Bunker Hill (CV 17) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

P 'gif I, ,EJ if W fi'- r 1 A fi 7 9 205- .riff 14 ' fl, 1 jf! CN f fviw x' ,f Sn.. ff!!! ,z ,W .1 k .lr 4 !A'--. fu, Wulf L X il-'1,f ,-,-51.-Q, 5 er.q,.f... frfvf-Lv I ,J I f 'Nz-El CAPTAIN THOM aptain Thomas P. Jeter, USN, relieved Captain Ballentine as commanding ofiicer of the Bunker Hill in February shortly be- fore the iirst fleet strike against the Japanese bastion at Truk. Returning to the Pacific from Admiral Ernest 'J. King's staff, Captain Jeter led the ship in assaults against Truk, the Marianas, Palau, and Hollandia in rapid succession. He brought with him twentv-five years of valuable Naval experience, ranging from a S P. JETER, USN post as aviation advisor to Admiral King to as asszgnlment as Naval Advisor to the N aval Aiar olege of the Argentine at BuenaS ires. As Skipper of the Bunker Hill he earned a reputation of inspiring leadersh1p, xlhich was recognized when he was awarded t efliegion of Merit for the manner of his per ormance of duty. A native of 'South Carolina, Captain Jeter ivon his commission from the Naval Academy in June of 1918.

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REAR ADMIRAL JOHN J. BALLENTINE, USN ..,i,,...I Sx ji 1 A? Xxfhen Rear Admiral John Ballentine became guardian of the U.S.S. Bunker Hill, she was a rather haphazard mass of gray steel and snow Hakes lying in a wet slip at the Fore River Shipyard at Quincy. He watched her grow daily and from the first day he saw her there was a light in his eyes that set him apart from the crowd when he spoke of things to come. His one overall aim was to strike the enemy, hard and fast. He and his crew found that enemy-again N '-1 , 1' 'fam ' 'l ffl ,.zltm .3 T uk 1-ff' , , -,Q ,u -- xx Na 'x .XX x . li Nlgfgrx N .ff fffffi .Jpiff in -'N' ips .' l, fn' f .' -L, 'f , .Muay .g i 2? ' 1 11.5 ,ff pf' f.,-' ' Jiri' .iw -4' .. 1 1' ' f-523' , , ,fi f .f5fi':-f.'1','1f 2' X ' . - gum' I, ,f f If E all r9,i i .:t.' f f'. -. 'Q :A'f!f- ,.-,lt- f J -V!l:.f'fl ' fi' ,M 'Q ,J , i YI., ll ,li If - ill- :-, v' ,ff iifli lbs' r , J1 .- ' Z ,Q4:l3f.'igf H ,riff ' :iff 1' H- ' A :!l,l . J If :Mil ' --.XGA mfr. 4: .5 ff n I v, , .... If .JZ ,... lr Jogfiii Ts1.,L01'5o1s'45j ig , 1 .4 I 1 . JW ,f like .' ' ,. , . and againg his ship became a lethal Gray Ghost as the airmen took to the pre-dawn skies on attack missions that came thick and HSL In February of 1944, Captain Ballentine be- came Rear Admiral Ballentine and was named Chief of Staff to ComAirPac. A short time later, he Was decorated with the Silver Star and Legion of Merit i . . for daring and skillful leadership of a carrier Hagship in the South Pacific.

