Hoel (DDG 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIP ' S HISTORY granddaughter of LCDR HOEL. The ship ' s overall length is 437 feet, her heam is 47 feet and she displaces 4500 tons. Twin steam turbine engines in the powerful engineering plant develop a total of 70,000 shaft horsepower and propel the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots. HOEL ' s variety of weapons systems testifies to the diversity of her mission capabilities. She is equipped with surface-to-air TARTAR guided missiles designed to destroy high speed altitude targets at a range exceeding 15 miles. She possess ' two automatic 5 54 guns which can deliver extremely accurate and rapid fire against air, land and waterbourne targets. In addition, the ASROC and homing torpedoes onboard are probably the most effective long and short range anti-submarine weapons in the fleet today. 320 officers and men make up the crew that keeps the ship ready and willing to meet all commitments. Following her commissioning in Boston on 16 June 1962, HOEL was assigned to the Navy ' s Pacific Fleet. Under the command of CDR A. W. SLIFFER, she arrived at her new homeport, San Diego, Ca lifornia in September 1962. After extensive new ship trials and exercises in the early part of 1963. she participated in the Naval Review for President Kennedy in June. In October she departed for the Western Pacific and her first deployment to the SEVENTH Fleet. Her first year in commission was celebrated by the winning of the E award for excellence in missilery. CDR G. P. PAVIS took command of the HOEL on 2 March 1964, the month prior to the ship ' s return to WESTPAC. HOEL wrapped up 1964 by winning the coveted COMCRUDESPAC Battle Efficiency E for overall excellence in battle exercises. March of 1965 saw the ship ' s second deployment; she returned in September and the next month entered Hunter ' s Point Naval Shipyard for her six month yard overhaul. CDR T. E. GROVES became the new CO. on 29 October 1965. Following refresher training. HOEL deployed for the third time in Julv of 1966, returning to the states in February of 1967. On 25 October 1967, CDR R. K. FONTAINE assumed command and took her to WESTPAC in December. Continuing her tradition of professional competence, the ship won the overall Battle Efficiency E again in 1967, along with E awards in missilery and engineering. The ship returned from deployment in June of 1968 and in September went to Hunter ' s Point for another yard period, but not before winning the anti-submarine warfare A for 1968. After refresher training, HOEL made a deployment in September of 1969, under the command of CDR P. A. ASMUS who took over on 4 September. During the first part of the deployment, the ship represented the United States at New Zealand ' s celebration of the 200th anniversary of her discovery by Captain James COOK. The proud legacy of the name HOEL was vividly recalled in October 1969 when the present HOEL passed over the precise spot where the DD-533 had gone down exactly 25 years before, to the day. The ship returned to the states in March of 1970, bringing with her the ASW A for the second year in a row, and E s for excellence in missilery, gunnery and engineering. After participating in the 1970 Pacific Midshipman Squadron. HOEL departed for her sixth deployment to WESTPAC in November of 1970. The seven month cruise was concluded in May 1971 with a visit to Australia, and the arrival of a new commanding officer, CDR T. J. BOWEN. Shortly after her return to the United States HOEL entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a five month overhaul. Extensive modifications were made to the Missile Systems and radar equipment. The engineering plant was converted to use the new clean burning Navy Distillate fuel. HOEL completed the overhaul in Mid-December 1971 and returned to her homeport of San Diego. Another banner year in a proud history was concluded when it was announced for the second year in a row HOEL had once again been awarded the Battle Efficiency E for overall performance and another clean sweep of all departmental excellence awards. This was the third consecutive year in Engineering and the fourth in ASW. Commencing the year 1972 inport in San Diego, the HOEL conducted upkeep and Refresher Training in the Southern California operating areas until 13 June when she departed for the Western Pacific with COMDESRON 21 embarked. Arriving in Pearl Harbor on 19 June, CDR Roger L. COFFEY relieved CDR Thomas J. BOWEN as Commanding Officer. Departing Pearl Harbor 21 June enroute to Subic Bay, R.P., HOEL arrived on 6 July and remained for voyage repairs until 8 July when she departed for the Republic of Vietnam. HOEL commenced her first line period of the 1972 deployment on 10 July. Providing off-shore gunfire support, the HOEL participated in over 325 Naval gunfire missions and fired over 13,000 rounds during her 113 days of combat operations. On 31 December, HOEL was enroute to San Diego via Midway Island and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. HOEL arrived in San Diego on 13 January 1973 after a seven-month deployment, during which the ship took part in the most extensive destroyer combat operations since WWII. For meritorious achievement, during operations in Southeast Asia, the HOEL received the Meritorious Unit Commendation. On 12 February, the HOEL commenced a tender and DATC availability and during this period began equipment installation for CNO project HIP POCKET II and CNO project Active Standard Missile . During the week of 2-7 April the ship conducted operations on the Pacific Missile Range for CNO Missile Project, culminating in the first successful firing of the Active Standard Missile at a surface target more than 20 miles away. On 25 June, HOEL departed San Diego for Hawaii as part of the 1973 Midship man Training Program, returning 28 July to San Diego and spending the remainder of the year in upkeep and tender availability. Twelve days into 1974 Commander Robyn