Chemung (AO 30) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 82 of the 1966 volume:

■..swsmmsmt .WraK5fii S 1. U X. mmtKmmiaimmHmmKa ■niaHMMHiHHorM ■Ml ■ -. iJiWfffi -i tt tf?py5 m ' amsr m n 29 7l( e €n. t965 4 Scfite Cex t966 cu a cifit cK CHEMUNG went to WESTPAC with one Commanding Officer and returned with another. Captain Craning, who skippered the ship until the eleventh hour of the deployment, was relieved by Captain Montgomery prior to the return voyage. Fittingly, the ceremony took place during an UNREP. :. :| ,- ' -, Jl - ' V-;r- i fl Bf jRfl H ud H f965 - f 66 Captain Craning came to CHEMUNG from the Joint Chiefs of Staff in August, 1965. An Annapolis ( ' 43) graduate, he began his naval career as a Black Shoe but soon switched to aviator training. A distin- guished Airedale, he has served aboard USS TARAWA (CVA-40) and USS YORK- TOWN (CVS-10), commanded a fighter squadron — VF-114 — and qualified as a test pilot. Captain Craning and his wife, the former Marguerite-Jean Tucker, bothfrom Rochester, New York, are now living with their son in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the Captain became Chief of Staff of Ad- vanced Naval Air Training after 1 e a v i ng CHEMUNG. i966 - i967 Captain Montgomery, coming from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, met CHEMUNG in S a s ebo, Japan in A ugu s t, 1966. He also has pursued the career of a naval aviator, serving in such diverse positions as CIC and Operations Of f ic er aboard USS VALLEY FORGE (CVA-45), in- structor at NAS, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron 56, NAS, Norfolk, Virginia. Cap- tain Montgomery and his wife, the former Mary Pittman, are both natives of Texas, and they have four children. Prior to en- tering the Navy through the AVCAD pro- gram, the Captain was a college professor. LC DR Flynn reported aboard CHEMUNG in March, 1965, after a two- year tour of duty with the training division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Wash- ington, D.C, He is a marine engineering graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Since embarking on a naval career, he has served on the USS ALAMEDA COUNTY (LST-32),USS TARAWA (CVS-40), USS IREX (SS-482)— he is a graduate of Submarine School— and USS MULIPHEN (AKA-61). LCDR Flynn and his wife, the former Carol Cudihy, come from Salem, Massachusetts, and they have two small children. i Utcncf ( t e S ifr USS CHEMUNG (A0-30),one of the old- est fleet oilers in the United States Navy, is 553 feet long, 75 feet wide, and displaces approximately 25,000 tons of water when fully loaded. Carrying 300 men and 15 of- ficers, CHEMUNG ' S primary mission is delivering fuel oil, gasoline and other pe- troleum products to combatant ships of the fleet while underway, in order to en able them to carry out sustained operations. In her cargo tanks CHEMUNG can carry up to 5,082,000 gallons of Navy Special Fuel Oil, 780,000 gallons of jet fuel (JP-5), and 588,000 gallons of high octane aviation gas- oline. The ship ' s maximum speed is 18 knots, and her present armament consists of four 3-inch 50-caliber dual-purpose mounts. Originally built as a merchant tanker, the ESSO-ANNAPOLIS, CHEMUNG owes her naval career to the rapid build-up of a mobile support force just prior to World War n. The Navy pure has ed her from Standard Oil of New Jersey, re-fitted her as a naval vessel in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and commissioned her on 3 July 1941. She was pressed into service imme- diately. From her commissioning to the end of the war, CHEMUNG was never idle. Speed- S , «?«li !a;s ' ; ii!S Sl« m ;iS 3k i= M ing from the loading ports of the Mexican Gulf to rendezvous at sea with the combat- ant units of the Atlantic Fleet, she worked tirelessly to maintain the lifeline to Eng- land, Russia, and Africa. Those were tense years for ships in convoy, and CHEMUNG was saved on one occasion only by the ex- cellence of her damage control organiza- tion from a disaster which had already de- stroyed another ship. As it was, thirty feet of her bow had to be replaced. Such was the spirit of her crew, however, that CHEMUNG was soon back on the line. In all, she crossed the subm a r ine- infested North Atlantic twenty-eight times during the war, sometimes with only one escort. In fact, on one urgent occasion, in April 1942, CHEMUNG made a round trip to Iceland alone, dependent solely on her high speed and vigilance of her gun crews for safety. 1942 also saw CHEMUNG ' s par- ticipation in the North African Invasion. In following years, she provided support for the landings on Sicily, Anzio, and southern France. As a fitting reward for her long record of efficiency and reliability, she was selected as the oiler to refuel Pres- ident Roosevelt ' s speedy convoy on his trip to the Yalta Conference. After the European enemy capitulated, CHEMUNG was transferred to the Pacific Fleet for the duration of the war. With the surrender of Japan, her task was done, and so she headed for home in October 1945 — on a westward course. When the war-weary but justifiably proud AO-30 arrived back in Norfolk, Virginia, just in time for Christ- mas, she had within 142 days completely circled the globe, travelling 31,027 miles in ten different seas. Back in the Atlantic from 1946 to 1950, CHEMUNG ' s men set about repairing the ravages inflicted by the sea and the hard- ships of wartime steaming. 