New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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L. E E 1 I 1 or vi li F 1 1 if V E IS ISI 5 sz' I . ,4 lm jx l 1' K : 1 1 E f 21 1 i 1.3- A. ' Zi 'M lf! .'. Af'!i'?'x l'lr1Lzrua '-,111-5--0-H1 Commanding f ficer Captain H. Upon completion of high school in Yonkers, New York, Captain Zoehrer enlisted in the Navy. After three months of recruit training at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, he attended the Naval Academy Prepatory School at Bainbridge, Maryland. Captain Zoehrer attended the Naval Academy from June 1947 un- til June of 1951. He commenced flight training the follow- ing September and was designated a Naval Aviator in December 1952. He served with VS-31, flying AF and S-2 aircraft at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, and from various CVE's and CVS's from 1953 to 1956. During a three year tour of shore duty at Pensacola, Florida, Captain Zoehrer was an instructor at the School of Pre-F light and subsequently assisted in the establish- ment of the Midshipmen Aviation Program for both Naval Academy and NROTC Midshipmen. Returning to sea duty in 1959, he served a year as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander Task Group ALFAXCARD IV-16, then he joined VS-26 at their com- missioning in 1960. While with VS-26 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and operated from the USS RAN- DOLPH, participating in the Cuban Missile Crisis and a deployment to the Mediterranean. In 1964 he completed a yearf of graduate study in International Relations at the American University at Washington, D.C. His next tour was ashore at the Pen- tagon where he served in the Foreign Military Assistance Division of Deputy CNO Plans and Policy. In September of 1965 he was promoted to Com- mander. He served as Executive Officer and subsequently Commanding Officer of VS-25 at NAS North Island until 1968. During this period, the squadron deployed in WESTPAC aboard the USS YORKTOWN, operating in the Sea of Japan and the Gulf of Tonkin. - In late 1968 Captain Zoehrer reportedaboard the USS BENNINGTON in Subic Bay as Operations Officer, ser- ving in that capacity until the decommissioning of the BENNINGTON in early 1970. Upon transfer he assumed command of Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 53. He was promoted to Captain in July of 1971 and reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations where he served for two years as Assistant for Air ASW Plans in the Aviation Plans Branch of the DCNO CAir Warfarej. In October 1973 Captain Zoehrer was assigned as Comman- ding Officer of the USS CLEVELAND KLPD-7j. He was in command of CLEVELAND until being ordered to USS NEW ORLEANS as Commanding Officer. Captain Zoehrer is married to the former jean Thursby of New Rochelle, New York. They presently reside in Corornado, California with their four childreng Eric, Melinda, Andrew and Jonathan. A. Zoehrer

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...- 57 mia. .,.w X. 5 Y ,...,-' ' .5- .-5 N' -lr , rl' Jn, 1 f , nf' 3 l V.-,f .4 'ff' :Ft -dd? 2. ,a ofa' 944. ff. .sf , 'K 1 Seven Years Of Service NEW ORLEANS' keel was laid at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 1 March 1966, and she was commissioned on 16 November 1968. After commissioning and completion of final outfitting, NEW ORLEANS proceeded to her homeport, San Diego, California, arriving on 3 March 1969. Upon her arrival in San Diego she became flagship for Amphibious Squadron ONE. NEW ORLEANS is a floating helicopter base with a landing area 602 feet long and 105 feet wide, and can support 20 helicopters and 2,000 marines for extended operations anywhere in the world. NEW ORLEANS is specifically designed to support the vertical envelopment technique in amphibious warfare. When employing this technique, more than 1,000 combat ready marines are airlifted by helicopter several miles inland to tactically engage enemy troops. NEW ORLEANS also has a large hospital on board with over 200 beds and supporting facilities to care for patients. The ship deployed on 1 August 1969 for the Western Pacific and operations as a member of the SEVENTH Fleet. While engaged in these Far East operations she was the flagship for Amphibious Ready Group BRAVO. NEW ORLEANS maintained a high degree of fleet readiness by conducting numerous amphibious exercises. In October 1969 NEW ORLEANS was host for the Eighth Viet- namese Awards Ceremony. Also during October, NEW ORLEANS par- ticipated in Keystone Cardinal operations. In March 1970 NEW ORLEANS completed her Western Pacific deployment, having participated in five amphibious exercises, conducted many weeks of amphibious ready group maneuvers in the South China Sea, and made port visits to Hong Kong, Manila, Subic Bay, Okinawa and Taipei. In May 1970 NEW ORLEANS was Amphibious Forces Pacific representative for Armed Forces Day in San Francisco, conducting a highly successful open house in that city. In June 1970 NEW ORLEANS participated in one of the largest amphibious exercises ever conducted on the West Coast, MEBLEX 1-70. In August 1970 NEW ORLEANS became the flagship for Com- mander FIRST Fleet. It was during this month that she provided sup- port for President Nixon's visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and made a port call at Acapulco. NEW ORLEANS was selected as primary recovery ship for Apollo 14 and prepared for that mission during the fall of 1970. In january 1971 NEW ORLEANS departed San Diego for Hawaii and the beginning of the Apollo 14 mission. On 9 February 1971 NEW ORLEANS recovered astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa and Ed Mitchell 900 miles south of American Samoa. On 1 May 1971 NEW ORLEANS commenced her 1971 Western Pacific deployment. Several exercises were held during the deployment. One of these was a convoy exercise, a multi-nation cruising exercise simulating a convoy under combat conditions. Another exercise on the island of Mindoro, Republic of the Philippines. NEW ORLEANS completed her deployment in November and com- menced preparations for her February shipyard overhaul in Long Beach. NEW ORLEANS completed her shipyard overhaul and began preparing for her next deployment in July 1972. On 17 july 1972 NEW ORLEANS commenced her 1972 Western Pacific deployment as the flagship for Amphibious Squadron THREE and later Amphibious Ready Group ALFA. During late july and early August NEW ORLEANS and her embarked units participated in the Philippine Flood Relief Operations, earning the Philippine Unit Citation. NEW ORLEANS patrolled the coast of Vietnam until early February. At this time she became flagship for Commander Task Force 78 and the control ship for Operation End Sweep. CTF 78 was tasked with de-mining operations for the coast and harbors of North Vietnam. NEW ORLEANS returned to San Diego on 13 May 1973 to prepare for the recovery of astronauts Alan Bean, Owen Garriott and jack Lousman, the crew of SKYLAB III. On 25 September 1973 NEW ORLEANS recovered the astronauts 190 miles southwest of San Diego. NEW ORLEANS next deployment began 4january 1974 and begun with the recovery of Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, the crew of SKYLAB IV. On 8 February 1974 the astronauts were safely recovered 250 miles southwest of San Diego. During the course of this deployment the ship visited Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She returned to San Diego on 31 August 1974. On 5 july 1975 NEW ORLEANS set sail for the recovery of the American crew of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Donald Slayton and Vance Brand were recovered 380 miles west of Hawaii. NEW ORLEANS continued on her deployment and returned to San Diego on 23 March 1976. TX, 1.-

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