New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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l ' ,. gp- Former Commanding Officer Captain R. E. Neiger Captain Ralph E. Neiger was born in Sacramento, California on 4 January 1928. He has attended Sacramen- to College and the University of California at Berkeley Where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. In 1961 Captain Neiger was accepted to the' United States Naval Postgraduate School and received a Master's Degree in Management. He com- pleted the College of Naval Warfare course at the Naval War College in June 1971. Captain Neiger entered the Navy in December 1945 in the V-5 program and following college training was ap- pointed a Midshipman in May 1948 when he entered flight training at Pensacola, Florida. He Was designated a Naval Aviator in September 1949, and assigned to Attack Squadron 115. In May 1950 he was commissioned Ensign, USN. Captain Neiger served with VA-115 on the USS PHILIPPINE SEA from July 1950 to March 1951, in the Korean conflict. He attended LSO school and later served in that capacity aboard the USS ESSEX in the Korean War Zone. Other assignments included duty with the Bureau of Naval Weapons Resident Representative, Special Projects Office, Aerojet General Corporation, Heavy Attack Squadron EIGHT in 1960 - 1961, V-6 of- ficer aboard USS RANGER, and as flight instructor with ATU-301 at Cabaniss Field, Corpus Christi, Texas. Cap- tain Neiger served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of Heavy Attack Squadron EIGHT in 1965 - 1966, completed a tour as Operations Officer and Executive Of- ficer of USS HANCOCK KCVA-192 in September 1970, and Commanding Officer of USS OGDEN ILPD-5j in Oc- tober 1973. Captain Neiger's decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal C1 starj, the Air Medal CNumeral 10 and 4 gold starsj, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V , Navy Unit Commendation C2 starsb, Navy Occupation Service Medal, Vietnam Air Gallantry Medal, China Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal C1 silver and 1 bonze starj, National Defense Ser- vice Medal C1 bronze starj, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal C3 bronze starsj, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal CKoreaJ. Captain Neiger assumed command of USS NEW ORLEANS KLPH-Ilj on 14 December 1973 from Captain R. W. Carius, and served as Commanding Officer of the ship from that date until 26 July 1975. He was relieved by Captain H. A. Zoehrer after the successful safe recovery of the Command Module of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and the subsequent return of the astronauts to Hawaii. Captain Neiger is married to the former Anne Briscoe Alger of Los Angeles, California.

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i . P L ii 'U 'Y I 5 G l 7 4 il 21 4 I f 1 H F :fi 5 l Li 1 , 4 .gn I 3 i . ? I l i 3 yi , 1 I A i f- r 1 f ' ' ' tus :zu-.1i 's maxim:-s zz-nr '1-r1-2 --ft A Executive Officer aptain J. M Kennedy Captain Jack M. Kennedy was born in Elgin, Illinois on 25 July 1933. He attended Elgin Community College, George Washington and LaSalle Universities receiving a liberal arts and an LLB degree. He entered the Navy's flight training program at Pensacola, Florida in November 1953 and upon completion was ordered to VP-5, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. At VP-5 Captain Kennedy served as Personnel Officer and patrol plane commander in PZV-5 and 5F aircraft, deploying throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean. From May 1958 to April 1961 he was assigned to METG CMulti-engine Training Groupl at NAS Pensacola, Florida as schedules officer and all weather instrument flight instructor. He was promoted Qto Lieutenant in January 1959 and helped commission VT-6, a new training squadron. Following this assignment he served as Flag Ad- ministrative Officer, Commander Naval Air Bases JapanfCommander Fleet Air Western Pacific until Spetember 1963 when he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and returned to NAS Jacksonville, Florida, to serve as operations officer and fly the Navy's new P-3A Orion in VP-16, deploying throughout the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. In May 1966 Captain Kennedy was assigned to the Naval Air Systems Command Head- quarters in Washington as Deputy Program Manager and engineering project officer in the patrol and Support Air- craft Division where he was directly responsible for design and development of the Navy's current T-2 basic jet trainer, as well as the T-39, TC4C and P3C aircraft. Completing this tour in May 1968 he was ordered to the USS AMERICA KCVA-66j as nuclear weapons officer and later as weapons officer deploying to the Western Pacific, conducting air operations in Vietnam from the Gulf of Tonkin and completing an around the world cruise. He was promoted to Commander during this cruise. Captain Kennedy graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in January 1970 and joined the staff of Com- mander Naval U.S. Atlantic Fleet as the patrol squadron readiness and training officer and OPTAR program manager for all Air Lant aviation activities. From November 1971 to December 1973 Captain Kennedy served as executive officer and subsequently commanding officer of Fleet Composite Squadron THREE at NAS North Island. Captain Kennedy reported for duty in February 1974 as the executive officer aboard USS NEW ORLEANS. Captain Kennedy is married to the former Miss Pamela Anne Shearer of Elgin, Illinois. He and his family now reside in Bonita, California with their five childreng Craig, Le Ann, Brad, Dana and Scott.