Hamner (DD 718) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS HAMNER THE USS I-IAIVINER IS A LONG HULL GEARING-CLASS DESTROYER. SHE WAS BUILT IN PORT NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AND LAUNCHED 24 NOVEMBER 1945. THE SHIP HAS MADE TWELVE FAR EASTERN CRUISES. DURING THE KOREAN ACTION THE HAMNER TOOK PART IN THE BOM- BARDMENT OF THE EASTERN COAST OF KOREA, PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDINGS AT INCHON, AND THE EVACUATION OF HUNGNAM. THE SHIP WEARS THE CHINA SERVICE MEDAL, NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE WITH ASIA CLASP, KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL WITH FIVE COMBAT STARS, THE WORLD WAR II VICTORYMEDAL, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, THE UNITED NATIONS SER- VICE MEDAL, AND THE KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION. DURING THE SUBSEOUENT PEACE- FULH YEARS , THE I-IAMNER HAS, WITH OTHER SHIPSAOF THE PACIFIC FLEET, BUSIED HERSELF ON THE EASTPAC-WESTPAC CIRCUIT . COM- BAT-READY, SHE HAS PERFORMED WELL HER MISSION IN THE FLEET. HENRY R. HAMNER LT HENRY R. HAMNER, USN, KILLED IN ACTION IN APRIL, 1945 , LENT HIS NAME TO THIS DESTROYER CHRISTENED LATER THAT YEAR. LT HAMNER, A NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATE, RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION IN 1943 . SUBSEQUENTLY HE SER- VED ASAN INSTRUCTOR AT HARVARD OFFICERIS NAVALTRAINING SCHOOL AND WAS STATIONED BRIEFLY AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. SEA DUTY FOLLOWED ON THE USS I-IOWORTH. ABOARD THE DESTROYER, LT HAIVINER TOOK PART IN THE MOROTAI LAND- INGS, THE WESTERN NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGNS , THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION, THE IWO JIIVIA INVASION, AT THE LANDING AT OKINAWA. OFF OKINAWA, ON 6 APRIL 1945, THE HOWORTH WAS AT- TACKED BY SIX JAPANESE KAIVIIKAZE AIRCRAFT. . LT HAIVINER , THEN GUNNERY OFFICER ,CONTROLLED HIS BAT- TERIES WITH SUCH SKILL THAT FIVE OF THE PLANES WERE DE- STROYED. THE SURVIVING PLANE CRASHED INTO THE DIRECTOR , KILLING LT HAIVINER . HE WAS POSTHUIVISOULY AWARDED THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION.

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I 4' EE DERENBURGER SI-I2, FERGUSON RD1 , FOSS YN1, ENLISTED RECREATION COMMITT SPECIAL SERVICES OFFICERS LTJG J. W. LOCKE III ENS J. R. CRAIS ip E 'Y ,I V IN I I H I .. ,I ,, C..C HAWVER GM3, REEDER MMI, BERGEN DC2, FLOYD SMSN, COON BM2 AND KRIENKE SOG2 ABSENT! LORD FTC FREDERICK H. LORD FTC - CHAIRMAN CECIL E, FOSS YN1 - SECRETARY DURING THE HAMNE CREATION CO R'S WESTPAC CUUISE, THE ALTRUISTIC RE- MMITTEE COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING SENIOR PETTY OFFICERS AND SELECTED REPRESENTATIVES: F. H. LORD FTC, J. L-- REEDER MM1, C. E. FOSS YN1, RICHARD L. FERGUSON RDI, S. E- DERENBURGER SH2, R. C, BERGEN DC2., J. M COON BM2, G- A- KRIENKE SOG2, E. W. HAWVER G .EULOGISTICALLY IN REGARD M3 AND F. FLOYD SMSN PERFORMED TO SEEING THAT THE ITIAIIVINER CREW HAD AMPLE RECREATION DURING THEIR OFF-DUTY HOURS. JUST A FEW OF THEIR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE: A ROARING AND LOQUACIOUS BEER BUST AT GAB--GAB BEAC RIOUS SHIP'S PARTY AT THE EM CLUB IN H IN GUAMg A GREGA- KAOHSIUNG, TAIWANg AND Y WITH EUPHONIC MUSIC AT THE WINDJAMMER PO CLUB IN YOKOSUKA, JAPAN. IN ADDITION TO ALL FOR THE T PROCU LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A SHIP'S PART PREREQUISITES AND FINAL PARTY ARRANGEMENTS I-IREE HAMNER PARTIES, THE RECREATION COMMITTEE RED FOR THE USE OF THE WHOLE CREWQ MOVIE SCREENS , SPEAK- ERS TO IMPROVE THE SOUND OF MOVIES IN TI-IE MESS DECK AND NU- MEROUS ARTICLES OF ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT. THE R ECR-EATION COMMITTEE THE ENLISTED HABITABILI ALSO TOOK ON COLLATERAL DUTIES OF TY BOARD AND THE CRUISE BOOK COMMITTEE. - ... , . ' 1 .10 - 3-F - - F' -1r49s:.:m:5:1r!'I. DY!5' .

