Saint Paul (CA 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commander Richard M. Husty was born on July 21, 1925 in Westhampton Beach, Long 1S13,nd, New York. He attended schools in Westhampton Beach and Long Island City, New York, then entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1943. Grad- uating in 1945, he was commissioned as an Ensign, USNR, in the Maritime Service. After a year's service as an engineer officer in several U.S. merchant ships he entered the Naval Service and served his first tour of duty as Assistant Engineering Officer of USS MACOMB QDMS-235 . Tours as Engineer- ing Officer aboard the REQUISITE CAM- l09J and the JE FFERS QDMS-275 followed. After attending the Gunnery Officer's Ord- nance School in February, 1951, he re- ported to the GOODRICH CDDR-8315 as Gunnery Officer, where he served until September, 1952. Commander Husty was a student from November, 1952, to August, 1954, attending CIC School, Damage Control School, ASW School, the General Line School and Stanford f University. He went back to sea in the DUX- BURY BAY QAVP-385 as Engineering Officer and in August, 1955, he took command of the SALINAN QAFT-1613 until April, 1957. He then served with the Inspector of Naval Material, Newark, New jersey until April, 1959 and as Chief Staff Officer for COM- DESPON NINE until july, 1961, during which time he Qualified for Command of Destroy- ers. Commander Husty attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, from july, 1961 to june, 1962. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in july, 1962. Returning to sea, Commander Husty served on the LAKE CHAMPLAIN CCVS-395 as Engineering Officer from july, 1962 to November, 1963, and in january, 1964, he reported to the LOFBERG CDD-7595 as Commanding Officer. While in command of the LOFBERG, he participated in Vietnamese patrol operations. In April, 1965, Commander Husty joined the SAINT PAUL CCA-735 to serve as Exec- utive Officer. Commander Husty wears the World War Il Victory Medal, European Occupation Medal, National Defense Medal with bronze star, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star, Republic of Vietnam campaign Medal with Device, Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Ribbon, Merchant Marine World War II Victory Ribbon, Merchant Marine Mediterranean, Middle East War Zone Ribbon and the Command at Sea Medallion. x4uL F S5 . I 1 I ix r , 96 3

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'UW Kommander Kichard M. J-fusfy MSN Ewcufizfc' Officer

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9orew0rd A four month shipyard overhaul, five weeks of refresher training, an Admi11iSt1'H' tive Inspection, a dependent's cruise, and. a 5h1p'S party were all part of our preparation for deployment. As the eleventh of May approached, we became increasingly aware that this date portended a new page in the history of the SAINT PAUL. Our heavy cruiser, which had steamed over a million miles and fought in two wars in the twenty- one years since her commissioning, was going to a new combat zone . She had fired shore bombardment on the japanese island of Honshu, served as flag- ship for the Yangtze River Patrol Forces in China, patrolled the Formosa straits, pro- vided gunfire support near Wonson, Korea, fired support for the Hungnam evacuation, fired on Chongjin and Zongjin and Anchor Hill. She had rescued downed pilots, treat- ed wounded Korean troops, captured prison- ers of war, lost men in a tragic turret ex- , plosion, received fire from shore batteries, and fired the last naval round of both World War ll and the Korean conflict. In peacetime she had visited ports-- japan's Hiroshima, Yokohama, Beppu, and Nagasaki, Taiwan's Keelung and Kao-hsiung, Buckner Bay, Okinawa, Wellington, New Zea- land, lnchon, Korea, the Philippine's Manila, Cebu, and Zamboanga, lndonesia's Djakarta, Vietnam's Saigon, Malaya's Port Swettenham, and many, many more. As flagship of the Seventh Fleet and First Fleet her quarterdeck had greeted Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and john F. Kennedy, His Emminence Francis Cardinal Spellman, Republic of Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem, Republic of China's Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and many other famous personages She had been overhauled in Bremerton, Long Beach, Yokosuka and San Francisco, she had trained in Operations Beacon Hill, Big Shot, Golf-ball, Turk's Head, Blue Star, Silver Lance, and countless other Fleet exercises. And so, in l966 we prepared our Fight- ing Saint for yet another overseas deploy- ment and for another war. We were apprehensive, our ship not having fired a shot in anger since 27 july 1953, but as our guns pounded San Clemente Island with in- creasing accuracy, we became confident and eager to sail. The eleventh of May approach- ed rapidly. 1 il