Estes (AGC 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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F! THE SHIP USS ESTES is an amphibigougsv force flagship especially designed to function as a mobile COITIIT and communications center for controlling joint land, sea, and air forces in amphibious assaults. The mission of the ship is a vita? pne in the defense of the free world. ' ESTES was named ai ea.. Es-stes Park, Colorado and was commissioned on 9 October l9hh at the Brooklyn Naval Ship Yard. During World War II ESTES served as command ship in the amphibious assaults at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Upon the closing of the war ESTES acted as flagship for Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet. At this time the ship began to visit the major ports of the Western Pacific. On 1-July 19119 ESTBB was de- commissioned. has recommissioned on 31 January l95l for employment in Koreafagain serving as a flagship. In addition to Korea evacuation of tkref-Tacha'1s,,.Islands , ESTES has seen duty in the Artic, the Pacific atomic prggving grounds, and most recently has played a major role in operations with the Vietnam crisis.

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Rear Admiral W. W. Behrens, Jr. COMMANDER AMPHIBIOUS FORCE SEVENTH FLEET COMMANDER AMPHIBIOUS GROUP ONE As Commander Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, Rear Admiral William W. Behrens is charged with -the rapid transportation of combat troops to hot spots of Southeast Asiag as Commander Amphibious Group One, he is the direct representative in Southeast Asia of Commander Amphibious Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet, whose headquarters are' .. l Coronado , California. Rear Admiral Behrens graduatedlfrom the Un: -ed States Naval Academy in 19743 , and completed Submarine School the same year. During 191414 and 19115 he made a total of six World War II palti ois in the Pacific aboard the highly successful submarines, USS SANDLANCE and USS PICUDA. He has served in the USS ODAX, USS HARUER, USS SKIPJACK, and USS ETHAN ALLEN. Other duties have seen him serve as organizer of the Navy's Nuclear Power School at New London, Connecticutg as a Special Advisor on submarine matters for the Atomic Energy Commission's Office of Vice Admiral H. fG. Rickoverg as Head of the NATO Nuclear Plans Section under the Director Strategic Plans in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and as a member of the Policy Planning Council of the Department of State. It has been the great pleasure of ESTES and her crewfto have served as flagship for Rear Admiral Behrens and his Staff during the 'l968 'West Pac deployment. A

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MwHH? IUQQ tt,,, i ' 55 Captain Murphree Captain lfiurphree is a l9hh graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Submarine School, Electronic Material School, Post graduate School and Armed Forces Staff College. He.haS Served in USS POMFRET, USS 'ISH BLACKFIIE , USS RAZORBLACK and USS GREENE on the Staffs of Commander Submarine Squadrons THREE, FIVE and SIX, as Execu- tive Officer of USS SEA LEOPARD and as Commanding Officer of USS ER. He commanded Submarine Division 71, the only all nuclear submarine division in the Pacific Fleet. Upon leaving ESTE, Captain Murphree reported to Washing- ton, D.C., to serve as Chief, Defensei Communications Center. ' A CRUISE FEATURED TWO