New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

PRERECOVERY L0 QUT N SAN DIEGCD lim O'Connor's loaded van secured just forward of the island area on the New Orleans. While still in San Diego, CBS Broadcasting Company loaded their video tape van and a trailer they would use as their office during the cruise. Loaded aboard was the support package for the embarked helicopter squadron HS-6. This comprised over 7,000 items, valued in excess of two million dollars, required to support a helicopter squadron for an Apollo mission. In late December the tempo of operation began to pick up. Other organizations involved in the recovery of Apollo l4 began to load their equipment. lim O'Connor loaded his van, containing gear of the Mutual Broadcasting System, just forward of the island area on the ship. Besides his IVIBS job of broadcasting radio coverage, providing backup audio coverage of the Apollo l4 recovery, and sendingawirephotos for the APXUPI still picture pool, he also made phone patches to mainland points for personnel on board ship via HAM radio stations. O'Connor, the veteran of eight Apollo recoveries and five Gemini missions, has traveled more than l25,000 miles aboard ships.

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The sixth of january dawned bright and clear with the aid of a slight Santa Ana condition... l Commander Naval Air Forces Pacific Band played on the flight deck of NEW ORLEANS and another band played on the pier as the ship made the final preparations for getting underway. Passing under the Coronado Bay Bridge - past Point Loma and on to points West. I I I 4