1950 brought a shortlived de-commissioning, which was ended by the exigencies of the Korean War. Once again, CHEMUNG w-as pressed into service during time of national emergency. Deployed in Far Eastern waters during the Korean conflict, she renewed her rep- utation as one of the most active and effi- cient ships of her type in refueling units of the United Nations Forces. Since the Korean truce, CHEMUNG has followed the operating cycle common to most Pacific Fleet oilers. In these troubled times, however, she has contributed to several special missions notably the evacuation of the Communist-threatened Tachen Islands off the China coast in 1955, the nuclear tests at Johnson Island in 1961, and the Formosan patrol in 1963. She has refueled units of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the navies of South Korea, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. In a lighter vein, CHEMUNG transported an art col- lection to Japan in 1961, carried Christ- mas trees and wreaths to U.S. Navy ships in the South China Sea in 1957, and p aid a goodwill visit to Australia in 1956. One of the most interesting assignments of the past decade was a secret deployment to the Indian Ocean to refuel USS ESSEX (CVA-9) and a destroyer division at a time of high international tension in 1958. And unless it be thought that all of CHEMUNG ' s operations have benef it ed from a tropical climate, one should know that the ship made several trips into the Bering Sea in the early Sixties to refuel the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey ship SURVEYOR, stationed off Point Hope, Alaska. CHEMUNG is now assigned to the home port of Long Beach, California, and alternates between 7-9 months in the Western Pacific and 6 months at home. Al- though she has celebrated her 25th anni- versary as a Navy ship, recent deploy- ments to the Far East have opened a new chapter in her history of reliable service. The war in Viet Nam has meant high- geared operations and long hours of hard work for the Seventh Fleet. Winning the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Viet Nam Service Medal, CHEMUNG has risen to the challenge of them ode rn Navy. The completion of her most recent deployment in September 1966 marks an- other achievement in a tradition spanning a quarter century. efrofttmcKt caxC Is 51 ' . ' V 1 LT H, W. Dundore Engineer Officer LT F. J, Casselberry First Lieutenant . u t LT E. S. Ligon III Operations Officer LTJG T. Proffer Supply Officer • f ' { ■f ' ' ; ' V V ' , .■ ' ' ■ ' • ' .! ' .V 1 K£ ' -K:v- v-.:cHr ' f vs -, -,v.i (L to R) SEATED: LTJG Proffer. LT Dundore. CAPT Granlns. LCDR Flynn, LT Casselberr%-. LT Lison: FIRST ROW: ENS Duck-AOrth. ENS MastiB, ENS Leo. LTJG Anthony, LT SeUden. LTJG Gibbs, ENS Negrete. LTJG Joerg. LTJG EdmondscHi. (L to R) SEATED: Huff QMCS. Goff BTCS, Seeley. M.MCM, Salctili. CSCS, Kingman RMCS. MerAin BMCS: FIRST R OW: Dunkle HMC. Wasson GMGC, Wilson MMC, Marco MMC. Taylor EMC. Shanahan SKC. Hutsen DCCS. n ( %ccui To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying, The wind is blowing. And the white foam is flying. West, west away. The round sun is falling. Grey ship, grey ship. Do you hear them calling, The voices of my people That have gone before me? I will leave, I will leave The woods that bore me... --J. R. R. Tolkien What makes a good sailor? Ideally: common sense and courage, self- discipline and a sense of humor, promptness and perserverance. But Navy men are only human beings and. ..admittedly, imperfect. A good sailor MUST have one essential virtue, however — that intangible call to the sea. It is a source of the Navy man ' s professional pride and the reservoir of a crew ' s morale. And very often, it even inspires men to be better sailors than anyone ever expected. CHEMUNG ' S effectiveness in her mission with the United States Pacific Fleet has been achieved by the efforts of many good sailors. Men of various backgrounds, each brought his special quality to her crew. But each also brought his love for the sea and sail- ing. This created and sustained the spirit that longs to return to sea during each prolonged in-port period, that is eager to exercise the ship to the limit of her capacities, and that has the strength to see a task through despite fatigue and setbacks. Without this spirit, CHEMUNG could not have accomplished her mission, and this book would have no object. s M ' :, - ♦ ecA ept. CHEMUNG presents one endless task to the deck sailor. Chip! Red lead! Paint! Chip again! Splice! Serve! Rig! Unrig! Wash down! TURN TO, SAILOR! The job of keeping a fleet oiler ' s deck gear in order goes on forever. And so, defying the limits of human en- durance, does the deck force. If they ' re ex- pert skylarkers, they CAN turn to with a vengeance when the chips are down. Who ' s better, First or Second Division? Each one is confident that they work harder and that they have the meanest and laziest boa tswain ' s mates. The boatswain ' s just smile. It always rains after a fresh-water washdown Half the division ' s asleep in there. We can handle anything. ' Like sanding down the U-boat? Teamwork on the gun crew (LEFT) and marlinespike seamanship (RIGHT) are two important goals in the deck sailor ' s education.  Knock off ship ' s work — a chance to work on courses or just catch a little shut-eye. A-i H. Ot ioLC ca ' 4 f (L to R) SEATED: Johnson BM2, Smith BM2, ENS Duckworth, Merwin BMCS, Hagner BM2, Chase BMSN; KNEELING: Jones, Tucker, Gladden, Combs: FIRST ROW: Hackbart, Walter, Harmon, Schmidt, Ellington, Smith, Jones, Smith, Mitchell; SECOND ROW: Zultanky, Rogers, Cook, Hawkins, Belden, Cahill, Powell, Meyer, Rice, White. Boy, are these phone circuits screwed up! Look on these letters, ye Mighty, and despair. 