Halsey (CG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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FLEET ADMIRAL WILLIAM F. HALSEY, JR. HIT HARD, HIT FAST, HIT OFTEN! Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey. Jr., was born in Elizabeth. New Jersey on October 30. 1882. FAdm. Halsey was the son of Captain William F. Halsey USN and Anne Brewster Halsey. FAdm. Halsey came from a long line of seafaring men. one of which was Captain John Halsey. commissioned a privateer by the Governor of Massachusetts during Queen Anne ' s War (1703-1713). FAdm. Halsey was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1900 by President William McKinley and graduated in February of 1904. FAdm. Halsey ' s first ship was the U.S.S. MISSOURI, which he served in until December 1905. His first command was the U.S.S. FLUSSER, which he assumed command of in August of 1912. During World War One. FAdm. Halsey. then a Commander, commanded two destroyers, the U.S.S. BENHAM and the U.S.S. SHAW, which earned him the Navy Cross. In July 1934. then Captain Halsey. reported to the Naval Air Station Pensacola. Florida, for flight training. On May 15. 1935, he was designated Naval Aviator at the age of 52. FAdm. Halsey commanded the U.S.S. SARATOGA from July 1935 until June 1937. On March 1. 1938. he was promoted to Rear Admiral and assumed the duties as Commander Carrier Division Two shortly afterwards On the 7th of December 1941. Adm. Halsey was returning with the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE from delivering planes to Wake Island, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. On the morning of February 1, 1942, Adm. Halsey launched the U.S. ' s first offensive of the war, when his forces attacked Japanese installations in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. In June of 1944, Adm. Halsey assumed command of the Third Fleet and Western Pacific Task Force. These forces, under his command, dealt fatal blows to Japanese forces in Palaus, Philippines. Formosa. Okinawa and the South China Sea. Those battles inflicted greater loss upon the Japanese Fleet than had ever been suffered by any fleet. On August 29, 1945. Admiral Halsey. flying his flag in the U.S.S. MISSOURI, entered Tokyo Bay and anchored off Yokosuka Naval Base. On September 1, 1945, aboard the MISSOURI, the Japanese signed the formal surrender that ended the war in the Pacific. On December 11, 1945, Admiral Halsey took the oath of Fleet Admiral. He was transferred to the Retired List of the Navy on March 1, 1947, after over 43 years of service to his country Fleet Admiral Halsey died on August 16, 1959 and was buried with full military honors four days later, in Arlington National Cemetery.

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JK.SSb On January 5, 1973. HALSEY departed Bath Maine, the extensive work being completed, for sunny San Diego, arriving there on the 16th of February. Although the yard period was behind her. HALSEY remained very busy, through May 11. conducting many extensive tests of her new weapons systems and engineering plant. During this period. HALSEY became the first U.S. Navy Ship to use the new Combat Systems organizational concept, which divides the ship into five departments. Operations. Engineering, Navigation. Supply and Combat Systems. Two months into 1974, HALSEY once again departed San Diego for Westpac. During this cruise HALSEY operated with the carriers USS ORISKANY (CVA-34), USS KITTY HAWK (CVA- 63), USS RANGER (CVA-61) and USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64). While in Subic Bay. the new Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force Seventh Fleet. Rear Admiral J. D. Watkins paid HALSEY a visit just prior to HALSEY getting underway for a well deserved port call in Hong Kong. HALSEY soon began her trip East, for San Diego, arriving there seven months after she departed. September 26. 1974. On the 22nd of November 1974. the bunting was brought out and the crew put on their dress blues as Captain William F. McCauley became HALSEY ' s new Commanding Officer, relieving Captain Joseph D. Nolan. Midway through 1975, On July 1. HALSEY was redesignated as a Cruiser. Guided Missile (CG) from her old designation as Destroyer. Leader Guided Missile (DLG). The rest of 1975. from July 16 to December 21. was spent in the Western Pacific, operating with the USS ORISKANY (CVA-34) and the USS HANCOCK (CV-19). HALSEY received her third Battle E on March 27. 