Gearing (DD 710) - Naval Cruise Book

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Malaga, Spain Taormina, Sicily Barcelona, Spain Valletta, Malta Port Mahon, Menorca Casablanca, Morocco N 1 It 1 ap es, a y Bandol, France Athens, Greece Plus brief stops at: Porto Conte, Sardinia lskenderon, Turkey Pollensa Bay, Mallorca

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,S .ifn...wf,' ...,, - , Now if somebody will just do something, We'11 have a movie! Hold on to that fish, Parsons! 'N , .- i . my Schwartz and Ruderick prepare the helo sling for So that's what a pelican hook is! another load. SN S- Connolly SN J. Gardner SN J. Koller I I 2 5 1 5 5 , SA K. Parsons

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MALAGA, SPAIN After leaving Newport on April 4, 1968, GEARING, along with other ships of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY, commenced the nine-day transit across the Atlantic Ocean. After two choppy days the routine settled down to steaming in formation, with plenty of exercises to prepare our reactions for the coming deployment. GEARING carried several radio-controlled drone air- planes which were used as targets for air gunnery exercises. The transit was smooth with one exception: a man overboard from another ship caused a'reversal in course. He was picked up unharmed after twelve hours in.the water. . Easter weekend found-us at Malaga, Spain to relieve USS CONWAY QDD-S075 and officially begin duties with the United States.Sixth Fleet. The city, celebrated IH the famous song 'Malaguena', is a popular year-round resort on the Spanish Riviera. The deep Christian heritage of the people was evident as Easter S11I1ClaY was a full-scale religious holiday, complete Wlth costumed processions through the streets. The bullfight season begins on Easter,-and some of us saw our first bullfight amid throngs of avid Spaniards. Others travelled to nearby Torremolinos to enjoy SUD, Sand, and the best night life around. Several of US hired one of the quaint horse-drawn carriages, little realizing that nearly every Mediterranean port has a similiar tourist attraction conveniently located rleaf fleetilanding. .