Floyd Parks (DD 884) - Naval Cruise Book

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de USS FLOYD B. PARKS had the distinction of becoming the Flagship for DESTROYER SOUADRON ONE during the latter part of the cruise when USS HULL departed for the United States for final acceptance trials. The Commo- dore is Captain Iohn L. Foster. The squadron consists of DESDIV ll and DESDIV l2p eight ships and their crews totaling more than 1,800 men. The administrative and tactical command of this group is the job of COMDESRON ONE. Plans and schedules for movements and operations must be worked out: training exer- cises for the ships and their personnel must be coordinated, morale and welfare must be at- tended tog and physical and mechanical readi- ness must he insured. To assist the Commodore with these functions he has LCDR D. L. Banks, Staff Operations Officer, LT E. L. St. Ville, Staff Engineering Officer, LTIG K. W. Larabee, Staff Communication Officer. eafcwa Une Captain John L. Foster COMDESRON ONE LT. E. L. Sf. Ville, Staff Engineering Officer, LCDR. D. L. Banks, Staff Operations Officer, I.Tig. K W. Larabee, Staff Communication Officer.

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71,515.7 2 in Iapan in November of 1949. During her eight months stay she visited such interesting places as the Philippine Islands. China, Malaya, and crossed the equator on a voyage to the South Seas and Singapore. The Parks returned to San Diego on 12 Iune 1950 and at the out- break of the Korean War returned to Hawaii and was in stand-by condition preparing to assist the Naval units in the Far East until September at which time she was returned to San Diego, Califor- nia. She spent two months in local exercises operating out of San Diego, then proceeded to San Francisco for a regular Navy yard overhaul. In the early part of 1951 she left the United States for what was to be her first Far Eastern cruise during the Korean conflict. On 17 March 1951 she ioined Task Force 77 to help screen larger ships from enemy action and support anti-Communist air opera- tions off the East coast of North Korea. At Wonsan on 30 April the ship encountered gunfire from enemy shore batteries for the first time, and helped silence them after a two hour battle. The Parks spent a total of 60 days in the enemy harbor of Wonsan and fired over 12,307 rounds of five-inch proiectiles at the enemy. This perhaps was one of the longest sieges in U. S. Naval his- tory. CDR. Iohn Foote relieved as Commanding Officer on the 15th of December that year. ' Again in May 1952 the Parks left for another cruise in Far Eastern waters. Her duties on this cruise consisted of shore bom- bardment off the shores of North Korea, screening units of Task Force 77, patrol duty in the South China Seas and the Formosa area, and blockade duty in Wonsan harbor. The Parks spent a total of 34 days in the blockade of Wonsan harbor, and was not to arrive back in San Diego until December of 1952. On 5 Ianuary 1953 she left San Diego to enter the U.S. Naval Shipyards at I'Iunter's Point, San Francisco, Califomia. On 11 April while in the yard CDR K. B. Hysong relieved as Captain. In May she left the shipyards and proceeded to San Diego. During May, Iune and Iuly she conducted local exercises in the San Diego Area. The Parks left on August 7, 1953 for another tour of duty in the Far East arriving in Iapan on 23 September 1953. She operated from Iapan conducting local exercises until November when she departed for patrol duty in Formosan waters. The Parks proceeded to Hong Kong for a brief three day visit on completion of her Formosan patrol duties. Disaster struck while on patrol duty off the North Korean coast. The Parks struck an uncharted pinnacle and was forced to proceed to Sasebo, Iapan for a two month yard period to repair damages suffered to her propellers and shafts. On 1 March 1954 the Parks left Far Eastern waters arriving back in San Diego on 21 March 1954. - During her stay in the States she participated in local training exercises operating out of San Diego and was to take part in two Pacific Fleet training exercises. On the latter of these exercises the ship proceeded to Seattle, Washington for a three day visit in con- junction with the Seattle Sea Fair. The Parks left San Diego for duty in the Far Eastem area on 28 September 1954 arriving in Yokosuka, Iapan on 21 October 1954. She conducted brief training exercises in the Yokosuka area and then proceeded to the Philippine Islands anchoring in Subic Bay. 'The ship conducted local training exercises and patrol duties out of Subic Bay and was forced. on four separate occasions, to leave the area to avoid typhoons. CDR I. F. Gustaferro relieved as Com- manding Officer on 2 December 1954. During the month of Ianuary 1955 the Parks was present in the 1 t 6 . , 1 J A. ... , Formosa area during the outbreak of hostilities in the troubled waters around the Tachen Islands. She was one of four destroyers present in this area until relieved by forces of The Seventh Fleet which were to assist the Nationalist Chinese in the evacuation of their personnel. After a much needed rest and upkeep period in Subic Bay the ship proceeded to the British Crown colony of Hong Kong for a seven day visit. On completion of her visit the ship proceeded to Sasebo, Iapan operating from there for a short period before pro- ceeding to Yokosuka, Iapan for upkeep and repairs prior to leav- ing for the United States. On 9 April 1955 the Parks returned to San Diego, California and after a month's leave and upkeep in San Diego she proceeded to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a three months regular Navy overhaul. On completion of her yard period. the ship re- ported to Fleet Training Group, San Diego for underway training in preparation for deployment to the Far East in November 1955. The Parks departed for WESTPAC on 9 November 1955, made Singapore and Rangoon two of her ports of call. and operated with TF 77 until the disaster of 11 March. On that day she was involved in a collision with the heavy cruiser COLUMBUS. result- ing in the loss of a 40 foot section of her bow, and the death of two men. Prompt action by all hands kept the PARKS afloat, and she was taken into Subic Bay for emergency repairs. There a tem- porary bow was devised, and the Parks departed for Long Beach Naval Shipyard, arriving there in early Iune of 1956. The bow of the deactivated DD76l was taken as a replacement, and in early August the PARKS reported ready for sea. In mid-December of 1956, the PARKS preparations for WESTPAC were interrupted by an emergency deployment during the Mid- Eastern crisis. She was deployed to Pearl Harbor, returning to San Diego on 6 December. The Parks began her ninth WESTPAC cruise on 14 Ianuary 1957. She made Sasebo, Okinawa, Hong Korg, and Pearl Harbor her ports of call, took part in Operation Beacon Hill and a three week HUK operation, and operated with TF 77, retuming to San Diego on 16 Iune. She entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 2 August for a maior overhaul, and remained there until late October. Shortly after her retum to San Diego, the PARKS was called upon to participate in an unsuccessful Search and Rescue mission for a downed commercial airliner. Upon her retum she began preparations for her tenth deployment to WESTPAC. On 13 February 1958 the PARKS departed on her WESTPAC cruise. She visited Pearl Harbor, American Samoa. Auckland. New Zealand, and the Fiiis prior to participa' in three months of special operations at Eniwetok proving grounds. From the Eniwetok-Bikini operations the PARKS steamed to Iapan where she participated in a HUK exercise operating as plane guard for attack carriers. Ports visited in the last two and one-half months of the deployment included, Yokosuka. Kobe, and Beppu, Iapan and Hong Kong. On Iuly 21, 1958 while operating with TG 77.4 off the coast of Iapan CDR Emmett M. Compton. USN, was relieved as command- ing officer of the PARKS by CDR Walter F. V. Bennett USN. The change of command was unusual in that Captain Bennett came aboard via helicdpt . on 19 Iuly and CDR. Compton left the ship in the same manner upon being relieved. Upon completion of her last commitment in August she retumed to San Diego. While at San Diego, the PARKS provided various services and mtinued training all hands in preparation for deployment in 1959.

