Shea (DM 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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I E. F. BALDRIDGE I Liezzzfemmzf Commander, U. S. Navy The present Commanding Officer of the SHEA is Lieutenant Commander E E B ld 'd U o I. . a ri ge, . S. Navy, of Annapolis, Maryiland Appointed to the U S Naval Acad l934 , . . emy in , he graduated and was commissioned as Ensign. on Iune 2, 1938, and reported on board the giant aircraft carrier SARATOGA for his first tour of sea duty. After this he served successive tours of duty in destroyers in the Atlantic Fleet. After serving successively as Engineer Officer and Executive Officer of the U.S.S. TERRY 'CDD-'5fl3l in the Solomons Campaign, he was assigned Command of the U.S.S. PREBLE CDM-201, later assuming the additional duties of Commander Mine Division One. Lieutenant Commander Baldridge has been awarded two Bronze Star Medals. The first from Admiral Bull Halsey for his services in the TERRY when she participated in th E 1 e mpressi Augusta Bay assault, l Novem'ber 1943, at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, when two heavy air raids were beaten off The second Bronze St M . ar edal was awarded him by Vice Admiral T. S, Wilkenson, Third Fleet Amphibious Force Command f ' er, or services rendered as Commanding Officer of the PREBLE when that vessel successfully entered an enemy mine field off the Palau Islands 13 S on eptember l944 and rescued 96 survivors from a sister ship which had struck a mine and was sinking. In. addition, he wears the American Defense Ribbon with a bronze letter A for operations against the Germans prior to Pearl Harbor, the American European and Pacific The t Rb , aer i' bons, the latter with four stars, and the Philippine Liberation ri'bbon with two, stars. MESSAGE TO THE CREW OF THE U.S.S. SHEA ' The SHEA has impressed me from the first da I . - Y SGW her as sa ship with a fighting spirit. Long before I knew I would ever be her Captain, I went on board and looked her over from st t em 0 Sfeffl, Or 'df tb 'd t b'l . Sh th f' t 2200 tonner I had seen and I looked her over out of cu ' 't n rom rl ge O 1 ge e WGS e Us riosi y. The SHEA wa t P l th h h S t after being hit. I didn't know where or how she had been hit I stopped S G em en' on er Way back to t e tu es - ' CI memb f th f I r and asked him, What happened to the SI-IEA? His repl ' - err? - e Crew Q ter had looked at the damage y was classic. I-le said, S , 1 ' 1 knew she had that old never-say-die spirit, for he did not say We were h't b lr We rammed G Baku bomb' BY thls h . . . . , ' 1 Y CI BCIICCI bomb or A Baka bomb hit us. He p rased his answer in a way that indicated the aggressive spirit of the Sl-IEA The man for whom the SI-IEA was named heroically gave his lit f 1 . . . . e or hi 1 i I ' - aid down theirs in the bitter struggle As long as there S Colm ry and many of the SHEA S Crew 1 k 1 ewise r are oceans to sail th ' ff - living monument to their memories, can e SHOOTIN SHEA cmd her Crew W111 be G E. F. BALDRIDGE Lieutenant Commander, USN Commanding, U.S.S. SHEA fDM30l -1 4 fm

