Colleton (APB 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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N .l 1 ,,. 1' 11 ' 1, 1 - in ,. , , f 1, --1- Y Havlng passe t e 1 es o Marc 1n gooc1 s ape, except or a mlnor casua ty to t11e port anc or encountere w 1 e gett1ng un erway rom Ro man, 1ts not an easy 1 e , t11e s 1p set t c1own to t e norma un erway rout111e, ope u an secure 111 t e znow edge t11at s e enjoye t11e apparent goo W1 o P0591 on Go s or no, s e encountere no sea nymp11s on t 1S part o 61 passage, on y W a es and a atrose a sore 1sappo1ntment to a an s CGLLETON arrlve 1n Pear Har or owever st1 1n goo s ape an res y palnte on Apr1 1ourt , everyone g ee u y expectant Wlt our ays o goo 1 erty 1n prospect A 1t turne out everyone was correct 1n t e1r we oun e expectatlons Hawau was magn1 1 cent Everyone tooe a vantage 0 t e eac es, nlg t spots tourlgm an entertalnment It was a p easure pac ze our c1a.ys t at was unc1ou13tec11y t1'1e 1'11Q11 spot ln CQLLETON s voyage ron1 t e ua zer Clty to t e us green MeKong Aga1n on t e mornlng o Ap111e1g t11 COLLETON got unc1erway 1eav1ng t1:1e ast g lmpse o Amerlcan so1 s owy rece rng on t e or1zon T e s111p was overcome y a1ry eavy seas an 1g11 w1n s t11at a ternoon a out Slxcty m1 es out o Pear Due to t e s 1p S V10 ent ro mg t e E'cecut1ve 0 1cer LT Tomp uns susta1ne asevere ea 1r1juryw 1 e per ormlng 1S navlgatlona utles 11'1 t e P11ot House He was evacuate to Pear Har or ater t at a ternoon y a c1rarnat1c e lcopter PIC Q up a av1te Passage 1n t e P 1 1pp1ne 1s an s, on t e twenty e1g t o Aprl Four ays ater, on ay secon COLLETQN anc11orec1 1n Vung Tau, Repu IC o1 Vletnam, rea y to ta ze er p ace ln R1ver Assau1t 1:'1ot1 a Une CQLLETQN was 1n Vung Tau or a mont , tra1n1ng an preparlng or er m1ss1ons an as as on t e 1mme 1ate orlzon A ter elng pa1nte green an upon em ar21ng t e RIVBI ssua t Squa rons o t e F1ot1 a an a atta lon o U S Army 1n antry, s e was rea y to ep oy Cn une lrst s e got un erway or Dong Tam eep 1n t e De ta, a ong Wlt ot er un1ts o t e Pctl a A ter mont s o a or 'CCH 610519 mOr1O'COI1Y, Ore Om an 1111 certam expectatlons S e was 1na y operat1ng on er asslgne m1ss1o11 , , 1' ' cl 11 C1 1 11' 11 .f 1 ' 1 11 1 11'1 - 1 1 1 4- ' 1-15 1- - ' 1ec1 11 1 11 ' 11 1 1 1:1 ' 11 1 1 11 S ' C1 1:1 '11 1 '11 . 1:1 11 11 5 11' 111 - 1 11 1 111 - 11' ' 11 11 gl , 1 ' 11 ' 1 11 , 11 , '11 ' 11 11 c1 1 111 ' c1 . '1 11 1 1 11 ' 111 11 1 C1 1'11 ' . s s ' 11 , ' 11 ' 11-1 11 11 ' . '1'- I . 1 11 1 11 11 11 ' 11 , ' C1 ' . 1 1 1 .11 11 ' ' ' 1 1 11 Q 1 - 11 1 11, . 1 ' '1 1 1 11' 11 11 ' . 11 ' 11 1 ' 1 11 ' 11 11' ' 1:1 1 11 '1 '1 1 1. 11 11' ' ' 1 uf 11' , 11 1 ' 11' , . 1' , ' 41 11 61 ' ' 11'1 1 ' 11' ' ' 1 C1 ' ' 11 ' . C1 1 11 1 11 1 11 ' 11 1' ' 1- . T1'1e XG was retrieved 1Jy 11e11copter, no worse 1or wear, w1111e t11e Ship was transiting C 1 ' ' 11 11'1' ' 1 11 11 - ' 11 11 1 '1. t1 1 f M 11, ' 111' ' C1 1 11 ' 1 ' ' -11 . ' 1 ' 1 11 ' ' C1 ' 1 11 ' ' 151 1 1 11 ' 11' 11 ' . 1 11 ' ' 11 11 1 11 1' 11 ' A 1 11 1 11 '11 11 11 1' 1 . . 1 11 41 1 1 1 . 1 1- 11 1 1 , .1 ' 11 1 1 ' 11 11 A ' 111 1'11. 1 11 1111111111 , 11 -, 11 C1 41 - 1 12 ' f ' 11 1' 11 ' 11 ' C1 ' ' . K

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4, X, 'dliiflslrfil 116915 Cn the trozen, paie hiue morning ot January 28, 1967 the USS COLLETCN was commissioned among niuch ciacizing ot teeth and iznocizing ot ienees. Assigned to join units ot the US. Pacitic Fleet operating in South Vietnam. The schedule caiied tor the ship to get underway trom the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on Fehruary second. However, the ship's greatiy anticipated departure was delayed hecause ot the Illultitl-1Cti1'1OUS problems involved in taieing ahoard the enormous quantity ot stores and spare parts required tor the torth-coming voyage-iargeiy the resuit ot the seit-perpetuating chaos indigenous to the highly accelerated modification and retitting process. The prohiems were solved through much diligence and drudgery on the part ot otticers and men and she was tinaiiy ready to get underway on Fehruary 6, Despite the deiay CQLLETCN departed on the slate grey atternoon ot Fehruary sixth, amid a medium taut pleasant snowtaii and threateningiy high winds, She proceeded down the Delaware River that memorahie night tittuiiy roiiing trom side to side, tinaiiy anchoring in Hampton Roads, Nortoiiz, Virginia tor a weeiz ot training. However, hecause ot a hoiier ex- piosion on the morning ot the eighth, the ship was turther delayed in its excursion. Atter ettecting repairs in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and taieing advantage ot the avaiiatmie ata- hreviated training, CQLLETQN departed the Nortoiiz area on March eighth, outwardhound tor the Panama Canai. The principai question in the minds ot her otticers and men was her yet untested sea- worthiness. As each day passed the crew gained more confidence in the ship and in their ahiiity to saii her. Through this period ot criticai acceptance CQLLETQN proceeded at the tortoise iiize pace ot ten iznots to the Carihhean and Panama, arriving on the titteenth ot March, maizing the transit to the Pacitic side on the same day. The canai transit was uneventtui tor the ship, hut the crew enjoyed it immensely, especi- any the camera hugs Cyou can aiways te-ii a reserve hecause he's Wearing a camerap. LETON arrived at the Naval Base at Rodman, at the Pacitic entrance to the canal in the very eariy hours ot the sixteenth ot March. In the morning the crew was given tive hours liberty to taize in Panama City and the iocai atmosphere. At three o'cioc12 that atternoon, atter her hriet, hut weii deserved encounter with N TERRA FIRMA , CQLLETCN was again underway, this time tor the Pearl ot the Pacific, Hawaii. V 7 ' , fi: - Uff

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