Colonial (LSD 18) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 88 of the 1964 volume:

..n -° ° ' v vvaOJ- - nt ' i . A ' O ' TIS TWELVE O ' CLOCK AND HERE I STAND, NOT QUITE THE WAY I HAD IT PLANNED. A WHOLE LOT WORSE, THOUGH, IT WOULD BE IF WE WERE STILL STEAMING IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. INDEED IT ' S A BLESSING TO BE HERE AT HOME IN SAN DIEGO WHERE WE LOVE TO ROAM. THIS SHIP IS MOORED AT BERTH 85, OUTBOARD FROM OAKHILL, WHO IS IN PHIBRON FIVE WE ' RE ON COLD IRON AND WATCHES ARE SET THIS VESSEL ' S SECURE FORE AND AFT YOU CAN BET SIX LINES AND A WIRE THAT SHOULDN ' T SLIP HOLD US AGAINST THE INBOARD SHIP. ASSORTED HOSES AND LINES CONNECT AT OUR BEAM, FOR POWER, TELEPHONE, WATER AND STEAM. ALL OF THESE SERVICES COME FROM THE PIER TO KEEP US GOING WHILE WE ARE HERE. VARIOUS SHIPS OF PACIFIC FLEET ARE ALL AROUND, BLOWING WHISTLES AND MAKING PLENTY OF SOUND. WITH SECURITY CHECK GOING THERE IS NO SLACK, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOPA IS COMNAVAIRPAC. AS THE OLD YEAR PASSES HAPPILY ON, WE THINK BACK ON IT ' S WORK AND IT ' S FUN; THE HIGHLINES AND FUELING ON ROUTINE HOLIDAY AND TWO GLORIOUS DAYS IN PORT SUBIC BAY. IN THE NEW YEAR WE ' RE EXPECTING SOME MORE OF THE SAME WHICH WILL ADD TO OUR MUSCLE AND ADD TO OUR FAME; BUT DESPITE ALL THE HARDSHIPS WE HAVE TO ENDURE, OUR HANDS THEY ARE STEADY, OUR CONVICTIONS ARE SURE. THE LOVERS OF FREEDOM HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR-- THE ' GATORS WILL GUARD THEM THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR. FROM THE ANTONIO MINA, SHI -p4pp, 1 JAN. ' 65 OOD LOG s ?? ' S 3M iP ' 9«oawspa II ' t-A-TL - VSS Colonial ( JSIb 18 ) Wed Pac 1964 ? COMMANDER RAUL B. PEREZ COMMANDING OFFICER Commander Raul B. Perez, USN, assumed command of USS COLONIAL on 11 March 1964. Born in Coronado, California, he graduated from U.S. Naval ROTC Unit, University of Texas, and was commissioned with the Class of ' 45. Commander Perez has served in a variety of Naval billets including MYLES C. FOX (DD-829), CONSERVER (ARS-39), KIOWA (ATF-72), SAIPAN (CVL-39), FRANCIS MARION (APA-249), ALAMO (LSD-33), and commanded LST-898, SURFBIRD(M SF-383), and AMPERE (ADG-U). Apost graduate of Navy Intelligence, he has served tours of duty with Chief of Naval Personnel; Commander Training Command, U. S. Pacific Fleet; and U. S. Naval Attache, Lisbon, Portugal, where he received The Order of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese Medal of Merit, and the Portuguese Navy Commendation Medal U.S.S. COLONIAL (LSD-18) FLEET POST OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA 96601 Behold ye, ivho open the cover of this nonento of the cruise that took i iS ' 6 COLONIAL to the Orient to represent America ' s views. To make clear to our friends and to those who would oppose, our unfaltering stand for peace and freedom tyranny ' s woes, Twas in the Gulf of Tonkin that freedoms challenge was made by attacking our ships on the high seas amidst a wild tirade. But COLONIAL was ready, as were all the ships of the fleet and embarking marines, we steamed forced draft, the challenge to meet. ' I ' i I i, one peace le not And thus began an epic great fori it helpe d keep the policy tcj J e. T T If keep our p w to the fore, it reijuir ' d every ma n and our seanens ' nautical loEje pse significanc e was the Orient and our was an easy task to the efforts of l g h It took l hg hours of selfless labor an d ' Yoffg t tches at every station it to t hr ca s ll, perserueranc e, and most- of all dedicd S SSft s mere often rough and material began to WsWe-a Tthe tropical heat and crowed ship did not ease the strain. But in spite of problems that arose, COLONIAL ' s banner continue to fly and spirits were never daunted and morale was always high. Records were made underway with marine battalions embarked, thirty three re glenishments at sea, in weather calm and stark, A hundred and fifty two days at sea, sixty seven in a row, with nine days of upkeep in port, plus a few that were stop and go. Yea, ' twas a cruise of which were proud, but also Keenly aware of our sister ships in PHIBRON THREE, who did their share. Before the chapter closes on this cruise, let us make a vow to maintain the espirt that made it succeed, no matter how, and carry it with us wherever we go, in order that toe can perpetuate that spirit that helps keep mankind free. t1ND-SHIPS-S2l6 24 (REV. 2-64) il LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JOHN H. VOSSELLER EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR John H. Vosseller is 1953 graduate of the Naval Academy. After a tour aboard USS TALLADEGA (APA-2p8), he attended flight training at Pensacola, where he received his jet wings. Later he flew F7U, F8, and F9 aircraft. Following a change of designator to line, he served as Chief Engineer of the USS ISHERWOOD (DD-52p). This was followed by completion of submarine school at New London and then a tour as Operations Officer and Navigator of the USS ASHTABULA (AO-51). Before becoming XO of the COLONIAL in January 1964 he was Briefing Officer of the Fleet Operational Computer Center, Pacific and First Lieutenant of the USS ST. PAUL (CL-73). Coronado is now LCDR Vosseller ' s home, where he lives with his wife. Sue, and their four children, Walter, Catherine, James, and John. J£ ( omntenciaii on 18 JUN 65: 19 JUN 65: 02 JUL 64: 15 JUL 64: 06 AUG 64: 13 AUG 64: 08 OCT 64: 23 NOV 64: 16 DEC 64: 17 DEC 64: Departed the Continental Limits of the United States for employment with Amphibious Force, U. S. Seventh Fleet. Issued Armed Forces of the United States Geneva Convention Card. Participated in Amphibious Exervise TOOLBOX with the First Marine Brigade in the Hawaiian area, 29 June through 2 July 1964. Crossed the International Date Line. Member of the Domain of the Golden Dragon. Commenced loadout of Units of the 3rd Marine Division at Okinawa in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Arrived Viet-Nam Area of Ofjerations and assigned to TG 76.7, Am- phibious Ready Group for Contingency Operations. Departed Viet-Nam area of Operations. Eligible for award of Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for operations of 9 June 1964, and author- ized to wear service ribbon bar. During period 1-23 November 1964 participated in Contingency Oper- ations in Viet-Nam area as Unit of TG 76.7. Collected Geneva Convention Card. During employment with the Amphibious Force, U. S. Seventh Fleet as a Unit of TG 76.7, COLONIAL participated in extensive contingency operations in a ready state with Marines embarked. COLONIAL was underway 152 days, 67 of which were consecutively on station, and was in port only for a 9 day upkeep period and short periods to load unload Marine units. While at sea extensive repairs and maintenance was required, volumes of communications were handled, 33 underway re- plenishments were conducted and extensive operations were carried out under war-time conditions. In spite of the arduous schedule, no major material or personnel casualties were experienced. This outstanding record was the subject of commendation by COMSEVENTHFLT, COMPHIBFOR SEVENTHFLT and CTG 76.7. As a member of the crew you contributed materially to the success of this cruise by your unfailing devotion to duty, hard work and high morale. You are commended for a job WELL DONE! 18 DEC 64: Returned to the Continental