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7,7- EJ. V .an COMMANDER HAROLD E. STEWART, U.S, NAVY HAROLD E. STEM'-'ART, COMMANDER, U.S. NAVY, COMMANDING OFFICER USS HAMNER CDD-7183 WNAS BORN IN O'I7'O, NORTH CAROLINA ON 15 OCTOBER 1916. HE ENLISTED IN THE NAVY ON I6 OCTOBER 1935 AND SERVED ABOARD TI-IE USS CALIFORNIA FOR EIGHT YEARS AS A GUNNER'S MATE. IN APRIL 19.41 HE XVAS TRANSFERRED TO THE USS WOOLS EY CDD-4375 AND WAS ADVANCED IN RATE TO CHIEF GUN.. NER'S MATE. IN SEPTEMBER 1943 HE XVAS COMMISSIONED AN ENSIGN, U.S. NAVY, AND FROM THEN g UNTIL FEBRUARY 19.17 SERVED AS ASSISTANT GUNNERY OFFICER AND GUNNERY OFFICER ABOIARD THE WOOLSEY. A AFTER A TEN MONTH TOUR AS ASSISTANT GUNNERY OFFICER AT ATLANTIC RESERVE FLE3 IN CHARLES- TOXVN , S .C . , COMMANDER STEX'-'ART AT1'ENDED DUKE UNIVERSITN' AS A FIVE-TERM STUDENT . IN OCTQ- BER 1950 HE REPORTED ABOARD THE USS BUCK CDD-7612 AND SERVED AS OPERATIONS OPEICER AND LATER AS CUNNERY OFFICER UNTIL HE WAS DETACHED IN MARCH 1951 . HIS NEXT TOUR OF DUTY WAS ABOARD THE USS CHESTER T. O'BRIEN QDE-4215 I-.HERE HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND NAVICATOR . FROG! INIAY 1952 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 195-S HE V-'AS A X'1'EAPON:S INSTRUCTOR AND HE-XD OF WNEAPONS DE- Sf PARTMENT AT OCS, NEVJPORT, R. I. A TOUR A GENERAL LINE SCHOOL, MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA AS A STUDENT FOLLOVIED NEXT . IN JUNE 1955 COMMANDER STEWART REPORTEDASOARD T1-IE USS KNAPP QDD-6533? TO ASSUME DUTIES A AS THE SHIP'S EXECUTIVE OFFICER. THEN IN APRIL 1957 HE V-'AS TRANSFERRED TO FLEET' TRAINING GRGJP, PEARL HARBOR, X'-'HERE HE SERVED AS CUNNERYAND SEAMANSHIP DEPARTMENT HEAD. IN JULY 1959 COMMANDER STEV-'ART ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE USS I-IAMNER QDD-7185, COMMANDER STEWART 15 BIARRIED TO THE FORMER FLORA M INETFE TAYLOR. THEY HAVE TXYO DAUGH- TERS, PATRICIA ANN .AND LORI COMMANDER STEWART PRESENTLY RESIDES IN CHULA VIS-I-A' CALIFORNIA . COMMANDER STEX'-'ART'S DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION, GOOD CONDUCT II-Im ONE STAR, EUROPEAN THEATER X'-'ETH SEVEN STARS AND VARIOUS OTHER C.AMPAIcsN AND SERVICE MED-XLS .