Rochester (CA 124) - Naval Cruise Book

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. . . . Her History Q...- l T.. 2 The Uss ROCHESTER was built at Quincy, Massa- '5 mai chusetts and was launched on August 28, 1945, the first Navy ship to be launched after 'VP' day. She was sponsored by Mrs. M. Herbert Eisenhart, wife of the President of Bausch and Lomb Optical ' Company of Rochester, New York. Commissioned December 20, 1946, she reported to the Atlantic Fleet for duty and spent the next year training Naval Reserve personnel along the Atlantic Coast. During 1948, she operated in the Mediterranean as the flagship of the Commander SIXTH Fleet. The following year was spent along the U.S. Atlan- tic Coast from Panama to Labrador. ln January 1950, the ROCHESTER proceeded through the Panama Canal and went on to the Western Pacific to become the flagship of Com- mander SEVENTH Fleet and to take a routine part in the Occupation of Japan. When the on-set of the Korean conflict came in June 1950, she proceeded at once with the SEVENTH Fleet for operations off Korea and later participated in nearly every major naval engagement against the North Koreans. She was present at the initial landings at Pohang Do, and has seen action at lnchon, Changjon, Koio, Wonsan, Hungnam and Songiin. The ROCHESTER participated in seven major combat operations during the Korean conflict. These operations were: , ' ' ' Y ' as '. , , -. - F, . ' ., Ml' 'A . deff , - '.f:,,,gL A J ,,, .mmf North Korean Aggression June November 1950 lnchon Landing 13 17 September 1950 Communist China Aggression November 1950 January 1951 U.N. Summer-Fall Offensive November 1951 Second Korean Winter November 1951 April 1952 Korean Defense, Summer-Fall November 1952 Third Korean Winter December 1952 March 1953 After an extensive overhaul and underway training period in the latter half of 1953, the ROCHESTER departed from the United States on January 5, 1954, for routine West- ern Pacific duty. Before reporting, however, she made a series of informal goodwill visits in Southeast Asia with stops at Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, and Saigon. On February 26, 1954, the ROCHESTER arrived at Yokosuka, Japan and commenced operations with the SEVENTH Fleet. During her participation in Operation Flaghoist at lwo Jima, in March, word was received of her selection as flagship of the SEVENTH Fleet, to succeed the battleship WISCONSIN. After some rapid alterations, the ROCHESTER officially broke the three star flag of Vice Admiral A. M. Pride, USN, on April 1, 1954. During her two months as flagship, she paid visits to Yokohama, Osaka, and Hong Kong. The transfer of the SEvENTH Fleet Flag to the Uss SAINT PAUL on May 28th marked the end of her Far Eastern Cruise and the ROCHESTER returned to the United States on June 14, 1954.

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Commanding Cfflcer Captain John Quinn assumed command of the Rocm-:sn:n in July, 1953, at Mare lsland Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California. Capt. Quinn was born in Howard County, Texas, on June 14, 1904. Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1924, he attended Big Springs High School, Big Springs, Texas: Wentworth Military Academy at Lexington, Missouri 5 and Stanford University, Palo Alto, Cali- fornia. Graduating from the U.S. Naval Acade- my with the Class of 1928. he was com- missioned Ensign on June 7, 1928, and subsequently was advanced to the rank of Captain on March 25, 1945. Significant among his many accomplish- ments was being appointed a member of the Navy National Rifle and Pistol Team on two occasions. He was also an instruc- tor in Ordnance Engineering from June 1935 until June 1938, at which time he joined the Uss VESTAL as the Ordnance Officer for the ship. CAPTAIN JOHN QUINN ln subsequent tours of duty throughout his naval career, Captain Quinn has served in the Uss Mc- Doucm.: the aircraft carrier Uss RANGER: the Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.: and on the Uss APPALACHIAN, a naval communica- tions ship. On January 1, 1946, he assumed com- mand of the fleet tanker Uss GuAoAl.uPl:. Six months later he returned to the Navy Department for duty as Chief of the Weapon Component Sec- tion of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. On April 5, 1949, he was ordered to duty as Commanding Officer of the seaplane tender, Uss Nonrou Souuo. He held that post for a little more than a year, when he was detached in September, 1950, to return to the Navy Department again: this time as a Program Director for Ammunition in the Planning Division. From the Planning Division, Captain Quinn went to the National War College in Washington, D.C., and attended that school from August 1952 until he assumed command of the Rocmzsnzn. Captain Quinn is authorized to wear the Com- mendation Ribbon for his duty in the Bureau of Ordnance.