Limits of the United States. JOHN H. VOSSELLER, LCDR, USN, Exec. Off. By dir of the C. O. 1 ( aptain in ..Action... The Captain ' s back from the Exchange. Call away a 10 hand working party. Thanks for the goodies. C xec at Work... Doesn ' t it itch a little bit, Commander? Don ' t drop that boat I Cast off number tlireu. WUJkW LM Honest m i vjn? Ju6t cHE£tciM4 -ro SEE Mow 50tl IT WAS. t mm u. aLJecK oLjeparltnenl LT. J.J. Schell FIRST LIEUTENANT ENS. E.M. Vacin SHIPS ' BOS ' N ENS. W.W. Taylor GUNNERY OFFICER ENS. D.R. McLain FIRST DIVISION OFFICER ENS. J. A. Crum SECOND DIVISION OFFICER BRUSH, T.B. BMC 10 9mrm Zrirst Jji WIGHT, W.L. JR. Vision Lead by quiet, soft-spoken Alvey, First Division did an outstanding job. On Sunday afternoons during Holiday routine First Division could be found rigging for an underway replen- ishment or a highline transfer just for fun. Half the time the whole transfer would be cancelled and COLONIAL would not have a chaplain. During the work day. First Division could be seen chipping paint outside the X.O. ' s stateroom or red- leading the 02 deck. ALVEY, G.E. DAVIS, N.L. SMITHER, R.C. SEAMANS, F.H. BUNCH, R.E. 1 1 ! TAEGUE, B.D, WILSON, A.S. TRUTSVEN, P.D. ROBERTS, D.A. S{ R we ' ve eSTASllSHED BRiBte To SANDERS, C.L. JONES, H.J. SIMMONS, R.G. LEWIS, J.K. M .ji mW V A |V wih - ' II WLM 12 ' Novv 6UTY M  ' e v?i 6e ?c r r fii t D1V S(C N LAf fto -TME. OX. DEci i FT JOHNSON, L.R. MAPLES, R.E. VIPPERMAN, R.L. BUTLER, B.O. 13 mm iS3 i PARR, R.H. PADEN, R.L. HAG AN, J.L. Second =JJ LviAion They loaded the well deck and super deck with all the Marine ' s equipment around the clock. Parr, Pappy and Fagan tried to keep Germain out oT trouble and Roth from overwork. If you wanted to know when we were going to Japan Second Divi- sion gear locker and Pappy always had the latest bad word which was better than the Captain ' s crystal ball. The biggest problem back on the wingwalls were the mysterious foot steps in the fresh paint. ALMONTE, A.D. BRIDGE, R.T. BUTCH, J.V. CONARD, G.E. 14 3D HARTLEY, W.J. EWING, B.L. GERMAIN, R.M. HARVEY, W.H. JONES, D.P. FISH, H.L. JOHN, E.W. JOHNSON, K. 15 U. yKJ O Vt ia C4.e or i;oeATM©5t EC( S. ' KING, P.J. PARKER, I.Q. PROVOST, M.C. JACO, C.A. ROTH, J.O. RUTLEDGE, D.S. SCHOTT, A.F. BARNEY, L.R. 16 ■s9 iBiMsax«eM EMBmi« DLrJ 2 l ladion Sometimes the 40 mm mounts worked, but most of the time, well, that was up to Third Division. Ammo loading work par- ties, air shoots, and too numerous GQs kept Third busy when they weren ' t trying to fix the damage the loaders did the last GQ. Often on a lazy afternoon small arms practice was held on the flight deck. BARTH, G.R. BEESON. P.E. FOWLER, M.L. RUSSELL, D.W. STORTROEN, V.O. 17 w LT. W. W. West OPERATIONS OFFICER perationA eJjepartntent LTjg. I.W. Ramsay NAVIGATOR LTjg W.D. Parsons COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ENS. D.C. Smith CIC OFFICER ENS. J.U. Rhone ASSISSTANT COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER 18 OC 2)! viAion ARSTA, C.L. RMC Hidden behind their curtain in air conditioned comfort, the radiomen could only be seen wandering around the ship looking for Mr. Larson or the Commander . The radiomen were the only gang on the ship to escape Bryzelak and his minor offense chits, for late sleeping thanks to their 14pp reville. At the start of our contingency operations Radio must have set a record for sending out and receiving messages when the message traffic increased by fifty percent. In Yokosuka it seemed as though Radio Central was a Sony tape recorder warehouse. CANALES, A. KIDD, CO. MOWELL, J.N. CHAFFIN, R.L. RADULSKI, M.S. LIATAS, K.A. SULLIVAN, J.G. SAMUELSON, R.G. 19 EVERETT, L.W. OJ 2 iuu! flSf on ■ - WOODLAND, G.J. SACHS, J.W. MIETT, C.L. COOKE, D.M. CHRISTIAN, W.J. 20 SIAU, F.A. MELTON, J.L. DECAMP, L.K. HOWARD, J.E. CHANEY, B. SMC n 2 ioiM on SIMPSON, L.E. SHATZER, J.D. SWARTZ, W.D. BOLEN, R.A. 21 J4 2b! i idion Doc Broadnax and his merry band of pill pushers and shot givers were in- escapable. If you missed your shot they would find you so you wouldn ' t catch the Plague if we ever got ashore. Most of the time Doc and the boys thought of new cures for heat rashes or gave lectures on your health and how to protect it if we really got liberty. HANKS, VV.H. JONES, R.D. CANADAY, J.T. 22 X 3,v lion ENS A.W. Hutchison ADMINISTRATION OFFICER FO CEt ME INTO THIS Qfll WHf «E Er nft £ l IE OUtH X, AKEMAN, E.J. HARNESS, K.W. CHRISTENSON, V.L. YNC MERRY, F.E. DOWNING, R.G. WILLIAMS, C.L. WEEDER, C.T. 23 mtmmmm S uppiu sJjepartment LT. M.C. Murray SUPPLY OFFICUR RACHEL, J.H. CSC LTjg R.T. Semelsberger DISBURSING OFFICER ROWLAND, A.D. SKC 24 ALFAFARA, F.C ARMSTRONG, D.W. BANIQUED, D.S. Service with a smile - not always an easy task under demanding conditions presented by double the usual number of people to service and the tough operating schedule - but whether with smile or occasionally an accidental snarl the job got done. Winn ' s cheery presence to greet the mid- watch around the mess decks - upto his elbos in bread dough and driving everybody mad who happened to be located near a bakeshop vent. Scroogs Scoggins fighting back the mob in front of the store to scoff up the latest shipment of watches. Boley, always ready with a compliment for anybody at the win- dow of the supply office. Buck Lindsey and his zoo was always a high spot on a visitor ' s tour of the ship. Supply finally got it ' s chance to let off steam with a party at Subic Bay - a fitting climax to a working cruise. U 1 5fl t vOA5 THF POTp ToeS SCE Meo Ju5T A LITTLE UIATJPV. BOLEY, G.A. CONSUNJI, A.F. GATINEAU, J.E. 25 I FOSTER, J.D. GAY, C.R. LINDSEY, C.B. MINA, A. MASTON, L.R. REPPERT, D.D. V VK«.tO A«i U)£t.K. entlemem T wr ' 3 eveRYT«u4c. But THe A0OfiK OO«£ W e«ou HT BACK. 26 HSfifliVBHaaaBa SCOGGINS, C.J. SCHLEVE, B.T. SHAW, W.C. VASQUEZ, L.G. SPAULDING, D.E. WHEELER, L.W. ' ntE S f ' s STcme rS Noul OPEI ... 27 C naineerin ' r 9 cUJeparti meni LT. F.H. Zimmerman ENGINEERING OFFICER LT. R.C. Wilcox MAIN PROPULSION ASSISTANT LT. H.B. Christian ELECTRICAL OFFICER LTjg A.C. Storey DAMAGE CONTROL ASSISTANT ENS R.G. NE ENS R.G. Nelson A R DIVISION OFFICER 28 Permission granted to blow tubes; the snipes contact with the topside world ends for another watch. Down in the hole , in a world all their own the engineers main- tain and operate the heart of the ship. Legendary characters such as Greasy Nobles, Sparks Sedor, and Oily Boyd are rarely seen about the ship, but they are among the ones who run the engineering plant. In charge is the Old Snipe , Mr. Zimrnerman who frets because he hasn ' t time to get below . Lets ' hope she holds together , was the by word of the engineers during the West Pac cruise. With too little maintenance time and too little inport time they worked together day and night to meet the ships commitments. Back statesside the engineers felt justifi- ably proud in the accomplishment we made it! NOBLES, J.R. MMCS MURTAUGH, T.P. MMCS JEFFERIS, A.L. ENC PHILLIPS, R. BTC SEDOR, J.W. JR. EMCS 29 BOYD, l.L. FOWLh, E.L. E 2)u ' hi on ABRAMS, A.L. ARAGON, G.E. HENEGt. M.L. ESTES, J.C. CRAWFORD, R. CHOATE, R. DEVERS, J.T. 30 GUILLE, D.M Vou 3eE This shkc has a SArttett. uncque. eNfemeeftiriii Pc ' tn. FLEISHER, D.E. TIGER, P. TUCKER, G.W. WOMACK, R.L. ROONEY, M.F. fvl ,UJiviAion CARROLL, D.E. GONSHOROWSKI, T.P. CHARETTE, D.L. FREEMAN, D.R. CLABAUGH, L.G. HAMMETT, B.G. GLADDEN, G.A. HEGEDTY, J.J. 