Renville (APA 227) - Naval Cruise Book

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wifi? .- ' 35155353 22 .IU E I964 It goes without saying that our WesPac cruise was not the cruise many of us had anticipated. During the cruise we were destined to work . . . destined to spend a few days in port, and often more than a few weeks at sea. Certainly all of us became tired of the tedious weeks afloat. And yet, because of the circumstances and performance, we were rewarded with the knowledge of having done a fine job. RENVILLE's cruise came during a complex period when the powerful and cunning forces of the Soviet Union and Communist China saw an opportunity to quicken the decaying situation in South Viet Nam . . . with the hope of eventually gathering all of Southeast Asia under the Red banner. In this political, yet deadly warfare, we found ourselves in an area with little history of democratic development . . . an oriental area with no conception of baseball and Mom's apple pie , an unstable area war-torn since 1940. Political historians have constantly warned us that if we lost South Viet Nam we would soon lose all of Southeast Asia . . . and after that, who knows ? This is why the United States continues increasing its support of men and materials . . . not only for South Viet Nam, but for the in- terests of Freedom throughout the world. While we steamed off the Viet Namese coast in the South China Sea and the Bay of Tonkin, those close to us at home read reports of attacks on the U, S, S, MADDOX, the U. S, S. EDWARDS and the various incidents staged by the Viet Cong and our forces inland. And while they read, they prayed that they would not open the newspaper at the breakfast table the next morning and read about the REN- VILLE INCIDENT . Fortunately, it never occured. When American lives are at stake, our job is not intended to be luxurious. The work expected of us never is. The flaring Viet Namese situation necessitated our steaming for sixty-seven days off Viet Nam, without liberty or a letdown in our high degree of readiness. And growing concern over South Viet Nam 'S turbelent government caused our return to this same area after our Yokosuka visit, fully loaded, for another monotonous twenty days. This steady steaming, in formation and out, was not easy. Neither were all of the GQ's, darken ships, showerless nights, typhoons, or those one hundred and five replenishments we remember so vididly. Nevertheless, the tension which gradually accumulated in each crew member was somewhat alleviated in those memorable ports we did hit . . . Okinawa, japan, and the Philippines . ll XN 2