Caliente (AO 53) - Naval Cruise Book

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. In 1963 Commander Service with the Battle Efficiency 'f'E Excellence Green C , How , In 1964 I found myself in to my Communication and delivery was aboard and they set about to mak. ship in the fleet., By May theyghad me for four weeks Refresher Training. , 'r 5 - 1 j 7 In July we departed San Diego and spent four weeks at sea replenishing to USS RANGER and her task -.force inreadiness for' what might occur after the attack on the USS' MAIDDOX in the Tonkin Gulf. I I I ' We traveled a lot, my men and I from J une 1964 until we returned to Long Beach, in March of 1966, we covered a total of 58,570 miles without missing a scheduled com-mitment. With 431 ships alongside and having transferred 57.3 million gallons of fuel, I felt mighty proud of the crew and myself. I have always hated returning fto my homeport for with it comes . I . the departure of some tried and tested friend, but just as I hit my lowest, up steps that freckled faced ,kid from Oklahoma or ar Jewish boy from the Bronx. I We left again for. an extended deployment in the South China Sea, in July of 1966. During the 1966-67 WESTPAC tour we again set an enviable record for services rendered to units of the Mighty SEVENTH Fleet. As I look back I remember the 81,360.00 my crew took out of theiripockets to contribute to Operation School House to sponsor seventeen High School St-udents in the Philippines through fouryears of I ' -I high school education. I can still 'sense the thrill, when Commander, Service Force, Pacific awarded 152fof. officers and men with commendations from the Secretary, of the Navy, Commander in Chief, Pacific F leet-and Commander hands aboard gave the new meni a vigorous training 'program' to prepare them for Refresher Training which: began o,n6October. I . do . ' elf' 7 With r refresher a training' but of theft way. we 'participatediinf the ,major fleet .exercise BLUE LOTUSffbeforeisettliing down to make the final preparations for our departure on'8'January 1968. The Admin andPre-Deployment Inspectionssuceess- fully completed, final farewellssaid my 'crew and I set sail to begin my fourth tour in.Vietnamese waters., Enroute I stopped off. at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and moored within sight of the Battleship ARIZONA for twomdays.fAfter leaving Hawaii,we met Task Forces 17.5 and' 14.1, just- ordered to Korea in response to the PUEBLO incident: I transferred to them all my fuel and proceeded on to Subic Bay, my overseas home port. I arrived there on the second of February and lcommenced my operatio-ns on YankeeStation a few days later. Well itis been many months and many thousandsof miles since our departure from, the West Coast. Iive seen a lot of places, Subic. Bay in the Philippines, Kaoshung and Keelung in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, not to mention Auckland, N.Z. and they all stand jout in my mind.I:remember the sights of XTaiwan and how the old and new cultures were mixed, the many different nationalities in singapore. How my crew loved Hong Kong, I thought myisidesuwould bust when Isaw all the souvenirs. The friendship I 'found in Auckland is one that made me feel at home. Yes we came along way and saw alot but it wasn't all play. I was one ofthe first fleet oilers to carry 'ammunition to the boys, off fjthei-coast, ,25,269.pounds of it. But. that is only asmall portion of Umyiljob. had over 330 ships alongside and 'provided themjifyvith. overt million gallons of fueloil, 151,052 psunds offleet freight, transferred 51,966 gallons of very preciousfresh water, exchanged 1,171 movies, transported 509,inew people, 113,660'pbunds of fresh provisions, 951 gallons of -ice .cream ,and most important Seventh,Fleet. - fe , H 'I V c Having completed our third deploymentjto the Western Pacific in support of the United 'states in South East Asia it was again for me My .men saw to it that Iigot 42,413 pounds of 'mailQ..We worked' hard,Vmy menaand I, sea quator 4 times and- King Postn to improve personnel by hi-line,- from above thecargo to my

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