Lewis Puller (FFG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER CDR E. MOORE JR. USN Commander Edward Moore, Jr., is the second Commanding Officer of USS LEWIS B. PULLER (FFG-23). He took command of the ship in August 1984. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Com- mander Moore enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve in 1963, While at basic training, he v os accepted for the U.S. Navy Reserve Of- ficer Commissioning Program, and was com- missioned in June 1968 upon receiving a B.A. degree from Southern Illinois University. Between 1964 and 1972 Commander Moore served in USS WOODSON (DE 359), USS HYMAN (DD 732) (enlisted), USS SEVERN (AO 6 1), (Navigator, Communications, Gunnery Of- ficer), and USS LANG (FF 1060) (Communica- tions Operations Officer). From 1972 to 1974 Commander Moore at- tended the Naval Postgraduate School, Mon- terey, California, earning a M.S. degree in man- agement. From 1974 to 1976 he was assigned to the Naval Military Personnel Command, Sur- face Junior Officer Assignment Branch, as a de- toiler and shore assignments coordinator. Commander Moore served as Weapons Officer in USS STERETT (CG 31) from 1977 to 1978 and as Executive Officer in USS BUCHAN- AN (DDG 14) from 1979 to 1980. Between 1981 and 1984 Commander Moore was assigned to the Naval Branch, Cur- rent Operations Division, Operations Director- ate, U.S. Commander in Chief Pacific. Personal decorations worn by Command- er Moore include the Defense Meritorious Ser- vice Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal.

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and a tradition to upiioid USSLEWISB. PULLERis a member of Destroyer Squodron Twen- ty-Three, also known as The Little Beavers. During 1943 in the war in the Pacific, the squadron made a name for itself as part of the Third Fleet assigned to duty in the Guadalcanal area. As the bottle for Guadalcanal raged, the Squadron was tasked with escorting men and material to resuppiy the beleaguered island. This required numerous sorties up the Infamous slot between the islands to blunt Japanese counter attacks and thwart the enemy ' s effort to reinforce Its own troops on the island, it took brave men, good ships and Innovative tactics to operate in such a dangerous environment. Under the command of Captain Arleigh 31knot Burke (lat- er Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations), the squadron earned a Presidential Unit Citation, the only destroyer squadron ever to win such on award. The ships of DESRON 23 engaged the Japa- nese In classic destroyer battles at Empress Augusta Boy and Cope St. George, later participated In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and served on the deadly picket station off Okinawa, where kamikaze attacks were a daily event. Following the Battle of Cape St. George, Arleigh Burke gave the squadron Its Little Beaver name, which came from RED RYDER , a popular comic strip of the 1940s. Little Beaver was Red Ryder ' s faith- ful Indian companion in a long series of western adventures drown by cartoonist Fred Harmon. An Insignia designed by Harmon was pro- vided to DESRON 23 back In 1943: USS LEWIS B. PULLER still proudly carries this Insignia (pictured here) on Its superstructure.

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19 L M 1 L L f fl ■ sriht EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR LARRY J. CARTER USN Lieutenant Commander Larry J. Carter, USN, is a native of Portland, Oregon. He was in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at Oregon State University, v here he was commissioned upon his graduation in 1971. Between 1971 and 1978 LCDR Carter served in USS EDWARD McDONNELL (DE- 1043) as Electron- ics Material Officer and CIC Officer, in USS BRON- STEIN(FF- 103 7) as Weapons Officer, and in USS AL- AMO (LSD-33) OS Engineer Officer. From 1978 to 1981 LCDR Carter attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, earning a M.S. degree in Systems Technology (ASW). Following this assignment he served with the staff of Commander Carrier Group One. During this period he earned designation as a proven sub-spe- cialist in ASW. LCDR Carter subsequently served as an in- structor of surface warfare tactics at Tactical Training Group, Pacific, from 1983 to 1985. Personal decorations worn by LCDR Carter in- clude the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. COMMAND SENIOR CHIEF QMCS (SW) LONNY R. THOMPSON USN