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THESE - WE SHALL NOT FORGET The war against Iapan ended on May 4, l945, for -some of our shipmates., for on that day they gave their lives in order that the remainder of us might live to see the day of final victory over the enemy. No written nor spoken word can begin to describe the magnitude of their sacrifice, for they contributed the m-ost precious gift of all-their lives. We have missed them, for they were our friends and shipmates, but we have the small consolation in knowing that they died as heroes die-fighting for their country's honor at their 'battle stations. I We shall never forget the faraway isle of Okinawa-not because of the hardships and dangers we faced there--but because each of us left comrades there. To them we owe a debt which we can never pay, so in recognition of our debt, we humbly dedicate to them this story of the SHEA. ,. HOOD, Henry M., Ir., Lt, ligl, Borger, Texas BARKER, George Lyman, S1fcCRMJ, South Weymouth, Mass. HANSON, Robert August, GM2fc, Iamestown, N. Y. BEHNKE, George Henry, Slfc, Fargo, N, D, HUTTINGER, Ioseph Anthony, Solvf3fc, Cleveland, Ohio BELL, Ralph Tovane, F2fc, Stantonsburg,lN. C. IANSOONE, Frank Arend, MM2fc, Milwaukee, Wis. BEMENT, Robert Edfwin, SM3fdCTD, Torrington, Conn. BOISIOLY, Harvey Anthony, GMSXCCTJ, Methuen, Mass. BOLSTAD, Saunder Martin, FC2fc, Stady, N. D. BOYER, lack Tinker, SKlfc, Marlow, Oklahoma BREWER, Harold Henry, Flfc, Falls City, Neb. BROWN, Iohn Victor, SCZXC, Bridgeport, Conn. COUNTRYMAN, R D , S2!c, Lindale, Ga. CRAIG, Richard Lewis, BM2fc, Valley Springs, S. D. DOSS, Paul Iames, S'2fc, Charlestown, Ind. ESPOSITO, Arthur Cnj, Slfc, Schenectady, N. Y. FLAHERTY, Thomas Henry, RTZXCKTJ, Los Angeles, Calif. FREY, Ralph Iacob, SoM3fc, Allentown, Pa. GOODALL, lack Lee, Slfc, Omaha, Neb. GREENE, Claude Burwell, Ir., SZXC, Valdosia, Ga. KERLEY, Charn-old Allen, Bkr2fc, Lupton, Tenn, KUNZE, George Robert William, MMZX c, La Coate, Texas LEWIS, Willie Collins, Sr., St.M2fc, Birmingham, Alai LITTLE, Earl Edward, GM3fc, Hayward, Calif. LOWRY, George Francis, Flfc, Portland, Ore. MANN, George Washington, Ir., S'2fc, Starke, Fla. MILLER, Alfred Francis, S2fc, Baltimore, Md. MORGAN, Iames Pafford, S2fc, Alamente, Calif. NUTTING, Standford Lee, BM2fc, Oakland, Calif. PHILLIPS, William Henry, Slfc, Dallas, Pa. ROWLAND, Iohn Allen, RdM3fc, Louisville, Ky. VITELLI, Rocco Louis, S2fc, Holmes, Pa. WAARA, Cyril Alexander William, RM2fc, Hancock, Mich WALLENBECK, Herbert Lee, Ir., Slfc, Buffalo, N. Y. -ISI-

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r f C. C. KIRKPATRICK Commander, U. S. Navy Commander Charles Chili Kirkpatrick, who was appointed a midshipman from the Navy-at-Large Iune Sfl, 19127, and commissioned an Ensign Iune 4, 1931, holds three Navy Crosses and the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. The Navy Crosses were awarded for his outstanding work as commanding officer of a submarine which completed highly successful war patrols in Iaipanese home waters during the months that followed the outbreak of warf In addition to other varied duties during his naval career, Commander Kirkpatrick served as aide and flag lieutenant to Fleet Admiral Ernest 1. King from early 19413 until Iune 29, 11944. From that assignment, during which he was made Commander on November l, 19413, Commander Kirkpatrick reported on August 32? to Staten Island, New York, to take command of the U.S.S, S1-IEA. 'ilrifrir Shipmates of the Shootin' Shea:- This little book is to be our reminder of the hours and days We have spent together. Since time began, a Man-of-War has always reflected the hearts and minds of the men who ride her decks. You must be justly proud for you gave your ship a Fighting I-le-art. From all walks of life you came aboard with vigor and vitality that never failed in times of stress and strain. To you-to those we left behind-my thanks and appreciation for your cheerful cooperation at all times and your intelligent performance of duty. ' Q i J C. C, KIRKPATRICK. 1 Commander, U. S. Navy. ..f51..