Samuel B Roberts (DD 823) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 14 text:

Ula Paaaaza Eaaal i if 4 -o':'4 k 1'-5,410 f X W! I -7 - -fd N. Sailing souTh, we again sTopped aT GuanTan- amo Bay, This Time iusT To refuel. We had been joined enrouTe by Two desTroyers from Norfolk, Virginia, bringing our ToTal force up To eighT. Our nexT sTop was The Panama Canal. In one day we passed from The ATlanTic To The Pacific. Few people realized we had become The TirsT ATlanTic FleeT DesTroyer Squadron To enTer The Pacific in a good number of years. AM.: X 2 T -,,,,,,. ' J , fl Fig. I 4 A O I A 4 if

Page 13 text:

One could say the cruise began not as might be expected with our departure from Newport, Rhode Island late in September, but over a month earlier. We were in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, undergoing a very difficult refresher training period, following shipyard overhaul earlier in the year. On the thirteenth of August, a Friday, with much training still ahead of us, we received an or- der to return immediately to Newport. No reason was given. We arrived in Newport the following week and began a month of tender availability. We still had no firm news of the reason for the change of plans but we heard plenty of rumors of what was in store for us. One month later the rumors became the truth. We were told that in one week we would be leaving for the Western Pacific to ease the workload on the ships of the Pacific Fleet operat- ing off Vietnam. We couldn't tell anyone, but most families knew our destination before we did. We spent our final few days preparing for deployment, arid, for those of us who were newly arrived on board, in becoming familiar with our home for the next six months. On 29 September we left Newport with five other ships of Destroyer Squadron Twenty-four, amid the sounds of a Navy band and the good-byes of our loved ones. . sxI?,,. . I' in 'sf' l l ii -C ,Sw ugly - ll X as f 1 , AMPS gg, bl lQ,,TX -5 '5 1 l,.. 'il Li' ' tl e we w e l metgt- ii, ...M '2'f1, f - A :LJ g ff .H ,iii xxx S-fs. T' ff 'Z xx 3?

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A If 'M ands ,fl , . -ff -ru ,1 ' 1 l Z7 ar! Harbor '71 af. ...1 The nexf leg of our journey Took us up ine we-s,fern coas' of 'ne Nerf? -Xriwerican Continent. Abouf half- way, up we mei Tlfie GUADALQUPE, a Navy aifer, and Held 'ine First ol many underway refuelings. We Then headed West, reaching Pearl Harbor an 20 Qcfivher. Here .-.ere 'net by fire boats and lwula girls and made 'ro feel we were a most welcizyrie :i,iilifif,w: 73 fluff F3a.ggiiig Fleet During our Three day stay in Pearl, many of us Took Tours around llie lslriricl and sawrfil tae izfvcigiwes at Waikiki. Oflfiers offended numerous briefings, meetings, and canlerericfes, ui' .fesi i'i:1-J W ak-I ws ware aware of what Could be expected ahead. f 5 1 fl 7' Nil' K 'Qu 'N I fl I, l mv p I V i I 'i -ii! Qi., Q i' . VIN ' ' I o,,,,,,,. -3' - x .L .xg - l , .xx -5 'l -.v .S X' AY- 14' . .'S' fit I A MZ? it-rH iA wx I. H new ,' Q i ' , A If N i , .1-' ' x l 'CHO - 5 , ll' X f - 4 v ix, 1--.. VI? T ' ' ll f A ' -rw , , v. , , 'W 'Wi f X ' Ilxx . Y 1 4 '1 xv U ., :M an -, M H V , ,,M,., i N. -'l l 'lllill i 2sf',, - wil ii. , Fl A05 XY ' ,pl f' K Y , ...im , My-i'qffe1j 'Yun 1 H A ,V f ' .Q . X' I , I My ,X N W' 4' H7 ' i 'ir I 1