Grasp (ARS 51) - Naval Cruise Book

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DIRECTORY ASSIS TAN E SHIP S HIS TOR Y C OMMANDING OFFICERS EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMAND MA S TER C HIEE DEPA R TURE HAIL AND FARE WELL GENERAL QUAR TERS UNREP G UNS X FIREFIGH TING TARGET TO WIHC PICNICXS WIMCALL A WA RDSXES ws CHANGE OE COMMAND SHIP fs SCHEDULE PALMA TUNISIA NAPLES A UGUS TA BA YXSIRA C USA ROME IZMIR HAIFA CAL VI PORT MAHON EINALE LIGURE f AL GHERO RO TA MISC DECK DEPA R TMEN T ENGINEERING DEPAR TMEN T OPERA TIONS DEPARTMENT S UPPL Y DEPAR TMEN T FIRST CLASS BREAKFAST NEW ARRIVALS H OME C OMING MEMORIAL S TA FF ' 3 25 4 26 5 27 5 29 6 30 8 3I I0 32 I I 33 I2 . 34 HELO OPS I3 SIX TH FLEET SHIPS 36 I4 37 I5 43 I6 49 I7 55 I8 60 20 6 I 2 I 62 22 63 24 64 I -8 00- Y0- GRA SP YOU CALL, WE HAUL!

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MOTTO.' ON A SCROLL AZURE DOUBLED ARE THE WORDS ANY OCEAN ANY TIME IN GOLD. SHIELD! THE SEA-HORSE SYMBOLIZES THE GRASP CARS-50 AS A NA VY WORK HORSE AND ALSO DENOTES THAT ITS DUTIES ARE PERFORMED BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE WA TER'S SURFACE. IT ALSO ENDOWS THE SHIP WITH THE FINE OUALI TIES OF THE HORSE-STRENG TH, ENDURANCE AND SPEED. THE GRAPPLING IRON, AN OLD BUT EFFICIENT METHOD OF LOCA TING AND RE TRIE VING WRECKA GE FROM THE SEA, INDICA TES THE SHIP 'S SAL VA GE OPERA TIONS. THE LOOPED AND TWISTED LINE RUNNING FROM THE IRON TO A NEA T ORDERL Y COIL SIGNIFIES THE SHIP'S CAPABILI TIES OF RES TORING ORDER FROM CHAOS, AS DEMONSTRA TED BY THE GRASP CARS-260 DURING WWII, KOREA, AND VIETNAM IN THE CLEARING OF HARBORS AND THE RES TORING OF DAM- AGED SHIPS AND INS TALLA TIONS. THE THREE ARROW HEADS C OMMEMORA TE THE SER VICE OF THE FORMER GRASP CARS-240 IN THESE THREE CONFLIC TS. THE WA VY BL UE AREA AGAINST THE GRA Y RIVETED BORDER, SUGGES TS THE SEA AGAINST THE HULLS OF SHIPS AND DENO TES THE SHIP 'S MISSION OF SAL VA GE AND REPAIRS. CRES T: THE TWO HA NDS GRA SPING THE TRIDENT ALLUDE TO THE SHIPS NA ME. THE UPPER HA ND SUGGES TS THE HEL PING HAND AND DENO TES THE MANY HUMA NI TA RIAN SERVICES PERFORMED S V THE OFFICERS AND CREW OF THE FORMER GRA SP IA RS-241. THE MA IL ED HA ND S YML-TOLIZES THE PAS T AND PRESENT SHIP 'S COM- BA T CA PA BILITIES, THE MODIFIED TRIDENT IS A S YMBOL OF THE TOOLS USED IN SEA SAL VA GE AND REPAIR WITH THE CENTER PRONG, A FLAME, SUO CES TI VE OF THE CUTTING AND WELDING TORCH, THE HANDS HOLDING THE TORCH ARE ALSO SUGGES TI VE OF THE PASSING ON OF THE TORCH, HIS TOR Y AND HONORS, OF THE PAST SHIP TO THE PRESENT GRA SP TARS-541 THE FOUR STARS COMMEMORA TE THE BA TTLE STA RS A WARDED TO THE ORASP IN WWII AND KOREA. THE GLOBE DENO TES THE EX TENSIVE CRUISES OF THE FORMER SHIP AND WORLD- WIDE SAL VA GE AND REPAIR CAPABILITIES OF THE PRESENT ONE,

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.Q -1802 Q .. J ga Ili' . ,,z'o in ' Q fv ' .I Aw P xx gk , 4. O s THE FIRST USS GRASP CARS-24j WAS LAUNCHED JULY 31, 1943. IT WAS HOMEPORTED IN PEARL HARBOR. HA WAII. DEC . 24, 1944 GRASP HEADED FOR COMBA T. SHE JOINED A BA TTLE GROUP AND SAILED FOR THE PHI- LIPPINES. GRASP AIDED IN THE SUCCESSFUL LANDING OF GEN. MA CARTHUR'S TROOPS ON JAN. 9, 1945. SHE ALSO AIDED BATTLE DAMAGED SHIPS AND CLEARED HARBORS OF SUNKEN CRAFT. GRASP WAS DEC OMMIS- SIONED DEC. 1945 AND PLACED IN RESERVES. WHEN THE KOREAN WAR BROKE OUT, GRASP WAS RE- COMMISSIONED AND PREPARED FOR C OMBA T. GRA SP WAS INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS PA TROLS OF THE KORE- AN COASTAND WAS OFTEN UNDER FIRE. SHE WAS NEV- ER HIT. GRA SP ALSO OPERA TED IN JAPAN, PERFORMING REPAIR WORK ON DAMA GED SHIPS. GRASP WAS DECOMMISSIONED MARCH 31. 1978. SHE WAS A WARDED TWO BA TTLE STARS FOR WWII, TWO FOR KOREAN WAR SERVICE. AND A VIETNAM CAM- PAIGN RIBBON. THE CURRENT USS GRASP IARS-51j WAS LAUNCHED MA Y 21, 1984 AND COMMISSIONED DEC. 14, 1985. IT IS HOMEPOR TED IN LITTLE CREEK . VA. GRA SP IS THE SEC- OND SHIP OF THE NEW RESCUE AND SAL VAGE CLASS OF VESSELS. THE MISSION OF THE SHIP IS FOURFOLD T 1j DEBEACHING OF S TRANDED VESSELS, C22 HEAVY LIFT FROM OCEAN DEP THS, C31 TO WING OF OTHER VESSELS, AND MQ MANNED DIVING OPERA TIONS. THE GRASP HAS CARRIED OUT ALL OF THESE TASKS. GRASP DEBEACHED AND TOWED THE USS SPRUANCE CDDG-963j IN JAN. 1989. WE SAL VAGED ANAIRFORCE F-15 OFF THE COAS TOF FLORIDA IN APRIL 1988. GRASP HAS BEEN IN VOL VED IN THE TO WING OF TARGET SHIPS. SHE HAS DONE MANY DIVING OPERA TIONS IN THE ATLANTIC, CARRIBEAN, AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEAS. GRASP HAS RECEIVED THE BATTLE E AND TWO SEA SERVICE RIBBONS. O 2' x a. FA 'cp -'I Lab!