Catamount (LSD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE CAPTAIN COMMANDER RAYMOND PAYNE Clonimander Raymond Payne, Commanding Officer, was born in Corinth, Mississippi, and was appointed Midshipman, U. S. Navy, in 1930. He was commissioned Ensign on May 30, 1934, and reported to the USS Ran ger for duty, subsequently serving on destroyers and the cruiser Astoria, initil World War II. During the early part of the war he served in destroyers in the North Atlantic, and in the battleship Indiana until V-J day. For shore duty, he served as engineering instructor at the U. S. Naval Academy, as Commander of Sub Groups Three and Four of the moth ball fleet at Astoria, Inspector of Xavai Material, Detroit, and Executive Officer of the Naval Resereve Officer Training Corps at Notre Dame University. His three trips to Japan were under considerably varied conditions. In 1939 the Astoria arrived in Japan bearing the ashes of the late Ambassador Saito, who was a well-liked diplomat in the United States. The .Astoria was treated to a hearty welcome by Japan. Commander Payne was shortly transferred to destroyers during the war and the Astoria was sunk off Save Island by the Japanese. In 1945 he was serving on the USS Indiana in Task Forces 38 and 58, when she bombarded Kamaishi and Ilamamatsu, Japan. She subsequently anchored off Yokosuka after V-J Day. Mrs. Payne was the fornicr Miss Rosalie V ' alk Hrown of .Anu.ipolis, Maryland. They have one daughter, Nancy, 4 years old. .Another daughter, Rosalie, died of leiik rnia. - 4 —

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OUNT iLSD-17)

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THE EXEC LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HERBERT H. VANAMAN Lieutenant Commander Herbert H. ' anaman, Executive OfBrcr, was born in Winamac, Indiana, and enlisted in ilic U. S. Navy in November, 1930, at Gary, Indiana. He served nearly eleven years as an enlisted man before being appointed warrant machinist, in August, 1941. He received a full commission aboard the L ' SS Rigel (AR-lll on June 15, 1942. He has served in many ships during his naval career, among which were; the USS Gannet (AM-41) from 1931 to 1931; the U SS Utah rAG-16) from 1935 until 1911 s-hen he was transferred only a few mouths before she was sunk at Pe.irl Harbor; and the USS Rigel frnm I ' .ljl to 1943. Lt. Chndr. ' anaman was also attached to a torpedo boat scjuadron during ti -e monilis of 1!I13 in the Kllice Islands; the Motor Torpedo Roat Base at Tulagi in 1943 for nine months; Motor ' roriirdn Hoat Squadron Training Genter, Melville, R. I., two months in 1914; and Bureau of Ships, Washington, 1). C., from 1911 to 1947 where he received a citation for Outstanding Clontributions to Engineering Design for Motor Torpedo Boats. While aboard the USS (Jrand Canyon (AD-28), in 1949, as Repair ofTicer, he was jiromotcd to Lieutenant Commander. He was Inspector of Xaval Material in St. Louis, Mo., from 1 !) ' () to 1953 and reported aboard the Catamount to serve as Executive Officer shortly before she sailed for the Far Ecst. Lt. Cmdr. ' anaman was married December 18, 1938, to Miss Ruth E. ( Iar (y of I ' e.iinnoni, IVnnsyKania, and has two children, ' alerie Lynne, 13 years old, and Herbert H., Jr., 12 years old. — 5