Floyd Parks (DD 884) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commcznding Ufjiber N S W X i 1 X' fRe1ievedj 'Kijp N W . X ,ZX mek f Q S606 7 Z CDR G. M. NEELY, JR., USN 6 W Qi www ,, fx HH ax ffx y, f x X X A XWR Wwwgm N

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Commander Benny joe RICARDO was born 22 April 1929 in Port Arthur, Texas, and was graduated from Baylor University with a BBA Degree. After attending Navy schools in Florida and Pennsylvania, he graduated from Officer Candidate School, Class 7, and was commissioned an Ensign on 24 july 1952. His first tour of duty was aboard USS HOOPER ISLAND CARG 175, where he served as Gunnery Officer and lst Lieutenant. From August 1954 until january 1955, he attended Combat Information Center Officer's School, NAS Glenview, Illinois . Upon completion of this school, Commander RICARDO was assigned to USS AGERI-IOLM CDD 8365 as Gunnery Officer from january 1955 until August 1956, and later served as Fire Control Officer of USS Sl-IANGRI-LA QCVA 385. In August 1957, he reported to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as Military Sea Transportation Service Representative . Following this tour of duty, Commander RICARDO assumed command of USS DUNN COUNTY CLST 742D from August 1959 until March 1961 . In 1961 he was assigned to Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center, San Diego, as Surface Operations Officer . Following this tour he was ordered back to sea as Executive Officer of USS MANATEE QAO 581 in March 1963 . This was followed by a tour of duty as Executive Officer aboard USS COLLETT QDD-7303 from july 1964 until March 1966. Commander RICARDO served as Plans Officer, Commander Military Sea Trans- portation Service, San Francisco from April 1966 until january 1968 . He assumed command of USS FLOYD B. PARKS CDD 8841 on 19 March 1968, and is the Sixteenth Commanding Officer of the San Diego based destroyer. Commander RICARDO has been awarded the following medals: China Service Medal, Korean Service Medal Q2 starsj, National Defense Service Medal Q1 starj, United Nations Service Medal, ,and Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. l-Ie is married to the former Lucy M . BATTEN, of Cleveland, Ohio, an honor grad- uate of Bryn Mawr Class of 1954. CDR RICARDO resides in San Diego with his wife and their four children: Robin, David, Thomas, and Rebecca. 5 ----:-'--J-

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Commander Guy Morton NEELY, jr. was born 31 October 1927 in Washington, D.C ., and was graduated from the U.S . Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and commissioned an Ensign on 3 june 1949. His first duty Was in the Gunnery Department of USS ROCHESTER CCA 1243, homeported in Newport, Rhode Island, and later in Long Beach, California. During this period ROCHESTER served as flagship for Com- mander Seventh Fleet and participated in United Nations operations in Korean waters including support of the amphibious landing at lnchon and Wonsan in the fall of 1950. From September 1951 until March 1952, he attended CIC Officer's School, NAS Glenview, Illinois, and then reported to USS MASSEY CDD 7781 in Norfolk, Virginia, in which he served as Gunnery Officer until July 1954. In August 1954 he returned to the U.S . Naval Academy as an instructor in the Department of Marine Engineering. In August 1956 then Lieutenant NEE LY assumed command of USS LAWRENCE COUNTY CLST 8875 in San Diego, California, and participated in operations with the FIRST and SEVENTH Fleets, in support of nuclear Weapons tests at Eniwetok Atoll and in cold Weather exercises in Alaskan Waters . Upon detachment in October 1958 he reported to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington for duty in the Strategic Plans Division as Assistant Head of the Latin-American Strategic Plans Section. During this tour he was assigned additional duty as an Advisor to the U.S. ' Delegations to the Inter-American Defense Board, the Joint Brazil-U.S. Defense Com- mission, the joint Mexican-U.S . Military Commission and as a White House Aide. In june 1960 he left Washington for duty as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander SEVENTH Fleet in the Western Pacific until August 1962 after which he was ordered to USS COGSWELL CDD 651D in San Diego, California for duty as Executive Officer from September 1962 until September 1963. In October 1963 Commander NEE LY reported for duty as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief, U.S . Naval Forces Europe CCINCUSNAVEURJ, in London until March 1965 when he became Senior Aide to the Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe CCINCSOUTHJ, in Naples, Italy. In January 1966 he was de- tached from the staff of CINCSOUTH and on 18 March 1966 assumed command of USS FLOYD B. PARKS CDD 8845 . Commander NEELY is presently assigned to the Staff of Commander FIRST FLEET. Commander NEE LY is a holder of the joint Service Commandation Medal Cfor service at CINCSOUTHJ, the American Campaign medal, World War II Victory medal, Korean Service medal C 3 starsj, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Occupation Service medal CAsia Claspj, National Defense Service medal, the UN for Korea ribbon, Vietnam Service medal C2 starsl and the Vietnam Campaign medal. 7 6 . ,