenix and Arizona State Colleges. During the early part of World War II, he served aboard the U. S. S. MC FARLAND, which received the Presidential Unit Citation for out- standing performance in combat. After attending school in Key West, Florida, Commander Gemmill reported aboard the U. S. S. BERNADOU 1 DD I53Q for duty as Executive Officer, and six months later was the Commanding Officer of his own destroyer the U. S. S. UPSHUR QDD 1441. The next three years saw three more destroyers for Commander Gemmill, and then in November of 1948, he reported for duty at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis. In 1951 he reported aboard the first big ship of his career, the U. S. S. MANCHESTER, where he served as Navigator, then in September of 1952, Commander Gemmill assumed command of the U. S. S. BRINKLEY BASS CDD 8879. It has been said that, there is no substitute for experience , and Commander Gem mi1l's complete mastery of the destroyer command is certain proof of that axiom 5

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IIHICIRS Seated: S. W. CURTIS, Ir., Gunnery Officerg I. E. PHALAN, Operations Officerg G. GEMMILL Commanding Officerg B. E. TOON, Executive Officerg K. H. BONNER, Former Engineering Of- ficer: I. F. TREVILLYAN, CIC Officer. Standing: K. A. MOUNCE, Supply Officerg H. B. TEETER, Second Division Officer: I. T. MC ENERY, Ship's Secretaryg V. C. WANDRES, Navi- gatorg W, M. MC ELHENY, Assistant Communications Officerg R. P. MACKEY, First Division Officer: I. I. IOHNSON, Communications Officer: S. G. GALING, Engineering Officerg P. E. RICHTER, Damage Control Assistant. 7