1976 at the end of a five day inspection by Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group THREE (CCDG-3), RADM Briggs. HALSEY ' s next Westpac began November 22 of 1976 and ended May 15, 1977. During this deployment. HALSEY provided intercept control of all incoming Soviet aircraft, for the carrier task force she was steaming with. Also during the cruise, HALSEY received her second consecutive Battle E and fourth such award since she joined the fleet. March 18, 1977. Captain Stephen J. Hostettler relieved Captain W. F. McCauley. while in Yokosuka. Japan. On August 15, 1977. Halsey entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a 13 month regular overhaul. During this overhaul. HALSEY traded in her three inch fifty AA guns for the Harpoon Missile System, which greatly increased her surface warfare capabilities. May 19, 1979, Captain Richard R. Tarbuck became HALSEY ' s tenth Commanding Officer, as he relieved Captain Stephen J. Hostettler. Four months later, Captain Tarbuck took HALSEY on her eighth major deployment. During that deployment, HALSEY assumed the duties as Force Anti-Air Warfare Commander during Iranian Contingency Operations. Late in March of 1980. HALSEY returned to San Diego after spending the holidays away from family and friends. A year later, on April 1, HALSEY departed for Westpac in company with the KITTY HAWK battle group. About one month after departing San Diego. Captain Richard R. Tarbuck handed over the reigns of HALSEY to Captain Richard L Wyatt, in ceremonies in Subic Bay on the 12th of May Less than a week later, the HALSEY rescued 24 Vietnamese refugees who had been at sea for ten days, seeking their freedom. The 23rd of November HALSEY returned from Westpac after traveling over 80.000 miles in just under seven months February 6, 1982 HALSEY and the KITTY HAWK were underway again, but this time for READIEX 82-2, in which HALSEY acted as Force Anti-Air Warfare commander. Two months later. RADM Ramsey presented HALSEY with her fifth Battle E . Three days later. HALSEY was inport Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a baseline overhaul, in which she received an update to her Terrier Missile System, the Phalanx Close in Weapon System (CIWS). Super Rocket Blown Chaff Launchers, the AN SLQ-32 electronic warfare equipment and a new sonar. On the 27th of May 1983. Captain Paul D. Moses relieved Captain Richard L Wyatt as Commanding Officer, USS HALSEY. Captain Moses guided HALSEY through her last month of baseline overhaul and on the 23rd of June, HALSEY departed for San Diego. March 16. 1984. HALSEY departed for the Westpac that every sailor dreams about, but few have the money for. Between HALSEY ' s departure and her return from Westpac on October 2, 1984. HALSEY hit 17 ports. Her longest unbroken underway period for this cruise was 20 days. HALSEY spent the next 26 months close to home, during that time Captain Dennis R. Conley became HALSEY ' s new Commanding Officer, relieving Captain Paul D. Moses in a ceremony held on August 29. 1985 On the 5th of January 1987. Captain Conley led HALSEY out past Point Loma for the last time for the next six months as HALSEY joined up with the USS KITTY HAWK and ten other ships, to form battle group BRAVO Battle Group BRAVO headed west, which is the general direction the battle group stayed in as they sailed around the world The USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) joined the Battle Group in the Mediterranean and upon return to San Diego. HALSEY was chosen to escort the NIMITZ in a day early, because of her superior performance on the cruise. HALSEY later was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for her outstanding performance on the world cruise. Eight days after the start of 1988. Captain Robert D. Pacek became HALSEY ' s fourteenth Commanding Officer as he relieved Captain Dennis R. Conley. February of 1988, HALSEY received her sixth Battle E as well as her 13th consecutive Engineering E , 12th consecutive ASW A and 14th consecutive Missile E . Scarcely ten months after returning home from her World Cruise, HALSEY saw herself underway for her 12th major deployment, this time to the Arabian (Persian) Gulf, led by Captain Pacek, a veteran of the Gulf HALSEY ' s outstanding abilities in sorting out the potentially hostile air threats in the Gulf ' s busy airspace, earned her a superb reputation in the field of AAW and her ability to steam long periods of time with little or no outside help proved that her Engineering department, could always be depended on. On the 20th of July. While on station in the Arabian Gulf, HALSEY marked 25 years of service to her country the way she has spent most of her career in the fleet, actively furthering the goals of her country and helping to maintain freedom of the seas. matXK MOIO-MIM TKCMAJIS, SflCHAT CAR DOLM, KB. CHQUUCA

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COMMANDING OFFICER