Shreveport (LPD 12) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 7 text:

sacrifice...The USS SHREVEPORT is her crew..H Fast cruises were conducted 12-15 January 1971, and on 18 January, after 0415 Revei11e, the ship was underway to test the fathometer, radio transmitter systems, anchor wind1ass, and to receive her first safe he1o Tanding as -Lt. R. L. KALBER, USNR, of NAS whidby Is1and 1anded. The remainder of the week saw the ship steaming in a circ1e in a channe1 fu11 of ships, around a buoy at EDIZ HO0K, to ca1ibrate ECM gear. sf, .1 0n 22 January, the ship was underway 0420 for NAD, Bangor, Washington, to 1oad ammunition. Just as the ship was about to depart, HTi11yH arrived, having trave11ed across country. She was 1oaded and the ship was underway for her voyage to home port, some 8,000 mi1es distant. Setting out on a course of 1800 she trave11ed 692.7 mi1es to her first port of ca11, San Francisco. The ship passed under the 0ak1and Bay Bridge at 0929 and moored port side to Pier 1, Hunter's Point Navy Station at 1005, 27 January 1971. The day was warm and p1easant, compared with the foggy, disma1 Washington winter, and SHREVEPORTers took advantage of the opportunity to visit the most beautifu1 1arge city of America with its Chinatown, fisherman's wharf, cab1e cars, and cosmopo1itan atmosphere of being a1ive. i Ha. an--e ,als JZ ' . F 1 1 3. e v - 3 'Q ff

Page 6 text:

the National Anthem while quartermasters in white leg- gings raised the Colors inside the Well Deck and a small commission pennant. Outside, the Colors, commission pen- nant, and Jack were also hoisted. The Executive Office said, HMan the Rail,H and all the sailors along the side of the Well Deck ran up ramps and fell into a formation in front of everyone while others ran out of openings in the side, along a catwalk on the wall of the Well Deck. Then the Commanding Officer reported that the ship was in com- mission. The time was l505. The Captain asked permission to Hbreak the Admiral's personal flag.H The commission pennant was lowered and a small blue flag with three white stars raised while the band played HRuffles and flourishes and the short Admiral's March. A large set of silverware was presented by the people of Shreveport. A large cake, about five feet by three feet, was brought down on a large plywood platter and the Cap- tain's wife cut a piece with the XO's sword. But she had troubles, she put the sword under the tin-foil under the cake. Captain Pehr H. Pehrsson, the new commanding officer, made a few comments: H..without a crew, this ship is merely l3,000 tons of metal--spirit- less, motionless and passive. The quality that separates the for- med metal in this ship from the raw materials still in the ground is not bulk, not a 22 knot speed capability, not the flight deck above for helicopter operae tions, not the vast Well Deck wherein we now sit and which nor- mally carries huge as- sault boats. It is not the ship's capacity to carry a thousand combat loaded troops anywhere in the world. Those are mere potentials. what gives the SHREVEPORT life what makes her an instrument of national defense is the men that man her...the life of a sailor often means akamped living iquarters, long hours of work, protracted family igggrigignigigngifrequent nhysiaai aangar..ta breathe iife VGQUTVG 25 hour ddys and much personal

Page 8 text:

The Ship Wag underway from San Francisco at 0548,v88VJanu- ary and trave11ed 474.4 mi1es further south to Han H1600- The ship passed under the highest SDGD Of the, 18190050 Bridge at 0810 on 29 January and moored at Pier 8 at 0846. Later in the da 22 officers and 63 en1isted reservists of the 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th Nava1 Districts embarked for two weeks' training, and the Marines Toaded the we11 Deck with Euc1id tractors to be taken to Morehead City, N. Car. The ship was underway at 0947 on 30 January. Two hours 1ater, at 1133 he1icopters practiced touch and go Tandings our first significant f1ight quarters. 1,453.8 mi1es 1at- er the ship anchored in Bahia de Acapu1co, Mexico, in 18 fathoms, at 0811 on 03 February. Some wi11 remember Las Brizas Hote1 where each room had its own swimming poo1g others wi11 remember La Huerta. The ship was underway at 0002, 04 February. At 0340 some a1tercations between She11backs and Po11ywogs was reported--the Roya1 Baby was Tocked up in the Bos'n Locker, but escaped after the scut- t1e was smashed on his head. with on1y 64 She11backs and about 450 Po11ywogs, the situation a1most deteriorated. But the de1ay in arriva1 at the Equator duieted the Po11y- wog Revo1t--or at 1east postponed it somewhat. The Revo1t occurred the afternoon before crossing the Equator, Sunday the 7th of February. The P1an of the Day indicated: Set the Po11ywog Watch at 1300. This invo1ved Chiefs Brenne- man and Gaydos in diapers attached to each other with 1eg irons as the Roya1 Domain Watch CLookouts1, Chief Langford as the Po11ywog Popcorn vender--dressed in a bur1an baq, LCDR Moe and ABHT Johnson as Po11ywog he1icopters--dressed in the meta11ic asbestos firefighting suit with he1mit and a wood board of sufficient 1ength to simu1ate rotor of a he1o. There were Po11ywog bathing beauties, taxi service, and choir. Mr. McKee was the monkey, dressed in a bur1ap uniform, dancing whenever Chief Washington was to1d to grind his organ, a sma11 wooden box with a po1e. A11 did not go we11, however. The X0, as senior Po11vwoq, patched a microphone into the TWC at various 1aces around . . , , f D the ship, giving orders which were at variance to other 1MC word. A team of shock troops in he1mits ran from the f1ight deck moving forward throughout the ship ve11inq 14111 Shembacks- A POHYWOQ f1aq was hoisted up the ha1vard-, A11 D011ywogs on the fiiqht deck staaea a sit- down Strike and began singing Uwe Sha11 0vercome.H She11- b3Ck5, TVTQDTGDGU, VG119d bdCk, Uwe just want a 1itt1e fun.H The next day they did. Monday, 08 February 1971: 0022-- Crossed Equator at Longitude ggogai. Ogbog-All C1OCkS