STATEMENT OF THE' COMMANDING OFFICER I think the cruise was the most challenging and at the same time re- warding experience in the career of every man on board. The opportunity we received to greet and meet almost half a million Americans, and to see their enthusiasm and genuine interest in the Navy-Marine Corps Team aboard the DeSoto County was the most singularly rewarding feature of the cruise. No man could have worked with a finer team of men, nor received a finer welcome than that received by the DeSoto County in every port on every one of the five Great Lakes. We have a new appreciation for the fresh water seaports and seamen of the Great Lakes. 1 We have experienced hospitality second to none. As a result of this cruise, each of us wears his uniform more proudly, holds his head a little higher, and has a greater feeling of pride in the service of his country than ever before. It was a wonderfully satisfying experience. . H. D. MANN, Jr. Lieutenant Commander, U. S. Navy Commanding Officer USS DeSoto County CLST 11715 V - N M -,M 1--- V .:-:-- ,-,,,,,,,., F. ..,,,,,,,.-.,,,,, ., - I- ,W V '- ' ' - '- ' - FqE- W 11 WUI L. A . . ,......-.-.,...,-,,...........,.,,,.-,,, ,,,,. , V
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, m Fresh paint added to DeSoto County's lustrous reputation as a smart ship. More paint was needed during the cruise -- visitors walked off three coats of deck paint! The cruise mission and its importance were stressed by Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. , in talks to all of DeSoto County's officers and petty officers. 2 e m:h n Proposed as a public relations operation, Seapower's Report to the Stockholders succeeded even beyond + expectations largely because planners never lost sight of its purpose. A four star admiral conceived of the cruise as a means of reaching a relatively uninformed but vastly interested audience with the Navy- Marine Corps story. He was the late Admiral Claude V. Ricketts, in 1963 the Navy's second ranking officer as Vice Chief of Naval Operations. . He knew operational requirements had kept the Navy from scheduling another inland sea cruise similar to the one in 1959 when the St. Lawrence , Seaway opened. But he also realized 1 the importance of live visits to the increasingly seaward looking cities of the Great Lakes littoral. And in 1963 he decided the need was urgent. After a study of the concept, fleet schedules and ship capabilities, the Commander in Chief of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet formally proposed that a major amphibious ship and a submarine be ordered to the Great Lakes for extensive public relations cruises. Marine Corps participation was recommended, for the most effective representation of American seapower responding to the four ocean challenge facing our nation today. . Prompt approval came from the Navy's senior officer, the Chief of Naval Operations. The Commandant of the Marine Corps also concurred. Assigned the task of selecting a ship for this indoctrination and good will cruise, the Commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force awarded the challenge and honor to the USS DeSoto County CLST 11711.
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