Estes (AGC 12) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 10 text:

Captain D. Nash was born at Haddon Heights, New Jersey on 12 October 1914. He attended schools in Haddon Heights, graduating in 1930, took post graduate schooling at the Edgewood School in Greenwich, Conn., and was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931, graduating 1935. Prior to World War ll, Captain Nash served on board the USS IDAHO and on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. He helped commission the USS NASHVILLE and in 1939 ioined the USS MINDANAO, flagship of South China Patrol. He was serving on the MINDANAO when World War ll began and was captured by the Japanese in May 1942 while assisting in the defense of Corregidor. He was imprisoned for more than three years in the Philippines, Japan, and finally, Manchuria. He survived two American bombings of Japanese prison ships on which he was being transported. After World War ll, Captain Nash served successively as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Commanding OFficer of the USS HARRY F. BAUER, Commander Mine Squadron Five, as Commanding Officer of the Security Division of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Commanding Officer of the USS BAYFIELD, and presently as Chief of Staff to Commander Amphibious Group Three. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College. Captain Nash's military awards include the Navy Cross, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, Army Distinguished Unit Badge with one oak leaf cluster, and the Philippine and Korean Presidential Unit Citations. ' Commander Raymond G. HARTMAN was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 25 October 1920. He was educated at Olney High School in Philadelphia, at Temple University, and at West Chester State College. He is also a graduate the General Line School and Naval Intelligence School. During World War ll, Commander HARTMAN served on crash boats in both Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. His subsequent duty has included service aboard various V7 CD 'T 5 . rn rn 4 ro U7 V5 rn F' 'P 3- rn C tn Uv 70 0 I rn cn -'I rn jo uw -f' Q XID 0 O 3 3 Q 3 Q. fb 7 Z? x 'F :- I rn fb N-r Q 3 O. E cn it 5 NIR Z Q 4 57. lntelligence School.

Page 9 text:

Captain Rollin E. Westholm was born at Moose Lake, Minnesota and attended Moose Lake High School. After attending Duluth Junior College, Duluth, Minnesota, for one year, he entered the Naval Academy in T93O. He was graduated frorn the Academy and commissioned Ensign in the U.S. Navy in May T934. His first assignment, from T934 to T937, was the battleship USS TEXAS. From T937 to T9-40, he served in the destroyers USS BARRY and USS McCALL. ln T940 Captain Westholm commenced four years of duty in motor torpedo boats, including six months in England in T94T as Assistant Naval Attache and Special Naval Observer in connection with the torpedo boats. This was later followed by a seventeen month tour in motor torpedo boat operations in the South Pacific. became Commanding Officer of the USS BUSH CDD-5291 In May T944, he which command he held until May T945. From the end of World War ll until early T953 Captain Westholm was for the most part attached to various Navy and Army and instructor. ln T953 he reported as Commander of Schools both as student Destroyer Division 262, which command he held until June of T954 when he became Chief of Staff and Aide to Commander Battleship Division Two. ln September T955 Captain Westholm commenced a tour of shore duty as Commanding Officer of the Naval Station at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. ln February T958 he was relieved of his duties at Annapolis and in early April he assumed command of the USS ESTES QAGC-TQJ. Captain Westholm wears the following decorations: Navy Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Combat V and Gold Star in lieu of a second award and the Presidential Unit Citation. Captain Jesse B. Gay Jr., USN, a native of Hackensack, New Jersey and a T935 graduate of the Naval Academy, relieved Captain Westholm as Commanding Officer of the USS ESTES on T May T959 in Pohang, Korea. After receiving his commission, Captain Gay served successively aboard the battleship USS MARYLAND, the destroyer USS BARRY, as a roommate of Captain Westholm, and aboard the cruisers USS AUGUSTA and USS BREMERTON. While serving on the Augusta he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V for meritorious service as First Lieutenant in action against enemy forces during the amphibious assualt on the coast of Normandy, France in June T944. ln T947 he ioined the USS WILLIAMSBURG, Presidential Yacht, as Executive Officer, and in T950 assumed command of the USS STICKELL lDD-888l, which, as acting fiagship of Commander Seventh Fleet, visited Saigon, Indo-China in the interest of the French forces fighting rebels. While commanding the Stickell, Captain Gay was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Legion of Merit. with Combat Detached from the Stickell in Septmber T95T, he served for three years in the Executive Department at the Naval Academy, following which he was assigned Commander Destroyer Division T82. ln January T956 Captain Gay assumed duties as Commander Fleet Sonar Training Group, San Diego, and Commanding Officer Fleet Sonar School, San Diego. Prior to assignment as skipper of Estes, Captain Gay served as Chief of Staff to Commander Carrier Division Fifteen.

Page 11 text:

7212 S'2f7?. . . The sanguinary battle of Guadalcanal forcefully indicated to the Allies the :We need for increased building and rapid, advanced training of an efficient Amphibious war machine. Through the bitter college of experience in the island- dotted Pacihc an overall amphibious technique was developed and soon grew in stature nnd success. A flagship specifically designed to function as the floating command center exercising operationcl as well as administrative control over the combined land, sea, and air components in an amphibious assault was a natural development of our island-hopping Pacific aampaign. The USSE STES was the twelfth ia the quickly growing series of these new amphibious force flagships. The keel of this intended merchant vessel, SS MORNING STAR, was laid on 22 February T944 in a privately owned shipyard in Wilmington, North Carolina. In April, this hull was towed to the Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y., to be converted to AGC-l2. Amphibious command ships were named for mountains and the Navy's newest was significantly entitled after the prominent peaks in Colorado near Estes Park. During World War ll, ESTES participated as Flagship in the last two amphibious assaults at lwo Jima and Okinawa, and upon cessation of hostilities, acted as flagship for the Commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. The latter duties took the ship to the major ports of the Far East, after which she was decommissioned on 30 June l949. ESTES was recommissioned on 3l January l95l for employment in Korea and again served as Flagship for various Flag officers. In addition to operations in Korean waters, she participated in the Passage to Freedom in Indo-China and evacuation of the Tachen Islands, and three atomic test operations in the Pacific proving Qrounds. ESTES is commanded by Captain Jesse B. Gay Jr., USN, and is the Flagship for the Commander Amphibious Group Three, Rear Admiral Henry S. Persons, USN, and his embarked staff. During her busy career, ESTES has served as flagship for many famous U.S. Navy Flag officers, and on many occasions has had U.S. and foreign heads of state and other dignitaries aboard.