Cotten (DD 669) - Naval Cruise Book

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-' The History of the COTTEN USS COTTEN CDDg669D, 21 2100-ton :legs troyer of the Fletcher Class, was built by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Kearny, NJ. Her keel was laid on 8 February 1943 and only 166 days were required before she was launched 12 June 1943. This represented a construction Eiicord for a ship of her class. On hand to christen the ship was Mrs. Bessie Henderson Cotten, widow of the late CAPT Lyman Atkinson Cgtten, after whom the ship was named. 5 The COTTEN was eommissioned 24 july 1943 and, after a brief shakedown cruise, was on her 'way to Pearl Harbor. In mid-November 1943 she joined her first task force and saw much action in the Pacific Theater. In December 1945 CUTTEN was ordered into the Mothba1l Fleet at Charleston, S.C. On 15 july 1946, at the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, USS COTTEN was recommissioned a member of Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Recommis- sioning ceremonies took place at Charleston 3 july 1951 with Mr. A.T. Smythe, a prominent lawyer, as guest speaker. COTTEN departed Newport, RJ., in May 1953 for the Far East via the Panama Operating out of Japan she spent four months in the KOICBH Theater where she supported United Nations Forces with famed Fast Carrier Task Force '77 and Blockadirlg SHCTES' corting Task Force 95. From Sasebo, japan, via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, she returned to Newport to complete her around-the-World-Cl'l1iSC in Janurary 1954. After the world cruise, COTTEN served with various units of the Atlantic Fleet on training opera- tions until ordered to the Mediterranean for a tour of duty with the US. Sixth Fleet, The story of that cruise...

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I p for Petites V my ' A T SAWNEDQ U. S. S. COTTEN fDD-6691 0ND ?Qt7 4 b I cans Fuser Posr osmc K egg-. ' , NEW Y E T oak, New vomc m rm-Lv nzrtn ro: DD669fWKS:Rs A4-3 Ser: ,321 Q ' p 1 December 1955 Comm flfgaing off1cer,.U.s.s. Coram CDD-6692 Tofigfhbmbegg of the Crew g I SubjagMediterraneanCruiseg comments on ' f f This book is dedicated to the many memories we have of our experiences as shipmates throughout the cruise.'. y , ' I I am proud of eacheand every member of' the COTTEN. Never has the COTTEN failed to meet her commitments. .Never has she failed to fulfill her mission in any manner other than honorably. I I have stressed thefact that the COTTEN TEAM is never better than the performance of the weakest member of the team. Therefore, Iamgreatlyplease to feel and know there is no g really weak member of our COTTEN TEAM. I we have manxpmemtfies of our times together and I shall t always remember them as the most pleasant and cherished memories of all. M.ej ' g Ai If I wish everyone the best of luck for the future and hope f t all my future duty assignments will be as happy and nice as eingfyour Commanding Officer has been. I also hope that we may serve together again in the future. ' To all hands Good Luck and Well Done. Wciitj. W .K. STOW, Jr. CDR I USN Commanding Officer I