Rochester (CA 124) - Naval Cruise Book

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LCDR H. J. BEUKEMA Chaplain

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xecufive Officer Commander John V. Noel, lr., USN, assumed duties of Executive Officer in July, 1953, while the Rocm-:sn-:R was in Mare Island Naval Ship- yard, Valleio, California. Con Noel was born in Lima, Peru, on June 2, 1912. He attended school and college in New York and Charleston, South Carolina, be- fore entering the Naval Academy. He was graduated with the class of 1936. At the outbreak of World War ll, he was in the destroyer minelayer Uss Slcnnn in the Pa- cific. ln command of the SICARD, and later as commanding officer of the destroyer Uss LAMsou, he saw action in most of the Pacific campaigns. His decorations include the Bronze Star and Commendation Ribbon, both with Combat V's. After the war, Con Noel was assigned to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. ln 1947 he was ordered to Stanford Universi- ty for postgraduate work in personnel admini- stration. He returned to sea in 1948 as planning and assistant operations officer for the Comman- der of Amphibious Group ONE tPacificJ. He Z , 1 'Qs ,J ,., ..,,R y CDR JOHN V. NOEL, Jr. participated in the first amphibious operation of the Korean War. Prior to reporting to the Rocussrzn, he was Executive Officer in the Department of Seamanship and Navi- gation at the Naval Academy. While on duty at the Academy, CDR Noel wrote THE Dlvlslou Orncsms Gum: and revised TH: WArcu Orr-'icr:n's Gum:-:. Operations Commander Robert .l. Baxter, USN, reported aboard the Rocnssrsn on 25 June 1953, while the ship was at Mare lsland Naval Shipyard, to assume duties as Navigator. On 4 March 1954 he relieved Commander David M. Arm- strong, USN, as the ship's Operations Officer. Commander Baxter was born in Seattle, Washington. He was graduated from the Uni- versity of California in 1941 with a degree in history. During World War ll he spent three years at sea in the Northern Pacific. After the war he was stationed for a year at the Naval Training Center, Miami, as an afloat in- structor. There followed a year and a half as Associate Professor of Naval Science at Stan- ford University before he again went to sea, this time as Executive Officer of the destroyer Uss Honusrsn. Since that time Commander Baxter has served as Personnel Officer for the Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet, and Personnel Officer at Naval Training Center, Bainbridge. Between these last two stations he attended post graduate school at Ohio State University, From Bainbridge he reported to the Rocussrsn. -. hawk vw - V 6 9 i l CDR ROBERT J. BAXTER

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