Comte De Grasse (DD 974) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER CDR WILLIAM D. LYNCH UNITED STATES NAVY COMMANDER WILLIAM D. LYNCH, A NEW YORK CITY NATIVE. WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1949. HE RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION IN 1971 AFTER GRADUAT- ING FROM COLUMBIA COLLEGE OF CO- LUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK. HE SUBSEQUENTLY EARNED A MASTER DE- GREE WITH HONORS IN COMPUTER SYS- TEMS MANAGEMENT FROM THE NAVAL POST GRADUATE SCHOOL, MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. COMMANDER LYNCH HAS SERVED AT SEA AS FIRST LIEUTENANT IN USS DYESS (DD 880), GUNNERY OFFICER (AND PLANK OWNER) IN USS MILLER (FF 1091), CHIEF ENGINEER (AND PLANK OWNER) IN USS ARTHUR W RADFORD (DD 968) AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER IN USS STUMP (DD 978). HIS SHORE ASSIGNMENTS HAVE INCLUDED SENIOR GAS TURBINE ENGI- NEERING INSTRUCTOR AT THE SURFACE WARFARE SCHOOL IN NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND AND SENIOR GAS TURBINE EX- AMINER AT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF U.S. ATLANTIC FLEETS EXAMINING BOARD. HIS MOST RECENT SHORE AS- SIGNMENT WAS AS DIRECTOR, CRUISE - MISSILE AND TARGETING ON THE STAFF OF THE ATLANTIC FLEET COMMANDER. COMMANDER LYNCH HAS BEEN AWARDED THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR. THE NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR, AND THE NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL. COMMANDER LYNCH AND HIS WIFE BARBARA RESIDE IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA WITH THEIR TWO SONS, NULTY AND BRENDAN. ■CHENG. YOU RE KILLING ME

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u COMTE DE GRASSE (1 722 - 1 788 FRANCOIS JOSEPH PAUL DE GRASSE WAS A FRENCH ADMI- RAL WHOSE TACTICAL SUCCESS AT THE BATTLE OF THE VIR- GINIA CAPES IN 1781 MADE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN VICTORY IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. BY IN- HERITANCE, HE WAS MARQUIS DE GRASSETILLY AND COMTE DE GRASSE. BORN CHATEAU DU BAR, NEAR GRASSE, ON SEP- TEMBER 13, 1 722, HE ENTERED THE NA VY IN 1 738 AND SER VED WITH DISTINCTION THROUGHOUT THE WAR OF AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION (1740-1748), IN WHICH HE WAS WOUNDED. AND THE SEVEN YEARS WAR (1756-1763). DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, DE GRASSE SERVED IN THE WEST INDIES AGAINST THE BRITISH AND, IN 1781, HIS FLEET OF 20 SHIPS OF THE LINE ESCORTED ABOUT 200 MERCHANT SHIPS TO CAP FRANCOIS, HAITI THERE HE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON TO COOPERATE IN THE YORKTOWN CAMPAIGN. ON AUGUST 30, 1781, HE ARRIVED INSIDE THE CHESAPEAKE CAPES WITH 28 SHIPS AND 3,300 TROOPS. MEAN- WHILE, ADMIRAL THOMAS GRA VES WITH 19 SHIPS HAD SAILED FROM NEW YORK TO RESCUE GENERAL CORNWALLIS ' ARMY, WHICH HAD RETREATED TO YORKTOWN FROM NORTH CAR- OLINA ON SEPTEMBER 3. DE GRASSE ENGAGED GRAVES FOR TWO HOURS OFF THE ENTRANCE TO CHESAPEAKE BAY, IN- FLICTING SUCH HEAVY CASUALTIES AND DAMAGES. THAT THE BRITISH WERE FORCED TO RETURN TO NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 14, WASHINGTON BEGAN THE SIEGE THAT FORCED CORNWALLIS TO SURRENDER ABOUT 8,000 MEN ON OCTOBER 19, A DECISIVE VICTORY MADE POSSIBLE BY DE GRASSES AID. 4 SYMBOLISM OF SHIPS CREST THE WAVY BARS ALLUDING TO THE WATERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BA Y AND THE PILE FL UER Y SIMULA TING THE PROW OF A FRENCH SHIP BEARING THE COAT OF ARMS OF THE FRENCH ADMIRAL FRANCOIS J PAUL COMTE DE GRASSE, SYMBOLIZE THA T GREAT NA VAL VICTOR Y OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WHICH HELPED FORCE THE SUR- RENDER OF CORNWALLIS, AFFECTING THE ISSUE OF THE WAR AND THE SHAPING OF AMERICAN DESTINY. THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE CHIEF WITH THE TWO STARS, TORCH AND EMBATTLED PARTITION LINE ALLUDE TO THE NA- TIONAL COLORS AND THE TWO HUNDRED YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC. THE EMBOWED ARM IN ARMOR GRASPING A TRIDENT, AN ATTRIBUTE OF POSEIDON, GOD OF THE SEAS, SYMBOLIZES THE AWESOME FIGHTING POWER OF THE MODERN DESTROYER.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER CDR DENIS V. ARMY UNITED STATES NAVY SEP 87 -SEP 89 COMMANDER DENIS V. ARMY HAILS FROM WORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. HE RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION AFTER GRADUATING FROM HOLY CROSS COL- LEGE IN 1975. IN 1979 HE ATTENDED THE NAVAL POST GRADUATE SCHOOL AND GRADUATED IN 1980 WITH HONORS AND A MASTER DEGREE IN COMPUTER SYS- TEMS TECHNOLOGY. HE HAS SERVED AS ASSISTANT CIC OF- FICER AND OPERATIONS OFFICER DUR- ING A 39 MONTH TOUR ABOARD USS DAHLGREN (DDG 43), WEAPONS OFFICER ABOARD USS CLAUDE V. RICKETS (DDG 5). HIS SHORE TOURS INCLUDE COMBAT SYSTEMS OFFICER ON THE COMDESRON TWO STAFF, AND PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL ON USS COMTE DE GRASSE HE WAS OPER - ATIONAL TEST DIRECTOR FOR TACTICAL DATA SYSTEMS AT COMOPTEVOR. HE IS LEA VING US FOR AN ASSIGNMENT ATSA- CLANT STAFF AS NATO WEAPONS COOR- DINATOR. COMMANDER ARMYS PERSONAL AWARDS INCLUDE THE NAVY COMMEN- DATION MEDAL, NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, AND THE ARMED FORCES EXPE- DITION AR Y MEDAL. COMMANDER ARMY AND HIS WIFE BETH RESIDE IN VIRGINIA BEACH WITH THEIR TWO CHILDREN SARAH AND MATT.