Harlan County (LST 1196) - Naval Cruise Book

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I.u uii ii.iiit ( oimiiaiiJcr Ktmicr aitcndcil Officer ( andidaie School upon graduation from the University of Illinois and served in numerous ships and afloat staffs both in the Atlantic and Pacific Meets. He is a graduate of the I. ' . S. Naval Destroyer School, U. S. Naval )iar C olle e and received a Masters of Science Degree in International Relations from tieorpe Washing- ton University. ( ommander Reader and his wife live in Virginia Beach with their children Meth. Amv Jo, and John. ( DK KOHI K I J. Kl ADi 1 Executive Officers I ( DK (.corjic W. eend, Ir. w.is bom in Mobile, M.ibama. He attended Notre Dame University when In reieiveil .i degree in sociology and an ROIC commission in the Unites .States Navy. I,( DR ' eend served aboard minesweepers, l.PD ' s, and as Chief Staff Officer prior to serving on board HAKl.AN ( OUNTV. lU is married to the fornu r Inula l.ightcap and has five chil- dren. l.( DR Yeend also has Ins pilot ' s license. I I DK .l DKc.l U. I 1 I ND.jK.

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Commanding Officer COMMANOl-R R. R. THOMAS, USN Commander Ronald R. Thomas was born in Spokane, Washington. He attended grade school and high school in Spokane and he attended the University of Idaho as an NROTC C ontract student. I ' pon grad- uating and commissioning in 1959, he served as Enlisted Personnel Officer on the Headquarters, Thir- teenth .Naval District Reserve .Supplement Staff. From September 1962 to December 1964, he served on board L ' SS Rli.WlLLK (.■ P. ' 22 ' ) as . mphibious Boat Group Commander and Navigator. .Augmentation to the U. S. Navy occurred in 1963. During calendar year 1965, Commander Thomas served as Navigator on board L ' SS PREBLE (DLG 15). In January 1966, he assumed duties as Operations Officer of USS SHIELDS (DD 596). In .March 19 0, following a period of instruction at Naval Postgraduate School, he was assigned to the Headquarters, U. S. Military . ' Assistance Command Thailand Joint LI. S. Military Advisory Group Thailand Staff where he served as Anti-Submarine Warfare .Advisor to the Royal Thai Navy. In November 19 1, Commander Thomas assumed duties as Executive Officer of USS CAYUGA (LST 1186). Before being detailed to assume command of USS HARLAN COUNTY, Commander Thomas completed a two-year tour with the Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force, Pacific (( TF 130) Staff where he performed duties as Recovery Operations Officer- and Assistant Project Officer for the recovery of the astronauts and command modules of the Skylab I and Apollo Soyuz Project missions, respectively. ( ommander Thomas is not married. He has two children by a previous marriage.

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During Our Six Months in the Med, the Golden Gator ' ' did a Great Many Things Like Amphibious Operations . • • • I.VT launch Porto Scudo (Dec 76) Photo by EM3 White ' ' Sp - -:««fltit . .irsr Manning the Uavc Guide Boat (Carboneras, Spain April 77) IU« (Morehcad City N.L.. May 77) L ' .l ' ;ii.i;i ;. HI . ' uui .-.u Ml ( .uik.i l.ir Mar 77j Photo by 11 I 3 Griemann