Long Beach (CGN 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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Brazil, and Barbados. During October and November 1990. LONG BEACH added her impressive capabilities to the war against drugs by participating in counter narcotic operations off the coast of Central America and Columbia. While on station, LONG BEACH success- fully detected and tracked numerous targets of Com- mander Task Group 4.1 and Commander, Joint Task Force 4, significantly impeding the flow of illegal nar- cotics into the United States. LONG BEACH was commended by RADM Williams P. Leahy, USCG for providing air and surface detection monitoring which contributed to the interdiction of approximately 1.5 tons of cocaine abandoned at sea off the coast of Nicaragua. LONG BEACH got underway for her fourteenth Western Pacific deployment on May 28, 1991, taking station on the Persian Gulf on July 13, in support of U.N. sanctions against Iraq following the Gulf War. While transiting the San Bernadino Strait, enroute to her station in the Persian Gulf, LONG BEACH was called upon to aid in the evacuation of over 12,000 American military dependents from Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Station, following eruption of Mount Pinatubo and a series of earthquakes on the island of Luzon. Over the course of five days, in what the Navy termed OPERATION FIERY VIGIL, LONG BEACH evacuated over 1200 dependents to the island of Cebu, 500 miles away, where aircraft were waiting to return them to the United States. This book is to document this fourteenth Western Pacific deployment of this truly remarkable ship now in her thirty-first year of service to her country. THE SHIP ' S SEAL The ship ' s seal is representative of LONG BEACH ' S mission, summarizing it in the motto Strike Hard, Strike Home. The capability of LONG BEACH to Strike Hard, Strike Home is her missile systems, symbolized in the seal by the triple tridents. The missile systems are designed to operate offensive- ly against land, air, surface, and sub-surface threats, making LONG BEACH an effective tactical weapon. Combining this striking ability with the advantage of nuclear power for propulsion, further increases her effectiveness, by allowing virtually unlimited cruising ability. Nuclear power is represented in the seal by the sun. The anchor-carrying eagle stands for the sea power possessed by LONG BEACH, one of the most powerful ships in the surface fleet. The final symbol, the sea shell, is taken from the seal of the city of Long Beach, California, for whom the ship was named, and symbolizes all the qualities of adventure inherent in a sailor ' s life. The Navy ' s mis- sion of power projection, strength, combined with nuclear propulsion and the most advanced missile sys- tems, is exactly what USS LONG BEACH repre- sents.

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HISTORY OF USS LONG BEACH I ' SS l.()N(; BKAfU (C ' CiN 9) uas ihe tiiM luiclo- ar-po crc(.l cruiser and lirsi larjic comhatant m the U.S. Navy w ith the mam battcr (.onsisiiiii; ot guided missiles. Built in Bethlehem Steel Company ' s Force River Shipyard at Quincy. Massachusetts, the ship ' s keel was laid on December 2, 1 57 and the ship was launched on July 14, 1959, with Mrs. Craii! Ilosmerof Long Beach. Calitornia, as the sponsor. I.ON ' Ci BF CH got underway on nuclear power tor the tirst time the morning of July 5, 1961. On September 9, 1961 the ship uas commissioned at the Boston Na al Shipyard, s ith the Honorable John B. Connally. Secretary of the Navy, keynoting the cere- monies in which the LON(J BKACH with E. P. Wilkinson as Commanding Ottlcer, joined the fleet. Early in 1962, LONCiBKACH made a six week cruise to Europe, visiting Germany, France, and Bermuda. In July 1964. LONG BEACH joined the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE and the nuclear destroyer leader USS BAINBRIDGE on a world cruise steaming more than 30,000 in 58 days and visiting Pakistan. Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. LONG BEACH underv ent her first o erhaul at Newport News, Virginia, from August 1965 to Febru- ary 1966. She then transited. ia the Panama Canal, to her new homeport in Long Beach, California, arriving on March 15, 1966. In November 1966. LONG BEACH departed for the West ern Pacific and during the next three years the ship completed three tours of duty in the Far East. In March 1970. LONG BEACH commenced her second overhaul at Vallejo, California. After completing the overhaul, she departed for her fourth deployment to the Western Pacific in March 1972. Operational duties were again in the Tonkin Gulf, where she shot down several North Vietnamese jet fighters and rescued 17 U.S. pilots. In 1975. the ship ' s homeport was changed to San Diego, California. In March 1979, LONG BEACH was awarded the Commander, Naval Surface Force Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) award and the Battle E . These awards signified respectively, the best AAW ship in the Pacific Fleet and the most operationally ready ship r Cruiser Destroyer Group One. On Jan- uary 7, 1980. ! ONG BEACH deployed for her ninth WESTPAC ci I 1 ring this deployment, she was awarded the f. irian Service Medal for her ellorls 111 the rescuing ol 144 Vielnamese iclugees. On October 6. 1980. LONC; BEACH entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a two and one-half year complex overhaul. On January 1.3, 1984, she began her tenth Western Pacific Deployment. In 1985, the TOMAHAWK cruise missile system was installed onboard LONCJ BEACH during a 9 nu)nth stay at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. LONCJ BEACH returned to San Diego. California, in September 1985 as a true strike cruiser. In 1986. L()N(; BEACH deployed for her eleventh Western Pacific deployment as part of the first battle- ship battle group to deploy since the Korean War. Dur- ing the cruise, the Gray Lady completed the first successful firing of a TOMAHAWK cruise missile in an operational environment. Culminating her 25th year of active naval service, LONG BF ACH was again awarded the Battle Efficiency E ; six depart- mental excellence awards, and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) Award to solidify her position as the most combat ready and finest anti-surface warfare ship in the Pacific. The years 1987 and 1988 brought LONG BEACH her twelfih Western Pacific deployment as Flag ship for the USS nSSOURI (BB 63) battle group and another Battle lifficiency E Award. Additionally, CGN-9 was the first recipient of the newly de eloped Commander Naval Surface Force Electronic Warfare award, and eight additional department excellence awards. Following an extended Selected Restricted Avail- ability during the fall of 1989. LONG BEACH began preparing for her 13th deployment. Prior to its start. LONG BEACH was awarded her 3rd consecutive Battle Efficiency E Award, completing nearly 5 straight years as the number one strike cruiser in Cruiser Destroyer Group One. In September 1989. LON(i BEACH deployed with the USS ENTER- PRISE Battle Group on her second Around the World Cruise. Operations began as Flagship for Commander Battle Force Seventh Fl eet during Pacific Exercise (PACEX) 89 and continued with assignments in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, prior to transiting through the Panama Canal and returning to San Diego, California. During the cruise the crew enjoyeil brief stops in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong. Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Diego Garcia,

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