Coontz (DLG 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORY OF THE USS COONTZ (DLG-9) On March 1, 1957 , some 39 years after Admiral R .E . COONTZ left his post as Navy Shipyard Commander OF PuGET Sound Naval Shipyard, the keel of the Guided Missile Frigate USS COONTZ (DLG-9) was laid in that same yard. Not too long afterward Mrs . Robert J. COONTZ, wife of LT R.J. COONTZ , USN, grandson of Admiral COONTZ christened the first guided missile fri- gate to be built on the West Coast . This WAS ON December 6 , 1958. On July 15, 1960 Admiral WATKINS, Commandant of the Thirteenth Naval District, turned the ship over to Commander H , H . RIES , USN , at the commissioning ceremony at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Shortly thereafter, on July 27, the COONTZ made her maiden voyage and con- ducted her BUILDER ' S Sea Trials. With sea trials out of the way came a hectic period of fitting out, tests, inspections, and more tests. The shipyard personnel and the crew worked hand in hand to insure that the COONTZ was ready to join the fleet on time. The COONTZ left Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at the end of September, 1960, one-half month ahead of schedule. After spending A MONTH in San Diego, the COONTZ made her shakedown cruise to San Francisco. The next few months were spent in San Diego undergoing crew training. Post shakedown avail- ability WAS THEN UTILIZED AT PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL. Following this, the COONTZ reported for duty as a unit of Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. PACIFIC Fleet AND AS FLt gship for Destroyer Division 152, home-ported in San Diego, California. The flag of Commander Destroyer Squadron 15 was aboard the COONTZ from 1 May to 12 July 1961, AND COMDESRON 17 broke his pennant on board, 1 April 1962, shortly after the COONTZ returned from an eight month ' s tour of the Western Pacific.

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U.S . PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS , PEARL HARBOR , Hawaii -- The next time you ' re SAILING ANYWHERE IN THE PACIFIC AND H EAR STRA INS OF GOOD OLD DIXIELAND MUSIC COME FLOATING ACROSS THE WATERS, CHANCES ARE YOU WON ' T BE IMAGINING THE SOUNDS, THEY WILL PROBABLY BE COMING FROM THE PACIFIC FLEET ' S GUIDED MISSILE FRIGATE USS COONTZ fDLG-g). A NEW Dixieland combo made up of three California Navymen got together last week and played a few songs while coontz was refueling from the oiler uss kawishiwi at sea. They received so many compliments from crew members of both ships and from their com- manding OFFICER, THAT THEY NOW PLAY EACH TIME THEIR SHIP GOES ALONG SIDE ANY SHIP. Leading the combo is Micky W. McCormack, a 21-year-old radarman third class on the Clarinet. With Myears of experience, Micky looks forward to entertaining many ships with good music . Twin brothers, Jerry M. and R ichard K . Barber, fill in the number two and three positions OF the combo. Jerry plays the guitar and Richard spices up the arrangements with his banjo. They first began playing together about a month ago during their spare time. Recently they HAVE begun to REHEARSE NIGHTLY. We used TO JUST GET TOGETHER EVERY-SO-OFTEN AT SUNSET AND PLAY A FEW SONGS TO PUT EVERY- one in a relaxed mood , they said, now we get to play almost every da¥ . Comments from their shipmates can be summed up by the many, They ' re sure great , re- marks HEARD THROUGHOUT THE PASSAGE WAYS OF THE NEW PACIFIC FLEET WARSHIP, So NEXT TIME YOU ' RE SAILING SOMEWHERE ON THE PACIFIC AND HEAR PACIFIC-STYLE DIXIELAND COME DRIFTING ACROSS THE WATERS, LEND AN EAR FOR IT ' S PROBABLY THE PACIFIC ' S NEWEST COMBO, WARMING UP,

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COMDESDIV 152 r— •— » 3B EEtu ' v J r z: % i CHANGE OF COMMAND CAPTAIN D.R. WILHITE USN s ahr CAPTAIN D.T. DRAIN USN CHANGE OF COMMAND