Holland (AS 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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DOUGLAS NEIL SYVERSON WAS BORN IN TOLEDO, OHIO, ON APRIL 2, 1916, SON OF AUGUST AND GENEVIEVE MARGARET SYVERSON. HE ATTENDED SHATTUCK MILITARY ACADEMY IN FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA, AND ENTERED THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, ON APPOINTMENT FROM MICHIGAN ON JUNE 28, 1935. HE WAS GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE OF BACHELOR OR SCIENCE AND COMMISSIONED ENSIGN IN THE U.S. NAVY ON JUNE 1, 1939, AND THROUGH SUBSEQUENT AD- VANCEMENT ATTAINED THE RANK OF CAPTAIN, TO DATE FROM AUGUST 1, 1957. AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN 1939 HE SERVED FROM JUNE UNTIL DECEM- BER AS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER OF THE USS PENNSYLVANIA.HE THEN HAD A YEAR9S GUNNERY DUTY ON BOARD THE USS KENNISON, A RECOMMISSIONED DESTROYER, AND FOUR MONTHS DUTY AS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER OF THE USS AUGUSTA, A CRUISER BEING OVERHAULED AT THE MARE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, NAVY YARD, AND FROM APRIL 23, 1941, FLYING THE FLAG OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, U.S. ATLANTIC FLEET. DETACHED IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR, HE HAD IN- STRUCTION AT THE NAVY S SUBMARINE SCHOOL, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, FROM WHICH HE WAS DETACHED IN AUGUST FOR DUTY AT SEA. REPORTING TO THE USS SEAWOLF IN SEPTEMBER 1941, HE WAS SERVING AS GUNNERY AND TOR- PEDO ,OFFICER OF THAT SUBMARINE AT MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON DECEMBER 7, LATER BECOMING HER EXECUTIVEOFFICER WHILE SHE WAS OPERATING IN THE PACIFIC WAR AREA. ' ' FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AS TORPEDO AND GUNNERY OFFICER OF THE USS SEAWOLF DURING SEVEN AGRESSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL WAR PATROLS. . .M HE WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR MEDAL. THE CITATION FURTHER STATES: DURING THE LAST, WHILE IN CONTACT WITH ENEMY JAPANESE IN THE GULF OF DAVAO, MIN- DANAO, ON NOVEMBER 2, 3 AND 8, 1942, LIEUTENANT SYVERSON, BY MAKING POSSIBLE EFFECTIVE DISCHARGE OF BATTLESHIP TORPEDOES WHICH HAD NOT BEEN FIRED FOR TWENTY-THREE YEARS, ENABLED THESEAWOLF TO SINK ONE HOSTILE FREIGHTER TRANSPORT OF 9,310 TONS AND INFLICT SEVERE DAMAGE UPON ANOTHER. HIS CONSCIENTIOUS DEVOTION TO DUTY AND COOL PROFICIENCY UNDER FIRE WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE. HE WAS AWARDED A GOLD STAR IN LIEU OF THE SECOND SILVER STAR MEDAL FOR SERVICE AS ASSISTANT APPROACH OFFICER OF THE USS SEAWOLF, DURING THE TWELFTH WAR PATROL OF THAT VESSEL IN ENEMY-INFESTED WATERS FROM DECEMBER 12, 1943, TO JANUARY 27, 1944 . . .H THE CITATION' STATES THAT HE ' ' RENDERED INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO HIS COMMANDING OF- FICER IN SINKING FOUR ENEMY SHIPS TOTALLING 24,000 TONS AND IN DAMAGING THREE ADDITIONAL VESSELS DESPITE SEVERE HOSTILE COUNTERMEASURES. . .M HE IS ALSO ENTITLED TO THE RIBBON AND STAR FOR THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATIONS AWARDED THE USS SEAWOLF FOR HEROIC SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR II, THE FIRST FOR THAT SUBMARINE'S FOURTH WAR PATROL FROM FEBRUARY 15 TO MARCH 7, 1942, THE NEXT FOR HER SEVENTH WAR PATROL FROM OCTOBER 7 TO DECEMBER 1, 1942. FROM FEBRUARY 1944UNTIL JUNE 1945 HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE USS SEA FOX, AND IN THAT CAPACITY PARTICIPATED IN THE ASSAULT AND OCCUPATION OF IWO JIMA AN-D OKI- NAWA IN FEBRUARY-MARCH 1945 AND FROM MARCH TO JUNE 1945, RESPECTIVELY. DURING THE LATTER MONTHS OF THE WAR HE HAD COMMAND OF THE USS THRESHER, ASSUMING COMMAND IN JUNE AND BEING DETACHED IN DECEMBER 1945. IN JANUARY 1946 HE RETURNED TO THE SUBMARINE BASE, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, TO SERVE UNTIL MAY 1948 ON THE STAFF OF THE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE SUBMARINE SCHOOL. HE THEN ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE USS SEA ROBIN, WHICH HE COMMANDED UNTIL JULY 1950. DURING THAT' PERIOD THE SEA ROBIN WON THE MARJORIE STERRETT AWARD FOR THE OUTSTAND- ING SHIP IN THE U.S. ATLANTIC FLEET. UPON HIS DETACHMENT FROM THE SEA ROBIN HE RE- PORTED TOATHE ARMED FORCES STAFF COLLEGE, NORFOLK, VA., FOR INSTRUCTION, AFTER WHICH FROM JANU.ARY 1951 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 19.53 HE SERVED AS AIDE AND FLAG SECRETARY ON THE STAFF OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, ATLANTIC FLEET. FROM OCTOBER 1953 UNTIL JUNE 1955 HE SERVED AS OPERATIONS OFFICER ON THE STAFF OF COMMANDER SUBMARINE SOUADRON 6, AND FOR TWO YEARS THEREAFTER HAD SHORE DUTY IN THE BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL, NAVY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C., HIS ASSIGNMENT BEING HEAD OF THE SUBMARINE DETAIL DESK. 'IN JULY 1957 HE ASSUMED COMMAND OF SUBMARINE DI- VISION 71, AND AFTER A YEAR IN THAT COMMAND HAD ANOTHER YEAR AT SEA AS OPERATIONS OFFICER ON THE STAFF OF THE COMMANDER SUBMARINE FORCE, PACIFIC FLEET. IN JULY 1959 HE RETURNED TO THE NAVY DEPARTMENT FOR DUTY IN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS AS LOGISTICS GROUP,BUDGET AND PROGRAMS COORDINATOR, MATERIAL DIVISION, LATER BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE OFFICE OF ASSISTANT CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR GENERAL PLANNING. IN ADDITION TO THE SILVER STAR MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR, THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION WITH STAR AND THE ARMY UNIT CITATION'BADGE IFOR SERVICE IN THE PHILIPPINES AT THE OUT- BREAK OF WORLD WAR III CAPTAIN SYVERSON HAS THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE M-EDALS ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH ENGAGEMENT STARS3 WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL? NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL, EUROPE CLASP5 THE NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDALS THE PHILIPPINE DEFENSE, LIBERATION AND INDEPENDENCE RIBBONS3 AND THE SUBMARINE COM- BAT INSIGNIA WITH TWELVE STARS. CAPTAIN SYVERSON'S HOME TOWN IS MAROUETTE, MICHIGAN. HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER HOPE FURLONG OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, AND THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN, CADANCE HOPE AND PETER DONALD.

