Lewis Puller (FFG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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LST-1182 •1 i 4 1 USS FRESNO ' S The keel for USS FRESNO was laid 16 Decembep-1967 at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego as the first of seventeen Newport Class LSTs to be constructed at NASSCO and the fourth ship of thft cl a i|e ip was launched in September 1968 and commissioned on 22 November 1969. l ! . iJ ' Sl Upon commissioning, FRESNO was placed into the Pacific Fleet and homeported in San Diego, CA. Her first deployment was in support of the Vietnam War; she was deployed to the area a second time before the war ' s conclusion. FRESNO ' s hard work culminated with the award of the Arleigh Burke Trophy as the most improved ship in the US. Pacific Fleet on 25 December 1975. In 1986, FRESNO made a homeport change to Long Beach, CA. This change did not affect her operational schedule and she madi several more deployments before her transfer on 1 October 1990, into the Naval Reserve Force. As a member of COMSURFRON ONE, FRESNO continues to participate in numerous Amphibious Exer- cises. USS FRESNO ' S primary mission is the transporting and landing of military troops and equipment: such as artillery tanks, trucks, and amphibious vehicles. This is accomplished one of three ways: lowering the 112 foot, 40 ton bow ramp from the main deck to a beach or causeway, launching amphibious assault vehicles via the stern gate while underway, or by launching helicopters from the flight deck. ,

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USS FRESNO Year In Review JANUARY 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep AAV Training FEBRUARY 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep Aviation Assist Visit MARCH 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep MTT Phase I Aviation Readiness Evaluation APRIL 1991 Tacon a Daffodil Festival Training Readiness Evaluation Command Inspection MAY 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep JUNE 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep MTT Assist Visit SESI (Ammo Inspection) JULY 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep MTT Phase II AUGUST 1991 Long Beach - Upkeep MTT Phase III SEPTEMBER 1991 OPPE CDR K.J. King relieves CDR J.M. Morrell Training Readiness Evaluation Transit to Hawaii OCTOBER 1991 Pearl Harbor, HI Interim Refresher Training Operation Viking NOVEMBER 1991 Pearl Harbor, HI Operation Viking Long Beach - Upkeep DECEMBER 1991 Long Beach - Leave Upkeep 68

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Commander James M. Morrell U.S. Naval Reserve Commanding Officer Commander Morrell is from Tacoma, Washington. He enlisted in the Navy in 1967 as a Seaman Recruit and was commissioned in December 1971 through Officer Candidate School after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Western Washington State College. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Puget Sound. Commander Morrell ' s tours at sea include: - USS DUBUQUE (LPD-8) - CIC Officer - USS HIGBEE (DD-806) - Assistant Operations Officer - USS IMPLICIT (MSO-455) - Executive Officer - USS BROOKE (FFG-1) - Operations Officer - USS TUSCALOOSA (LST-1187) - Operations Officer - USS SAN BERNADINO (LST-1189) - Executive Officer - USS FRESNO (LST-1182) - Commanding Officer Tours ashore include: -Security Officer, Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific - Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Center, Bremerton, Washington. Commander Morrell wears the Nav y Commendation Medal (with two Gold Star), the Navy Achievement Medal, and various campaign and service Awards. Commander Morrell is married to Lieutenant Rennie Morrell of Anderson, South Carolina. 70