Essex (LHD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 History of ESSEX 14 184 200 210 248 252 and the Chain of Command The Crew Ship's Departments 8: Divisions Embarked Staffs Comphibron 5, ACUXBMU 5, EOD, SPECWAR, FST-1, HC-11, TACRON 11 Pre-Deployment RIMPAC '96, Christmas in August, Family Day, Mazatlan, Onload WESTPAC 96f 97 Departing, Life Underway, Exercises, Liberty Ports, Crossing the Line, Distinguished Visitors, Tiger Cruise Homecoming The return to San Diego After all... MWR, Warfare Pins,WESTPAC STATS

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I The Lineage ofUSS ESSEX America was young While struggling to establish economic and political stability under her new constitution, the United 1 . . . . . d t - T l States faced continued threats from French Naval Forces against a new and thrwmg maritime In US fy 0 protect these rnterests Congress passed several acts to establish a token naval force and OH 30 June 1793, the act which enabled ESSEX to be built came into being. This act allowed the President to accept vessels of war fromprivate citizens ,on the cgeizlitpglge Upitig States. In response to this action, 23 citizens of Salem, Massachusetts, opened a 'fPatr1otrc Subscription on 17 u y to ur a vessel of war for the United Stars of America. And so it came to pass .that a legend was bom. . 0 On 25 October 1798, a meeting ofthe sponsors ofthe first ESSEX was held lO.dCtC1'1'1'1l1'1C the YYP9 0395591 to be built. From the Salem Gazette of 26 October 1798 came the following announcement which read rn part: At a meeting in this town on Tuesday last, of those gentlemen who have subscribed to build a ship for the service ofthe United States, lt was voted unanimously to build a frigate of 32 guns, and to loan the same to the govemment .... W A month later, the frrgate .s builder, Enoch Briggs, advertised for shipbuilding materials in a ringing appeal: Take notice! Ye sons of freedom! Step forth and give your assistance 1n building the fngate to oppose French insolence and piracy! Let every man in possession ofa white oak tree feel ambitious to be foremost rn hurrying down the timber to Salem Where noble structure is to be fabricated to maintain your rights upon the seas and make the name of America respected among the nations of the world! Your largest and longest trees are wanted Four trees are wanted for the keel, which altogether will measure 146 feet in length, and hew 16 inches square. Please call on the subscriber, who Wrll pay the ready cash. The frigate was launched on 30 September 1799, before a crowd of 12,000 people. The expected war with France did not materialize, but in the War of 18 12, the first ESSEX compiled a record of battle unequaled by any other man-of-war and by the close of 1813, ESSEX was the only vessel of worth to be operating, all others having been captured, damaged or sunk. The second ESSEX, an ironclad steamer, was built in 1856 for use as a ferry. Originally NEW ERA, she was renamed ESSEX following purchase bythe War Department on 20 September 1861 . She was assigned duty with the Western Flotilla, an organization maintained, operated and controlled by the Army, but commanded by a naval officer. She participated in action against Confederate Forces on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, culminating in the capture of Fort Henry, Tennessee, a battle in which she was seriously damaged. After extensive repairs, she returned to duty and saw action at Vicksburg and Baton Rouge before being decommissioned on 20 July 1865. The third ESSEX, a wooden-screw steamer, was built by the United States at East Boston, Massachusetts, and was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 3 October 1 876. Regarded as one ofthe finest ships ofthe Fleet, ESSEX saw action with the North and South Atlantic Squadrons and on the Pacific and Asiatic Stations. She retumed to New York via the Suez Canal and was placed out of commission in May 1889. She was then designated as a training ship. ESSEX spent the next 14 years at Annapolis and then was lent to the Naval Militia of Ohio and eventually was assigned to the Naval Reserve ofthe State of Minnesota before being stricken from the record in 1930. Most recently, an aircraft carrier CCV 9j carried the name ESSEX into fleet duty as the lead ship in a class of World War ll aircraft carriers. Commissioned in December 1942, she reported to the Pacific Fleet following shakedown cruises, and embarked on a series of victories that would take her to Tokyo Bay. As flagship of Task Force 14, CV 9 struck Wake Island in October 1943, launched an attack on the Gilbert Islands and participated in her first amphibious assault, against Tarawa in November, then moved on to the Marshall Islands, Truk and the Marianas, Saipan, Tinian and Guam in early 1944. After her first overhaul, she retumed to the Pacific, continuing her frontline action. In late 1944, for the first time in her far-ranging operations ESSEX received injury. A kamikaze hit the port edge of her flight deck landing among planes gassed for takeoff, causing extensive damage, killing 15 and wounding 44. Ira the closing days ofthe war, ESSEX took part in the final telling raids against the Japanese home islands. She was ecomrnrssrone in 1947, then modernized and recommrssroned rn 195 1, w1th a new flight deck and streamlined superstructure. As flag ship for Carrier Division 1, she was the first carrier to launch twin-engine Banshee,' jet fi hters in su ort of U.N. Troops in . 8 PP Korea. She was reclassified CCVA 91 on 1 October 1952. Following her Korean action she was again modernized this time with 1 an ang ed flight deck, and saw duty in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in the late 1950s. In 1960, ESSEX was donverted to all QSVH stppport carrier, reclassified CCVS 91 and participated in various NATO exercises, On 22 Octgbef 1968 ESSEX recovered the po o astronauts rn the Atlantic and was decommissioned 30 July 1969. Over her 27 year career, ESSEX was credited with sinking 92 and damaging 217 shi s a d d tr ' 1 564 ircraft. The , p p n es o in , a. Navy s top ace of World war II, Medal of Honor winner Commander David McCampbell flew Hom the deckyoftghe ESSEX Shooting do 34 1 ' wn enemy p anes. She received the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars fdr World War II service Cequaled by none 111 her class and only ENTERPRISE earned morej and the Navy Unit Commendation and four battle stars for action in Korea. The legend Continues- The name ESSEX feappeafed in modern naval warfare with the commissioning of QLHD 25 on October 17, 1992. The new ESSEX, although classified as an amphibious assault ship, is as large, at 40,500 tgng, as her namesake, the aircraft carrier CV 9. Since commissioning LHD 2 has rt' ' ' pa rcrpated rn two overseas deployments and as part of campaigns E Udmg OPCFHUOH Unlied Shleld h withdrawal of the final United Nations eacekee ers from Somalia, and ,S incl ' 9 ' ' ' ,--te ' ' ' p P 'ta Operation Southem Watch -- the patrol of a no-fly-zone in Southern Iraq. air, ' 3