Henry A Wiley (DM 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDER Robert E. Gadrow, U.S.N., was our first skipper, hav- ing placed the ship into commission on August 31, 1944. His career as an offi- cer of the United States Navy is a bril- liant one and under his leadership the development and efficiency of this crew is one of which he may be proud. Upon enlisting in the Navy in 1924 he served as a seaman .prior to entering the Naval Academy. Part of this time Was spent attending the Electrician Mate's School-at Norfolk. He graduated from the Academy and was commission- ed an ensign in 1930. His duties Were largely on battleships before studying engineering design in France and taking postgraduate courses in this country. Later he placed the U.S.S. O'Brien, DD-413, in commission as engineering officer before she was fatally torpedoed in the Pacific. Commander Gadrow then put the U.S.S. Isherwood, DD-520, in commission as the Commanding Offi- cer. This ship saw action in the Aleu- tian Islands during 1943 and 1944. After serving on the Isherwood he re- turned to the States and placed the Wiley eapz. .4 CAPT. H. J. Armstrong, U.S.N., Commander of Mine Division Eight, shifted his flag to the U.S.S. Henry A. Wiley on June 7, 1945, and re- Gamch. Qazhow in commission and was with us until March 17, 1945, having brilliantly com- manded this vessel through the battle of Iwo Jima. Commander Gadrow is now serving his tour of shore duty as inspector of naval machinery for the area around Hartford, Connecticut. mained aboard until September. The Commodore was in the Class of 1927 at the Academy and later served as Engineering Officer, Gunnery Offi- cer, Navigator, First Lieutenant and Executive Officer on such ships as the U. S. S. Colorado, U.S.S. Henshaw, U.S.S. Pruitt, U.S.S. Saratoga, U.S.S. Fairfax, and the U.S.S. Oklahoma. In 1941, he received his first command aboard the U.S.S. Waters, DD-115, pa- trolling the Pacific triangle from the West Coast to Pearl to Kiska. His sec- ond command Was the U.S.S. Spence, DD-512, which, after being placed in commission, became part of the famous Little Beaver Squadron in the South Pacific. Before Capt. Armstrong be- came Commander Mine Division Eight on May 4, 1945, he was the skipper of our sister ship, the U.S.S. Adams, DM- 27. 9 The Henry A. Wiley has been proud to fly the division pennant of Command- er Mine Division Eight and Will do its best to live up to the Commodore's opin- ion of this ship. Page nine

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Gamcfa. Ejafmafian COMMANDER P. H. Bjarnason en- listed in the regular Navy on May 27, 1930, as an apprentice seaman. After his boot training at San Diego Naval Training Center his first ship was the famous flattop, U.S.S. Saratoga. He al- so served as a seaman on the U.S.S. U UR executive officer, Lt. Command- er H. V. Sellers. Jr., entered the Naval Academy in 1936 after completing two years of school at the Young Harris College and one year of teaching. Up- on graduating from the academy on June 7, 1940, he served aboard the U.S.S. New Mexico for one year and a half af ter which he was transferred to the U S S Hughes DD 410 for a year and a half While on board the Hughes he earned seven battle stars for engage ments against the enemy in the Pacific as gun boss He then became Executive Officer and Senior Gunnery Instructor at Pearl Harbor s Fleet Gunnery and Torpedo School After serving there nine months he returned to the States where he was assigned the task of training this crew for the future conflicts with the enemy Since its commissioning Mr Sellers has capably served as Executive Officer Page eight Chaumont, one of the two Navy trans- ports at that time, the Ontario, a sta- tion ship at Samoa 5 and the U.S.S. Miss- issippi. In 1932 he received an appoint- ment to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1936. As an officer he served on the U.S.S. California, the U.S.S. Hamilton, the U.S.S. Bowditch, a Naval survey ship, and the U.S.S. Stockton on which he became executive officer. His first command was the U.S.S. Pruitt, DM-22, and later Commander of Mine Division One. Our captain took command of the Wiley on March 17, 1945, at Ulithi upon return of the ship from the Iwo cam- paign. Only one week later we shoved off for Okinawa and under the captain's capable leadership and fortitude the ship successfully came through the roughest campaign of Naval history. Commander Bjarnason is admired and respected by the crew not only for bring- ing us through the Okinawa campaign successfully but also for his warm in- terest in the welfare of each man aboard and his great sense of humor. With his two sons waiting for him it is easy to see why he is as anxious to return to the states as the rest of us. fl. Gomch. Selina aboard the Wiley through the Iwo J ima and Okinawa campaigns Q , - O I 0 , - , . . . , - . . 2 ' 0 . . - . I 5 I . 9 - ' ' ' o .

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Gapzbm all. U. Mckztbfzcka HMM Page ten za-1aey.waa.aMmafzza,1fWu,,f1. me., azzae -' ' eww, Captain Gadrow, Officers and men of the U.S.S. Henry A. Wiley: It gives me much pleasure to be here today, and to take part in the com- missioning of your fine ship for active fighting service. I am sure that you all are happy on this occasion and proud, too, proud of this fighting ship which you are the first crew to man. And you are prouder still that your ship will carry you into the battle line of our enemies-and you should be, for you are the fighting men of a fighting Navy. Your ship is a marvel of workmanship-the all-American product of everything that is known about modern Naval warfare. The best of our country has been put into its construction-brain and brawn and material, in order that the U.S.S. Henry A. Wiley might be a masterpiece. But splendid man-of-war as she is-without your help she is no fighter. You officers and men, as her crew, must make her that. The Navy ex- pects each one of you individually and all of you together as a tightly or- ganized, well-trained combat crew to get the most out of your ship. You must lose no moment in mastering assigned duties, and getting yourselves geared to each other as a team. In this ship you have been given the best means to strike' the enemy hard and swiftly, but you officers and men, as its fighting crew, must supply the initiative, courage and cool determin- ation that will allow your ship to deliver the fighting punch built into her. Your ship is named in honor of Admiral Henry Ariosto Wiley, USN, Ret., of the Class of 1888, who diedin 1943. His whole career is in the highest traditions of the Naval service. I am confident that you officers and men will do honor to his name and to the United States Navy. On behalf of the Commander-in-Chief, I welcome you to the Fleet and to active service. The best of luck and God's blessings to you all. H. V. MCKITTRICK Captain, U. S. Navy Acting Commandant New York Navy Yard