Current (ARS 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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UNDERWAY UNDERWAY SATURDAY THE TENTH OF DECEMBER ENROUTE BREMERTON NAVAL SHIPYARD. WASHINGTON. ASSIGNMENT - PICK UP APL.-26 or DELIVERY TO VIET NAM. 2,.04 M.L ° FAIR WINDS AND F01 1 0WING SEAS MAKE THE loURNEY MUCH MORE PLEASANT THAN WAS THE SIXTEENTH OF DECEMBER FOUND THE CHIEFS ' QUARTERS BUSTLING WITH ACTIVITY AS TOM BOOT DOOLEY WAS OFFICIALLY moOCTRINATED INTO THE CHIEF ' S CLAN. CONGRATULATIONS TOM. ON MAKING BOATSWAINS MATE CHIEFI AROUND THE SIXTH OR SEVENTH DAY WE BEGAN TO FEEL THE COLDNESS OF THE NORTHERN WINDS. FOUL WEATHER GEAR WAS ISSUED AND ' ■HE HEATING SYSTEM FILLED WITH STEAM. l.AHOFJ l.1. WAS M ° AT MIDNIGHT ON THE EIGHTEENTH OFF TI E STRAITS OF JUAN DE FUCA, A THIRTY MILE WIDE loDY OF WATER SEPARATING CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. THE SHIP PASSED SNOW CAPPED MT. OLYMPUS. TALL FIR TREES, AND THE CITY OF SEATTLE WITH HER WORLD ' S FAIR NEEDLE RESTAURANT REACHING TOWARD THE SKY. THE SHIP HAD TRANSITED PUGET SOUND FOR ARRIVAL AT BREMERTON NAVAL SHIPYARD. IN THE HECTIC LAST WEEKS BEFORE A WESTPAC DEPLOYMENT. A VERY NECESSARY ALTHOUGH UNCOMFORTABLE FUNCTION IS PERFORMED BY DOC NUTTAL, ASSISTED SOMEWHAT UNWILLING- LY BY SFM2 ELLIS. INJECTIONS TO PROTECT THE BODY AGAINST VARIOUS DISEASES PREVALENT IN WESTPAC TAKE THEIR TOLL IN SORE MUSCLES AND ITCHING SCABS. SMALLPOX, TYPHOID. TYPHUS, CHOLERA, PLAGUE, INFLUENZA, TETANUS, YELLOW FEVER, AND POLIO HOLD NO TERRORS FOR THE CREWMEN. ENS WEIS AND SM2 GILMORE BUNDLE UP FOR THE COLD WEATHER.

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THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER THE TIDES SHIFTED AND IT WAS CURRENT ' S TURN TO DO THE TRAINING. SHE SPENT THE FOUUOWING TWO WEEKS PREPARING FOR A TRE AND ORI THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE NEAR FUTURE. THE WEEKS OF THE 8TH AND I7TH OF OCTOBER CURRENT PROVIDED SERVICES FOR COMFUETRAGRU PEARL, REMAINING IN PORT THE WEEK OF THE lOTH. THE EVENING OF THE 17TH DURING A TIDAL WAVE ALERT THE CURRENT GOT UNDERWAY FOR HONOLULU HARBOR WHERE SHE TOOK THE USS ELK- HORN (AOG-7) in TOW. HER MISSION WAS TO KEEP THE ELKHORN, WHICH WAS UNDER MODIFICATIONS IN THE HONOLULU YARDS, A SAFE DISTANCE FROM SHORE IN CASE A WAVE HAD BEEN GENERATED. NO WAVE WAS FORMED AND WE LEFT ELKHORN IN THE CUSTODY OF A CIVILIAN TUG TO BE RETURNED TO HONOLULU SHIPYARDS. CURRENT RECOVERS EXERCISE TARGET NAVY DAY, 29 OCTOBER, CURRENT HELD OPEN HOUSE AT KILO PIERS WHERE SHE WAS THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION WITH HER DIVING OPERATIONS AND SALVAGE PUMP DEMONSTRATIONS. CURRENT RETURNED TO THE SHIPYARDS ON THE 30TH AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL THE IST OF NOVEMBER. THE FIRST PART OF NOVEMBER WAS USED FOR UNDERWAY TRAINING. CURRENT ' S ATTENTION NOW SHIFTED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND P RE- DEPLOY M E NT INSPECTIONS. WHICH WERE GIVEN TO THE SHIP ON THE 18TH THROUGH THE 2IST. THE FINAL GRADE FOR THE TWO INSPECTIONS WAS OUTSTANDING. THE SHIP WAS TRULY READY FOR DEPLOYMENT. THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM COMSERVPAC: COMMANDER SERVICE FORCE, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET HAS REVIEWED THE CURRENT ' S ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTION AND TAKES PARTICULAR PRIDE IN ASSIGNING A FINAL GRADE OF OUTSTANDING (95.35). IT IS NOTED THAT THE GRADE ACHIEVED IS THE HIGHEST ASSIGNED TO ANY SERVICE FORCE SHIP SINCE SEPTEMBER 1965, AND IS EVIDENCE OF THE CONTINUANCE OF EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP SINCE THE OUTSTANDING GRADE ACHIEVED IN CURRENT ' S LAST ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTION CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER 1963. THE OPERATIONAL READINESS INSPECTION WAS NEXT ON CURRENT ' S LIST. COMFLTRAGRU PEARL GAVE US THEIR BATTLE PROBLEM AND THE REMAINING EXERCISES WERE ADMIN- ISTERED BY USS TAKELMA, ATF-110. THE FINAL GRADE FOR THE ORI WAS GOOD . THE SHIP REMAINED IN PORT IN AN UPKEEP STATUS UNTIL THE lOTH OF DECEMBER WHEN SHE DEPARTED FOR BREMERTON, WASHINGTON .... ALOHA H AWA 1 1 1 1

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bremerton MOORED BREMERTON NAVAL SHIPYARD, BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, HOME OF A LARGE MOTHBALL FLEET INCLUDING THE MIGHTY BATTLESHIP MISSOURI. FOR MANY OF THE CREW IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THERE WAS ANY LIBERTY ON THE MAINLAND .. AND EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THE CREW COULD BE FOUND ON THE FERRY TO SEATTLE OR IN BREMERTON IN PLACES WITH NAMES LIKE THE CROW ' S NEST, THE OUTSIDE INN, OR RENDEZVOUS, WE HAD THREE DAYS LIBERTY AND WE MADE THE BEST OF IT. THE APL WAS NOW READY AND WE BEGAN MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR GETTING UNDERWAY. A SELECT GROUP OF CHRISTMAS TREE REPRESENTATIVES WERE SENT INTO TOWN TO PROCURE TWO SHAPELY FIRS. CHRISTMAS DECORA- TIONS BEGAN GOING UP ALL OVER THE SHIP. THE SHIP WAS TRULY IN THE YULE TIDE SPIRIT. UNFORTUNATELY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS WOULD BE SPENT ENROUTE TO PEARL. A: e t4sr s «4 ' apy7 .. ' IX '