32 HOUSE, T.H. KOSKELA, K.R. LANE, L.H. NOW WVftoOV 1J4AT Cfl l Ti Thc Port ttfrflKCS, LATRACE, R.E. NUTTER, N.L. PONTOW, R.A. RANKIN, E.G. NAVARRO, D. W 2 iM on TANKERSLtY, E.R. TOWNSENU, E.O. WESER, A.H. WILSON, D.A. MOSELEY, R.I), WINTERBERG, J.K. WILLIAMS, D.L. f HART, K.I. MORRIS, T.O. BUSCH, M.R. SABLAN, J.G. — Xr cJjividl on FUHRMANN, R.P. MC DONALD. M.E. SMITH, L.R. WEST, H.E. 35 T K m)ivisi on BOND, B.O. REAVES, L.P. BARRON, L.J. BARRON, R.H. HAYES, L. A and R Divisions They spent most of their time making the ship messy in the cause of habit- ability . For all the cutting they did it is a wonder COLONIAL didn ' t come apart at the seams. In the end it was all worth while and every one agreed our ship is better for it. Chief Goad made an amazing record on the beach with the SP. Bond and Reaves could be counted on to do those work requests especially when Mr. Storey got mad. A Division and Chief Jefferies saw to it that the boats ' engines were ready if we had any need to make that landing. 36 ■ I l lJUili ! w i MORENO, M.C. PAUSEWANG, J.L. WINEGARNER, L.W. 37 mmmm canHBHiMaMB ■■■i m  ■ .? •7 . HOAKI) KILLS YOU i Ik 1 SCHWAB, L.R. £ 2),- virion BAUGH, C.L. CITRO, T.J. FRANCIS, VV.B. FARRIS, M.G. FISHER, W.R. HAYS, h.L. 38 w HUNTER, W.J. LATIMER, W .K. JOHNSON, J.M. THERRIEN, E.A. VALDEZ, C.F. Every time the IMC crackled a tiny voice came out and when the lights grew dim it was E Division ' s men that were called. The crew has E Division to thank for some of those wonderful movies such as The I Don ' t Care Girl and the Curse of Frankenstein or how about, all those great Untouchables reruns. Loved them all! 40 « i 42 ke ( ruLde ■ X ' =7 ' 3WrWrwa  ' tuaeHtmamim T hursdau, 18 Aune... Ulnderivau. The day was cloudy and cool with a good breeze blowing only the hardiest of dependents prolonged their goodbyes with waves from the pier. Most good- byes were said at home earlier that morning, but a few braved the unseason- ally nippy weather for a last possible glimpse of the breadwinner as USS Colonial moved away from Pier 8. The pilot was aboard and the Captain moved into a precarious position that was to become familiar throughout the cruise when the ship was maneuvering through tighter spots ( namely perched upon a lifeline for a oetter vantage). Aboard came the PL , the San Diego skyline slipped by to starboard, and then Ballast Point and Point Loma. Finally, Colonial was at sea with other units of Phibron Three on a course toward six months of surprises. Where did everybody go? Bon voyage! Loaded and ready. 5f)NM870 i SEACH I - Si K l ' !r, TBB 4? 3 ' Ipapi Who ' s seasick? ' L ' L ' you 111 1 fecilli- ' Li . Captain checks off the smooth sailing messages. Where ' s the gig? tmm wmmm riciau, 2S Aune... J-4i awaii After eight days which at the time seemed long, Colonial and the rest of Phibron Three steamed beneath the shadow of Diamond Head and into Pearl Harbor. In the midst of our visit we spent four days off the windward coast of Oahu observing Operation Westwind. Despite being as- signed as observers. Colonial managed to become involved, as usual, and was the last ship to leave the anchorage. The rest of our stay in Hawaii was spent in prepara- tion for our deployment and the trip to Okinawa, where we faced our ORl and an amphibious exercise. 