Duluth (LPD 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMA DIN G OFFICER 1 JULY 1980 - 21 DECEMBER 1981 Captain Dennis S. Strole was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1936. After being graduated from Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia, in june of 1957, he entered the Aviation Officer Candidate Program, and was commissioned an Ensign on October 4, 1957. Following a 30-month tour with Patrol Squadron 4 in Naha,,,xOkinawa, he was assigned to the Mobile Intelligence Production Unit, Atlantic. This assignment was followed in December, 1961, by one year as a student at the General Line School in Monterey, California. Subsequently, he was assigned to Naval Flight Officer training at NAS, Glynco, Georgia in january of 1962. In October of that year, upon completion of the F-4 training program at Fighter Squadron 121, NAS, Miramar, California, he was designated as a Naval Flight Officer. He joined Fighter Squadron 21 in November, 1962, as that squadron transitioned from the F-3H to the F-4B aircraft, and flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam. After three years in Fighter Squadron 21, Captain Strole was assigned as an instructor in Fighter Squadron 121. In July of 1967 he reported to Staff, Com- mander Seventh Fleet, Detachment Charlie, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, as Air Operations Officer. . A Captain Strole attended the Command and Staff Course at the Naval War College from August, 1968 to july, 1969, and concur- rently attended George Washington University and received , a Master of Science degree in International Affairs. In December of CAPTAIN DENNIS S, STROLE 1969, following four months of F-4 refresher training, he served as Maintenance and Operations Officer of Fighter Squadron 74, NAS, Oceana, Virginia. In August, 1971, Captain Strole reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and served as Assistant F - 14 Program Coordinator for two years. .4 E Captain Strole reported to Fighter Squadron 1 CHWOLFPACKHD in October, 1973, and served as Executive Officer until April, 1974, when he assumed command of WOLFPACK aboard the USS ENTERPRISE CCVN-651 He was relieved as Commanding Officer of WOLFPACK in july of 1976, and in August he assumed command of Fighter Squadron 124, the F-14 Replacement Training Squadron. When relieved in December, 1977, Captain Strole reported to the USS MIDWAY CCV-415, homeported. in Yokosuka,japan, where he served as Executive Officer untiljanuary, 1980. Prior to reporting aboard USS DULUTH CLPD-65, Captain Strole attended the Senior Ship Officer's Material Readiness Course in Idaho Falls, Idaho, from March to june of 1980. , ' Captain Strole assumed command of the USSSDULUTH in july of 1980, and was relieved as Commanding Officer on December 21, 1981. His present assignment is as Force Readiness Officer at COMNAVAIRPAC U.S. Pacific Fleet, NAS, North Island, California. ' Captain Strole's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation .Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Vietnamese Navy Distinguished Service Order Second Class, Vietnamese Meritorious Unit Commendation, and theatre ribbons for Operations in the Quemoy-Matsu Crisis, Vietnam and Korea.

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ff! The ship began to move away from the pierg the crew, mustered at quarters for leaving port. The pier began to grow smaller and smaller, as the tug guided us out of the harbor. Cbelowj approached the Coronado ' ' Bridge, a familiar sight from many times we'd been underway for local operations and training, and as we steamed away after passing under the bridge, many of us thought about how we wouldn't be seeing that bridge again for another six months. w - 9

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ll u 1. 'Q it. 'l. lr N. :N- V if ,,. ii' if :W 1 535 5? vi Ng' XWQ' X1 1 K xx N xxex 'X 1 SQgF'X1R x XXX X RX s xi XXX Z7 1 1 Cclockwise from belowj CAPT Strole greets CAPT A.S. Newman, COMPHIBRON ONE, during flight operations in preparation for Westpacg a happy CO., as SH2 Joven Miller signs his reenlistment Contractg CAPT Strole surprises crew members in the chow line dur- ing dinnerg CAPT Strole, BMCM Beahm, LT Baca, HTFA Ramirez, MMCM Pray, and CDR Lasswell prepare to cut a cake in cele- bration of the ship's 16th birthday .