12 CCO- cC OAC Ci OAC CaK (L to R; SEATED: Wether -ell. Aitchison. Dausman BMSN. McGreal BMl. LTJG Gibbs. Odom BM3, Okolinskj-, Creecy; FIEST ROW: Garrett, Vinson, Dean. D ' Agostino. Ramirez, Bushaw, Goodthunder, Hancock. Sutton; THIRD ROW: Summers. Coma, Audley. Herzig. Dunn, Erickson. Glover. Gibson; FOCRTH ROW: Carlton. Gregory, Mercer. Childers, Crebassa. Getter, O ' Rear. Sinns. Oree. Van Syoc, Balderas. Who ' re you calling a hillbilly boat- swain ' s mate? What do you mean, we ' re out of fuel?! 13 OicC UAt iaK-fdUKf enxf (L to R) SEATED: Dawkins GMG2, Wasson GMGC, ENS Mastin. Riggs GMGl, Casteel FTG2; FIRST ROW: Ramage, Smith, Fernholz Dumas loves Navy chow. FTG3, McKinney, Taylor; SECOND ROW: Oden GMG3, Kipp, Evans, Severa, Kubiak, Reves, Wellivere FTG3. CHEMUNG sewing circle make up shotline. 14 m n::(il. ;t«Mfi t«v R V Which side IS that ship coming to? Where ' s your hard hat, sailor? What do you mean loafing? I ' m super- vising. My line tender just went to lunch. -VW N AvVs Ah ' m jes ' too tah ' d t ' work t ' day. r.9 Siesta- -or NBC attack? Hmm. it reads TILT ?is 45 aa 16 Our sober, industrious Radio gang. I must have lost that Top Secret message. Ofie% tca( efit The Captain wants to know about a scheduled rendezvous at sea; the Officer of the Deck can ' t get a clear picture on his radar repeater; the Supply Officer wants to request several items fronn another ship. These are the times when the alertness and efficiency of the Ops crew pay off. These skilled men are the nervous system of the ship. CHEMUNG would be lost to the modern Navy but for their efforts. Diligent corpsman striker studies the latest medical jour- nals. 4 ct( i(U t%a,tC( K cfit The Admin people are the watchful Fates of the ship. They act as midwife to bring the new arrival into the world of CHEMUNG. They superintend his growth by shooting him full of vaccines and shipping over ad- vice. They decree his state of mind by seeing to it that he gets (or doesn ' t get) crucial letters at the right time. They punish him for over-stepping his bounds. They chart his progress in letters and numbers. Finally, they usher him into the next world when his time is up. And, if their efforts are succes- ful, the CHEMUNG sailor gets a glimpse of the human concern that breathe s life into bureaucracy. Big Brother Riggs is watching YOU. - V ' (f mc;-,, ,. ' v ' f,_yTi- MM M ' ?-3ti? : - ' r-fc?5Se?« ; ' t; Ops t -pes are ahvays taking pictures of each other. (Step l)ack a little, please.) No. Skater, not THERE! No. Commander, vou have to use a sextant The E.T. shop is frequently the scene of round-the-clock efforts to maintain CHEMUNG ' s electronic equipment in operating condition. (Now if we just had THAT tube. . .) I can ' t help it if your prl friend isn ' t ■writing. Runaway yeoman returns reluctantly after nearly getting transferred. (Just an administrative joke, Poslusny.) fi-cn atio KA ' Dwi io tt C iK,5 i : i ' (L to R) SEATED: Quijada ETF2, Russell RDl, Huff QMCS, LTJG Anthony, LT Ligon, ENS Leo. Kingman RMCS, Conners SMI; FIRST R 0 V: Allsopp RD2, Ballard. Ramos, Warner ETNSN, Hays RDSN, Dayberry RD3. Brodie RM3, Bowen, House RMS, Klnman RMSN, Bender RMSA, Russell RMS, W ebb QMS, Trask RDSN, Slaughter, Lunsford, Sklppe r, Pavlak RDSN, Rask RDS, White ETRS; SECOND ROW: Leet ETNS, KruU ETN2, MeldeRMSN, Ries, Kushyk, Lackland SMS, Wilder ETRS, Brock, Mangum, Sherwood RD2, Miller QMS, HudgensRM2. If you don ' t like our steering, tough! WE ARE a GOOD group, aren ' t we? i H if- ji n 18 f; ? ' f  V -WT ' ' ' ; L a HSSC E r.. ;4cC C(t(At%citi(Ae i Ai ia • (.L to R) SEATED: Tompkins. YN2. Bal(t.vin PN2. ENS DucVTAorth. DunUe HMC. Ri?gs GMGl; FIRST ROW: Neiner PNSN. Poslusnv YN3, Gross PC3. Ent.visle HM3, Fulton; SECOND ROW: Patrow PNSN. .A.dams YN3. Simer. HaU. Wehrbein HMSN. Hart EN 3. Hmm , your record shows you were advanced bv mistake. CHEMUXG ' s White Hat of 1966— what ' s he been putting in those injections? 19 Sup.fii(f efU. Trying to keep everybody happy is no easy job for a pork chop. Either the crew doesn ' t like the chow (do they ever?) of the ship is out of foul weather jackets or some vital electronic component is un- available or the laundry is putting rust stains on somebody ' s whites or... you name it. In the face of it all, the dedicated supply sailor just grits his teeth and goes on filling out his 1149 ' s. CHEMUNG is lucky in having a lot of dedicated supply sailors. LEFT: Tender loving care for the fried eg?s. CENTER: Wardroom galley inventory. RIGHT: No, we do not stock habachi pots! LEFT: Why couldn ' t we store lube oil in gallon cans? CENTER: Put back those oranges! RIGHT: Busy storekeeper striker. gKIW I tK - ' -W-?S ' S n k.jr.it; n ' f3n fr ),-iViSS lTr;r,v P ja6BiiMma«M£9iffli«w8!S9aaiMW %}i Hi IS 8 |r (L to R) SEATED: Gapasln SK3, Johnson BMl, Shanahan SKC, LTJG Joerg, LTJG Proffer, Salchli CSCS, Salazar SKI, Armstrong SK2; SECOND ROW: Alonzo, Haynes SH3, Liebe, Baugh, Custodio SD3, Holland, Tomilloso SHI, Burns DK3. Enriquez, Steffen, Campbell, Mahan, Johnson, Tidwell, Potter, Brewer; THIRD ROW; Copeland SD3. Houdek SK3, Porter, Garcia, Byrd CS3, Hauptman, Farve, Nelson. 1600 doesn ' t mean much for the Supply Officer. Frias and friends. 