46 rida ' 10 juiu...C n route Oinn awa It ' s like a picnic without ants. As it grew hotter and hoter Colonial sailed across calm seas toward Buckner Bay. It was a time of hard work and in- tense training with GQ ' s everyday, while Colonial prepared for its annual ORl. This hard work was relieved by some fun and relaxation, a cookout on the spud deck and a smoker, starring Bryzelak and the Captain. Top right: Sure, 1 eat my own cooking. Middle right: Psst...the Supply Officer is watching. Bottom right: Colonial ' s own USO troup. OTKgR OUTFITS OUX h£«E 6 e-r e « MDft W Sm mm aturdau, 25 Auiu... yyhin aw a Finally, Buckner Bay and our first liberty in what seemed like months. The next morning, as the crew slept off that first night of liberty, a wind was blowing and the seas were choppy. By late afternoon Typhoon Flossie was upon Buckner Bay and the other ships were barely visable. Our anchor shackle parted but we held. That night the Weiss did not hold. Monday morning we got underway with Phibron Three for typhoon evasion and seven more days at sea. Before and after... day of Typhoon Flossie. Pick mem up on the next wave. Where ' s your accommodation ladder? 5-9 ..J4 uqust...cJLoadoul ' 9 But we didn ' t have sterngates in the Merchant Marines. Our guests arrive by limousine. Upon Colonial ' s return from typhoon evasion we had to immediately get underway for a replenishment. While at sea, we learned of the Tonkin Gulf attack. Along with most of Phibron Three we began to load marines and equipment the day after our return to Buckner Bay. As soon as all possible loading at Buckner was completed. Colonial headed to Or a Wan, where we were to load LVT ' s into our well. At Ora Wan Colonial ' s sterngate wires were broken by the off-shore swells. With the sterngate banging behind a quick retreat was made to Chin Wan, where R Division made the necessary temporary repairs. We then returned to Buckner and finished loading troops and cargo, including the LVT ' s. Spar- ing little, we then hastened to catch up with the rest of Task Force 76. 51 ililondau, 10 .. uqusl... J eadi r ina Sou ' 9 fk sy-s - - ,:. -v ' ' r: ' iji ' UMSi ' ' ridau, 14 ..Aruqu5t...cJj i anan 9 Within a week Colonial had joined Task Force 76 and commenced what was to become a task force endurance record of 67 days on station, jointly held by the Renville, Winston, and Colonial. At first, it was exciting to be manning the 40mm mounts around the clock, but when the condition of readiness relaxed and the force moved to a station close to the Viet Nam Coast, the hard work of waiting for something to happen or not to happen began. This monotony was broken by our Sunday morning replenish- ments and by the daily flight quarters, which brought occasional mail and chaplains. Mail took some time catching up with us, and there isn ' t a man in the crew who will forget that first mail call. During our days on s tation one feature stood out on board Colonial-the marines. Marines were everywhere-firing small arms 0-2 deck forward, lecturing 0-2 deck aft, filling out a second chow line, swelling the crowds at nightly bingo, and necessitating a second showing at movie call. It made close quarters, but on the end, we were sorry to see them go. They had been good shipmates,. - A little sun at noon. Land ho! And another unrep. South N vrr MfSIA V wiin pi a p i ff i i .n;j i i -Tr vVn station Ih- -y ua.uit-8 Kyctober... u nrepd Ml lid in San Diego? Keeping the OOD informed. ..J iqh r JLine... I liqht (aJuarferS.. Crash crew at ease. x % And-uh, one...and-uh, two... All systems go. K tu ecrealion R and R on a crowded LSD in die South China Sea would seem an impossibility, but using in- genuity, Colonial never lacked for variety in their diversion. Naturally, there were movies and the usual card games, but added to these, we had bingo after the evening meal, a beard contest, Sunday afternoon hootenannies, our own news- paper (Well Deck News) complete with Sunday Funnies, game contests (acey-deucy, cribbage, chess, etc.), and even swim call. When CommodoreBobczynski