Smalley (DD 565) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

Lieutenant Albert XV. Vittek enlisted in the Regular Navy in 1938. By 1943 he had climbed the ladder from Apprentice Seaman to Chief Quartermaster and in the same year- exchanged the Chiefls crow for the gold bars of an Ensign. Mr. Vittek, during Wforld NVar II, served in Africa, Europe and the PaciHc. His service included several commands among which were the U.S.S. ATR-57, U.S.S. Accolceek ATA-181 and the U.S.S. Alleglzany ATO-19. After ten years of continuous sea duty Lieutenant Vittek came ashore to attend Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, under the Navyis alive termv program. From there he went to General Line School. In 1950 Mr. Vittek reported aboard the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Newpoif News CA-148 and filled the billet of First Lieutenant. On 27 March 1953 Lieutenant V ittek relieved Commander R. Zenneck as Executive Officer of the Smalley. Mr. Vittek makes his home in Baltimore, Maryland. He wears the Cood Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, European-African- Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal with two stars, Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal, NVorld YV ar II Victory Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Award, German Occupa- tion Ribbon, U.N. Service Ribbon, Korean Campaign Ribbon with one star, and the National Defense Ribbon. Lt. ljgj R. M. Reiss, USN Operations Officer Lt. ljgl F. L. Etchison, USN Gunnery Officer Lt. ljgl R. P. Stoudcr, USN Supply Officer 5 LIEUTENANT A. VV. V1'l'TEK, USN Executive Officer Lt. ljgl F. R. R. Smith, USNR Engineer Officer

Page 8 text:

CAPTAIN BENEDICT I. SENIIVIES, USN Commander Destroyer Dioision 302 Commander Collingwood was graduated in 1941 from the University of Washington in Seattle where he won his commission as a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. During World War 11 Commander Colling- wood participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Southern France and the D day assault on the Normandy beaches. He has served five years in destroyers and three as commanding officer of destroyer escorts and of the attack transport llfantuolc CAPD-1252. Commander Collingwood whose home is now Snoqualmie, Washington, reported to the Smalley from the staff of Commander VVestern Sea Frontier, San Francisco, where he was attached to the planning Department. He relieved Commander N. C. Bliven, USN, on 27 March 1953. The Commander wears the Bronze Star Medal with KVS, Navy Unit Citation Commen- dation, American Defense Ribbon, American Campaign Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean Campaign Ribbon and the United Nations Ribbon. A Naval Academy graduate of the class of 1934, Captain Benedict 1. Semmes, USN, saw his first duty aboard the Battleship M issis.sippi. This was followed by a year of staH duty in the U.S .S . California. He subsequently served in the capacity of Gunnery Officer on the old four piperv destroyers Claxton and Badger and in 1940 helped put the U.S.S. llfasp CV-7 in commis- sion. He remained aboard until she was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea two years later. In 1944 Captain Semmes returned to de- stroyers as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Picking DD685. While in that capacity he won the Navy Cross at Okinawa. Captain Semmes took part in the Guadal- canal, Gilberts, Marshalls and Palaus offensive actions against the japanese, as well as the Leyte, Linguyan, Corregidor, Mariveles, Biak and Okinawa Campaigns. After the war Captain Semmes served in several important shore billets with a 20 month interlude as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Ault DD698. Among his assignments ashore was that of Liason Odicer to Field Marshal Montgomery's Headquarters for Commander U. S. Naval Forces in Germany. In July 1958 Captain Semmes received orders to relieve as Commander Destroyer Division 302. COBIBIANDEH JOHN F. CoLLINGwooD, USN Comrnantling Offcer 4

Page 10 text:

Newport from a different angle The moment for which all hands had so industriously prepared had now become a reality. At 1215 Queen CC-reenwich Civil Time plus four? on 18 May 1958 the Smalley, in company with the other ships of Destroyer Division 302 -Daly, Cotten and Bronson, passed the Bren- ton Reef Lightship at the mouth of Narragan- sett Bay and set course 188 degrees true for Panama. A dense fog prevented the division from getting underway at 0900 as previously expected. However, as we passed the lightship the May sun had started to melt the morning haze and we c.aught a glimpse of the Newport bluffs as they faded in the distance. Before those bluffs would be seen again by Smalley men in bleak January the ship would have steamed over 60,000 miles through more than fifteen seas and oceans and visited at least twenty foreign ports. That thought made the day one of loneliness, wonder and expectation. It was a day of loneliness because of the loved ones and the happy homes we were leav- ing behind us for so many uncertain months. Sfnrewell Ncw,v1frf.f It was a day of wonder over a future which seemed to be measured in endless times and distances interwoven with a myriad of new scenes. It was a day of expectation about our role in the Korean War which at any time could explode into a global conflict. . s-yur' 1 31 ' .. H il ' wi ,Q ...vjmgf ggi? Ei: 1'9' Q il.. V 'j....f: - . A. V 13 ' av B Z , if I a g y 2 f 1' 'Dan boldly 6 5,