Lanier (APA 125) - Naval Cruise Book

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- ,.......,...,....,........--.l.i..,.,,....,,,..,.-i..,,-, ITH a miles-covered record of more than 170 OOO since the wars start as Commanding Officer of a Fleet ouler transport and attack transport Captain Benlamin W Cloud USN launched his naval career in 1917 Entering the Naval Reserve in April 1917 Captain Cloud was commissioned Ensign on 24 June to attend the first Reserve Officers Class of the Naval Academy On 14 September he was given a temporary Ensign s commission Regular Navy Our skipper served aboard the USS GEORGIA until February 1918 at which time he assisted in outfitting 'and commissioning the USS NEW MEXICO Promoted to Lieutenant llgl Itemporaryl in November 1918 8 days later he was commissioned Lieutenant ltempo- raryl Later. after competitive examination he was com- missioned Lieutenant ulpermanentl For three years Cap- tain Cloud acted as aide to the Executive Officer and was Spot One aboard the USS WYOMING After a tour of duty at the Philadelphia Navy Yard our skipper served for 3 years on the Hydrographic Survey Ship USS NIAGARA as navigator In the spring of 1929 he was graduated from Chemical Warfare school at Edgewood Md attending a year s course at the Post Graduate Igeneral linel school U S Naval Academy He then became a member of the Junior Class U S Naval War College Newport R I. foro e year Soon after arrival in China Captain Cloud was com- missioned a Lieutenant Commander in 1931 It was here he served as executive officer aboard the de- stroyer McCORMICK and later, the destroyer BULMER During the Japanese action in Shanghai in February ga!! Q W gland UZIQYA 1932 Captain Cloud was transferred to Hankow and assumed duties as Senior Aide and Flag Secretary to Commander Yangtze Patrol on USS LUZON for 2112 years From the fall of 1934 to 1936 Captain Cloud was in charge of the Material Section at the Bureau of Engineering Navy Department Washington D C On 1 July 1938 the Skipper was commissioned a Com- mander He then served as First Lieutenant and Damage Control Officer of the USS PHILADELPHIA until May 1939 ' Acting as Personnel and Safety Officer at the Phila- delphia Navy Yard Captain Cloud was also Senior Member of the Labor Board until 1 January 1942. On this date he became Executive Officer of the USS CHATEAU THIERRY taking over the command in May of the same year On this ship he steamed more than 90 OOO miles including trips to Iceland Newfoundland the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and climaxed with participation in the initial landing at Gela Sicily July 1943 He was promoted to Captain USN 10 June 1943 4 After de-commissioning of the CHATEAU THIERRY m September 1943 Captain Cloud put in commission the USS TOMAHAWK AO 88 in April 1944 lin action off Saipan Tinian Guam Palau the TOMAHAWK also took part in the Second Battle of the Philippine Seas After a period of hospitalization at Pearl Harbor Captain Cloud assumed command of the LANIER on 6 March 1945 with a policy of a full stomach and an empty brig O I I . , 1 . . . , . . 1 1 1 .. . . - 1 1 . . . ' 1 1 . . , ' ' . . 1 1 1 ' lu ' 1 1 ., .. 1 - . l l ' ' 1 . . . .. I 1 ' ... . . . . . . I I ' . . . . 1 . 1 , I I . . . . . 0 . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1 1 . . . 1 1 . ' l J 0 lt be an I 0 o U I I . ' ' ' 1 ' 1 1 . . , I . 1 '1 .. . . 1 -- . . .. ' 1 I ' 0 l 1 1 1 - 1 1 I'l n 1 -- 1 1 1 1 ' 0 Glo . . . . , 1 .. . . . .. . ' 1 . . . . . H ' 1 1 . . . .. .,, , . ,,.i.,,,.-....,,,

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owzmhazbazm LTHOUGH a pouring rain continued throughout the day when the USS LANIER was commissioned, the spirit of the officers and crew which permeated the ship s atmosphere from the first day was not dampened in the slightest l ,was a green crew that took over on that 22nd of December l944 Many of the officers themselves had never been to sea and had little more than book-knowledge of what the Navy was all about lt was the primary concern of the LANIER S first Skip- per and 'Executive Officer to whip up a crew that would be ready to sail within a matter of days ' I The whipping up task was admirably accomplished by Commander Walter W Rockey USN Captain and Lt Commander HubertW Fisher USN Executive Officer Commissioning ceremonies conducted aboard the LANIER were wltnessedyby sev- eral hundred officials friends and families of the officers and crew. The ship was spon- sored by Mrs Earl English whose husband IS vice president of the Industrial Engineer- ing Company Oakland The LANIER was built by the California Shipbuilding Corpora- tion San Pedro Calif and outfitted by Moore Drydock Company Oakland. Calif , MRS EARL ENGLISH . . ' 1 . . 4 L I , . . . . . , . . . . . . . n f v 11 - . . . I I I ' . . . . , , . . . . . .. . . . . . , ., . . . ' I . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . I I 'I . I I ' . l a