Cascade (AD 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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QAJA, £fllsC CDR Paul W. Dodson, a native of Front Royal, Virginia, enlisted in the Novy on June 6, 1932. After recruit training come a tour of duty aboord U.S.S. PENSACOLA, during which he advanced to Signolman First Class. In March, 1941, came orders to the U.S.S. STINGRAY, home ported in Manila at the outbreak of World War II. The STINGRAY earned on enviable reputation and CDR Dodson completed four war patrols aboard her. Upon return to the United States in August, 1942, he was commissioned as o Warrant Boats- wain and Ensign, and served on the staff of Commander Aircraft South Pacific, participating in the capture and defense of Guadal- canal and New Georgia campaign. With promotion to Lieutenant in 1944 come his first command, the ATR-38, on which he was active in the Okinawa and Japanese occupation campaigns. After the war LT Dodson had command of the U.S.S. NAVAJO (ATA-21 1); U.S.S. MC CLELLAND (DE-750); U.S.S MINOS (ARC- 14), and a ' s o Lt. Commander wos assigned as Commander LST Div. 22 in 1952. Upon completion of his duties as Command Administrative Officer ot the Naval Proving Gr c-nds, Dohlgrehn, Virginia, CDR Dodson reported aboard the CASCADE os Executive Officer on Sept. 19, 1956. Our Exec currently resides with his wife, the former Frances E. Morgan of Jacksonville, Florida in Newport, R. I. CDR. PAUL W. DODSON Oma ( jC CjUlC In a brief ceremony aboard the U.S.S. CASCADE, on October 4, 1956, Commander Paul W. Dodson relieved Commander John F. Bauer, as the Execu- tive Officer. Commander Bauer, a graduate of Annapolis, class of 1938, first reported aboard the U.S.S. CASCADE on 1 August 1955. After having serve d as our Exec, for the major part of the cruise, he departed by Navy plane from the Nice Airport in France for the States. Com- mander Bauer is now the Executive Officer of the U.S.S. Pocano and is once again in the Med. Commander, the best of luck and smooth sailing. CDR. JOHN F. BAUER

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?4 THe iaye ' pnotK CAPT. EDWARD L. ROBERTSON JR. This Cruise Book is something which I shall treasure always, because it will always bring back memories of a five-month period during which a group of six or seven hundred men, of whom I was one, shared a rich experience. This experience had many aspects. There was, for example, the thrill of seeing the Parthenon in the moonlight, Stromboli lighting up the sky just before dawn, the Coliseum in Rome, the grandeur of the French Alps, and the incomparable beauty of the French Riviera. There was also the experience of meet- ing the inhabitants of the four different countries we visited, of seeing how they work, eat, drink, play and live, and above all, of realizing finally that they are all human beings just like ourselves, with the same virtues and faults, hopes and fears. It was also reward- ing, but at the same time somewhat sobering, to realize how many of these people look to the United States as their chief hope toward allaying the fear of war which has traditionally hung over the Mediterranean area. But for me the most rewarding experience, the one which I shall remember the most vividly, comes from the feeling of a sense of achievement. When the CASCADE sailed from Newport on June 11, 1956, there were many in her crew who had never been to sea before, and all of us were apprehensive about the multitude, variety and strangeness of the tasks which lay before us. Well, they turned out to be multitudinous, strange and various, all right. We not only repaired destroyers faster than before, we also issued them pro- visions and spare parts at sea and in port, gave them dental and medical services, fueled them in port and at sea, hauled their liberty parties, did their laundry and dry cleaning, and cut their hair. We did the same on occasion for many other vessels of the Sixth Fleet In addition, we served as Flagship for Commander Service Force, Sixth Fleet and his staff of sixteen officers and fifty-five men. At the same time we co- ordinated Fleet Air Transportation and Fleet Mail and operated the Fleet Motor Pool, the Fleet Boat Pool, the Fleet Wine Mess and the Fleet Clubs. We even operated a grocery store for U.S. Navy dependents. While we were doing all this, we spent nearly half of our time at sea with the Fleet, where indeed we accomplished many of the tasks I have mentioned, and received our own provisions, spare parts, fuel and ammuntion from other ships of the Service Force. We did not always do these jobs perfectly, but we did them well enough to receive many expressions of thanks and gratitude from Admirals and seamen alike. There were never any breakdowns in the services we rendered, nor were there any accidents or casualties except cf the most minor nature. During the whole period of five months all hands exhibited the utmost willingness to produce services for other ships which of course is the primary reason for the existence of a tender. We worked hard and long, and above all we worked together. We were performing an important job, one which was necessary and indispensable to the Sixth Fleet. As a result I am proud to have been a member of this ship ' s company on so memorable a cruise, and I only hope that the text and the pictures published in this volume will serve to give you the some pleasant recollections that I shall always enjoy.

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STAFF, COMSERVFORSIXTHFLEET f »iMii ' .? , ffJiii ■■ ■ H I V CAPTAIN A. J. MILLER CAPTAIN T. H. COPEMAN Capt. A. J. Miller USN, Commander Service Force Sixth Fleet, together with his staff, occupies a unique position in the Sixth Fleet. As his title implies, he has the responsibility for providing all services to our ships in the Mediterranean. This means, of course, that he and his staff must arrange for the delivery of such commodities as provisions, spare parts, fuel and ammunition, must see that the re- pairs and maintenance are adequate, and that personnel administration and transportation are provided for. He has many other tasks as well, such as operating the Fleet Motor Pool and Boot Pool, maintaining foreign currency for dollar exchange in whatever countries we moy visit, procurement of local fresh provisions, supervision of Shore Patrol, handling of legal problems, and arranging for controcts for locol services such as garbage collection, fresh water, lighterage, etc. He also has cognizance of Sixth Fleet postal, medicol and dental prob- lems. Since the mobility of the fleet requires that most of its business be conducted by radio, he must also have a large communication section. The magnitude of these tasks requires that Capt. Miller have a large staff, with adequate berthing space, facn ties to work with, and many offices and storerooms. These were provided by the CASCADE as his flagship, where his sixteen officer; and fifty-five men were berthed all during this cruise. In addition, nine offices, three thousond square feet of storage space, and stowoge on deck for six boats and twenty vehicles were provided, as well as about fifty CASCADE personnel loaned to his staff to operate the Fleet Motor Pool and to assist in operating the Fleet Boat Pool, Service Force communications, air transportation, and other activities. A feature of the Service Force operations in the Mediterranean is thot they are conducted without ony noval boses. This means that all replenishment had to be done underway, and that the planning for it hos to originate with procurement and shipment from the U.S. of everything the Sixth Fleet needed. This meant careful, painstaking work in preparation of plons, and then supervision of the final phase, delivery at sea. As flagship, the CASCADE normally flew the flag of Commander Service Force Sixth Fleet, who was personally in command of the replenishment group. During the four months we had Captain Miller ond his staff on board we had to work very closely with them, and our personal acquaintance with the individual members of the staff, together with our admiration for the manner in which they performed a difficult lob continually increased. When they finally transferred to the GRAND CANXON in Athens, we felt as if we had lost good friends and shipmates, which indeed they were. Good luck and good sailing to Captain Miller, and all hands in this fine organization!