arrived on the scene, his first efforts appeared to be aimed at beating the heat. He received permission to conduct swim call and many grateful sailors and marines answered the call with a dive off the sterngate. Stortroen serenades sunbathers. Samuelson takes a dip. Crew enjoys a swim in the ship ' s pool. 59 EZ TH . J oolenan Danang, Danang, Danang. nu- Swede Stortroen and Lt. Murray had made their debut during the smoker in August, but with the arrival of Ens. Hutchinson in September, Colonial had its answer to the Kingston Trio. Stortroen ' s efforts as a song writer hit every- body ' s funnybone with Danang . Ens. Hutchinson received many requests for Sally and any lull in the program was sure to bring onLt. Murray with A Horse Named Bill . One Sunday LanShipRon Nine ' s chaplain was our guest enter- tainer and almost every hoot brought on some audience participation with the likes of When the Saints Go Marching In . Sad song. Gi ' and Ole Oprie graduate. Sore fingers. ynt ' J ' ,,- = .■. v earcl { oniest. The need for the crew to do something creative brought on a beard contest with winners for five categories from bushiest to best try. With nearly two months growth on the contestants the marine judges had some difficult judging to do. The win- ners. ..Neatest-Melton, QMl; FuUest-ChrisUan, ET3; Most Original-Wilson, SN: Most Colorful-Kidd, RMS; Best Try- Jones, HM3. The prizes.. .a package of Cuckoo Blades. The winners (minus Jones). Casting for Mutiny on the Bounty ' ' Hey look, he ' s got a razor. Tallying the final results. Which one won Best Try ' j 61 E « 0BP mcn WliBW3i IV lore oLeiAu lA ednesdau, 21 yclober...Aapa n Fujisan floats on horizon. Through our many days on station the dream of a few good days liberty in Yokosuka was everyone ' s dream. Follow- ing the administrative offload at Numazu, Colonial made a night ' s trip to Yokosuka and our ship began to look like a tape re- corder studio or the factory outlet for a Japanese China Manufacturer. JAPAN B a :i Mr, Semelsberger goes native. A couple of victims of A-33 shopping fever. Half of the crew could be found in Building A-33 at almost any hour of the day. Most of the crew managed a few trips to Yokosuka, visiting the local sights. Kamakura ' s Buddha and Tokyo were popular tourist trips even with short time avail- able. The Olympics were in progress at Tokyo and a few of the more fortunate were able to get some tickets and attend. • Even those without tickets enjoyed the excitement in Tokyo gener- ated by the presence of the Olympic Games. All was not play in Yokosuka. The casualties Colonial had suffered on station were repaired, so she would be in peak mechanical shape. 64 Deck Department painted the sides so she would be beautiful again. Engineering got the plant back in good steaming con- dition and Supply topped off for another stay on station in the South China Sea. The most important rehabilitation had been the crew ' s and it was with a happy, broke, and a little hung over crew that Colonial de- parted Yokosuka on her way to Buckner Bay. 3? ,■ Japanese shrine at Asakusa, Tokyo Largest EM Club in the world No thanks , I ' ll walk. Typical Tokyo department store. ridau, 30 K cfober... ou[h aaain ' % - ' -i:3j jj ftyyfe?i Everybody regretted leaving Japan after such a short stay and even more returning to South Viet Nam. The only bright spot on the horizon was the shortness of this planned stay to be followed soon thereafter with the anxiously awaited trip home. We picked up marines again at Okinawa (including some familiar faces from the previous float ). Our stay on station was high- lighted with a celebration of the Marine ' s Birthday, complete with cake and music, and