Greenwich Bay (AVP 41) - Naval Cruise Book

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I, a... 41' fu 59 ps -.gf lg s T LA ,A 3.1 ..I' 3.4 x I CRD. Eric W. Pollard Executive Officer Commander Eric W. Pollard is a Californian by birth, claiming the city of Alameda in that state as his home town. Prior to entering the Navy he was Seaman in ships of the Oriental-Oceanic Lines which sailed from San Francisco to ports of the Orient from Manchuria to the Philippines. Commissioned Ensign and designated Naval A- viator in April 1941, he reported to VP-61, a PBY squadron in AirPac. Subsequently he served with VP -82 in the North Atlantic, the squadron of Sight Sub, Sank Same fame and through whose area of opera- tion noallied ships in convoy or otherwise were sunk by enemy subs. He was later Senior Aviator ofa Privateer Detachment based in Morocco and flying missions into the Baltic Sea and elsewhere. Commander Pollard was the first U. S. Naval Attache to the American I-lmbassy in Teheran, Iran, from 1951 and 1954. Prior to his June 1957 assign mentas Executive Officer of the U, S, GRI-I ISNWICH BAY, he was Commanding Officer of Patrol Seaplane Squadron -15 based in Panama and Bermuda. Commander Pollard is married to the former Nl-nette I-lstienne of Casblanca. 'Yi CDR. Richard D. Gruber Executive Officer Commander Richard D. Gruber was commis- sioned Ensign and designated Naval Aviator in March 1940. His first fleet duty was with VP-54, then en- gaged in neutrality patrol duties in the North Atlantic. His tours of duty in the Pacific consisted ofCommand- ing Officer ofVH-1, an Air-Sea Rescue Squadr0r1 and VP-34, a Medium Seaplane Squadron based on Saipan in the Mariannas Group. Commander Gruber has completed a tour of dufY in OPNAV and was assigned to the Staff, Supreme Al- lied Commander Atlantic during the early formative years of NATO. Prior to his assignmentas Executive Officer of the U, S, S. GREENWICH BAY, he was on the Staff, Commander Second FleetfCommander Striking Fleet Atlantic. He relieved CDR Pollard as this shig1'S X. 0- last July while it was in Massawa, Eritrea. Commander Gruber is married to the former Marie Tyon of Kansas. They have two children. 9' daughter, Kim and a son, Bob.

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Captain James M. Wright Commanding Officer Captain James M. Wright is a native of the state of Kentucky where he was born on 10 May 1913 in the town of Williamsburg. His formal education took place in Annapolis, Maryland at the U. S. Naval Academy where he was graduated and commissioned in 1934. A Since that time he has had a long and distinguished Naval ca- reer. His first assigiment was that of Electrical and Repair Of- ficer aboard the U. S. S. NEW YORK, During the years spanning WorldWar Il, he held Staff positions in both COMFAIRSOUTH and COMFA IRWEST coast as Gunnery and Tactical Officer. At the con- clusion ofthe war he was Commander, Carrier Group EIGHTY a- board the U. S. S. BOXER, From there, numerous other import- ant billets followed such as: Operations Officer, COMCARDIV 5, 3, 2g Head of the Aviation Ordnance Section, Bureau of Ordnanceg and Executive Officer aboard the U, S. S, ORISKANY, The year 1952 marked his promotion to the rank of Captain arid shortly thereafter he appointed as an Operations Analysis Of- ficer tothe Weapons System Evaluation Group in Washington, D. C. In August 1955 Captain Wright became a staff member of CINCNE LM aposition he held until December of 1957 when he came aboard the U, S, S, GRE ENWICI-I BAYas its Commanding Officer. After being relieved of this post on November G, 1958, by Captain Robert Riera, he assumed command of the U, S, S, ORISKANY, Captain Wright is married to the former Miss Shirley Stearns of San Francisco, California. He and his wife make their home in Falls Church, Virginia, with their two children, Wendy, 11, and Gordon, 6. I LU 'A C I I U I ..VsMf ' 5 J. K , I V,,, , 1 15 - 'flff 5 1' 1 I ' lgfglll Captain Robert E. Riera Commanding Officer Captain Robert E. Riera, USN, Commanding Officer, U, S, S, GREENWICH BAY QAVP-411, is the son ofMr. and Mrs. J. V. Riera of 318 North Strong Street, Pensacola, Florida. The Captain gra- duated from Pensacola High School in 1929 and later was appointed tothe U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He was gra- duated with the class of 1935. His first assignment was in the Gunnery and Engineering De- partmentofthe battleship U. S. S. NEW YORK, Returning to Pen- sacola in 1938, Captain Riera entered flight training and received his wings in 1939. He then began to be assigned to a variety of posi- tions that have marked his outstanding Naval career. During World War II he was awarded the Naval Cross, Legion of Merit with V, Distinguished FlyingCross and Air Medal for his services as Com- manding Officer ofbombing squadrons operating off the aircraft car- riers, HORNET and ENTERPRISE in Pacific operations. Prior to assuming his present post, Captain Riera was Chief of Staff to Vice Admiral Austin K. Doyle, USN, Chief of Naval Air Training. Previously, Captain Riera served as Training Officer for Commander Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet. Captain Riera is married to the former Miss Mary Porter Baer of Seattle, Washington. He and his wife have four children: Mary 193 Robin, 173 Anne, 155 and Robert, Jr. , 10.

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1 -Q , 'dn CDR B. G. Shepple Operations Officer flielievingj A Ar- 'fi .l LCDR G. G, Zimmerman Personnel Officer LT V. J, Ramsey Chaplain u I x e .. l Y .Wish 9- . is A if JN? ll if if CDR J. J. Coonan Operations Officer LCDR D. E. Brunner First Lieutenant 1 ,,., 1 4 F YU' V, 44 .gi as bat... LT R. A. Michaud Communications Officer LT J. F. Reeves, Jr. Supply Officer lg ga rf 1 1 ff U3 H41 is A .L LTjg. J. M. Blenkhorn, Jr. LTjg A. A. Walker Engineering Officer Damage Control Asst. CHBSON F. W, Delea Q Navigator ENS J. W, Mcmnizm Disbursing Officer ' .., I