La Salle (AGF 3) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 8 text:

wel- 5' ..'. ' 'E ' - ef: - 'Q--:gas-3 vf-:41-pp-43fgfg5gv54ggp:-efg-5:e--g-pvg.1 ., - , HUD PERIOD J rf. F I ,:!i..n,, 1 1175 ,I f',fg?'Z3nQ A W ffm 'f llillulln G M tlll Illini: Ill 427,95 'f 4 t ,,,,, ' AN MAY 1972 ' t th d in Portsmouth for conversion. Above, left: LA SALLE Before deployment to the Middle East LA SALLE went in o e yar s enters the yards as an LPD and Krxghtl leaves as an AGF. ' DEPE DENTS' O CRUISE While the ship was being readied for her new role, so was thelcrew. A call through the fleet for volunteers soon filled her ranks. In May the ship got underway for a day of final leave taking. Below Left: EM2 MONTGOMERY and wife4Penny. Right: Captain MORIN and daughter. ttttt ww. sw. rx S Y ,J .1 , X ' s.. 'Q 4, .. X NNW . is R ix ij' 'Sv V ' l 'X all A nl!!! ,Q 9 X' . ..-ifym f v - K g it b jr,rJm.q,i,,,ff-LN C K fx N.-Le-,. -'Q 1 I 6-,q get . dip pf .-f':,,,,-n-n 'f- ' f 'N .' Iddgznrqniii ' -X if 1 l . s :,,,-,mums- ss Q t ...ar-w-nl-l . . ' Qunsun-n:nu .fp , K , -is-nnwumaq O if if r ,nmnmuuusr - -. 4 ,X Ss wil O N is fi ...r -- , - -.. . f...,...w.mL--1' :.f.-..1.:L--.u t YYY . , ....I...... , -Wi..-..,.....-... - .,.... M .. ... ... .

Page 7 text:

l - .- ...---v , More a diplomatic than a military mission, LA SALLE's new role was as unique as the ship's new coat of white paint. Going on liberty to visit ports in Africa and the Middle East became one of the ship's primary tasks. Meeting new people, experiencing new customs and different ways of life was an everyday occurence. Names like Dakar, Monrovia, Mombasa, Karachi and Muscat ceased to be just part of a vague oriental mystique and took on a new concrete meaning for LA SALLE's crew as the ship paid goodwill visits to these ports and organized trips ashore. Children's parties were held on the 'messdecks,- thousands of visitors invited on board for tours, athletic events played, and Project Handclasp materials distributed wherever the flagship ' went. Ambassadors, ministers, tvadmirals, generals and even royalty were entertained on board the new flagship as she made her debut in the Middle East, eliciting comments of praise from the Chief of Naval Operations himself. ' E' Q . For those that served on LA SALLE from January to November 1972 and represented the United States in the Middle East it was an exciting adventure. We shall long carry with us memories of East African' safaris, the Seychelles festival, visits to the 16th century Portugese fort in Muscat' and ,shopping sprees in Karachi. But moreimportantly we shall also carry with us a feeling of pride in a difficult mission well accomplished. . A Top Left: LA 'SALLE in Muscat harbor, September 1972, L Bottom Left: SN DUFFY on liberty in Muscat a j Below: Delivering Project Handclasp materials in Port Victoria, October 1972 r ' h T , V , Q

Page 9 text:

xx wa U . Qs, , ll . .M ,.,,,..,, . YAL- E 23 V fi M 55: 1 N P N X X . 1' b X .X ,X 4. t , 9 QSNX xx X F sh Xxxfx QEXN: ig A we X W 4 , ,iv AQ LEAVI OR ,.r,,t,, ff M:fWis P,,i Wfff Q -- WVU mf' eww, f if ,mwmff Q ' - N :4.:rgfx'+sY+v,f'XlJ,yj1 5, ,,,, , A ju K ws,.,,, 7, ,WMWX I if - mjnymwffii ,a,,,,, i s f W' QCN Q, K fW 0 ' . XM, 7, ,ff 2- .--f - ., A , is rr Stiff ff R., l fl, ,, fn 1, ' 4 iz ffm 9 43, . X , KAY K X , ' 1 f' W Wf 5 Z , We 'sg iw! A Q , .,. ,W on A ' 5' K: ', , f Z rm: fig! f ' ,- ,w . ' 'u,' y rf., J 1 .--Q1 1 321,31 ,' ' 'R r 2 we ,, Jaw f M M' , - Q13-Q'Z '!, ,V f ,, QW, f 'L ftfxwfiagaf , 1 ' ' . if ' N- v A lj, x f 'm v 49:59 , X - . N J is CIW f wi- . 1744 N AS -K1 -- ljp ' S g 2 57? lm? ' Nfiifgf l V fffgfsija, E X, ff 2-gg., ' Q' . 5 1 l l 2 Q r , - 44. M. ' ' 4 t K ff Za f - ,sz W, , ,Wd ' SX ff i- i W XX ,,,LL A I Q 'Z W1 On 23 June a small bedraggled Navy band gathered on pier 4 at the Norfolk Naval Station to give us a final send off in the early morning drizzle. The last dependents left the ship, the last line was cast off, and We were on our Way. Below: Some of the cars and crates of household effects we carried with us in the well deck. I i a l l 1 l 5 l I l