21 ■?S;Ji - ' ■• ' Fuel soundings: Look ' s like there ' s no bottom, Chief. Maintaining the machinery, boilers, and electrical circuitry on an ancient and venerable ship like CHEMUNG t ake s more than skill; it takes ingenuity and a stubborn refusal to be stymied. CHEMUNG ' S engineers grow experienced — and old — early; the ship ' s record of re- liable service is a tribute to their efforts. If they cover themselves with grease and oil more often than glory, this is the badge of their determination. The cargo gang: up before sunrise every UNREP day. I ' One anchor at a time, men. Why don ' t they make anchor windlass steam chests out of aluminum, or something. I wonder if this wire is hot. ££ ««eta Si !:WiSlSI£ S HUi A lecture on the steam cycle? No, just sea stories from a Mike-boat coxswain off Viet-Nam. Snipes have to relax, too. I get tired of plugging up this steam leak every time we cut in the anchor windlass. Let ' s see, I know PORT and STARBOARD are in here somewhere. 4 Now, if you remove this screw, the whole boat falls apart. Bad day for the A gang: We ' re all out of 125 lb. steam, Chief... .and all four boats are out of commission. 24 ' Tft i ' P o i io uaC Co k f fXlo (L to R) SEATED: Craft MMl, Wilson MMC, LT Sellden, Seeley MMCM, MacDonald MMl MMC, Flanagan MMl; KNEELING: Hughes MRFN, Kurtz, Graham MMFN, Kosiba; FIRST ROW:Mitchell, Wheeler, Elson, Wamock, Womack MM3, Lomas, Weaver MM2, Knox MM3. Nye, Hoyle MMFN; SEC- OND ROW: Villegas MM2. Dean, Goodwin. Peterson MM3, Cope MMFN, Tucker MMFN, Snyder MMFN, Wood MM3, Livingston MRFN, Angelopoulos. Beware the frowning M.P.A. Throttlemen on strike. nivAiiKrLTiXRnvan ' iHU tlVlf U wm msm- aiicx (AAC CaK ' ■ (L to R) SEATED: Paulhamus BTl, Goff BTCS, LT Sellden, Newman. BTl. Dakin BT2; F IRST ROW: Moreno BT3. Deeter, Garcia BT3, Venable, Saucier, Crenshaw; SECOND ROW: Hezlep BT2, Allard BT3, Juarez. Robinson, Schultz. Wright, Smith BT3. Popeye Goff and his Coal Gang Paul at the BT ' s Coffee Shoppe. 25 ;4ccxU(An.ie4. oaC co (L to R) SEATED: Canady EN2, Marco MMC, ENS Negrete, Smith MMl, Newcomer MMl; FIRST ROW: Clouser MMFN, Fiske EN3, Baker MMFN, Morris MMFN, Wheeler MM3, Moser ENS; SECOND ROW: Adams ENFN, Wintermute ENFN, Daughrty ENFN, Kelly MM3, Gibbs MMFN, Hart EN3, Stauffer MM3. Both steering engines just froze up. FIGMO u.. tZ 26 7 -. ' ... ' -■■ mTi,--i KT,xij,ioj !, !5yj tViu-|S cS -(«HftV},I . ' _ . l ' i.j ' Ll fcMrr Vt1i g!ilQaiW iii( )iEattClkt« ' efi i% itAc ia (L to R) SEATED: Johnson DC2, Hartley SF1,LTJG Edmondson, Hutsen DCCS, Halstead SFP2; FIRST ROW: Pennington SFP3, Bizilia, Jones, McClaren SFP3, Wilcox, O ' Neill; SECOND ROW:Keeler, Marshall SFP2, Crockett, Gilbert, Jensen, Bunker. Hartley, the painless dentist. CHEMUNG ' S ferocious watchdog 27 ■fllBBUHia e T ' e itAc iO ' tt (L to R) SEATED: Raab EM2, James IC2, ENS Negrete, Taylor EMC, Hensley EM2; FIRST ROW: Colgan EMFN, Shaver EM2, Wincek, Olson EM3, Hancox EM2; Braegger EM3, Clark ICFN, Bastian ICFN, Bodwell EMFN, Garrett EMFN. Ready for the big Blackout? You turned WHAT on, Clark? 28 . i«s Hfc ' W ii aitt]Kw««w,-«iH ?aa: Engineers are always cooperating....(What do you want ME to do with this hammer?) ...and eager to learn. (Go away, kid, you bother me.) S Ufre Boilerman get very touchy when you try to touch their Hagan Board. How come I ' m always Duty Cat-Chaser? It ' s not the Hong Kong Hilton, but it ' s home. The Chief Engineer watches the vacuum drop in both condensers and lube oil pressure fall in the reduction gears but remains calm. 29 TOcWPac 0iuUe — f966 CHEMUNG ' S deployment to the West- ern Pacific began with a series of set- backs which prevented the ship from de- parting on the three-week voyage to the Philippines until 29 November 1966. Our frustration at this delay signified the aura of adventure which surrounded the pros- pect of the cruise and which broke forth in sheer enthusiasm once t he ship was finally underway for WESTPAC. The first week out of Long Beach, testing our mood brought heavy seas and rough weather, but the new men, a bit green around the gills at first, neverthe- less set about acquiring sea legs with determination. The knowledge that CHEMUNG would soon be operating with the Seventh Fleet and the anticipation of Oriental liberty kept spirits high; the men became a crew. assBtaamti umiaiaiKeiai ) i i - The primary tasks for the crew were perfec- tion of replenishment-at-sea techniques and sharpening of responses to emergencies. Since the key to this transition from EASTPAC practice to WESTPAC reality is teamwork, drilling and morale became the objectives of the voyage. G.Q. drills occupied much of our time on the way to WESTPAC. Every- one dreads the command: All Hands Man Your Battle Stations! No one on CHEMUNG would deny, however, that G.Q. professionalism is the heart of military readiness and fire-fighting ability. And so we drill some more. The battle problem says our mount was just wiped out. What do you mean, The nearest land is 2 miles away, STRAIGHT DOWN ? Mount 34 goes into a huddle to decide on the next shot. L 3l3 .;i V -V m m b- ' % ' . «is t-Apiki :d «a T« a KV Never mind the water washdown system, men. You were all just killed by a close-in burst. Repair 3 radiation monitors — or Russian frogmen? 5( £t %iii yii lo CtXUiAtCOH Dawkins Co. prepare us for Viet Cong PT-boat attacks. mim - 7 Y ' all come to the hootenanny on the mess decks. Three weeks at sea is a long time. As a balance to the training and drill which oc- cupied many of our days, the crew turned their talents and imaginations to the hours of rest and recreation. The Saturday evening hootenan- And so they all did. nies provided an atmosphere of easy camaraderie in which all sorts of unlikely people stepped into the limelight. Featuring ballads and songs never heard stateside, the hoots were great fun for all. 34 .f X. l.. ..