Pictor (AF 54) - Naval Cruise Book

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'i SHIPS HISTORY The USS PICTOR had her beginning as a ship operated by the United States Maritime Commission during which time she was known as the S.S. GREAT RE PUBLIC. Her keel was lain on 18 March 1942 at the Moore shipbuilding company in Oakland, California. Upon her completion in 1943 she was operated by the United States Maritime Commission under var- ious charters one of which was the United Fruit Company and finally by the Pacific Far East Line Inc. of San Francisco. In April of 1950 the S.S. GREAT REPUBLIC was inactivated by the United States Mari- time Commission and moored in Suisan Bay, California where she remained until 13 Sep- tember 1950 when the U.S. Navy acquired her for conversion to a Naval auxiliary-store ship. As such, she was renamed the USS PICTOR after a southern constellation. PlCTOR's commissioning took place on 18 Cctober 1950 with Commander John V. Cameron, USN becoming her first skipper. She was then promptly directed to the Far East for three tours during the Korean War. Following the Korean Campaign PICTOR joined the routine operations of supplying our deployed occupation forces including the Taiwan Patrol. It wasn't until the Vietnam con- flict became critical that PICTOR could again display her value to the fleet. Since 1961 she has completed nine deployments to the Western Pacific and South China Sea, the latest of these being from 8 June to 28 September 1968. , . -, - . --V ff t '.sQ9

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W EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR JOSEPH G. SMITH, USN Captain IGLESIAS began his Naval career in 1944 when he was com- missioned as an Ensign subsequent to completion of the V-5 Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Since then he has had an active career as he served aboard the USS BATAAN and the USS SAN JACINTO with Fighting Squadron 47, was a flight instructor, attended General Line School, was a member of the com- missioning crew for the USS FORRESTAL, attended the Naval War College as a student and later returned to instruct in the Staff Naval Command course Captain IGLESIAS will be leaving PICTOR after two deployments to the Western Pacific. He will report upon leaving PICTOR to the Chief of Naval Air Basic Training at Pensacola, Florida for duty as Director of Flight Train- ing. Captain IGLESIAS holds among other awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross, six Air Medals, and Navy E s for Excellence in Gunnery, Bombing, Rockets, Strafing and Air to Air Missiles. Lieutenant Commander SMITH, Executive Officer, began his Naval career as a white hat airdale striking out for the rating of Aviation 'Machinist Mate., The Commander attained the rate of AD1 and after service in the rate of several years entered OCS becoming an Ensign on graduation. At the United States Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California he earned a degree in Meteorology. Lieutenant Commander SMITH has served on the USS BEATTY QDD-7561, USS NORTHAMPTON QCLC-13, and before coming to the PICTOR was Operations Officer at the Fleet Weather Facility, NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

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DECK DEPARTMENT LT FRANK R. SMITH, USN, DEPT. HEAD LTJG MILFORD C. COX, USN ENS. WILLIAM G. DRISCOLL, USNR