King (DLG 10) - Naval Cruise Book

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On 6 July l970 KING left San Diego on her seventh deployment to the Western Pacific to serve as Search and Rescue ship. The first port visit was a three day stay in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Following Hawaii, there was a brief stop for fuel at Midway Island on I8 July. KING officially reported to the SEVENTH Fleet for duty on 22 July while in transit from Midway to Guam in the Marianas Islands. After refueling and an all too brief four hours of liberty on Guam, the transit west continued. Our next stop was Subic Bay in the Philippines. We were in Subic for seven days and spent the days performing maintenance and preparing for operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. During the transit the ship had regularly scheduled casino nights, sing-a-longs, karate lessons, skeet shooting and evening movies. We left Subic Bay on 6 August and on 9 August embarked a helicopter with crew from the relieved the USS COONTZ CDLG-91 on station in the Gulf of Tonkin about 40 miles off the coast of North Vietnam. We remained on station for nine days of operation as a Search and Rescue Unit and picket ship. The weather during this period was hot and humid with temperatures in the 900s during the day and dropping to 750 at night. Our next stop was Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where we again refueled and had a few hours he Taiwan Straits. We arrived in Yokosuka on ashore before leaving for Yokosuka, Japan, via t 24 August for another period of upkeep and maintenance. Many KINGSMEN started their WESTPAC shopping in Yokosuka. While in Yokosuka two tours were scheduled to the World's Fair in Osaka. Approximately 60 officers and men were able to attend. Next we were underway to the Sea of Japan. We spent seven days at sea as part of PARPRO fPeace Time Air Reconnaissance Programj Task Unit after which we returned to Sasebo. Our time in Sasebo was spent in many ways, shopping, softball, some short tours and a ship's party which was well received by all ha time and effort expended were to maintain and improve the capability of KING to do her job. These jobs were completed on schedule and we returned to-the Sea of Japan on 22 September to resume duties as PARPRO picket ship. On 28 September we were relieved of our duties in the Sea of Japan and were headed for nds from Seaman to Captain. But most of the the Jewel of the Orient , the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, for six days of rest and recreation. Hong Kong was a colony of color and contrast, of a thousand strange sights, of fantastic bargains, of rickshaw rides and walla walla ridges, of smart cosmopolitan night spots and . . . u hectic Chinese dance halls, of the fashions of Mayflower and the Hong Kong split skirt. A this and more was observed by KINGSMEN in the colony. After our well enjoyed vacation in Hong Kong we returned to Subic Bay to refuel and h. take on a helo detachment for operations in the Gulf on Tonkin as Search and Rescue s ip once again. We left the Gulf of Tonkin on 27 October and steamed to Subic Bay. We arrived in Subic d on 29th October to off load the helo detachment, take on stores, and refuel. We also ha our last night of liberty in Subic Bay this underway for Sasebo. From 6 H 10 November we once again underwent operations a Sea of Japan. The remainder of the operations. cruise. On the moming of 30 October we were s PARPRO picket in the month of November was spent in and out of Sasebo for Early in December we arrived in Yokosuka to take on final stores and fuel for our journey back to the states.

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