%. ' I W It ■ ' ■ m } %% ' ' t i U tH life ' . , . . U i : iiiniiiiiiiii(iiwy.iwBffliiiii(riiiin inwiiiiiirwiiniifomii| m M division beard-niks and several prize-winning sets of whiskers. SeATuU, Stc. WESTPAC is one of the few places where the Navy allows--even encourages — beards, and a cruise is the only time a married man can trim his whiskers to suit his tastes alone. One of the most popular projects of the crew, therefore, was the beard-growing contest. Many new men also got a kick out of the engineers ' sea bat, ' one of the few in captivity. Others spent their hours watching for mail buoys. For some, however, the journey across was just steering the same old course for days... ...and catching up on their beauty sleep between watches. 32 Su ic cuf dad t ScfACat icct After weeks of empty seas, the moun- tainous profile of the Philippines finally appeared on the horizon. With the long- anticipated Arrival SUBIC, CHEMUNG joined the Seventh Fleet and began her long series of working round-trips from the naval base at Subic Bay to the fleet operating in the South China Sea off Viet-Nam. De- spite the busy itinerary of the following nine months, Subic was to remain, for better or worse, CHEMUNG ' s home away from home. As a cruise book may not do justice to Olongapo. the liberty (uh) -heaven- of Subic sailors, let us turn our attention to the business at hand for CHEMUNG: trans- lating months of preparation into action at sea. Putting to sea two days after arrival, the sturdy Thirty spent Christmas Day and New Year ' s Eve learning the tricks of the WESTPAC trade. As 1966 dawned, CHEMUNG was once again in her history very much on the Navy scene. It ain ' t Bali Hai, but it ' ll do in a pinch. The crew was impatient, but three weeks of mail take a while to sort. Underway for the South China Sea: more liberty next time, men. The first of countless signal messages: W-I-L-L R-E-N-D-E-Z-V-O-U-S A-T... 36 %%• Ip % ' % ' ' - 14 ' Us to u %. mmtM One of CHEMUNG ' S first customers of the cruise comes alongside for an UNREP. at Sea The cargo deck is a busy world during an UNREP. -At V, i - Su z utct t ScJtAeat ieet After weeks of empty seas, the moun- tainous profile of the Philippines finally appeared on the horizon. With the long- anticipated Arrival SUBIC, CHEMUNG joined the Seventh Fleet and began her long series of working round-trips from the naval base at Subic Bay to the fleet operating in the South China Sea off Viet-Nam. De- spite the busy itinerary of the following nine months. Subic was to remain, for better or worse, CHEMUNG ' s home away from home. As a cruise book may not do justice to Olongapo, the liberty (uh) -heaven- of Subic sailors, let us turn our attention to the business at hand for CHEMUNG: trans- lating months of preparation into action at sea. Putting to sea two days after arrival, the sturdy Thirty spent Christmas Day and New Year ' s Eve learning the tricks of the WESTPAC trade. As 1966 dawned, CHEMUNG was once again in her history very much on the Navy scene. It ain ' t Bali Hai, but it ' ll do in a pinch. The crew was impatient, but three weel s of mail take a while to sort. Underway for the South China Sea: more liberty next time, men. The first of countlesssignalmessages: W-I-L-L R-E-N-D-E-Z-V-O-U-S A-T... 36 % l« ¥ %;%:%;■% te: ' ' ' S ' 5i ' iM rfr- ™ ' rilliillwimililfi11tlMinifM1IWIi llMtl ' n wniliM r-nt- One of CHEMUNG ' S first customers of the cruise comes alongside for an UNREP. The cargo deck is a busy world during an UNREP. . ■ri}: -: •A. Underway replenishment with the fleet off Viet Nam proved a stimulating experience for CHEMUNG ' s crew. Carrying out the ship ' s missions in a Navy actively engaged in military opera- tions brought daily challenges and daily satisfactions. The professional air with which the men went about their work showed the value of all the training and material preparation. We were doing the job our ship was commissioned to do, and we meant to do it expertly. Viet Nam looks pretty peaceful from three miles offshore. That ' s close enough for me! USS BKUNilTEIN comes alongside for a NSFO pick-me-up. Distance Ime handlers are ready to go. Looks like you ' ve hooked a big one! ' The cargo gang waits for the rig to go across. 38 ! 31. . t3%.% J - ■ V M )i -: M i. tt k ■- r - KA iraHBflHAIfl The bridge personnel have to be ready for any- thing during an UNREP. The span- wire winchman can ' t relax for a seccmd. The ullage team makes sure we don ' t undercharge any customer. The phone talkers-- Uh...say again your ' say again, ' please. They also sen-e who only stand--and drink coffee. God rest ye, merry gentlemen... Good ole Navy chow for Christmas dinner. T S c to Scc The alternation of periods on the line for UNREPs and periods of loading cargo in Subic was productive. After a while a sea, the sailor longs for liberty; after a while in Subic, he longs to go back to sea. Passing abeam Grande Island was always a pleasure, no matter which way you were going. What makes you think we ' re going into Olongapo? Just because the girls there are fun to dance with? Olongapo liberty proauced many nocturnal adventures — and morning-after regrets. CHEMUNG sailors acquired a reputation for — having a good time on the beach. Some of us enjoyed local culture in colorful Philippine musical. the Philippines Typical rural scene near Subic — Filipino farmer and smiling daughter, water buffalo and rice field. Top photo: Great originality is used in painting local taxicabs. Bottom photo. Where there ' s life, there ' s San Miguel. Mr • « W m Kj. ■ -t 1 ;BH pr ' -ri li jtf ' fc J - — ■ — T One, two, three. .HEAVE! 