Renville (APA 227) - Naval Cruise Book

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I . Second Division has one of the most essential jobs on the Renville, keeping her boats in the best possible running condi- tion. These boats are to our ship what the eight inch guns are to a cruisers- they are the weapon of attack. And without I t . the twenty-four hour vigilance of Second Division, this weapon would be useless. S R Now Third Division Man Number Four Hatch is the Word we've heard innumerable times on this cruise. Tons of fresh s provisions are hoisted into our ship's reefer spaces, many drums of diesel fuel and ammo have been swallowed by 4414 X hatch. xAtop the hatch rests three Papa boats, the gig, the Mark Pour and the L boat. Number 4 is the repair hatch for all Renville craft. s. Into Number 5, the Marine cargo hold, goes the heavier S vehicles and equipment. The 35-ton boom with its 17-man ss. x 1 egg. c crew accom lishes this almost never-endin1 assi nment. Ato 8 Lieutenant Lee E. Esquibel Lt. Lee E. Esquibel from Doenver, Colorado graduated from San ,lose State University in 1956. He came to the Renville in July from NAS, Atsugi, Japan, where he had served four years as Cryptographic Security Officer. In August he relieved Ensign Richard Vogels as Boat Group Commander. Key man in each ship to shore movement, Mr. Esquibel has control over all water borne boats. DEPAR TMEN Number 5 is the roosting nest of the two Mike boats. No. 5 hatch area is the after underway replenishment station for fuel and cargo. At sea, the 26 men of the Third Division are no watch as Bos'n Mate of the Watch, helmsmen, lee helmsmen, port and starboard lookouts, stern lookouts and after steering. Myriad deck seamanship duties from frame 98 to the fantail-that is accomplished and ac- complished well by Renville's Third Division. Most unique of the deck divisions, however, is the Fourth Division as an amphibious ship, the Renville has skoshi firepower, but the five 40 mm mounts on her decks could well be essential in certain circumstances. The care and feeding of these mounts fall to Gunnery,s ten men. Many words of praise have been spoken about this well organized and efficient group of gunners. ND I VISION Back Row, Left to Right: Henry M., SN, Dickinson, R., SN, Price, C., SN, Dunn, J., SN, Van Rossum, R.. SN, Day, J, SA, Leone, R , SN, Miller, L., SN. Middle Row, Montano, V., BM2, Palmer., LXDMZZ, Owens, C., SN, Oxley. P, SN, Van Fossen, M, ISM3, Nalwalker, R., SN, Murphy. J., SNXQ RQHO, SN, Smith, G., BM3, Ens F, Ehrstedt Division Officer. Front Row: Allawatt, A , BMI , Roman, C., SN, Vilapando, lr., SN: Ramsey. H., SA . lvie, SN, Hyrurn, ,I., SN, Mountain, A , SN, Harrison, D, SN, Spangler, J.. BMSN-

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f. Y-IJ TV? IST IVISION .f 'X r if Back Row, Left to Right: Wilson, J. J., SA, Aguilar, B., EM3, Roya, L., SN, Pierce, C., SN, Ward, M., SN, Foreman, L., SA , Richardson, F., SA , Jacobsen, C., SN. Middle Row : Ens. G. Murphy, Division Officer , Gwaltney, D., BM1, Beck, D., SA, Hutchins, T., SN, Wright, R., SN, Peterson, O., SA, Mowles, L., SN, Greedy, J., SA, Front Row: Mayfield, F., BM3, Blacksher, G., SN, Mizell, D., SA, Trumpeter, J., SN, Morton, C., SN, Capps, P., SA. THE DECK Lieutenant Charles Halsey Q LT C H. HALSEY Jr. is a native of Decatur Illinois and a graduate of the U. S. Naval was the USS RANDOLPH KCVA-15J in the Mediterranean. His next ship duty was the USS DOUGLAS A MUNRO CDE-422D home- ported at Pearl Harbor He later served on the staff of COMSERVPAC at Pearl and re- ported aboard the RENVILLE in January 1960 He has been the RENVILLES First Lieutenant for nearly two years Mr Halseys wife and two daughters reside in Imperial Beach, California A - if Academy, class of 1953. His first assignment 1-253 . 4 . 3. , l . The deck department is the backborne of the. Renville, for no matter how favorable other conditions might be, without the deck depart-2 ment no boats would be launched, no cargo, unloaded, no guns fired, and no Marine couldt start his journey to the beach...i.men man: ,f its booms and hatches, boats, davits and gunsu Upon these men the Renville depends for many. things from higlining to chipping paint. Har-g dest working of any department on the ship ini terms of muscle power and sweat, the deck department often toils while most of the ship, sleeps. The winches hum until the last piece. of cargo is loaded: ammunition in 51 hatch,l gasoline in 152, stores in 1173 and 54, vehicles ing 55. The morning brings no letup, for the deck? department's work is never done....lgall0nSt of paint were used on this cruise just to keepl the weather decks painted. Maintenance can'i2 wait until the weather's fine or the sea is calmli the rigging needs slushing every week, C022 cylinders must be tested, hull reports must ll-92 turned in. The work goes on and on. . The largest division in the deck force ISM, J First Division withlmen. Originally HH even larger unit, the month of August saw the formation of a new Division, 1-A, which in' corporates some of First Division's personnel. 35 well as those in the former side cleaners. These two divisions have the responsibility of fully half the ship: from just aft of her superstructure. to the tip of the focsle. ffl ,J ig 4

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'-an 31:19 IVISION 1: P f Z ,f Q V4 gly' , V2 Z! V V f if V V 4 f . W 1 f - Qwm' Back Row, Left to Right: Kaplan, P., SN, Frazier, R., SN, Snyder, H., SN, Radcliff, W., SN, VVofHnden, L., SX Fields, J. SN, Vincent, W., SN. Middle Row: Ens. K. Miller, Division Officer, Nalvvalker, P., BMl, Hughes. YY SN, People, S., SN, Merchant, W., SN, Houck, E., SN, Bell, J., SN, Bustamantes, E., SN, Penn, J., BM2. Freq' Row: Wilbur, C., SA, Peterson, P., SA, Berninger, R., BMS, Dutterer, C., BM3, Hernandez M. BM3g KWH' , , V xilghf. R., SA, Palmer, R., SN. 4 TH IVISION fi-----, .N-M Ly Rishi. ivuiuy, A., ulvllg Longi, P., GMS, llenclrickson, B., GMS, Pkg , , R QMQ lqmin- D.,.l4T3, Brandl1,A., FTB., Irwin, D., GM3. Front Row: wvaisfm, L., GMX, r,,,,.ff2lQf,.','uNlf',IMQNA l-TMR, White, Gunnery Officer, Meisner, F. GM3, Highland, L., GM3. ' if f JL