closer look at Danang. I aUananQ J arbor. ' 9 Framed! Do they really wear black pajamas? With only a couple days left on station there came a stir of excitement. We had been ordered into Danang Harbor to debark UDT for a rescue and salvage operation. At long last we were able to see the in- terior of a bay that we ' d only been able to see on charts or from a distance out- side. We zipped into the muddy harbor, peered through the haze at Monkey Moun- tain, paused while choppers picked up UDT, and slipped back out to our familiar safe distance. Wilson readies LCPL for de- barking UDT. : %4H lAJednesdau, 25 i loveniber...Sl! ubic VJ a ' Water Ukt glass then a torrential downpour. Supply throws a party Subic Bay brought a welcome wrapup to a cruise that had been both disappointing and rewarding. All hands missed the cherished trip to Hong Kong and many were disappointed by not spending more time in the liberty ports we did see. At the same time however there was the satisfaction of knowing that Colonial had been called upon to perform in a job that displayed the need for our Seventh Fleet forces in West Pac. There was pride in knowing that our commitments had been met with tj pical Colonial efficiency. Subic offered a last opportunity to blow steam and to shop for those last minute gifts and souveniers that had been missed in Japan. Hasty voyage repairs were accomplished, a rare in-port replenishment was com- pleted, and everybody made preparation for the non-stop trip home. LUZON i1 .p ' y AiJM V 68 aturdauy 28 f ovemb y-Tomeu ara bound Aftermath of heavy rolls north of Luzon. Refueling the Wiess. Mr. Semelsberger turns to. Golden Dragon shipover. 69 r i ridau, 18 eJjecetnber.....y ome! Host ship Oak Hill and brass band. ' TT ' %- u!a:V3lTni -:i  «ll %M. Where ' s the missus? Where ' s the brow? There ' s BermanI Mr. Dye rounds up the officer ' s wives. Chief Brush lends a helping hand. Orderlies at work. More leave and liberty. I ' ll see you Monday. jl fff1 Chief Rachel got a chow complaint. Mr. Rhone learned his abc ' s. the wardroom ate general mess chow. ' Pappy Paden did some two-fisted shooting. Supply and Deck combined efforts Chief Rowland got overworked in the Supply Office Everybody left Danang but us. mwm iy Sake 50 , rAh ' T LVCfJliTAui) IT. That ' s Twe LJO ' i ' 1hoTliN £ SECL  ?Et . ' ,1 l lp w jf jl5 _ cKnowiedaenteni5 Editor Paden, R. L., BM3 Co-Business Mana£!;ers . . . Jones, R. D., HM3 Frost, C. B., BT3 Layout Canaday, J. T,, HM2 Copywriter Weeder, C. T., PN3 Photographers Akeman, E. J., SN Paris, G. D., SN Working Advisors Lt. M. C. Murray Ens. D. C. Smith Cover Design Mina, A., SHI ;p The production of this cruise book, the first since COLONIAL visited West Pac in 1957, proved to be a major undertaking. On a working ship of this sort time to produce such a book is at a premium. Never- theless with a large dose of perseverence the staff managed to push through to completion of a product that should prove to be a storehouse of memories to the crew of the COLONIAL. 80 limmuul ■ill,. ' Mq. USA. jgm I K OS : AB ' 9fo i: IT , 7l?° e rH4 r FMCTGJ% 1AL 3 vATH FWC GUAM f,,?S S 4. aNDADANU ' ' WCOMPH ?a5s| g S.„_ ' SERIOUS 9S O ' • FM COMSEVENTHFLT TO PHIBRON THREE DURING YOUR TOUR IN THE SEVENTH FLEET YOU MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO A POSTURE WHICH LEFTNO DOUBTTHAT WE ARE A READY POWER FOR PEACE. FOR THIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION, THERE CAN BE NO HIGHER REWARD THAN THE KNOWLEDGE YOU PROVED YOUR PROFESSION- ALISM, AND PHIBRON 3 LEFTNO DOUBT OF THEIR RIGHT TO THIS ACCOLADE. SAYONORA AND BEST WISHES FOR THE HAPPY HOLIDY HOMECOMING YOU SO GREATLY DESERVE. VICE ADMIRAL JOHNSON «