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R. GRE CAPTAIN MARSHALL Com ER, U li ,am jf i 1- -' ix---.Q,'s 5.1- ' 'iv , ' , , ,r r inn:-5,11 . ff' X. ip. .Fifi haf 41' , V ,,.,.,,,.,,.-... .... A , . , . , , A I - f' .f' .- .:112'2??2Eg:f'-Tixf77,:2...........-...... .A.v A '- . M-i ,,f.f,ff'i'-'Q- f N . 1 1 J' 'Jf ' ixil 1. Jef 4,5 ,qf.1 .f I 1f1 ' -,.x.22.:'L.:2::i?N,,,.-.s:::::,-sr: P 'i , h V uf. '4:..J,s.cfeJG.: .'-'f'i,,.v'- ...f--- --UH . .. l i , . r r I f' ..gg-1:LQg-g:fLt:'21jrg,:ti1t:Q:?+j13371733gtg- s in '-,613 ' .gf ff: l a'f3::414--f:,.'f53iaf.gggyyz...i-.f.r:::g:-3 ' be lb- pf, 5.5: Hg' wgg,,fj,.--::,'J.l- ' ' ,..-V r. A -- , ,- ' -' 4-I wi 115j:f?7',..--- N Vx ' ff , 4'lff2f AMF' Lffffz? ,,4?2: l R . f'gji:LqfQjif'if3'! .' -1-it f -' 5, '. L - , J U Q , , ' 'i yr ' if ,- ,' - - f iw fl bfi-'Wfff' ,Q 9, ,Wg f5g,5j9:5g,gifi',K .ff ,f 12,fSQ .jf f. . ,f ,.' -' ' 'fl ' Y 27' f 7. +if'if4iJ'i ,,'P .' -f ' f x f ' - 1 'fztf ' if - 'f f t 1 fx .44-l' si! f i. -fa. ff Af. , . ii rl H15 ,iw ' af f t if.-, 'iffy 'f. ' I ,- ,L .' If f' .. f , 1,40 - - - A U' K!, 'Z'f:,l.,a -'iii j.f?',1 i-fl! 4 ' 41 .- ' 2 fri I K fir f- Illjfi rg 5 + 8 . g' Ffili. lfljg I 1 , t . P, if if . i is . , 'fZypf,wW'f i l 13:9 .6 Y K,-701,545 .- ,.,., -Q , , i , . , ,jf ,6fWll, 'il !,4,1,ffQ,1 f r. ' 1 ' ' Q 41' '. Qfpffiff ' ,X ' , ffm I ff' X. ' . 'J d., -Qi j ' X I, z ' if .1 J f' .f J wiftifff' ,X I Q' ,n',M,i , ,Ze W at i f 'rel' Mr Q :lr Ahcfffkl-f.. rl. 'I .' l nv, D -' ,, ' ,'.' ,,,.'. 21 ,sjff ,Q-If mviifjaiipxfT..-Qf.ff'Qf',.w2.c ' - , , 3 . ,,...49 IA, lj, rifle. P '41 ff7Q'?!Kj',I ,5l.vL,F,,g.' . I I 4 ,F - .-jf' M, - f.,,Il',-lay if FIA grip, Bgblgll ff f fs? . gang! Ag, , t f f-if ft - 773' pa ' if X H il ,gt 1 i '-,'Z,1:-1.5.7 . rf' rvfbljglf '.v,.::,Jf::I'1Z. ?l .4 ' lar' . 1' Jfilipaf -.f :fK'!l. I ' 1' 4 ' I 'p'f'Jrfr f!' A! 'Hr iffy WJ- ' -. ID.,fi!7jyfi!?'1i2,1f 1525 Jr J if ' .?u,,s'f .,+'i.gf l A f if iifziklfinairagrrsrfiqjp . Y ,ai g If Ji., - ' ,I ff! if fu' , ,, Pip' , 1 'Z'ffffZTl'Q,,-L I .I I J ,fd f 'KAL 'i 1,1 fb... x d' A i- 5 A ,I f' ' ,, ,I , - '15 pf' f 0 iclfzfiz-R i4iiif..?'f?,'i-ilfffflvf 9553150 N '45 f f if ,mai ff. fa- if A I If ' v .v - Lf .- f 1 141' . . 1 . J of , ffl! ,ff ,rf f - n' if fin, J . 7' ' 5: ,IU ,f .:',,v' ff hen Captain Marshall R. Greer stepped up to take over the reins as manding Officer of the U.S.S. Bunker Hill from Captain Jeter, his first few words won the hearts of the hundreds of men who waited at attention to hear their new skipper's voice. The reputation of your ship has spread all over the Navy, he began, as a result of the hard blows you have struck at the enemy . . . I want you to know that loyalty goes down as well as up, .... Even before he had finished speaking, he had won the enthusiastic support of the men who were to bend to a thousand tasks in- volved in fighting a capital ship. Captain Greer became Commanding Officer in late August, 1944, his third sea command in VVorld War II. He came to the Bunker Hill from Norfolk, Virginia, where he was both Commandant of the Naval Air Sta- tion, Hampton Roads, and Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station. SN