4 kittle 7 Jon i.„ In-port periods were occupied with chipping, painting, and making repairs to the ship. There was usually a heavy work load for the crew, not to mention special headaches and disasters. Welfare and Recreation did stir from its slumber now and then, however; and, in order to keep the men from turning into dull boys, we would adjourn work to take part in the uninhibited free- for-all known as the... What ' s wrong with this picture? S ifr a tt OK fdftcutcCe icuvcC We sailed to the island on a luxury yacht. Water polo, yes. But water BASEBALL? Chef Mitchell must enjoy his own cooking. Is this supposed to be a hamburger? % m, % - ' M J f J -J ' . J K  ■ ... i kittle PUcfr One of the most pleasant aspects of Subic Bay (some say the ONLY pleasant aspect) is Grande Island, where the Navy has spent time and money trying to provide wholesome recreational facilities for Xa ' y men who must otherwise turn to the exotic pleasures of Olongapo. Well. Olongapo re- tains its attraction for the enlisted men (some say the officers also), but there ' s no question that many a good time has been had on Grande Island. All that is necessary after a party is sending the machine-prepared apology to the Base Special Services Officer. What do they want all this soda pop for? ' ' We can ' t imagine. We never touch the stuff. Then the Viet Cong pinned me face down and. Requiescat in pace. Amen i 4 J, :5 Jj ' 1? i Columban College is only a short distance off the main street of Olongapo, but this is enough to place it, like many of the community ' s institutions, off-limits for the liberty-bound sailor. A work force from CHEMUNG thus had a unique opportunity to meet Philippine students when the ship ' s crew volunteered to contribute a week of their time repairing some run-down buildings in the school. With paint, boards, and electrical wiring, the CHEMUNG sailors made the classrooms a better place to study--and they managed to have a good time in the process. ' ■ 1111 _; . S i T « . 1? IP . h. h I. p •a Bj- the end of the week, the men had made quite a few friends among the yoimger children of the school, who gave a musical show in CHEMUNG ' S behalf. The pro- ject added depth to the Subic experience. S xc 0 tAc Uc Time spent in Subic dwindled to a minor matter compared to the con- tinuing experience of cruising with the Seventh Fleet. The multi-faceted world of the UNREP eludes descrip- tion, but the following pictures may tell more than many futile words. The Big E , USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65), required many preparations by CHEMUNG before the UNREP. I, i J _. Last minute conference: How do we play this one, Coach? LT Casselberry terrorized the cargo deck that day. i Stretch! That ' s my boy. i The Admiral says somebody on the cargo deck forgot to inflate his life jacket. Big Brother IS watchmgus. Tis better to give. ...than to receive. From the grinning corpsman, who probably just remembered that you had some shots coming, to the sun-baked winch operators, everyone got into the act during UNREPS. Different ships and situations exercised just about every capacity of CHEMUNG. As the year progressed, CHEMUNG refueled just about every tjqae of Navy ship in the Far East. Each presented different problems of rigging. We had to be versatile. Amphib, Cruiser, Minesweep — all came to CHEMUNG, even a MIKE-boat from USS KRISHNA (anchored at a safe distance this time). Lube oil drums were in universal de- mand, according to the disgruntled storekeepers. V l iji ' ' ' t No, they ' re not depth charges, but we carry just about everything else for the discerning customer ship, from soda pop to jet wing tanks to toilet paper. Under Mr. Proffer. CHExMUNG became a kind of floating GSK. 7 S l  l ' ' - . K fc ' ' (. «u '  i, „. ' ■«- ' ' . ««L I . Il ¥.. It ' s actually very simple and soon becomes routine: just UP and. ..UP. ..and. ..and... Somewhat quicker but no less dangerous is a VERTREP transfer; CHEMUNG ' S Helo Detail were all Olympic track stars before long. ...and (whew!) DOWN. Transferring personnel by highline is an all-hands evolution for CHEMUNG. The winchman is scarcely less tense than the passenger; there are few more crucial skills than his. as Consolidations with other oilers, like USS CACAPON, could be very intricate when both ship ' s rigs were used to expedite. The crew was skeptical... A rig captain ' s nightmare. Just who ' s pumping to whom, anyway? .but it was all in a day ' s work to the old-timers. . ■jgwi i — yt? 5 ' ' ! - V fc a k u .«. •  ' ,. K«. s . C «■  : i ' ISS ' A destroyer se nds back the last hose (fixed to drip oil dou-n CHEMUXG ' s side, of course). T.B. checks his stoppers. After a long day under the hot sun, sack time looks pretty attractive to the CHEMUNG sailor. Securing the rigs always seems to take hours, however, especially if your rig captain is a perfectionist. The mess cleaned up, even bos ' n ' s mates can relax. Who needs a mattress? Sailors can sleep on ANYTHING. The DCA finally must have taken the list off the ship. mm After a week of UNREPs, it takes time and elbow grease to clean up the ship before entering port. CHEMUNG used to be called the dirty Thirty by other WESTPAC oilers (pure envious spite), and the ship ' s force has had to work hard to live down that nickname. (One seldom hears it anymore save from the out-of- date or mis -informed.) Sure wish I could lace this canvas from the inside. I think I went right through the wood that time. It says there ' s oil down there. Sure, we ' re ready for a zone inspection. Sure. Everbody KNOWS Radiomen are squared away. Liberty pay: a sailor and his money are soon parted. Ready to drop the hook (and watch the fish bite).  ■ ! ' ' «. . ' u ' ti% «W ' « .. «.«. .  . K • M 9 ' t ' Now, liberty call, libeny call! ' Happiness is the nearest E..M. club. This sure beats the Club Oro. This even beats Marissa Beach! ' Our first port of call outside the Philippines was Kao-Hsiung. on the southern end of Taiwan. The city is a curious mixture of traditional peasant society and modern industrialization. For those men who ventured beyond the immediate delights of the city, there v as much to discover about the Chinese way of life. The leader of the Norwegian missionary group who run the hospital greets the CHEMUNG men. Kao-Hsiung afforded one special opportunity to meet the Chinese people--a visit to the Children ' s Hospital at Ping Tung. The occasion was Chinese New Year, and the sailors brought toys and games to the patients as part of Project Handclasp. There followed several songs from both sides, including Old MacDonald in Chinese and a bi-lingual rendition of Silent Night. Don ' t be afraid. We Indians are peaceful now. -«_„ ■ - ■ t Burns and Alfie, the Talking Lion. ' You DO have a big sister? ' Oh boy, oh boy! I got a doll too! ' n. i ' - j W- 8 JR ' « JF m. J . _ : .lLt.l :. r ]i- % Although a reluctant anchor windlass made prospects appear doubtful for a while, overtime efforts by the crew and a providential steam chest from USS PLATTE at length enabled us to head for Japanese waters. Okinawa was our first taste of northern liberty, and the pleasures of four little villages on the waj- to Naha raised everyone ' s expecta- tions of what was to come. n.Jl.. CHEMUNG anchored in historic Buckner Bay. Some stayed aboard for a jam session... ...but the majority just went on the beach.. ...and the duty secticm resigned itself to another B flick... ...and disturbed the i)eace. mam Japan and Taiwan CHEMUNG was fortunate in the number of times we visited the colorful ports of Lhe Far East. For the sight- seer and camera-enthusiast, liberty meant scurrying from one tourist at- traction to another. For men on their first deployment, the good times and beautiful sights of VESTP-A.C added up to an e.xperience rich beyond measure. L M ' S K «. :.- -.lL 8 _ : W-¥. U fc Hong Kong - The Pearl of the Orient! m w PI Central district of Hong Kong as seen from The Peak. Top photo: The Sea Piilace. floating restaurant. Bottom photo. Refugees from Red China prefer to live as Squat- ters here rather than behind the Bamboo Curtain. Many riong Kong gals reminded u- of our sisters at home. ■ -r , r— , ' . ' = -:. T?r-t-.-A Jf7 RHM Ofren tioM. Our Australian cousin--aiicl competitor. Probably the high point of the deploy- ment was CHEMUNG ' S participation in the 1966 SEATO Maritime Exercise, Opera- tion SEA IMP. Sortieing from Manila Bay in mid-May, fifty ships from the navies of the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of the Philippines, conducted exercises in the South China Sea for 2 1 2 weeks before concluding the operation in the Gulf of Thailand. Watching out for periscopes of enemy subs. HMAS AJAX drops in for tea. The first few UNREPs with our Australian friends were discouraging because of lack of com- munications and unfamiliarity with each other ' s equip- ment. LEFT: Mr. Gibbs, they just threw our sound- powered phones over the side again. With practice and persistence, however, matters improved. ■i?,HB ' V Hf !V h V HH -.H Ef r m Hk t il . ... «V . iV  5-r:T -fc-tt%-i, i ' ' 6, J%tJ '  Jf.J r. K £ : «■ Sc mfi What made SEA IMP so memorable was the process of co-ordinating different operating procedures and creating a har- monious team out of dissimilar ships. The progress from the first awkward days to the concluding maneuvers was very heartening, and the efficiency of the for- mation steaming, a new experience for many of CHEMUNG ' S officers, left one with the perception of a truly viable multi- lateral force in the Western Pacific. Wonderful, hard-won words; CEASE PUMPING. A view from the bridge: sunset on a long day of formation steaming. Never a dull moment, however- - Station the Helo Detail, ON THE DOUBLE! «-. Meanwhile, the deck force fakes down lines for the next UNREP. Execute Zig-Zag Plan Three; Standby, EXECUTE. We must have zigged when they zagged. O.K., group, let ' s reform and try it agam. 4 tit.!-.r-- ' - m II ■ Fi rs M-Ho ABOVE : Two Buddhist monks in orange robes tell us the story of the fabulous Golden Buddha. RIGHT: Thai women stroll through the Royal Palace grounds. ni Western- style government buildings (above) and Oriental pagodas (below) illustrate the contrasts of West-East and modern-traditional that make Bangkok fascinating. The conclusion of Operation SEA IMP brought CHEAIUXG a rare treat for U.S. Navy ships — a visit to Bangkok, Thailand. Trying to see this city, with its floating market and many temples, in three days proved a hectic experience, but we left with vivid impressions of a unique South- east Asian culture. For some, sight- seeing proved almost as exhausting as UNREPing. 60  ■ ■ ■ V- -!.  % fe i - .«« k - e. w. K K !