Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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FICERS COMMANDER PAUL P. BLACKBURN, JR., USN Now Execufive Officer, he formerly served as fraining officer, Naviga+or and Air Ogicer. He comes from a navy family , and has had varied and responsible du+ies since graduafing from fhe U. S. Naval Academy in I930.

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E 1.6, ff' it at E X Y' 5 as 'F , ...uw 'X s Q-5 if ...xc x 58 sr' ik' A+ J X .... X .... g'9- sk.. F Ne 1. in -tug---, lg' , . x - ar US COMMANDER T. B. NEBLETT, USN Now Caplain, served as Execulive Oilicer from 9 Oclober l944 'lo 23 June l945. Graduaiing from 'rlwe U. S. Naval Acad- emy Class of l927, he was designaled a Naval Avialor in l93O. COMMANDER L. C. SIMPLER, USN Landed firsl plane aboard l2 November I944, while serving as Air Ofiicer. A graduale of U. S. Naval Academy and a Naval Avia'l'or since l929, he served as Execulive Officer during +l1e final War Cruise. I

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if -Y i gl 6. ,V .., 1 PJ A HISTORY OF U. S. S Whaf a year! If lasfed from Ocfober 9, I944, when Randolph was commissioned af Norfolk Navy Yard. unfil Ocfober Zl, l945, when fhe war was over and fhe ship refurned fo Norfolk, en roufe fo Balfimore for Navy Day. For mosf of us if was fhe rnosf evenfful year we ever had, and perhaps ever will have. Whaf hap- pened in fhose fwelve monfhs? I.ef's go back and fake a look. Our sfory really begins on May IO, l943, when Randolph's keel was laid af Newporf News Shipbuild- ing and Drydock Company, Newporf News, Virginia. Our sfory, of course is fhe sfory of a ship. Thaf year we didnf belong fo home or wife or mofher We belonged fo a ship. Randolph was launched on June 28 I944 If wasnf long before a few officers and men were assigned fo fhe shipyard fechniclans mosfly fo help fif her ouf Mosf of us fhough wenl' fo Newporf Rhode Island fhaf sum mer and early fall sweahng if ouf as fhe Pre Commls sionmg Defall af fhe Naval Training Sfafion We dldnf fhlnk much abouf war We fhoughf abouf hafing fo RANDOLPH CV-I5 gef up for Happy Hour, abouf fhe dusf on fhe drill Held. and fhe beer and babes of Newporf. Then came fhe frain ride from Newporf fo Newp0l'I News. Was if long and firing! We 'Ihoughf we'd never gef fhere. The frain fook us righf info fhe shipbuilding yards, arriving fhe morning of Ocfober 8. Thaf day we boarded fhe ship. Mosf of us had never even been on one before. We were fhal' green. If was excifing. and also confusing, fo go around fhaf big, complex sl1IP for fhe firsf fime, fo see her fhere, new and powerful and, like us, unfried. The nexf morning, Ocfober 9. WIII1 our officers on fhe bridge buf wifh fhe shipbuiIder's men sflll in charge we fook fhe ship over fo Norfolk Navy Yard af Porfsmoufh In fhe affernoon in fhe bflghl aufumn sunllghf we sfood in mass formahon on 'Ihe IIIQH deck Visnfors were fhere including 'Ihe wives and families of some of us On a raised plafform lnboard of fhe island Capfaln Felix Baker USN accepfed 'I'Il9 sl-up for naval service Af Iasf we were in commission The ship was ours He said so himself He also SBICI fhaf as quickly as possible he hoped fo ge? 'I'Ile sI1lP mio .M- ...-.-.. ....s.......4 ' . . n - v . - - Q Q 4 . 1 - - . - . , . . . - . l Q . Q ' - I I . . ' . . n 1 1 n o 0 . ' 4 . 1 , Q . 4 u I . a e 1 ' - o 0 - ' ' a 4 o l., . V.. ' W n n ysj , . . 0 l- . leaf. .