Lynde McCormick (DDG 8) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS LYNDE MCCGRMICK QDDG 85 I MARCH I966 26 AUGUST l966 d f h the th'rd de f LYNDE MC CORMICK to WESTPAC. A pictorial saga of the men and events which I Pl Y

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' 1 I5 August l966 For close to six months this fine ship and her remarkable crew have operated almost without interruption off the coast of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin and in the South China Sea as an integral part of the United States SEVENTH Fleet and Task Force 77. Despite a tempo of operations here in this Western Pacific theatre that has equalled or exceeded that imposed upon our Navy ships in World War ll, LYNDE McCORMlCK has effectively fulfilled every commitment, and admirably carried out every assignment required of her. Nothing better than this can be asked for, or said of a command in combat John A. McCOOK

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r, A Q , USS LYNDE MC CORMICK QDD-83 is named f Admiral Lynde Dupuy MC CORMICK. U.S Navor a graduate of U,S. Naval Academy, class of 19135, Admiral Mc coaivuck had a varied and distin- guished career. He commanded the destroyer KENNEDYg was qualified in submarines, and durin World War II served as Admiral NlMlTZ'S Wag Plans Officer and as Commander Battleship Divi- sion Three, After the war he served successively as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Acting Chief of Naval Operations, Commanderin Chief, U,S, Alantic Fleet, Supreme Allied Cgmmander, Alantic fNAT0y. and President of the U.S. Naval War College: Admiral MC CORMICK died on active duty in August 1956 while serving in the latter billet LYNDE MC CORMICK is the first ship in the. U.S. Navy to bear this name, LYNDE MC CORMICK was built on the Great Lakes at Bay City, Michigan, by Defoe Ship- building Company. Her keel was laid on April 4, 1958, and she was launched on July 28, 1959. She was commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, on June 3, 1961, being sponsored by Mrs. Lynde D. MC CORMICK, widow of the distinguished officer for whom the ship is named, LYNDE MC CORMICK arrived in her home- port of San Diego, California, on September 16, 1961, after a trip from Boston via the Panama Canal. She deployed on November 19, 1962, for her first tour of duty with the U.,S. Seventh Fleet, returning to San Diego on June 15, 1963. Her second deployment to WESTPAC began on August 5, 1964, and lasted until February 6, 1965. It was during her third WESTPAC Cruise from March 1, 1966, through August26, 1966,hoWever,that LYNDE MC CORMICK really proved herself under actual combat conditions. LYNDE Mc CORMlCK's operations during this cruise in support of the Vietnam situa- tion Were intensive, continuing and varied. She was assigned to duties as Naval Gun- fire Support Ship to provide assistance to U.S. and Vietnamese ground forces, and as missile air defense escort ship for our fast attack carriers HANCOCK, CONSTELLATION, KITTY HAWK, and RANGER, participating in the rescue of their downed pilots. In addition, she handled the double duties of TOMCAT and surface surveillance co- ordinator while on station in the Gulf of Tonkin. Again, on short notice and without benefit of the usual twelve days of exten- sive indoctrination, LYNDE MC CORMICK was assigned Search and Rescue fSARl duties 'off the coast of Vietnam, performing most creditably.