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.j - H--------------I------nnu-nnnnnnnunnInununIgIgIIlI1IIIIlIIllllIllllllIllllllllllIlllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIlllIllIlIllllIIIIIIlQlIllIIIl!llllIlI1QIIlllIIQ5IglIlllllIIIlllunnlllnlulnlluluulplgg 1 i i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 4 I 1 4 1 1 1 Commander W. F. V. BENNETT 1 Commanding Officer A I I V i 1 1 U.S.S. FLOYD B. PARKS IDD 880 i s.Z'2.'ZLZ1ZIlT'E31!L3'.. 1 MEMORANDUM FROM THE CAPTAIN TO: Officers and men of the USS FLOYD B. PARKS CDD BBLD 1. This cruise book marks the completion of a rewarding and highly successful deployment with the SEVENTH Fleet ' the Far East. The following pages tell the story of that cru e quite well- the routine Q of shipboard life, our operations at sea and th interesting places l visited. Howev th p' ture would not be complete without a recognition of the spir't h d work and loyalty demonstrated by 1 the men of the PARKS on th deployment tour. That portion story cannot be hilly treat cl by pict es or pr t. This we carry in our hearts with the k 1 dg h rved our country ll 2 Th' b k d d t t fine ship and the men who made h . , w. . V6 Commander, U.S. Navy 1 1 Commander Walter F. V. Bennett became Com- manding Officer of the USS FLOYD B. PARKS in luly 1958 after having served in the Atomic Energy Division of the office of the Chief' of Naval Opera- Hens Commander Bennett was commissioned Ensign in 1941 from the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipman School, Northwestern University, after graduating from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics. His first assignment was as instructor in Naval Engineering at Cornell University followed by duty as Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer of Submarine Chaser 655 which participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. At Salerno he was awarded the Silver Star for con- spicuous gallantry in action against the enemy. Later he became Executive Officer of the Destroyer Escort COLE followed by Commands of the COLE, DE l-l.C. IONES, and the Radar Picket Destroyer Escort FOGG. After a tour as Officer in Charge of the Naval Recruit Station in Louisville, Ky., Commander Ben- nett did post-graduate work at the U.S. Naval Academy and at Ohio State University where he received a Master of Science degree in Physics. Since then he has served as assistant Progress Officer of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Edgewood, Md., and prior to reporting for duty at CNO's Atomic Energy Division was Tactical Officer and Navigator of the heavy cruiser ALBANY. Besides the Silver Star, Commander Bennett holds the American Defense, American Theater, African- European Campaign C3 starsl, Pacific Campaign fl starl, Victory, Occupation, and China Service Medals. l-le presently resides in Coronado, Califor- nia, with his wife, the former Kathleen Eleanor Nestor of New Rochelle, N. Y., and their two chil- dren.