Coontz (DLG 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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tC.» LIEUTENANT COMMANDER W. R. HARTMAN EXECUTIVE OFFICER USS COONTZ (DLG-9) EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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COMMANDER HERBERT H. RIES, USN, COMMANDING USS COONTZ (DLG-9) Commander Herbert H. RIES, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert J. RIES, was born in Tiffin, Iowa ON 27 April 1920. He graduated from University High School, Iowa City, Iowa in 1938, attended THE University of iowa for one year and entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939, graduating in June 1942. Upon graduation he was ordered to the USS NELSON fDD-623 ' i in which he served from the commissioning date until shortly before the ship was deactivated after World War II. He served IN all billets up to and including that of Executive Officer during this period. The ship operated IN the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific areas and participated in the invasion of Sicily, Normandy and finally in the Japanese occupation. In 1946 Lieutenant RIES placed the USS DAMATO (DD-871) in commission as Executive Offi- cer. In 1 948 he commanded the USS TERCEL ( AM-BSG ) ASA unit of the Mine Force , U .S . Atlan- tic Fleet. From 1949 to 195 1 he served as Aide to the Commandant , Eleventh Naval District at San Diego . In June 1951 Lieutenant Commander RIES placed the USS FORMOE fDE-509) in commission as Commanding Officer and operated in the Pacific and Atlantic areas. In October 1953, he placed the USS JOHN S . MCCAIN (DL-3) in commission as Executive Offi- cer and in 1955 attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. Following the Staff College, Commander RIES reported to the Bureau of Naval Personnel as Head of the Active Officer Promotion Branch. In March 1958 Commander RIES reported for duty as Prospective Commanding Officer of the USS HULL ' DD— 945 ) building at Bath , Maine. He assumed command upon commission on 3 July 1958. In October 1958 HULL reported for duty as a unit of the Cruiser-Destroyer Force , U.S. Pacific Fleet and as Flagship for Destroyer Squadron ONE, the first of seven DD— 945 class ships.. In March 1960 Commander RIES was ordered as Prospective Commanding Officer of the USS COONTZ (DLG— 9) building at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. COONTZ was commissioned on 15 July 1960. After completion of fitting out she reported for duty as a UNIT OF Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet and as Flagship for Destroyer Division 152, home ported in San Diego, California. Commander RIES is married to the former Miss Mary Carolyn Kuever , daughter of DE- N R . A . Kuever of Iowa City, Iowa. Commander and Mrs. RIES currently reside in Coronado, California WITH their two children STEPHEN HAMILTON AND GRETCHEN ANNE. commanding OFFICER ' S INSPECTION CDR . AND MRS . Rl ES

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Lieutenant Commander W. R. HARTMAN, USN was born in Athens, Georgia. He graduated from high school in 1941 and attended the university of georgia and georgia school of tech - nology before entering the u.s. naval academy in 1943. graduating from the naval academy with the class of 1947, he joined the pacific destroyer force during the summer of 1946 when he REPORTED FOR DUTY IN THE USS RICHARD B. ANDERSON (DD-786). Following this duty, LCDR HARTMAN served as Gunnery Officer in the USS SWENSON fDD- 729). On completion of this tour, he was ordered to the east coast for duty in the USS STRIB- LING (DD-876 ' ) after which he assumed duties as Engineer Officer in USS BASILONE (DDE-824 ' i. In 1953, ordered west, he joined the Naval Special Weapons Unit 1233 at Sandia Base, New Mexico. The transit west was completed at the end of this tour with duty in the Gunnery De- partment of the USS KEARSARGE ( ' CVA-33) . Ordered ashore in late 1955, LCDR HARTMAN joined the Staff of SURANTISUBDEVDET in Key West, Florida, where he served some two years before returning to the Pacific Destroyer Force as Executive Officer in the USS JOHN R , CRAIG (DD-885). Entering the Ordnance Engi- neering curriculum as a student at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey in 1950. he graduated in June 1961 at which time he reported on board as Executive Officer, USS COONTZ (DLG-g i, Married to the former Miss Margaret Printy of Iowa, the HARTMAN ' s have four children , Edith , Bill, Chuck and Jim . The HARTMAN ' s presently reside in San Diego, California .