LSM Division (21) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 49 text:

LT JOSEPH D. WEED Commanding Officer History Of LSM 399 THE USS LSM 399 was built at the U. S. Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina. The keel was laid October 13, 1944 and the ship was launched January 6, 1945. Commissioning ceremonies were held on August 13, 1945 — at which time the USS LSM 399 became a unit of the Naval Amphibious Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet with LT E. BROUGHTON, JR., USN as its first Com- manding Officer. Immediately after commissioning she proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where she com- pleted her building trials and shakedown cruise. She was then sent to the U. S. Naval Amphibious Base, West Annex, Little Creek, Virginia, which became her home port. She has been an active unit of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet, participating in most Amphibious Training Op- erations. In carrying out her assigned mission she has sailed from Labrador and Iceland in the north to Cuba and Puerto Rico in the south. January 1949 found her in the Caribbean Sea par- ticipating in the first PORTREX operation off Vieques Island. In this operation she was a unit of the aggressor forces and for this exercise she received a well done from the Commander Amphibious Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. The remainder of 1949 was devoted to regular shipyard overhaul, refresher training under Chesapeake- Bay Training Command, independent ship exercises and other competitive amphibious exercises. The USS LSM 399 was awarded the Battle Efficiency pennant for year of 1950. She was the first to wear the E plaque for the LSM ' s in the LSM Division 21. NORAMEX, PACARD, CROSSOVER, CAMID V and CONVEX I operations carried her through the year 1951. In addition to their active schedule, she partici- pated in numerous operations off Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. She spent Armed Forces Day 1951 at Wilmington, Delaware where she was host of approximately 1200 guests. More recently the USS LSM 399 participated in the first post war amphibious exercises in Iceland for ap- proximately 3 months. On her return voyage she en- countered Hurricane B and was buffeted by tempes- tuous seas with winds of 90 knots. This period was followed by regular shipyard overhaul, refresher train ing, and local operations under COMPHIBTRALNT and OPDEVFOR. Her current Commanding Officer is Lieutenant Joseph D. Weed of Jacksonville, Florida. LT Weed who as- sumed command on November 1 1, 1952 graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland in 1946.

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4 € f ber, Gilbert G. er, Russell F.d»-axd Mills. Thomas vhuta, Richard Ber- 15 Paul S Cushmin, John M. Kirk, Bernar - B O ' Brien. Clare Gene RurTner. . . . Third roa Bernard Grcdecky, Nick A. Jergovich, Paul E Nichols N T ed Former, Frank J. McGole, Jr.. Edward F. Haines, Roy F. Blackburn, R. G. Mataicovich.

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LSM399 First row: Max A. Cole, Francis I. Allen, Ellsworth K. Eisleben, Paul Minnick, ]r.. Raymond Stubber. . . . Second row: Robert R. Muhl, Hewett F. Coe, ENS Robert Gerald Chamberlian, Robert Harold Olsen, Warren D. Case, Andrew J. Gill. . . . Third row: David Renshaw, Engene Fusco, Nicholas P. Liz- anov, William J. Wusterhausen, Gerald Paul Reihm, Robert Earl George, Henry B. Buss. I wl Firtt row: Charles P. Hanke, William Henry Rookus, Kervin Jonathan, Nicholas Joseph Gallo, Clifford Thomas Parm. . . . Second row: Howard Van Brunt. Jnhn J Srarace, ENS N Eoloff, Philip J. Gryga, William A. Ash, John E. Hoerner. Third row: Samuel H. Southerland. Eugene Dockery, Walter V. Zienkiewicz. Charles F. Rollins, Joseph F. Slattery. Robert Lee Rothwell, John Kuzmich.