Keppler (DD 765) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE LOG The grand lady of the high seas has a colorful and proud history. She is named for Reinhardt J. KEPPLER, Boatswain's Mate First Class, winner ofthe CongressionalMedal of Honor while servingin USS SAN FRANCISCO at the Battle of Guadalcanal. KEPPl.F.R'S keel was laid at the San Francisco Yard of the Bethlehem Steel Com- pany on 23 April, W44, she was commissioned in May of l947. She has seen much action, including a previous round-the-world cruise in which she won many laurelsfor contributing to the fight against aggression in the Republic of Korea. lt was a bright 4th of October, whenKEP- PLER unfurled her colors and set sail on her most illustrious voyage to date. The ship pro- ceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refueling and minor repairs.On October 9thKEPPLER'S keel cut through Pacific waters as she passed through the Panama Canal and stopped at Rodman Naval Station, Republic of Panama. lt was here that the crew first tasted the excitement and charm ofa foreign port. During the transit rom Panama to the Hawaiian lslands,the crew was developing into a closely knit and effective team through many hours of arduous drills and exercises. But the hard work bore fruition early as the Mighty K gun crews qualified her for Pacific Fleet shore bombardment by attaining excellent scores in competitive firings iust prior to her arrival at Pearl Harbor. KEPPLER entered Pearl Harbor late on 2l October to the breath- taking sight of an island whose every hill was ablaze with light. All the crew relaxed in the sun and sand of the many beaches covering Oahu during the ensuing week. KEPPLER got underway for Yokosuka, Japan, on 30 October, arriving on the lOth of November, losing a day in transit when she crossed the lnternational Date Line. After a brief stop at Okinawa, the ship entered the Tonkin Gulf on lf? November. KEPPl.ER'S first assignment, as plane guard for the USS TlCONDEROGA, was to became Q familiar mission in the months to follow. During this at-sea period KEPPLER first became associated with Operation SEA DRAGON -- a Naval interdiction of North Vietnamese waterborne logistics craft. The interdiction was highly successful, however, the highlight came on December llth, when KEPPLER effected the rescue of a downedAir Force pilot scant miles off Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. On 2l December the ship entered Sasebo, Japan, for some much-needed relaxation for the crew and upkeep for the ship. Christmas Day saw KEPPLER entertaining a groupofchildren from a local orphanage, treating them to a delicious dinner and later presentingthem with gifts as a remembrance of the day. The high point of the holidays was most certainly the Ship's Party, which provided an opportunity for the officers and men to enter into the spirit of the holidays.STG2 Roger O. PACIFIC added to the enjoyment of these affairs by puttingon his professional magic show fgratis -- as usuall. On December 31 KEPPLER again set sail for Vietnamese waters, spending New Year's Day, T967, refueling from an oiler in transit to the Gulf of Tonkin. On January lOth we steamed into Hong Kong for a five day visit. The Pearl of the Orient , provided an outstanding opportunity for many of the crew to purchase items of iewelry and clothing normally out of the price range of most sailors. Mary SOO and her helpers completely repainted the sides ofthe ship in return for foodstuffs supplied by the galley. On the l5th we departed, escorting the FDR down to the Gulf. Dawn February 7th, saw the ship arriving at Subic Bay, Republic ofthe Philippines, after a successful period at sea, during which KEPPLER sank many enemy supply barges and carried out plane guard assignments for the attack carriers on Yankee Station. while in Subic, the ship went into drydock for repairs to her hull and screws. Many of the crew en- joyed visits to Manila, and to neighboring Grande lsland, where there were numerous recreational facilities. On February l4th, KEPPLER left the Philippines for what was to be her most grueling test of fortitude on the long deploy- ment. KEPPLER iourneyed to the lCorps area of South Vietnam to provide gunfire support to friendly forces on the lst of March. While