Comet (AP 166) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE TALFT ' HE USS COMET QAP-1661 was placed 1n commission as a unit of the United States Fleet at San Francisco, California on A. 15 February 1944. Commander W. N.iPrin- 5 gel, as a representative of the Commandant TWELFTH Naval District, turned the ship over to Commander Vard F. Stieglitz, D-VCGD,-USNR, as Commanding Officer in a brief ceremony during Which Commander Stieglitz read his orders to command and addressed officers and crew and placed the USS COMET in full commission. Lt. Comdr. T. C. Fonda, DM, USNR, was Executive' Ollicer and other oflicers assigned to the COMET, at time of Commissioning, Were: - l if Clarence L. Bain ......................... ' ....... Lt. Comdr. MC-VCSD, USNR Barnard Hartley ........ .... ........................... L t ., DM, USNR Alphonse Zeis -.g ....... ......,..,,.,..,,.,..,,,, L t., USN james B. Blee ......... ......... i Lt., D-VCGD, USNR Frank R. Berry ..... Q- ........... Lt., D-VCGJ, USNR Fred S. Buchanan ...... ........ L t. Qjgj, D-VCGD, USNR 2 8 T

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Rohert P. Larkin ........ . Lt. Cigl, D-VCGD, U SNR seiby Mohr ............... Lt. Cjgb, MC-VCSD, USNR Charles W. Hire ............. ....... 4 ............-...---- E nsign, USN Thomas F. Monahan ......... --------- E f1SigI1, D-VCGJ, USNR Walter B. Wofford .......... -------- E 11SigI1, D-VCGD, USNR Thomas Rowe ..............-- ------ E f1SigH, SC-VCC-ii, USNR Chester C. Traxielstead .... Ensign, C-VCGD, USNR Jimmie E. Savage .......... ........ E HSigI1, D-VCGD, USNR Robert C. Ferguson ...... ........ E nSigI1, D-VCGD, USNR Lloyd F.lHead ......... Q ...... ......................... E HSigI1, USN Ernest E. Zimmerman ....... Ensign, E-M, USNR Mario Telesmanic .......... .......... E nsign, E-M, USNR James F, Toner ,,,..,.... ...... L ..................... E nsign, USN Herman E. Duvall ...... ........ B Oatswain, I-VCSD, USNR Arthur L. Lucia .... Q. ...................... Pay Clerk, USN Alfred Clark ......... ................... B oatswain, USN Joseph Bonetti ..... ........ B Oatswain, USN Although one would think that the history of a ship and its crew would start upon commissioning, I think that the story of the USS COMET really began at the Receiving Ship, Q Treasure Island, California, for it was there' thatthe men , who were to be the crew of the COMET were brought to- 'gether by fate, and orders from the Bureau 'of Naval Per- sonnel, to be formed, from an aggregation of landlubbers, into a well-moulded, smooth-running, sea-going Navy Crew. It was there that the men got to know each other and that spirit of camaraderie, which is so prevalent in the armed forces, blossomed out. I The COME T that day wasn't quite ready to go to sea, but in a short time all hands were turning ton making prepara- tions for getting underway. It's strange how a person remem- bers minor incidents while the major ones may slip his mind, but the thing that remains foremost in my memory on that February day was not the commissioning ceremonies, but our 30