Current (ARS 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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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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THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS SPENT PROVIDING SERVICES FOR COMFLETRAGRU PEARL AND THE WEEK OF THE THIRD OF JULY WAS SPENT INPORT. CURRENT SHIFTED TO THE SHIPYARD ON THE 7TH OF JULY FO R ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. MONDAY THE I8TH OF JULY THE SHIP GOT UNDERWAY FOR LOCAL TRAINING BUT ENROUTE FROM PEARL HARBOR RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM COMSERVRON FIVE DIVERTING CURRENT TO THE USS HISSEM (DER-400) WHICH WAS HAVING EN- GINEERING PROBLEMS 1000 MILES FROM OAHU. EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE HISSEM RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER SOURCE AND THE CURRENT PROCEEDED ON HER PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED MISSION: SALVAGE AND DIVING TRAINING. SHE ARRIVED OFF THE COAST OF LANAI AT NOON ON THE NINETEENTH. SHE SURVEYED THE AREA AND LAID TWO SETS OF BEACH GEAR TO AN ABANDONED YOS-30, WHICH WAS HARD AGROUND ON KALOHI REEF. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COM- PLETING THREE DAYS OF SALVAGE TRAINING THE SHIP RETRIEVED HER BEACH GEAR AND SHIFTED ANCHORAGES TO LAHAINA MAUI FOR FOUR DAYS OF DIVERS ' TRAINING AND REQUALIF ICATION. CURRENT PROCEEDED TO PEARL HARBOR ON THE 26TH OF JULY WHERE SHE HELD UNDER- WAY TRAINING EXERCISES THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. DECK FORCE TURNS TO ON TAMARIN ' FRIDAY THE 29TH OF JULY THE SHIP ENTERED THE SHIPYARD FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHERE SHE REMAINED UNTIL THE 8TH OF AUGUST. THE 8TH THROUGH THE I5TH CURRENT PROVIDED SERVICES FOR COMFLETRAGRU PEARL. SHE REMAINED INPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK BUT AGAIN RETURNED TO SEA TO PROVIDE SERVICES THE 22N D OF AUGUST. THE 4TH THROUGH THE 14TH OF SEPTEMBER SHE REMAINED INPORT THEN AGAIN PROVIDED SERVICES FOR THE FLEET. tss vRammammxmtmmmasT- EX YOS-30 WELL AGROUND ON KAUOH I REEF SINCE WORLD WAR II

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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.