■ ' K I heard we ' ve been extended. Is it true? Yes, for two months. Some men appeared depressed by the news. Getting back into the swing of things was accelerated by the welcome news that CHEMUXG was to host two important visitors. Powdering the old girl ' s nose for the occasion, added to the task of meeting many additional commitments, kept the crew busy. Whoever heard of field day on Sunday? ...but others accepted it as Standard Operating Procedure. ..and a few even managed to grin and bear it. 1 A y Everybody ready? AU right. LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Scene 1: USS OKLAHOMA CITY, flagship of the Seventh Fleet, makes CHEMU G ' s side. vm This one has three stars on his back, men. Don ' t drop him or we ' ll never get home. This isn ' t REALLY JP-5 on the rocks, is it?! cu a c tcM i Aed Vice-Admiral John Hyland, Commander of the United States Seventh Fleet, highlined a- board CHEMUNG on 11 July. If we had been feeling a little blue about our extension in WESTPAC, that feeling was gone after his visit. COMSEVENTHFLT ' s presence on our ship signified one thing: we were playing an important part in the continuing war effort in the South China Sea. Since CHEMUNG was still needed in WESTPAC, the only thing to do was to make a good job of it. VADM Hyland ' s cordiality infected the crew ' s morale with cheerfulness. 11  ' ■ s t - -. y J ' J Uctcn ta ( Aemu The Honorable Paul Xitze, Secretary of the Na -y. came aboard CHE: IUNG a few days later, also by highline. Mr. Xitze was conducted on a tour of the messing and berthing spaces, and he commented on the desirability of air-condition- ing the latter to withstand the intense heat and humidity of the South China Sea. CHEMUNG was the only fleet oiler honored by a visit from the Secretary during his current trip to the Far East. He stated that fleet morale seemed to have improved considerably since his pre- vious visit. r,,JL 4JliliBa SECNAV highlines aboard from the OKLAHOMA CITY. Casting a critical eye on replenishment pro- cedures. ( What ' s that bubble doing in the fuel hose? ) :p%% ' %% ' i. ' t, ' ' J ' K -J.KM.KKt hJ Captain Leonard G. Craning commanded CHEMUNC for nearly all of the 1966 WESTPAC deploy- ment, and when he was relieved by Captain John A. Montgomery on 13 August 1966, he could look back with satisfaction and enjoyment on the achievements of his year of command. The memory of his cor- diality and forceful presence on the bridge will remain vivid for the officers and men who were privi- leged to serve under him. It was fitting that the change of command ceremony took place during an UNREP, where the spirit of the occasion was that of continuation in carrying out CHEMUNG ' S mission under a new skipper rather than the pomp and circumstance of great change. mm nHMMi I heard we ' re going back to the States now. Is that true? t - That ' s AFFIRMATIVE, say the official sources. Hail and farewell. ' He finally took his eye off that sparrow. Stow all ITNKEP gear. Commence HOLIDAY ROUTINE. 66  :   i  - i ' « t. ' fc ' fc i, ,. ! Jf.  .«. .  r i : . (mtcuAand (MHCC On 20 August CHE.MUXG departed Yokosuka, Japan, on her voyage back to Long Beach, Ahead for her crew were two weeks of round-the-clock work in cleaning her cargo tanks in preparation for the forth-coming, long-needed overhaul. Our thoughts, of course, were pre -oc cupied with the prospect of seeing families and friends at home. There would be time enough in the future for reminiscing and evaluating our experience overseas — even for compiling cruise books. Some of us would stay with CHEAIUNG for her next cruise; others would go on to other duty assignments or return to civilian life. The ship and her crew would evolve with the passage of time, but our memories and pride in the achievements of the 1966 WESTPAC deployment would remain valid regardless. The basic elements of our experience--the ship and the sea, hard work and horseplay, the fleet and the Far East — do not change. i- J SfrCi( c ' . OK Seci at sda CHEMUNG approaches Pier Nine at dawn, 4 September 1966. Where have all the sailors gone? ;4c UMUed e0te U4 As author, designer, photographer, editor, and sales manager for this cruise book, I can hardly pass the buck for any short-comings. If it conveys some notion of the life of a fleet oiler and her crew in WESTPAC, I will feel satisfied. It is a pleasure to give credit where it is due. Much of the drafting, printing, and typing that went into the final layout and copy sheets was done by Kenneth Al. Jordan, SA. Teddie W. Adams, YN3, supplied many photographs, as did Bobby E. Jones, SN, and various members of B division. In addition to the external sources of pictures listed below, the Subic Bay Navy Exchange Photo Lab should be credited for all the group pictures. Finally, a word of thanks to the crew of CHEAIUNG for their financial support, their occasional advice, and their patience for what seemed an eternal labor. This book is, of course, really theirs. Kenneth E. Duckworth, LTJG, USNR Cruise Book Officer Photo credits: J.D. Hill, PH3, USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64)--pp. 31,47,51,58,61,62,63,66. R.E. Halcomb, PHI, USS CORAL SEA (CVA-43)--pp. 2,37,65. V.H. Durham, PH2, USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63)--pp. 30, 67. P.F. McGee, PH3, USS YORKTOWN (CVS-lO)--p. 1. H.L. Harper, PH2, USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14)--p. 30. USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65) Photo Lab--End Sheets, p. 46. 68 LlhoqiapKrd (t BourxJ by WALSWOBTH Mainline Mo. U S A. 1, w - rt - P-J -J ' .M :J X ' HMiiii .r ..Ct-ll f :--. :r— T9:mr- ■:-r i -?i x:.;i fPf i Tf ' !i ? r ' -f= ;- fe , - ; : ' vi = f--5n ■ co ■ . J7■:; T ' )i J! T■ ' ■ v ' ,ii Xl , ' T v R ti - 7 i ■1 ! m t- it:. ' ;:x : ti ' ' W i Jfii WiatW P- wS wiiJ l i if Sf