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19lTZIllgg'N ffcg.FBAERi:-1'-ALJEIAIAIZAIZSTBEOCRLNA IEIBQIQMAQCA, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, ON JULY 3, I ESHANY. HE ENTERED THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, ON JUNE 7, 1934. WHILE A MIDSHIPMAN HE PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS IBOXING, SOCCER, TRACK AND LACROSSEI, ESTABLISHED AND WAS FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLUB, AND WAS A BATTALION SUB-COMMANDER. HE WAS GRADUATED AND COMMISSIONED ENSIGN ON JUNE 2, 1938 AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADVANCED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN, TO DATE FROM JULY 1, 1956. FOLLOWING GRADUATION IN JUNE 1938, HE JOINED THE USS PHILADELPHIA AND SERVED IN THAT SHIP AS A JUNIOR OFFICER UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1940. HE THEN REPORT- ED TO THE SUBMARINE BASE AT NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT FOR INSTRUCTION IN SUBMARINES, AND IN DECEMBER, 1940, WAS DETACHED FOR DUTY IN THE SUBMARINE S-14. DURING THE EARLY PERIOD OF WORLD WAR II, HE REPORTED TO THE SUBMARINE SCAMP AND SERVED IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES INCLUDING EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UNTIL JULY 1944. FOR HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN SCAMP, CAPTAIN BESHANY WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR MEDAL, A GOLD STAR IN LIEU OF A SECOND SILVER STAR MEDAL AND THE BRONZE STAR WITH COMBAT UPON RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES IN JULY 1944, CAPTAIN BESHANY WAS ORDERED TO THE SUBMARINE QUILLBACK AT PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE. 'FROM HER COMMISSIONING IN JANUARY 1945, THROUGHOUT THE REMAINING WAR PERIOD, HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PARTICIPATED IN THE INITIAL ASSAULT' AND OCCUPATION OF OKINAWA FROM MARCH TO JUNE 1945. IN AUGUST 1945, HE WAS AS- SIGNED AS COMMANDING OFFICER OF A PRIZE CREW, AND AS A MEMBER OF THE LAND- ING PARTY AT TOKYO BAY, JAPAN. HE TOOK PART IN THE LANDING AT YOKOSUKA ON AUGUST 28, 1945, AND WAS PRESENT FOR THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. CAPTAIN BESHANY LATER PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMISSIONING OF THE U.S. SUBMARINE BASE, YOKOSUKA, HONSHU, AND HAD TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT AS COMMAND- ING OFFICER OF THE I-386.1 IN OCTOBER, 1945, HE WAS SELECTED TO COMMAND THE SUBMARINE BILLFISH, AND REMAINED HER COMMANDING OFFICER UNTIL JUNE, 1946. INSTRUCTION AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, ANNAPOLIS, AND THE SUBMARINE SCHOOL, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, PRECEDED HIS COMMAND OF THE SUBMARINES BURRFISH AND AMBERJACK. HE THEN SERVED AS ENGINEER AND RE- PAIR OFFICER OF THE SUBMARINE BASE, NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT UNTIL JULY 1954, WHEN HE WAS ORDERED AS THE PROSPECTIVE COMMANDING OFFICER INSTRUCTOR ON THE STAFF OF THE SUBMARINE SCHOOL, NEW LONDON. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, CAPTAIN BESHANY RETURNED TO SEA AND SERVED AS COM- MANDER OF SUBMARINE DIVISION 101. FROM AUGUST 1955, TO SEPTEMBER- 1957, HE BE- CAME A MEMBER OF THE STAFF OF THE COMMANDER SUBMARINE FORCE,-U.S. ATLANTIC FLEET, WHERE HE SERVED AS TACTICAL AND TRAINING OFFICER. CAPTAIN BESHANY WAS THEN ORDERED TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND SERVED AS HEAD OF THE PLANNING AND CO- ORDINATING SECTION, SURFACE TYPE WARFARE DIVISION, UNTIL AUGUST, 1959. HE ATTENDED THE INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. UNTIL JUNE, 1960, AND THEN COMMANDED THE FLEET OILER SALAMONIE. IN SEPTEMBER, 1961 CAPTAIN BESHANY RETURNED TO SUBMARINES AND ASSUMED COM- MAND OF SUBMARINE SQUADRON FOUR, BASED AT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. IN AUGUST, 1962, HE BECAME CHIEF OF STAFF AND AIDE TO THE DEPUTY COMMANDER SUBMARINE FORCE, U.S.ATLANTIC FL.EET.HE SERVED IN THAT POST UNTIL SEPTEMBER, 1963, WHEN HE WAS SELECTED TO COMMAND FLEET BALLISTIC MISSILE SUBMARINE SOUADRON SIxTEEN. HE ASSUMED THAT COMMAND AT CEREMONIES IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA ON 28 OCTOBER 1963. CAPTAIN BESHANY WAS SELECTED AND PROMOTED TO REAR ADMIRAL EFFECTIVE 8 AU GUST 1964.