Ernest Small (DDR 838) - Naval Cruise Book

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WET S U » CHAR6E INTRODUCTING, ERNIE

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LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL J. TRENS J ; A native of Los Angeles, California, Lieutenant Commander Trens joined the Navy 9 January 1940 as a Seaman Apprentice and came up through the ranks to Senior Chief Boatswainsmate. Becomming an Ensign on the Navy ' s L.D.O. program, he advanced to Lieutenant junior grade. Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander. Prior to comming to the USS ERNEST G. SMALL, he served in the following commands : USS UATH ; USS HOLLAND AS 32 ,- U.S. NAVAL STATION, DUTCH ALASKA ; USS MEIFFA APA 202 ; USS MONTROSE APA 212; USS GENERAL W. A. MANN AP 112; U.S. NAVAL CENTER, WILLIAM- SBURG, VIRGINIA ; USS FULTON AS 1 1 ; USS TRINGA ASR 16 ; DEEP SEA DIVING SCHOOL, V ASHINGTON, D.C. ; USS BUTTERNUT AN 9 ; USS BLUE DD-744 ; and the MINE FORCE FLEET. Lieutenant Commander TRENS attended college at U.C.L.A., the General Line school at Mono, California. The U.S. V ar College, Newport, Rhode Island and George Washington College, Washington, D.C. His wife is the former HELEN UTVICH, also from Los Angeles. They have two daughters, ages 12 and 18. As Exective Officer of the USS ERNEST G. SMALL (DDR-838) from July 1964 until October 1965, Lieutenant Commander TRENS did much for the Morale of the Crew and the ERNEST G. SMALL ' S ROADRUNNER spirit. He is currently with the Joint StafF Commander, CINCPAC Fleet, and congratulations are in order on his recent advancement to Commander. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER NELSON P. JACKSON A native of Durham, North Carolina, Lieutenant Commander Jackson was graduated from Duke University in 1953. He entered Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1953 and was commissioned and Ensign in November. The USS BLACK (DD-666), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia was his first assignment. BLACK was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1955 and deployed twice to the SEVENTH FLEET before Lieutenant Commander Jackson was ordered to the Joint Staff, Commander-in-Chief Europe, Headquarters, European Command in Paris, France. Serving two years in Paris, he attended the Sorbonne, University of Paris in late 1958 for one semester. His next duty was on board USS MARSH (DE-699), followed by a brief tour back in the Atlantic attached to USS VALLEY FORGE (LPH-8) before that ship was trans- ferred to the Pacific Fleet in early 1962. During this assignment VALLEY FORGE deployed to the SEVENTH FLEET for a nine month period in 1962 operating primarily out of Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. When detached from VALLEY FORGE, Lieutenant Commander Jackson reported as Operations and Chief Staff Officer to Commander Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-THREE homeported in Long Beach, California. Again, two more deployments were made to the SEVENTH FLEET and it was during the latter deployment that Lieutenant Commander Jackson was ordered as Executive Officer of USS ERNEST G. SMALL, reporting on board 24 September 1965 at DA NANG, Republic of Vietnam. Lieutenant Commander Jackson is married to the former Ann Lamar Parish, daughter of retired Captain E. W. Parish, Jr., USN. of Neptune Beach, Flordia.

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USS ERNEST G. SMALL (DDR-838) Named after Rear Admiral Ernest G. Small, redipient of the Navy Cross for his action as commanding officer of the cruiser SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25) in night action ofF Savo Island on 11 and 12 October 1942, the USS ERNEST G. SMALL was built by Bath Iron Works and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 21 August 1945. After serving with various units of the Atlantic Fleet, the SMALL was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in June of V950 for action in Korea with fast carrier task groups. In October 1951, while engaged in counter- battery gun fire support, SMALL suPFered an underwater explosion presumed to be a mine. The forward 100 feet of the ship was extensively damaged causing the ship to back down all the way from Korea to Japan at 6 knots. Heavy seas tore the bow off forward of Mount 52 while in transit. After being fitted with a false bow in Japan, the SMALL returned to the United States where she was decommissioned and converted from a DD to a DDR. On 2 January 1952 she was recommissioned sporting a new bow taken from her unfinished sister ship, the USS SEYMOUR D. OWENS. During the period January-August 1961, the ship underwent an extensive modernization and rehabilitation program designed to improve her capabilities as a radar picket destroyer. In 1963, she was back fitted with variable depth sonar, and in early 1964 the AN SPS 30 height finding radar was installed. On 16 May 1964, SMALL departed Long Beach, California and proceeded directly to the South China Sea for operations with a fast carrier attack force, remaining on station until mid-June, and then proceeding to her current homeport, Yokosuka, Japan. January 1965 found SMALL in the South China Sea where she became a designated unit of one of the Desoto Patrol (Tonkin Gulf) destroyer teams. During January and February, 57 consecutive days were spent underway. June 30, 1965 marked the completion of another competitive excercise period during which the SMALL gained top honors winning the Battle EfFiciency E for DesRon THREE, the Red Engineering E , nomination for the Weapons E , and was the Squadron Commander ' s nominee to receive the CNOS Ship of the Year Award . Also, during this period, U.S. Naval aircraft, under the advisory control of the sea units downed three MIG aircraft over North Vietnam. For this action, three members of the AAW team were awarded SECNAV letters of Commendation, and the captain was awarded the Bronze Star.