Essex (LHD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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4 History of ESSEX 6 The Voyage Begins 10 PHIBRON Five 12 Commanding Officers 15 Executive Officers 17 Command Master Chief 1 8 Wardroom 19 Chief s Mess Ship Company 20 34 50 76 78 90 94 ijadroii Five 110 kJnit Five 118 It Five 124 130 Team One 144 % Five 148 158 i( n Jiil: AIMD Department Air Department C4 Department Combat Cargo Deck Department Dental Department Engineering Department Executive Department Medical Department Navigation Department Operations Department Religious Ministries Repair Department Supply Department

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Table of Contents I The Voyage Embarked Co 200 Deployment Map 182 An hibious i 202 Port Visits 186 Assault Cra: 232 VIP Visits 192 EOD Mobile I 248 A Day on ESSEX 193 Seal Team 256 New Shipmates 194 Fleet Surgi( 260 Tiger Cruise 196 HC-11 SAR Dt 274 Welcome Hcane 198 TACRON Elevt

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And so it came to pass tha Amenca was yoimg. While struggling to establish economic and political stability under her new constitution, the United States faced continued tlireats from French naval forces against a new and , thnvingmanhmeindustr . To protect these interests. Congress passed several acts to establish a token ; naval force; and on June 30, 1798, the act which enabled ESSEX to be built came into being. This act r allowed the President to accept vessels of war from private citizens on the credit of the United States hTrespoiisetothisaction,23dtizemofSalem,Massachusettsopeneda ' TatrioticSubscripti 17, 1798 to build a vessel of war for the United States of America. On October 25, 1 798, a meeting of the sponsors of the first ESSEX was held to determine the type of vessel to be built. From the Salem Gazette of October 26, 1798 came the following announcement which read in part: At a meeting in this town on Tuesday last, of those gentleman who have subscribed to build a ship for the service of the United States it was voted unanimously to build a frigate of 32 guns, and to loan the same to the government... A month later, the frigate ' s builder, Enoch Briggs, advertised for shipbuilding materials in a ringing appeal: Take Notice! Ye sons of freedom! Step forth and give your assistance in building the frigate to oppose French insolence and piracy! Let I every man in possession of a white oak tree feel ambitious to be foremost in 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 nations of the world! Your longest and largest 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... will pay the ready cash. TliefrigatewaslaunchedonSeptember30,1799,beforeacrowdofl2,000people.Theexpectedwar with France did not materialize, but in the War of 1812, the fii t ESSEX compiled a record of battle untxiualed by any other man-of-war and by the close of 1813, ESSEX was the only vessel of worth to be operating (aU others liaving been captured, damaged or sunk). Tlie second ESSEX, an ironclad steamer, was built in 1856 for use as a feny. Originally NEW ERA, she was renamed ESSEX following purchase by the War Department on September 20, 1861 . She was assigneddutywiththeWestemFlotilla,anorganiza- tion maintaiiied, operated and controlled by the : Army, but commanded by a Naval officer She participated in action against the Confederate , i forces on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, Iailminating in the caph.ire of Fort Henry Tennessee, a battle in which she was seriously damaged. After extensive repairs, she returned to duty and saw - ' -li pSSSi action at Vicksburg and Baton Rouge before being s i3 fSm . .