Iwo Jima (LPH 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN LEONARD E. HARMON UNITED STATES NAVY Captain Harmon, a native of Cranston, R. I. , and a l938 grad- uate of the Naval Academy, first served aboard the aircraft carrier SARATOGA as an Ensign. He lat- er reported to the Pensacola, Flo- rida, Naval Air Station for train- ing as a pilot. After completing flight training, he was assigned to Patrol Squadron 31, later redes- ignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 105, where he served as Commu- nications, Flight, Executive, and finally, Commanding Officer. In june of l945, Captain Har- mon returned to the Naval Academy serving as an instructor until 1946, when he entered Post-Graduate School. He subsequently received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering and later attained the professional degree of , Aeronautical Engineer. Ccpfaln Horrnon Captain Harmon has served as Bureau of Aeronautics Represent- ative in Burbank, California, and as Operations Officer of the escort aircraft carrier BADOENG STRAIT. From August to December of 1953, he had temporary duty aboard the French aircraft carrier BOIS BELLEAU as Operations Officer of a Navy Mobile Training Unit. His next assignment was with Commander Carrier Division l7 until October of 1955, when he was ordered to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as a member of the Intelligence Division. From March 1956 to june 1958, Captain Harmon commanded the Naval Air Reserve Training Unit, Anacostia, D. C. and later became Commanding Officer of Fleet Air Tactical Support Squadron 24. He then commanded the attack cargo ship RANKIN before becoming Commander, Airborne Early Warning Wing, Atlantic. Among his numerous service medals and decorations, Captain Harmon wears the Distinguished Flying Cross with gold star, Bronze Star Medal with V and gold star, Air Medal with three gold stars, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, Russian Order of Glory fthird classjg Navy Unit Commendationg American Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars, the World War II Victor Med 1' d bronze stars. y a , an the Korean Service Medal with three

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At 10:15 on 23 February, a patrol from F Company, Second Battalion, under command of Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, fought its way to the top of Mt. Suribachi. In the midst of a hot firefight, Schrier and five of his men raised the Stars and Stripes to signal that their objective had been gained. This bit of drama served to inspire Americans for the rest of the war and was indelibly inscribed by photographer joe Rosenthal's classic photo- graph. Fighting continued until 16 March before Iwo Jima was secured. 4,590 Americans gave their lives, and more than 20,000 japanese were killed in the bloody battle. The conquest of Iwo jima led to the eventual surrender of japan. Americans will never forget the valorous deeds and heroism that took place on that small island in the Pacific early in the spring of 19451 and the USS IWO JIMA is a living monument to that epic struggle. The Ship The IWO IIMA was launched on 17 September 1960 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, and commissioned there on 26 August 1961. She first entered. her home port of San Diego on 11 November 1961 and began intensive training to marry ship and crew into a combat-ready unit. In April of 1962, the IWO JIMA was deployed to the central Pacific to participate in the nuclear tests conducted by joint Task Force Eight. The ship returned from this assignment in August to prepare for its first WESTPAC deployment. On the 17th of October, the IWO jIMA,departed San Diego for Pearl Harbor on the first leg of its journey to the Western Pacific. In mid-ocean she was directed to return to San Diego where she was hastily loaded with elements of the First Marine Division and departed for Cuban waters with other units of Amphibious Group Three. The Panama Canal was transited in early November. After long days on station and ready for any eventuality, the Cuban Crisis was resolved and IWO entered Guantanamo Bay to load additonal Marines and equipment for the long trip back to San Diego. An interim overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in May-june of 1963 was followed by intensive refresher and amphibious training in the San Diego area. On 30 August 1963, the IWO HMA departed San Diego for her first deployment with the SEVENTH Fleet. 4.,Lf?1T-..'..,,v . 4.4:-4' f Mm 'Wham iii

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COMMANDER ALBIN MARN UNITED STATES NAVY When Commander Marn first re- ported in june 1963, as Executive Officer of the USS lWO JIMA , he brought with him a record of dis- fgjx tinguished Naval service. J.--in He was commissioned on December 16, 1943 at Corpus Christi Texas , and underwent operational training in the F4F Wildcat fighter at Sanford, Florida. In March of 1944 he joined Fighter Squadron Four for a tour of combat duty flying the F6F Hellcat from the aircraft carriers BUNKER HILL and ESSEX. For his own performance during com- bat, Commander Marn was twice awarded the Air Medal. Fighter Squadron 4 was awarded the Pres- idential Unit Citation twice while he was attached. Following the war , Commander Marn served in VF-2E until 1947. I-Ie attended Ohio State University COn1I'nQndel' MQ fn from 1947 through 1949. During the following six years , he was enrolled in a succession of Navy training schools, flew TBMS for VS-22 out of Norfolk, Virginia, and served as Assistant C. 1. C. Officer aboard the USS TARAWA. In December of 1955, Commander Marn reported to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, for duty as Executive Officer of VA-72, the first A4D squadron to be formed in the Navy. From 1957 to 1959 he was assigned to instructor duty with the jet Transitional Unit at Olathe, Kan- sas. Five months in the A3D Replacement Air Group at Whidbey Island, Washington, pre- pared him for duty with VAH-4. He served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the squadron, and as Officer-in-Charge of Detachments Charlie and Lana during the years of 1960-1962. In 1961, VA1-I-4, Detachment Lana , conducted the first in-flight refueling of the F4H fighter during the Bendix Trophy Race from Ontario, California to Floyd Bennet Field in New York. All five aircraft were successfully refueled and one went on to set a new cross-country speed record. From june 1962 through May 1963, Commander Marn was Commanding Officer of Heavy Attack Squadron 4.