Kiska (AE 35) - Naval Cruise Book

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ILDR JA. I'lNl,I:N. LX TWP? OFFICER 'QF' 'T' W I Q1 0 , OFFICERS CALL

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CAPTAIN FRANK E. CLARK UNITED STATES NAVY Captain Frank E. Clark entered the United States Navy Officers' Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island in Febru- ary 1961 after graduating from the University ofAlabama with a Bachelor ofScience Degree in Education. Prior to entering the University ofAlabama, he served in the United States Air Force in an enlisted status from 1950 to 1954. He was commissioned an Ensign May 12, 1961 through Offi- cer Candidate School at Newport, R.I. and reported aboard USS CLAUDE JONES IDE-10331 at Key West. Florida. He was assigned the billet of First Lieutenant and later became the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and Gunnery Officer. He participated in the Berlin Crisis. Cuban Crisis and other surveil- lance duties throughout the Caribbean area, southwestern wa- ters of the United States, and the Atlantic Ocean. In May 1964. he received orders to USS HENRY COUNTY QLST-8241 as the Executive Officer at San Diego, California. This tour covered many areas along the Pacific Coast of the United States and numerous Navy-Marine Corps amphibious training exercises. He took part in the mass movement of the First Marine Brigade from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii to Okinawa in February 1965. This movement was followed by moving another contingent ofthe First Marine Brigade and their surface-to-air missile battery from CONUS to the Republic of Vietnam in August 1965, thus placing the first U.S missile power in that country. That deployment was completed in the Vietnam area and surrounding waters in providing logistic support within areas inaccessible to deeper draft vessels. In September 1965, while in Saigon. he received orders to return tothe Unites States and report to the Commander. Phila- delphia Group Atlantic Reserve Fleet as Prospective Com- manding Officer for the reactivation of the USS MEEKER COUNTY QLST-9801. Upon completion of the ship's reactiva- tion program at Philadelphia and the crew's training at Little Creek, Virginia, the ship was assigned to Commander Landing Ship Squadron THREE. Newly homeported in Guam, M.I., the ship arrived in April 1967 and deployed immediately. CAPT Clark served with MEEKER COUNTY in the waters of Viet- nam in direct-support of military forces in the I and IV Corps areas of Vietnam. In July 1968, CAPT Clark received orders to report to Staff, Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He trans- ferred to the Staff of Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in August 1968 where he served in the Readiness and Training Section, later transferring to the Logistics Section where he became the Assistant 3M Team Manager. One year later he became the 3M Team Manager. After his tour with COMPHIBPAC. he reported as Com- manding Officer USS WASHTENAW COUNTY ILST- 1 1661. homeported at Yokosuka, Japan on 12 August 1970. The first assignment was duty with Amphibious Ready Group BRA- VO QARG BJ until December 1970. Subsequent schedules in- cluded Market Time support operations in Vietnam waters, logistic support of Marine Corps operations in Okinawafjapan, and the initial withdrawal operations of men and equipment from Vietnam in Operation Round Robin. ln September 1972, CAPT Clark received orders to report to Naval Amphibious School, Coronado. After a brief indoctrina- tion period, he was assigned as Director of the Ship to Shore Department. The tour included supervising a staffof 32 instruc- tors tofficer and enlistedj in teaching eighteen different courses of instruction to fleet personnel, the development and incorpora- tion of new LHA courses, and instructor duties with senior allied officers attending the Naval Amphibious School. During his tour at the Naval Amphibious School, CAPT Clark completed an Associates Degree in Industrial Engineer- ing with Southwestern Junior College, San Diego and a Mas- ter's Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine Uni- versity, Los Angeles. Following his tour at the Naval Amphibious School, he re- ceived orders on 11 March 1976 to report as Executive Officer to USS LA SALLE QAGF-31, Flagship for Commander Middle East Force, homeported at Manama, Bahrain. The politico- military tour covered the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean areas. In May 1977, he was detached with orders to report to Navy Astronautics Group QNAVASTROGRUJ, at Point Mugu, California as Executive Officer. NAVASTROGRU's mission is to maintain and update the Navy Navigational Satellite Sys- tem QNNSSJ composed of five navigational satellites. The NNSS provides a world-wide positioning system designed for merchantfmilitary maritime users. After fifteen months Captain Clark was detached with orders to report as Commanding Officer on USS KISKA CAE-357 homeported in Concord, California. During his tour onboard KISKA Captain Clark conducted Underway Replenishment operations in both Eastern and Western Pacificg completing an eight month deployment to the Indian Ocean. While Command- ing Officer he received the Battle Efficiency E for KISKA. Captain Clark is married to the former Miss Daphna L. Holcomb ofChillicothe, Ohio. They now reside at Mare Island, California.

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CHRISTMAS DINNER IN THE WARDROOM