Josephus Daniels (DLG 27) - Naval Cruise Book

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NAVY TIMES JANUARY 22, 1%9 Unitas— Goodwill With Neighbors NORFOLK — For the past nine years in the summer and fall, the Niivv has conducted its own hemispheric good neighbor effort — a 3V-;-month goodwill and operations cruise called Operation Unitas — circum- navigating South America. The 1968 renewal — Operation Unitas IX — found three surface ships, one submarine and three air- craft travehng more than 15,000 miles, visiting a dozen ports in seven countries and operating with the ships and aircraft of five South American navies in ASW and con- voy escort maneuvers Taking part were the guided missile frigate Josephus Daniels, destroyer Demato, destroyer escort McCloy, submarine Chopper, two planes from Patrol Squadron 18. a transport from Fleet Tactical Sup- port Squadron 1 and a drone de- tachment from Fleet Composite Squadron 6. THE EIGHT South American countries that have traditionally participated in Unit.TS — .Argentina, Brazil. ::oIombia. Chile, Ecuador, Peru. Uruguay and Venezuela — have a combined coastline of more than 12.000 miles These countries depend heavily upon sea and river- borne commerce and more than 90 percent of the products they ex- port and import ' ravels by sea. The Unitas operations included exercises with the navies of Argen- tina, Brazil. Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela Port calls also were made by task force elements at Punta Arenas and Valparaiso, Chile, and at Willcmstad. Curacao In overall command was Rear Adm. James A Dare, Commander, South Atlantic Force. Although Dare retained ultimate control, day-by day command often was shifted to South American com- manders. For the first time in the history of Unitas. Brazilian and Colombian units, including the Brazilian air- craft carrier Minas Gerais joined the U.S. Navy ships at San .Juan. P.R.. ComSoLant headquarters, while Argentine, Ecuadorian and Venezuelan units rendezvoused at points on their own coastline. TOURS o ' ' H . -lii ' lng ships drow a crovd Whtn the Unitas ships put into f;;-;i Here, citi- zens of Cartoi .-.a. Colombia, ore introduced to ' i Terncr mis- sile aboard the guided missile frigate Josephus Daniels. In many of the operational phases, U.S. Navy units were great- ly outnumbered by the South American forces. From Cartagena, Colombia, to La Guaira, Vene- zuela, this was the case. A task force of 14 ships from Brazil. Co- lombia and Venezuela operated to- gether for four days Only four of the 14 ships were from the U.S. Navy. ON THE OTHER hand, 12 of 17 ships were U.S. when Brazilian, Venezuelan and US. Unitas task force vessels were joined off Brazil by the aircraft carrier Randolph and the nuclear submarine Gato. together with five destroyers and an oiler, all of Hunter Killer Force, Atlantic. Unitas IX was one of those operations that seem to beget statistics. As an example, the Josephus Daniels became the largest U S, warship ever to nego- tiate the English Narrows, a snak- ing inland course through the Andes foothills beyond the Strait of Magellan ' s western terminus. In another instance, the first South Atlantic Force change of command ceremony ever held out- side command headquarters was conducted at La Guaira. Venezuela, as Rear Adm Dare relieved Rear Adm Frederick J. Harlfinger II. Navy aircraft attached to the operation performed a variety of tasks, including support sorties for antisubmarine maneuvers and the transport of the Unitas Show Band to cities and towns through- out the jungles and mountains of the continent. THE SHOW BAND is the facet of Unitas perhaps best known to the avera.ge South American, be- cause it reaches the most people, in places as far removed from the sea as the high Andes of Bolivia and the jungles of the Amazon basin. The roup, formed by its direc- tor, CWO Frank Forgione. has ac- companied everv Unitas tour since then, expanding over the years to its present 25 men The band criss- crosses the continent by bus and plane while the task force sails around it. Last year, in 117 davs. the band traveled almost 25.000 miles and visited 80 cities in 12 countries, performing in Surinam and Northern Brazil for the first time. The shows, conducted in Spanish or Portuguese and feeturing every- thing from sambas to Dixieland drew thousands