Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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Captain J. Donald L. Grant, USN, former Com- manding Officer of the Columbus, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1930. He served aboard pre-World War II battleships, cruisers and destroyers and was at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. In 1942 he survived the torpedoing of the carrier Saratoga off Johnston Island and later that year was assigned to assist in the organization of Allied Naval Forces, South West Pacific. From 1944 to 1945 he was Navigator and Operations Officer of the (then) new large cruiser USS Alaska, and saw action in the strikes on Tokyo, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Near the end of 1945 he became Alaska ' s Executive Officer. Since the war Captain Grant has served in various sea and shore billets, and was Chief of Staff Officer for CINCNELM Subordinate Command at Naples when ordered to take command of Columbus at Izmir, Turkey on 18 November 1954. He was relieved by Captain Seay on 10 February 1956. Lpt. $. Z . . tyuUtt @eOi. flcUK i- s4. ' Piidmate Commander James A. Pridmore, USN, former Executive Officer of the USS Columbus, is an alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1937. When World War II broke out he was serving at Manila. He participated in the Pacific battles in the Java Sea, and the later assault on the Philip- pines. He served as Commanding Officer of the destroyers Williamson and O ' Bannon during the period 1943-1946. More recently, he took part in the Korean conflict. Upon completion of a tour of duty in the Bureau of Ordnance, from November 1951 to January 1955, Commander Pridmore reported aboard the Columbus on 9 February 1955, and was relieved by Commander Fitzpatrick on 12 January 1956.

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7 00... Captain George C. Seay, USN, Commanding Officer of the USS Columbus, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1930, and served aboard battleships, destroyers and an ammunition ship until mid-1937. From 1940 to 1942 he served aboard the destroyer USS Niblack, leaving to assume command of the USS Broome. In 1943 he reported to Commander Destroyer Forces U. S. Atlantic Fleet as Damage Control and Engineering Officer. It was while he commanded the USS Bryant, a destroyer, that he was awarded the Silver Star for distinguishing himself in action during a Kamikaze attack off Okinawa in the last months of the war. In 1952 he took command of the attack transport USS Cambria and from there left to take over as head of the Fleet Operations Planning Branch, Fleet Operations Division of the Office of Naval Operations. Captain Seay assumed command of the Columbus on 10 February 1956 in Yokosuka, Japan. (?afi£. (pevtfe @. Seatf ( . ?%a tcU $. ?tfffi4tnicA 76e £xec . , , Commander Francis J. Fitzpatrick, USN, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939. His first duty station was the USS Mexico (BB 40), in which he served for four years. In July 1944 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, and shortly thereafter reported to the USS Alabama (BB 60). In 1949 Commander Fitzpatrick was promoted to his present rank. From 1951 to 1953 he served as Commanding Officer of the USS A.J. Isbell (DD 869). Commander Fitzpatrick reported aboard Columbus before the ship left Long Beach and relieved Commander Fridmore as Executive Officer on 12 January 1956. Among his awards are included the Bronze Star Medal with combat V , the Korean Service Medal with two stars, and several other campaign ribbons.

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Rear Admiral Francis D. McCorkle, USN, Com- mander Cruiser Division Three, is a native of Tennessee and was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1926. After graduation he first served in the USS New Mexico and the USS Preble. In 1941 Rear Admiral McCorkle assumed command of the destroyer USS Simpson, carrying out escort operations in the North Atlantic. A phase of this duty included the historic Churchill-Roosevelt meeting at Argentia, Newfoundland. On 5 May 1942 he assumed command of the new destroyer, USS Tillman, and participated in the North African and Sicilian invasions, during which Tillman was credited with the sinking of a French corvette and the capture of three French merchant ships. Transferring to the Pacific in January 1945, he took command of Destroyer Squadron Five in the Seventh Fleet, and after the war he participated in the occupation of Japan and the demilitarization of Japanese naval and merchant ships in the Sasebo-Nagasaki area. After commanding the AKA, USS Vermillion, and a tour as Department Head at the Naval Academy, Admiral McCorkle was named Captain of the USS New Jersey, which was in the Far East in support of military operations in Korea. On 21 June 1955 he asssumed command of Cruiser Division Three, US Pacific Fleet, consisting of the Helena, Toledo, and Pittsburgh. Since that time the Columbus has replaced the Pittsburgh, and the Worcester has joined the division. In June 1956 Rear Admiral McCorkle left CruDivThree for duty in Washington. (Zafit, enttand rf. Smit Captain Bernard A. Smith, USN, Chief of Staff, Cruiser Division Three, was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy from Spokane, Washington. Following his graduation from the Academy in 1934 he served for five years in the USS Minneapolis and one year in the four stack destroyer Southard. World War II service included duty in the USS Lexington, USS Saratoga, and as Commanding Officer of destroyer Murphy. Following the war he placed the destroyer Ozbourn in commission and remained on board as her Commanding Officer for two years. During the Korean War he served as Commander Escort Squadron Eleven. Immediately prior to reporting for his present duty in July 1955 Captain Smith served in Wash- ington for two years as Head Enlisted Distribution Branch, Bureau of Naval Personnel, and for one year as a student at the National War College.