Cotten (DD 669) - Naval Cruise Book

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PAUL J. RAMSEY Lieuienczniz Commander, USN Executive Officer WALTER J. ROUNTREE, Jr Commander, USN Commanding Officer

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A A u.s.s. COTTEN QDD 6691 1 HE U. S. S. COTTEN QDD 6695, a 2050-ton destroyer of the Fletcher class was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey, her keel being laid 8 February 1943. Only one hundred and sixty-six days passed before the ship was officially launched on 12 June 1943, setting a new record in shipbuilding. The ship was christened by Mrs. Bessie Henderson Cotten, widow of the late Captain Lyman Atkinson Cotten after whom the ship was named. Captain Cotten served on twenty-three Navy ships during his long and honorable career and among his decorations and ribbons is the Distinguished Service Medal With citation. The U. S. S. COTTEN was first commissioned on 24 july 1943 and after a brief shake- down cruise off the East Coast, set sail for the Pacific War zone via the Panama Canal. She operated in the Pacific for the remainder of the War, playing her part Well as a fight- ing destroyer and earning six battle stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medal. When hostilities had ceased, she continued operating in occupied Japanese waters until December of 1945 when the word to return home was received. The U. S. S. COTTEN was finally placed out of commission in reserve at the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 15 ,luly 1946. The de-mothballingn of the U. S. S. COTTEN QDD 6695 has been performed under the supervision of Commander Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Little more than a year after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, the U. S. S. COTTEN QDD 669j was recommissioned as a member of the Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, on 3 July 1951, at Charleston, South Carolina. Since that time she has been operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean areas. Her Commanding Officer is Commander Walter Rountree, jr., U. S. N., a native of Decatur, Georgia, who graduated from Georgia Tech in 1939. Her Executive Officer, Lt. Cdr. Paul Ramsey, U. S. N., Annapolis Class 1943, is a native of Columbus, Ohio.

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HEN FIRST informed' that CGTTEN was scheduled for a tour of duty in japan and Korea and in connec- tion therewith a trip around the world, it became immediately apparent to me that this was an opportunity that the majority of today's sailormen will never -have throughout their entire naval careers. P I am grateful that I had the opportunity to make this trip and I sincerely hope in the years to come when you open this book that it will bring back to mind many cherished memories. I would like to commend those of you who put your efforts into making this book and to say further that I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the privilege of serving with such a fine group of olhcers and men. WALTER J. ROUNTREE, JR.- Commander, U. S. N., Commanding