of people to live concerts and millions more via TV and radio. In the audience are al- ways many regulars who come to see the band every year. The longest in port period of the cruise was at Rio de Janeiro, where the Daniels spent 14 days. In fact, because of tlie large num- y er of stops, the total period tied up or at anchor amounted to almost 50 percent of the cruise for the U.S. vessels. Several ports played host to only one or two guest ships, which served to rep- resent the task force. Unitas cruises, because of their international nature, are deeply involved with good will and public relations efforts, so that in port activities are numerous and varied. SIGHTSEEING IS A MUST for the Unites sailors and they take advantage of the opportunitle AT LEFT, U.S. and Brazilian tourists meet beneath Candangos, the famed bronze by Brun Giorgi In Brasilia. In the background is the Palacio de Planalto which houses the nation ' s exec utive offices, congress and supreme court. AT RIGHT, sailors visiting Rio de Janeiro scan fd city and bay from a midway station on the cable car ride up Sugarloaf Mountain (in background There were wreath layings, recep- tions, parades and press confer- ences. Athletic contests pitted U.S. teams against South American navies in such sports as basketball, soccer and softb U. General visit- ing programs permitted port citi- zens to tour Navy ships, while in return, many Unitas men paid visits to area homes. Free or low cost tours also were arranged to such places as Cartagena, Co- lombia ' s old Spanish forts and Brazil ' s daring new capital, Bra- silia. Goodwill projects included civic action, with volunteers repairing or installing equipment in deprived areas of the port communities, while Project Handclasp delivered 44 tons of food, health items, toys and even a dentist ' s chair — all PLAYING ev- erywhere, the Nary Show Band has per- formed on every Unitas tour since its for- mation under CWO Frank Forgione. The group plays in town squares, stadiums and even In a bull ring. This crowd came to hear the band in Caracas, Venezuela. donated by U.S. business — to local charities. All told, more than 50 ships and 80 aircraft participated in Unitas IX operations. A typical maneuver pitted a Brazilian submarine against Colombian and U.S. de- stroyers In another exercise, Josephus Daniels played the heavy in a surface raider attack upon a combined Argentine U.S. task group. International highline and heli- copter links provided for frequent exchange of observers among the ships, and the Argentine oiler Punta Mcdanos as well as the Chilean oiler Araucano refueled task force units There were gunnery shoots with drone targets provided by the Damato, air op- erations with large numbers of submarine patrol aircraft and heli- copters and convoy support ac ties with the participation of I chant vessels. For the Navy men of Unitas, memories are of lolling on famous Copacabana beach, ri( up Sugarloaf Mountain, seeing glaciers and seals in the Strai Magellan, buying rugs and 11 ponchos from Ecuadorian Inc vendors and seeing the stra birds and giant reptiles on lost world of the Galapagos land. All told. Unitas IX persoi went through four seasi changes during the cruise, g from the northern hemisphe summer, to the southern hei phere ' s winter, then back into perpetual summer of the tro and returning to the United St. well into its own autumn.

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Admiral Dare holds a news conference with Chilian reporters in DANIELS ' wardroom. di H iKA. ■I I B BI Kk Km ■ y ' : ' Um m s L FJ tk Wl m h| I I Uk. j U 1 KaI J v B ■ H »AI i 5 Hh I KJCT gl g KkW fl HI Cause the sub ' s using live s ? — f ?ar ' 5 why — stupid.

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. . . Destroyermen have always been a proud people. They have been the elite. They have to be a proud people and they have to be specially selected, for destroyer life is a rugged one. It takes physical stamina to stand up under the ngors of a tossing DD. It takes even more spiritual stamina to keep going with enthusiasm when you are tired and you feel that you, and your ship, are being used as a workhorse. It is true that many people take destroyers for granted and that is all the more reason why the destroyer people can be proud of their accom- plishments. Admiral Arleigh A. Burke