Thach (FFG 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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?-Q Tv i COMMAND SENIOR CHIEF EMCSISWQ EFREN NALANGEN My LQ Elma 55 YK A .1 ,x ...Lqnifltli ' i 'READY 84 ABLE' siccsqswy RAMON MAGSIPOC FCCISWI WILLIAM BOND STGCISWI JON YATES BMCHSWI SIMON NASH Oscqswi ROBERT HUFHAM cMc41swp OARREN SHAND Mscqswy DANIEL MuLcAHY RMc41swy KENNETH DEMICK HMcl1swlAwy JEFFREY JONES ENcr wi MANUEL JOsLYN l 1 T 1 5 1 I i Y I I I I I I I T Y l T l I i l he Chiefs were always having a lot Of fun, especially while cooking their special dinners for the crew, or running the ice cream socials. H,,,g. 4 USS THACH CHIEF PETTY OFFICER MESS s EMc41swy RAMON PROSPERO ETCQAWQ JOEL LITTLE YNCQAWQ LONNIE TAYLOR cMcqswy GARY RICHARD Oscqswp JAMES BOWMAN SE AWCIAWISWJ JAMES HADLEY .......,.,.,---..Q.L..iaa4s'Anr-4:4.a,.L4,L.m.a..LL ' A. , ,,,.,.,, ,, - - -- M A - A , ,, '--'---I---4-A---1 -16' ws..-.-......-,. - , 2 4 E l l

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I -.4 LT THOMAS MCDONOUGH AIR DET OIC LT GEORGE LAVENTURE SHIP CONTROL OFFICER i LT LUIS BOTICARIO LCDR NICHOLSON EXECUTIVE OFFICER A -,-W 'fllI1n1fg F- -T -QA xxxxxxw 'VY QQ? P ivi-S2 COMBAT SYSTEMS OFFICER AIR DET QIC: LT GREG WENDEL CHIEF ENGINEER ia LT MIKE MCGLOTHLIN SUPPLY OFFICER COMMANDING OFFICER: CDR WILLIAM F. BARNS EXECUTIVE OFFICER: LCDR CHARLES NICHOLSON LT TOM MCDONOUGH SHIP CONTROL OFFICER: LT GEORGE LAVENTURE COMBAT SYSTEMS OFFICER: LT LUIS BOTICARIO CHIEF ENGINEER: SUPPLY OFFICER: ASSISTANT ENGINEER: CICO: AIR OPERATIONS: AIR MAINTENANCE: AIR ADMIN: FIRST LIEUTENANT AUXILIARY OFFICER: MAIN PROPULSION ASSISTANT: DAMAGE CONTROL ASSISTANT: NAVIGATION OFFICER: . DISBURSING OFFICER: w-L,,1,.i., ELECTRONICS READINESS OFFICER: ,l COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: OI DIVISION OFFICER: ,L..1,.:,. ASW OFFICER: ORDNANCE OFFICER: -nl-iwigl LT GREG WENDEL LT MIKE MCGLOTHLIN LT ROB ROVIRA LT GARRET FARMAN LT MARK CARDARONELLA LT ANDY QUIETT LT ALAN CULP LT ERIC HUMPHREY LT TODD JONES LTJG CHUCK WORKMAN LTJG JOHN PHILLIPS LTJG CHIP CUMMINS LTJG RODNEY SKIRPAN LTJG BROOK STAFFORD ENS JOE BOZZELLI ENS STEVEN DEMOSS ENS JOE NADEAU ENS GEORGE NAGATSUKA XO - WARD ROOM 3 -A --AM Q V 4 s- .- ,JA h - l , - 4, img pgg ' M ... ......1..i-.-q.. ,4.. ....- -4...-4-.-5-4 ' -i.5.g-n-np...nn...g--.4.4a.-.a4hLs4......,...L.A.4-L.4-.....-. ...nh .E

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SMITH TH CH ADMIRAL JOHN IE, UNITED STATES NAW ohn Smith Thach was born in Pine Bluffs, Arkansas, on 19 April 1905. In 1923 he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Acad- emy where on 20 june 1927, he was graduated and commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy Admiral Thach was assigned to the battleship USS MISSISSIPPI and USS CALIFORNIA, until he was ordered to flight training at Pensacola, Florida, in 1929. In January 1930, Admiral Thach was designated a Naval Aviator and was assigned to his first op- erational squadron. From the beginning, Admiral Thach proved himself a highly ca- pable pilot, becoming recognized as one of the Navy's aerial gtmnery experts, repeatedly shooting top scores in every type of combat aircraft he flew. During the next few years of his career, Admiral Thach's superior performance qualified him to be a test pilot and flight instructor and to receive a letter of commendation in 1940 for exceptional skill and technique in aerial gunnery and bomb- ing, efficient and meticulous operation of a squadron gunnery department, and marked ability to train other pilots in fighting plane tactics and gunnery . When the United States entered World War II, Admiral Thach was a Lieutenant Commander commanding Fighter Squadron Three, embarked on the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA. At the time, Admiral Thach was one of the top fighter tacticians in the Navy. Intelligence reports from the Sino-japanese war convinced him that the Navy's top carrier fighter, the F4F Grumman Wildcat, was no match for the superior flying performance of the japanese Zero. Admiral Thach sought to devise a means to give his squadron a fighting chance against the Zero. The result which he worked out with match sticks on his kitchen table, was the famous Thach Weavei' still used today by modern jet fighters. He initiated the practice of having U.S. fighter planes operate in pairs, instead of trios. The pair would weave back and forth as they encountered the Zero, thus providing the wingman opportunity to shoot at -the Zero on his partner's tail and vice versa. This tactic proved highly success- ful at the Battle of Midway. Admiral Thach retumed to Pearl Harbor to instruct other pilots in the use of his new technique. Later in the war, Admiral Thach was assigned to the Fast Carrier Task Force as Air Operations Officer, where he developed the system of blanketing enemy airfields with a continuous patrol of carrier-based fighters. This tactic is credited with destroying the air offensive of japan. His direction of the Navy's final offensive blows to the japanese mainland led to an invitation to participate in the japanese surrender aboard the battleship USS MISSOURI. Admiral Thach continued his distinguished career after the war, commanding the aircraft carrier USS SICILY in the Korean conflict, and later the carrier USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in November 1955, Vice Admiral in january 1960 and to Admiral in March 1965. Admiral Thach became Commander of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Force of the Pacific Fleet in 1960. In recognition of his work, the Navy annually awards the best anti- submarine warfare aircraft squadron The Admiral Thach Awardv. In 1965 Admiral, Thach was ordered to duty as Com- mander-in-Chief of U.S. Forces in Europe and served there until his retirement in May 1967, after more than 40 years of service. Admiral Thach died on 15 April 1981. Admiral Thach participated in twelve major engagements or campaigns and was awarded the following distinctions: Distinguished Service medal, Navy Cross, Letter of Commendation from Fleet Admiral Nimitz, Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit, plus other various campaign, unit and service awards. Admiral Thach is survived by his wife, the former Madalyn jones and their two sons, john Smith Thach, jr. and William Leland Thach. -I-hefiilw ADMIRAL JOHN SMITH THACH 5