Estes (AGC 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE SHIP The battle of Guadalcanal forcefully indicated to the Allies the dire need for in- creased building and rapid, advanced training of an efficient Amphibious war machine, A flagship specifically designed to function as the floating command center exercising operational as well as administrative control over the combined land, sea, and air compo- nents in an amphibious assault was a natural development of our island-hopping Pacific campaign. The USS ESTES was the twelfth in a growing series of thesenew amphibious force flagships. The keel of this intended mer- chant vessel, SS MORNING STAR, was laid on 22 February 1944 in a privately owned shipyard in Wilmington, North Carolina. ln April, this hull was towed to the Todd ship- yard, Brooklyn, N,Y. to be converted to ACC-12, Amphibious Command ships were named for mountains and the Navy's newest was significantly entitled after the prominent peaks in Colorado near Estes Park. ESTES went on to participate as flag- ship in the last two amphibious assaults at lwo Jima and Ckinawa, and upon cessation of hostilities, she acted as flagship for the Commander of U,S, Seventh Fleet. During the Korean conflict ESTFS served as flagship for various flag officers and she participated in the Passage to Freedom in lndo-China and evacuation of the Tachen Islands, and three atomic test operations in the Pacific proving grounds. ESTFS is not a new ship. She is a ship with a sturdy proud history of servingand a ship with an important future as amphibious operations continue to be decisive against aggression. , ' ' Tut 51 W m11'f f CLFLFTTT '-'f 1- 2:-Q+??i32:S-532-3125.1-2fsi?:.1.i :f-.Q-1 '-15 ' -uf-3--53:-wr: z.. fre.: 4f-l-.g:1s-,fi-'1::-'ea-2:1311 'S xii:-'F .3377 iff' ?'SiC ' ' ga l' 'V 7':TTf1'-- A 1 . ,'TT ' T' T 'S T ' '3 ' . f T1 '::. 21v' '.-Fsszuw '- '------f- --fn --.. -. 4,-- ,W 4 :.. - v .,, . . - - ..- - -.eu .,...,... Y .. W, , - , , ' ., . '- - , , ' , A . --'L we. v -'Qi-,....w.4r,:nzxzsQ.::4e.:-W:f,fv-rv:p,::-:s-,-,:,:Q,.z.a...- ..QN,:...:s:

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EXECUTIVE For several years, Commander Harold R. Heagerty served as Executive Officer. Born in Missouri, the Commander's first desire Was to fly and after being commis- sioned as an Ensign, USN, he rose to the Navy's elite flying team, the BLUE ANGELS, ln September 1965, Commander Heagerty was relieved as Executive Officer and reported to Commander in Chief, U,S, Naval Forces, Europe, for duty on his staff. Our new Executive Officer, Commander John Knox McConeghy is a U,S. Naval Acad- 1 OFFICER emy graduate Qclass of 19485 Who has spent most of his active career as a submariner. I-Ie has had primary duties as supply, opera- tions, engineering, navigation, and executive officer on some five different submarines. From 1961 to 1963 Commander McConeghy was commanding officer of the USS SEGUNDO SSS 3985 which was deployed 6 months in estPac, He comes to ESTES from Atlantic Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare School,Where he was a technical instructor. A 5 bf AXAX 9, i f f

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Take in those lines, look lively therel DECK The deck department occupies a strong position'in this modern Navy of ours, Here is found the true blending of the old and the new on a modern ship. Gear such as the iid, marlin spike, and bosun pipe are as old as sailing itself. Knots, ropes and line handling are the Very salt of the ocean, Today the modern sailor must be skilled in power-driven tools - Winches, diesel boats, and electric chippers. Above all the appren- tice learns about chipping and spreading some of the tons of gray and red lead, Boat handling is the coxsWain's art. There is much practical knowledge and skill to be had from sailing before the mast in the Deck department. LT Brinkley, the First Lieutenant, flanked by Mr. Irving on the left and Mr. Flynn on the right. vwfwu