Indra (ARL 37) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 8 text:

LCDR LOREN H. COBE EXECUTIVE OFFICER f IJ LT. FLETCHER L. BLACKSTOCK REPAIR Ct 9 LT. BERT R. WEBSTER SUPPLY LT. RONALD A. VALLEE ENGINEERING LTJG. ROGER W. ECK OPERATIONS

Page 7 text:

' J 7 • After conducting successful dock, bay, sea, and INSURV trials in the San Francisco Bay area, INDRA departed Mare Island on February 7, 1968, enroute to her designated home port of San Diego, arriving trfere on February 10. On March 15, after completion of three weeks of shakedown training exercises, INDRA was determined to be combat ready Although it was originally intended that INDRA remain in the San Diego area as an Amphibious Force repair facility afloat, a requirement arose in March, 1968, for the services of an additional Landing Craft Repair Ship in Southeast Asia. On April 1, 1968, INDRA deployed to the Republic of Vietnam to fulfill this requirement, arriving May 8 at the Port of Vung Tau. The following day INDRA made a ten mile transit up the narrow Song Dinh River and took up a four-point moor offshore of the Naval Support Activity Detachment at Cat Lo, where she immediately began the execution of her unique assigned mission, the activation of river assault craft for the expanding Mobile Riverine Force. INDRA remained at Cat Lo until June 1 1, when she transited the Long Tau River to Naval Support Detachment at Nha Be to meet an urgent Mobile Riverine Force requirement for a ship to support riverine combat operations in the area of the Rung Sat Special Zone. Relieved of this task on June 17 by the USS WINDHAM COUNTY, INDRA returned once more to her four-point moor at Cat Lo and reassumed her primary mission. On October 15, 1968, after having activated and sent into combat over seventy Armored Troop Carriers, Monitors, Assault Support Patrol Boats, and Communication Command Boats, and after having provided Mobile Riverine Force ships and craft with numerous battle damage repairs and other miscellaneous repair services, INDRA completed her mission in RVN and departed Cat Lo for her return trip to CONUS. After making port calls at Hong Kong, Yokosuka, and Pearl Harbor, INDRA arrived in San Diego on December 4, marking the end of an eight-month deploy USS INDRA is presently under the operational control of Comma ' U.S. Pacific Fleet, and the administrative control of Co ' jadron ONE. The fourth ship of her type to be placed .-,ion, INDf- Craft Repair Ship in the Amphibious Force, and while m CONUS she provid- support services for landing craft and small boats of PHIBPAC

Page 9 text:

LTJG. FRANK G. SCHUSTER FIRST LIEUTENANT LTJG. ROBERT M JOHNSTON COMMUNICATIONS y LTJG PATRICK J McCORMICK DAMAGE CONTROL 1 V LTJG. GEOf DISBURSING f CWO-2 DAVID J. LITTLE MACHINERY REPAIR i lt f , J— .. WOT JAMES M COOLEY HULL REPAIR