Floyd Parks (DD 884) - Naval Cruise Book

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Mrs. Fltlyll B. Parks - Christening nn-sad U. S. S. Floyd B. Parks - launching, 31 March 1945

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when she proceeded to Guam. At Guam she participated in fleet maneuvers stopping over at Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan on the way back to Shanghai, China where she spent Navy Day, 1946. After Navy Day, 1946 Parks operated again in the Guam-Saipan area until relieved on 28 January 1947 to return to the United States. Upon return to San Diego area she partici- pated in various maneuvers and exercises before going into the naval yards at Hunter's Point, San Francisco, California for overhaul in 30 June 1947. After overhaul, Parks returned to the home port area of San Diego, California to operate until time for her second cruise in the Far East in February 1948. An interesting trip made during this time was a short stay at Santa Barbara, California over the Navy Day period of 1947. Parks participated in OPERATION SAND- STONE during March 1948. After being re- lieved from this duty Parks proceeded to Japan for her first complete tour of duty in the Occupa- tion. During April 1948, Parks had the distinc- tion of representing U.S. Naval Forces at the funeral of President Roxas in Manila. One officer and twenty five men paraded in the funeral procession. I Parks was relieved from duty in Japan on 30 September 1948 to return to her home port of San Diego via Pearl Harbor arriving in time for the Christmas holidays of 1948. Having received her initiation of tropical heat she was due for a bit of cold weather, so on 1 February 1949 Parks was ordered to partici- pate in cold weather exercise, OPERATION MICOWEX, visiting Kodiak, Alaska. Parks' second general overhaul since com- missioning took place at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California from 1 April until 1 June 1949. After the completion of this work she returned to the San Diego Area to operate until the beginning of the present cruise overseas. Since her commissioning the PARKS has had four commanding officers, six division com- manders, and five executive officers. The divi- sion commanders in the order of their serving are: Capt. Miles H. Hubbard, Capt. James H. Ward, Capt. Gale E. Griggs, Capt. Charles T. Singleton, Capt. John B. Taylor and Capt. Walter C. Winn. The commanding officers in the order of their serving are: Cdr. Morgan Slayton, Cdr. John H. Brandt, Cdr. Richard E. Nichols, and Cdr. Herbert G. Claudius. The Executive officers in the order of their serving are: Lt. Cdr. Oscar D. MacMillan, Lt. Glen A. Kirby, Lt. Cdr. Sidney Brooks, Lt.Cdr. Michael A. Censale, and Lt. Daniel M. Karcher. Of her original crew there is only one remain- ing plank aboard in the present crew. He is Roy Llewellyn Drescher, FCC, of York, Penna., who was FC1 at the time of Commissioning. The present cruise with which this Cruise Book primarily deals began on Saturday, 15 October 1949, when the Parks, in company with the OPERATION MIKI Task Force, left San Diego for a 7 -month and 28-day cruise in Far Eastern waters arriving back at her home port on 12 June 1950. During these intervening months, she visited many interesting places in Japan, the Philippine Islands, China, and Ma- laya as well as crossed the equator on a voyage to the south seas and Singapore. There were many days of maneuvers and routine exercises but these were more than compensated for by the many fine liberty ports of call where the ship's company had wonderful opportunity for recreation and sightseeing. This made the third cruise of the Parks to Japan during 'a period since 1946 that has seen that country recover almost completely from a war-wrecked area to a country with laughing people and playful children and whose economy once more is in a period of partial stability. Whereas on the first two cruises Japan was under a state of rigid military control both for the military personnel as well as the Japanese Nationals this third cruise saw a large relaxation of these con- trols and a policy of democratizing these people of radical ideas really begin to take form. With some limitations of local nature the Occupation atmosphere is now one of free mingling of the military personnel and Japanese on as near a stateside basis as conditions will permit. In Japan the two principal ports for naval activities are located at Yokosuka, near Tokyo, on the island of Honshu, and Sasebo in extreme southern Japan on the island of Kyushu. Although we visited numerous other ports during our period of duty our principal activities were centered at these two ports. Yokosuka, former Japanese home naval base, was damaged quite seriously by Allied bombing during the months preceding the surrender but these facilities, including drydocks and repair shops, have been restored employing skilled Japanese labor and under the supervision of American naval personnel. Sasebo has some facilities for fContinued on page 251

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