Dahlgren (DLG 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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LEON I. SMITH, JR. COMMANDER USN COMMANDING OFFICER 19 APR 63 — BIOGRAPHY OF COMMANDER LEON I. SMITH, JR. COMMANDING OFFICER USS DAHLGREN (DLG-12) Commander Leon I. SMITH, Jr., Commanding Officer , USS DAHLGREN (DLG-12) graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1943 WITH THE CLASS OF 1944. HE IS THE SON OF CAPTAIN LEON I. SMITH, SC, USN, RET. and Mrs. Leon I. SMITH of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. His first assignment after graduation was in the USS NEVADA (BB-36) as the Top Spotting Officer. In the NEVADA he participated in convoy opera- tions in the North Atlantic, in the Normandy landing, the bombardment of Cherbourg, invasion of Southern France, bombardment at Marseilles and Tou- lon; in the Pacific at iwo Jima, Okinawa, the bombardment of Jaluit, and the Third Fleet operations in the East China Sea. The NEVADA escaped damage in the European Theatre but was heavily damaged by kamikaze, bomb and shore battery fire at Okinawa. Commander SMITH served in the destroyer WINSLOW (DD 359) as Gun- nery and Project Officer from 1947— 50 while that ship, as a unit of the Opera- tional DEVELOPMENT FORCE, WAS ENGAGED IN TESTING THE FIRST OF THE POSTWAR GUN FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS. FROM 1955-56 HE WAS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE DE- STROYER BEARSS (DD 654). From 1956-58 he was Commanding Officer of the destroyer escort COATES (DE 685). From 1961-63he was Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS MANLEY (DD 940). IN 1962 MANLEY in four rescues at sea saved a total of seven persons from three plane crashes and one yacht which sank in a gale. in the same year manley won the battle efficiency Pennant with Departmental Excellence Awards in Operations and Engineering. Commander SMITH is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School (1951) and the Armed Forces Staff College (1959). He has served on the staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterra- nean, Naples, Italy and London, England (1951-54) and in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , Washington, D.C. (1959-61). Commander SMITH assumed command of USS DAHLGREN (DLG— 12) 19 April 1963. Commander SMITH wears the American Defense Medal (Fleet Clasp), American Theater Medal, European-Mediterranean-Mid East Medal with 2 stars, Asiatic-Pacific Medal with 3 stars, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Medal, National Service Medal and the Phillippine Libera- tion Medal. Commander SMITH is married to the former Sara Mathews of Norfolk, Virginia and they reside in Norfolk, Virginia with their three children; Jack, 19, Sara Elizabeth, 10, and Leon IV, age 8.

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CHANGE OF COMMAND READING ORDERS READING ORDERS THE NEW CHIEF AND THE CHIEFS CHANGE OF COMMAND PARTY FIRST PIECE OF CAKE OFFICIAL GUESTS THE NEW AND THE OLD V K CREW ASSEMBLED AT QTRS ,

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TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF DAHLGREN I joined DAHLGREN in Palermo, Sicily, and had command of THIS SPLENDID SHIP THROUGH THE SECOND HALF OF THE MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE. TO SAY THAT I AM PROUD OF HER WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATE- MENT OF SOME MAGNITUDE. MOST OF MY CAREER HAS BEEN SPENT IN DESTROYERS , BEGINNING, LONG AGO, WITH A 1937 MODEL WHICH, BY THE TIME I SERVED IN HER, WAS HELD TOGETHER LARGELY BY OLD PAINT AND THE FERVENT PRAYERS OF THE SHIP ' S COMPANY. SHE WAS, TO SAY THE LEAST, A FAR CRY FROM DAHLGREN. But DAHLGREN is much more than just a new ship. She is VIEWED FROM VARIOUS ASPECTS , A HOME, A PROFESSION, A SHOWPLACE , A FLAGSHIP, EVEN , IF I MAY SAY SO, AN IDEA . MOST OF ALL, SHE IS A WARRIOR. I HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT DAHLGREN IS A LIGHT CRUISER . THIS is not so. She is, in fact, the Cadillac of the destroyer Force, for she and her crew embody all of the anc ient traditions of de- stroyers a certain rakish dash, enormous competence , always ready, as the words of the old navy song have it, for a frolic or a foe. Beyond even the Destroyer Force, DAHLGREN ' s an- cestry AS A FRIGATE CAN BE TRACED TO THE SAILING FRIGATES OF THE American Navy of olden times . Theseships , also somewhat small- er THAN THE HEAVY SHIPS OF THE DAY, OFTEN ACTING SINGLY, ENGAGED the enemy wherever he could be brought to battle. many times the American frigate was lost in the process, but their collec- tive DEEDS HELPED TO GAIN AND, IN 1812, TO MAINTAIN, OUR INDE- PENDENCE as a Nation. Thus were the identifiable features of the frigate established the good and loyal friend or the uncompromising and deadly enemy. surely this is dahlgren. In the pages which follow, DAHLGREN ' s deployment as a part of the u .s . sixth fleet inthe first half of 1963 is com- memorated, for those who were on board it will never happen again-inthat place-atthat time-with those friends. if the mood is largely lighthearted , let no one forget that this crew was at all times ready, and on one occasion 100 percent of the crew did sail for an unknown but possible battle. Come then, single-up! sail with us for awhile! Leon I . Smith , Jr.