Cochrane (DDG 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 l lx l T 'lf -'Wi - ,424-S'-Q ' --. ' Mt-fri' .. . w - J ' ' ' -.,,ffl., 'F ' -l i h fE.Ti ' . if f- 'V iekw .v ., . '. -, - Q--'- J ,x - xx I al ':lL,.iT!'lf-lijil, 3 --r T r ?n E,'iE,f,.-,,,g-- I i I5 V. -Y ,-. --av Q.. 1- .Q-x X ' Y' - ' llllnllr ' I ' - f nu -X Y 1 'miilili 2 1' e ' t, 1-af rf if V' ' 1 ' I ., 'Lf' iv- Q, ff' -.?ffe1'r'sF'f-i-. f e A -J-vf'1-.. 1- Q..':P' an -- artillery, positions, troop concentrations, and coastal defense sites. While enroute to Pearl Harbor at the completion of the de- ployment in August 1968, COCHRANE was notified that she had made a clean sweep of Battle Efficiency competition and won every award presented for excellence in the previous 18 month period. This included the Battle Efficiency E fsecond awardjg departmental E awards in Operations, Engineering, and Weaponsg and the HA award for Anti- Submarine Warfare. During the month of October 1969, the NASA Manned Space Flight Program again utilized COCHRANE's Command Module recovery capability. This time COCHRANE supported the Apollo 7 Space Flight, serving as a Mid-Pacific Secondary Recovery Ship. In November of 1969, COCHRANE was awarded the Meri- torious Unit Commendation by the Secretary of the Navy for her exceptional performance during the recently completed deployment to the United States SEVENTH Fleet. Having been designated previously as a possible recovery ship, COCHRANE, in December, steamed south with the USS YORKTOWN QCVS-101 and the USS ARLINGTON QAGN-21 toward the Apollo 8 Primary Recovery Zone. At noon on Christmas Day, COCHRANE crossed the Equator at Longitude 160 degrees 45 minutes West. In traditional centuries old cere- monies 265 Pollywogs were initiated into the Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep by 21 Shellbacks , Reovery of the Command Module was accomplished by Yorktown with COCHRANE 300 miles down range in posi- tion for a contengency landing. The first months of 1969 found COCHRANE operating out of Pearl Harbor on local training exercises and under- going major material, operational, and administrative inspec- tions. A two week assignment in March to the Apollo 9 Re- covery Force as a Mid-Pacific secondary recovery ship marked the beginning of the final preparations for the forthcoming mid-year deployment to the United States SEVENTH Fleet. COCHRANE has to date steamed nearly 10,000 miles in sup- port of the National Space Agency's Manned Space Flight Program. In June 1969 COCHRANE deployed to WESTPAC for the Fourth time. She participated mainly in naval gunfire sup- ported Army, Marine, and Allied troops ashore in South Viet- nam. COCHRANE also acted as plane-guard for several air- craft carriers operating in Vietnam waters and in the Sea of japan. COCHRANE returned to Pearl Harbor in December 1969. A leave and upkeep period followed with COCHRANE enter- ing the shipyard in February 1970. While in the shipyard, COCHRANE was awarded her third consecutive Battle Effici- ency E , She also won departmental E awards in Opera- tions and Supply, and the A award for Anti-Submarine Warfare. On completing her regular shipyard overhaul period in mid- ,Iuly 1970, COCHRANE began an extensive training and weap- ons readiness period in preparation for her upcoming fifth Western Pacific deployment. On her final battle problem ORI, signalling completion of Refresher Training in mid- November, COCHRANE's ASW grade achieved, was 9806 highest ever given by Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, Her Engineering and Operations Department grades of Excel- lent were also high above the average DD-type ship grades in those areas. December 23 brought a Christmas Decorations contest, sponsored by the Honolulu, Hawaiijaycees and for the second consecutive year, COCHRANE won first place by a wide mar- gin. And then on February 3, COCHRANE once again left her home for the West Pacific area.

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