M. CAMPBELL, Jr. relieved CDR R. L. COFFEY as HOEL ' s Commanding Officer. Then, after completing all required training and exercises the HOEL departed San Diego on 1 February for WESTPAC. During the next six months, HOEL conducted intelligence surveillance operations, plane guard, multi-ship combat systems readiness exercises and ASW operations. The HOEL visited such ports as Subic Bay, Sasebo, Hong Kong, and Yokosuka before stopping in Pearl Harbor on her return trip to San Diego, arriving home on 1 August. The remainder of 1974 spent inport San Diego or operating in Southern California operating areas. The HOEL commenced 1975 inport in San Diego for holiday leave and upkeep. On 6 January, HOEL was towed to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for the start of an extensive overhaul of the main propulsion plant and improvements in other key areas. On 4 February the ship entered drydock and later in the month the HOEL was utilized in a television pilot program. Columbia Pictures-TV Studios filmed portions of a proposed series for ABC-TV entitled The Last Detail with many HOELMEN selected as extras. Spring and summer work consisted of extensive work on the propulsion system, weapons systems, and the installation of SITE closed Circuit television, air conditioning units, and electronic communications equipment. On 1 July HOEL became a unit of the Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet, formed by the merger of Cruiser-Destroyer forces and amphibious forces of the Pacific Fleet. Following the extensive yard work and sea trials, the HOEL departed Long Beach on 13 November and changed homeport to San Diego the following day. In doing so, HOEL established a new record overhaul time of 10 months and one week, the shortest overhaul period ever recorded by a member of the DDG-2 class ships on the West Coast. On 12 December CDR Milton JACKSON, Jr. relieved CDR Robyn M. CAMPBELL as Commanding Officer. Commander JACKSON came to HOEL from an assignment with the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington. D.C. Spring of 1976 saw the HOEL complete a successful Refresher Training followed by preparations for MTT and OPPE. With another WESTPAC cruise scheduled for fall 1976, the HOEL is undergoing extensive engineering testing and training as well as the numerous pre-deployment inspections. The eight month cruise is expected to take the HOEL to such countries as Australia, the Philippines, and Japan.

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« L is it USS HOEL (DDG-13) The Guided Missile Destroyer USS HOEL (DDG-13) is named tor Lieutenant Commander William R. HOEL, a naval hero during the Civil War. As the pilot of the Union gunboat CARONDELET, he braved the fire of the Confederate fortifications at Island Number Ten to provide the North with strategic control of much of the Mississippi River; this move is recognized as one of the turning points of the war. The HOEL is not the first ship to bear that distinguished name, however. The first HOEL (DD-533), a 376 foot long destroyer commissioned in 1943, was sunk during the crucial World War II battle of Samar on October 25, 1944. The gallant ship went down with gun mounts still firing, in a successful attempt to prevent a Japanese battleship force from destroying a vulnerable U. S. escort carrier group. Only a handful of survivors, including her commanding officer, remained to proudly display the Presidential Unit Citation awarded for conspicuous valor. The present HOEL was launched at Bay City. Michigan in August 1960 under the sponsorship of Mrs. Harry H. Long, a

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COMMANDING OFFICER CDR MILTON JACKSON, JR. USN Commander Milton JACKSON, Jr., enlisted in the Navy as a seaman recruit in December 1948. Upon completing recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois, he attended aviation ordnanceman school at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Memphis, Tennessee. He subsequently advanced to Aviation Ordnanceman First Class (AOl) and served with two aviation squadrons. In 1951, he was selected to attend the Navy ' s first guided missile school at Point Mugu, California. His rating was then changed to Aviation Guided Missileman First Class (GF1) .... In 1956 while serving on board the FORRESTAL, he was selected for promotion to Chief Petty Officer. He then attended the advanced aviation electronic school at Memphis followed by a tour of duty with Guided Missile Unit- 11 at Chincoteague, Virginia. While at Chincoteague, Chief Petty Officer JACKSON applied for and was selected for Vice Admiral James HOLLOWAY, IPs, Seaman to Admiral Program . Upon graduation from Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1958, Chief Petty Officer JACKSON was commissioned as an Ensign and assigned to the guided missile cruiser, USS CANBERRA (CAG-2), where he served as Anti- Airwarfare Control Officer. This assignment was followed by tours aboard USS WITEK (EDD-848) and the newly constructed frigate, USS GRIDLEY (DLG-21). His first shore tour assignment was in 1964 at the Fleet Anti-Airwarfare Training Center (FAAWTC). San Diego, where he was a Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) instructor. In 1967, he returned to sea on board the USS FOX (DLG-33) as Weapons Officer, followed by an Executive Officer tour on board the guided missile destroyer, USS LYNDE McCORMICK (DDG-8). In April 1971, Commander JACKSON commenced his second shore tour at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, followed by assignments with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) and the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS), before being assigned as the Commanding Officer of the USS HOEL (DDG-13). He will be reporting to Headquarters, Naval Recruiting Command, Washington, D.C. Commander JACKSON is married to the former Rhoda Crawley of Cambridge, Maryland. With their daughter, Rhonda, they plan to make their home in the state of Virginia.