Essex (CVS 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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Captain Joseph M West USN COMMANDHNIG QFFICER - 1

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USS. ESSEX ,-vy--J z.. A , 1 e I ' 71 :ff i' .J Wr 1'f ' V F? .,.,, , , , f- ff' K' W Al, L 9 MIDLIIXIK vu CRUISE 1963 fl f Q 'fly . , KQXRQ 5' Avenue, NORFM' ', 1. .bn 1,144

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CopToin Joseph M. WesT, ESSEX' Commonding Officer, groduoTed from The UniTed SToTes Novol Acodemy ond wos commissioned on Ensign on 1 June 1939.1-le reporTed To USS LOUISVILLE, o heovy cruiser, for his firsT duTy sToTion ond remoined There unTil SepTember, 19111, when he enTered flighT Troining oT NAS Pensocolo. 1-le wos des- ignoTed o Novol AvioTor in April, 1942. CopToin WesT Then reporTed To USS lNOlANA for o shorT Time ond in Sep- Tember, 19112, become ExecuTive Officer of VS-31. 1-le concluded his worTime service oboord USS EANSHAW BAY QCVE-701 when he served os her Air Officer from November, 19113, To July, 1945. While serving oboord EANS1-IAW BAY, he received The l3residenTiol UniT CiToTion wiTh Two sTors. From AugusT, 19115, To SepTember, 19116, CopToin WesT wos in mulTi-engine oircrofT Troining oT Pensocolo. In OcTober, 19116, he ossumed The dufies of Commonding Officer of V13-28, G fleeT poTrol squodron in The Philippines ond 1-lowoii. From There he reporTed To shore duTy in December, 1947, cis Senior l3roiecTs Officer oT The Novol AvioTion Ordnonce Tesf SToTion, ChincoTeogue, Virginio. 1-le Then ossumed The duTies of AssisTonT OperoTions Officer on The COMSUBLANT STQTT from June, 1950 To Jonuory, 1952. CopToin WesT become ci sTudenT ogoin from Jonuory, 1952 To July, 1952, when he oTTended The Armed Forces SToff College in Norfolk. Erom July, 1952 To Moy, 19511, The CopToin worked in The Office of The Chief of Novol OperoTions in'The AvioTion Wor Plons Secfion. Erom There he reTurned To seo os OperoTions Officer of USS HORNET QCVA-121 ond served There from Moy, 19511 To June, 1955 during which Time he mode on oround-The-world cruise. 1-le Then become Force OperoTions Officer for The COMNAVAIRIDAC STAFF unTil Jonuory,1958.AfTer his Tour wiTh COMNAVAIRPAC STAEE, CopToin WesT become AnTi-submorine Worfore Plclns Officer in The office of The Chief of Novol OperoTions ond remoined There unTil AugusT, 1961. Erom There he become Commonding Officer of uss PARICUTIN CAE-181. A CopToin WesT cissumed commond of ESSEX on 21 November 1962. Since ThoT Time The personoliTy of ESSEX' TwenTy-firsT Commonding Officer hos filTered down Through The ship ond lefT o disTincTive sTomp on all honds. CommendoTions wiTh o worm personol Well Done from CopToin WesT ore o common occurence GT morning quor-1 Ters. Leodership hos been given ci meoningful reviTolizoTion on The divisionol level. UnouThorized obsence from The ship is well known To be on Top of The CopToin's block lisT ond consequenTly hos been reduced. ln porT one con expecT To meeT The CopToin on The ship. New orrivols ore greeTed wiTh on enThusiosTic 1-low long hcive you' been oboord, son. WhoT's your nome? NoThing seems To escope The CopToin's oTTenTion os Those who work close- ly wiTh ESSEX' Commonding Officer leorn, someTimes To Their dismoy. ESSEX personnel leon heovily on Their CopToin ond ore proud when Their performonce meeTs his high expecToTions. CopToin WesT's decoroTions include The Americon Defense EleeT Closp, The Americon TheoTer, The Pocific TheoTer wiTh four sfors, The Chino Service Medol, The OccupoTion Ribbon, The World Wor II VicTory, The Americon Service, ond The Philippine LiberoTion Medol. A noTive of Greensboro, NorTh Corolino, CopToin WesT currenTly resides in ESSEX' homeporT, OuonseT PoinT, Rhode Islond, wiTh his wife, Chorlo ond Their younger son Michoel, 111. Their older son Oovid, 18, oTTends The Virginio 1V1iliTory InsTiTuTe in I,exingTon, Virginio.