Diachenko (APD 123) - Naval Cruise Book

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LCDR E L SAUL COMMANDING OFFICER On 15 June 1963, Lieutenant Commander Elmer L. Saul became DIACI-IENKO's Commanding Of- ficer. Under his leadership we have taker. pai. in numerous large amphibious operations, .Wen flagship for Commander Amphibious Forces Sev- enth Fleet and completed a successful and profit- able WESTPAC cruise. A native Texan, LCDR Saul first served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a Pharmacists Vfate. After the war he finished his formal edu- catio-n at Baylor University and rejoined the fleet in 1950. He has served on the USS WINSTON QAKA-940, USS ORISKANY QCVA-345, USS SWENSON QDD-7295 and USS WILKINSON DL-55. Just prior to taking command of DIA- CI-IENKO he was on the staff of Commander Ser- vice Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet. LCDR Saul is the proud father of five children ranging in age from three to seventeen, and he and his family reside in the Long Beach area. Well done to all handsw was the phrase Captain', Saul used after Operation Backpack and on sev- eral other occasions during the cruise-a phrase he says with pride to a crew who are always working their hardest to please him. A ' ' J

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'i i llfvictory and a few years of rest, DIACHENKO was again called upo-n for This time when she returned home she was proudly wearing the i Area Service Medal with two stars, the Navy Occupational Medal, the China Service Medal the Korean Service Medal with six stars. After .several years alternately in the First and DIACHENKO was decomissioned, and in June 1959 became a part of the Pacific Fleet in San Diego. 'But this was not to last for long, as little more than two years later it iiijasififlecided that DIACHENKO was again needed in the fleet. Re-activated during the Fall of 1961, DIACHENKO was recommissioned on 4 November 1961 at San Diego and became attached to Amphi- Squadron Seven home ported on Long Beach. From that time until the Fall of 1963 she operated in the Eastern Pacific with trips to San Francisco and Portland. September 17, 1963 was the date we left our loved ones on the pier as we steamed out through the Long Beach breakwater not to return for nearly seven months. Our cruise took us first to Hawaii, then on to enchanting Oriental waters. Several trips to Okinawa, Taiwan. Hong Kong, Christmas- in Japan, and two weeks in Southern Philippine waters followed, and a short stint as flagship for Rear Admiral Lee, Commander Amphibious Forces Seventh Fleet was a definite highlight. We learned much from the.three major operations in which we were involved, including new capabilities to add to the long list of DIACHENKO CAN DO's. Though it was a rich and profitable experience throughout, when the time came to turn the ship's head toward the rising sun and begin the long journey home, we were all really ready. A successful Operational Readiness Inspection during the return voyage helped the time pass, but the twenty- seven day trip seemed just about as long as the six months preceeding it. However, the smiling faces with tear-filled eyes that greeted us on the morning of 6 April 1964 made the whole cruise worth- while. We had traveled nearly one-third of the way around the world and served our country as a mem- ber of a ready force in a heated and unpredictable area. We watched the government of Viet Nam change hands twice and remained ready to help as other U.S. servicemen fought the greedy, grasping hands of world communism in the Far East. F We can say with pride that we listened alertly for the call, and served well whenever that call came. We mellowed, jelled, and became tuned to a sensitive peak of readiness. And now looking back onurour '63-'64 WESTPAC cruise we say with satisfying knowledge that it was a job well done. The name of the ship? DIACHENKO. ' 2. -22:5 '.q1v5..E: '.,i.'-L Zir..

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D6dlf'Fi iICd naval officer,-uCan do spirit-sincere and 'devoted to his job-champion letter-getter al:-cards shipg all are phrases that have been used tion. time to time by the DIACHENKO crew to describe our much respected X.O. Lieutenant B... D. Smith. Although his entire tour on board will be less than one year, lVIr. Smith's enthusiasm, organizational ability and Warm personality will long be felt after his departure for Nuclear Power School in the near future. A graduate of the Naval Academy in 1957, Mr. Smith spent his first tour of duty aboard USS RICHARD B ANDERSON QDD-7865 where he was ASW Officer, First Lieutenant and Weapons Officer. After ANDERSON lVlr. Smith went to lVl.I.T. Where he obtained his lVl.S. degree in Naval Construction and Engineering, and a Pro- fessional Degree as a Naval Engineer. The forthcoming year will be interesting and cer- tainly profitable for our X.O. After six months at Mare Island learning how nuclear energy reacts, he will spend another half-year at a reactor site studying nuclear processes in further detail. And after that, maybe an-other tour aboard DIACHEN- KO, when they make us a unukief, that is. LT. B. D. SMITH EXECUTIVE OFFICER