Catamount (LSD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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THE CATAMOUNT TAVERN When a sturdy Vermont hunter stuffed powder into his musket one sunny afternoon in the 1770 ' s aimed through his crude sights at a strange looking mountain lion, and fired, it is doubtful that he was aware that the results of that shot would play such a large role in the active vocabulary of the hundreds of men who would serve aboard the United States ' Landing Ship Dock, number 17, nearly two hundred years later. With his shot hitting true, the hunter dragged his game into the community of Bennington, Vermont, then a part of the region called the New Hampshire Grants. The type of the mountain lion he had killed was called the painter . These animals were never numerous in the region but were greatly feared by the local inhabitants. Perhaps spurred on by their admiration for his deed, the hunter proceeded to have the animal stuffed, and presented it for display to Bennington ' s leading tavern. Stephen Fay, proprietor and founder of the tavern, happily accepted the gift and had it mounted on the wall. At the same time that this local marksman had felled his prey, other muskets were being loaded in Bennington, but for more profound reasons. The settlers, there since 1767, were involved in a dispute between the Royal Governors of the provinces of New York and New Hampshire, each of whom claimed the region containing Bennington to belong to him. Were New York to win the disagreemeiU, the claims of the present settlers would have been invalidated. In rcsistcnce to such an occurrance, Kthan .Mien, famous RcNolutionary War hero, formed a small guerilla l)and of volunlccrs whom he called the CJrccn Mountain I ' oys. These men took it upon themselves to defend the settlers ' claims to their homes and farm. :. Fay ' s tavern quickly became the logical site for town meetings. A sjx-cial con ention was even held there to discuss and settle the claims of the two states for the territory which is now Wrmont. It was not long before Allen ' s band of vigilantes began to muster there in the e enings. Finally Fay named his drinking place The Green Mountain Tavern . — 6 —