Theodore E Chandler (DD 717) - Naval Cruise Book

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The aptain COMMANDER WARD WAYNE WITTER Commander Ward W. Witter, USN, was born on 16 March 1917 in Des Moines, lowa. After attending Iowa State College, he was appointed from his home state to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1940. His first ship was the USS NEVADA BB 36 on which he was aboard in Pearl Harbor during the initial Japanese attack. Commander Witter remained aboard the NEVADA until .lune 1945 and -served as Assistant Gunnery Officer and later as Navigator. He returned for two years to the Naval Academy for advanced courses in naval ordnance. ln September 1947 he was ordered to the NROTC unit of Purdue University, earning his master's degree in industrial engineering while stationed there. A little over a year later he was assigned to the USS OAKLAND CLAA 95 as Gunnery Officer. ln the summer of 1949 Commander Witter reported aboard the USS MANCHESTER CL 83 as Gunnery Officer and held this position for eighteen months. For the next two years he served as Gunnery Readiness Officer on Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet staff and in 1952 became Executive Officer and Administrative Officer of the U.S. Naval Ordnance Plant in York, Pennsylvania. The first part of 1956 he was relieved of his duties at the Naval Ordnance Plant and reported aboard the USS THEODORE E. CHANDLER on 9 February to relieve Commander John D.H. Kane as Commanding Officer. Commander Witter, his wife Phyllis, their daughter Kimmerle, 13, 'hand their son David, 7 reside in Coronado, California.

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CH NDLER lt was in 1949 that Commander DOUKAS was relieved by Comman- der W.J. CULLUM. Immediately after the invasion of South Korea by the North Koreans in l95O, the CHANDLER, along with the rest of Destroyer Division lll, was ordered to Korean waters. During the Korean hos- tilities, the CHANDLER made a total of three tours to the forward area, participating heavily in the action. In March of l95l, Command er CULLUM was relieved by Commander T.H. WELLS as Commanding Officer of the CHANDLER. The second Korean tour was likewise mark- ed by numerous shore bombardment engagements, during which the CHANDLER was. credited with destroying six enemy batteries of lO5 MM guns. ln March of l952, Commander WELLS was relieved by Commander D. M. RUBEL as Commanding Ofticer of the CHANDLER. During the third tour to Korea in l953, after rotation from Task Force 77 to Formosa Patrol to shore bombardment with Task Force 95, the CHANDLER earned membership in the exclusive Trainbusters Club and received high praise for her operations. As a result of her par- ticipation in the Korean conflict, 'the ,CHANDLER received all nine battle stars that were issued. By the end of l953 Commander J.D.H. KANE, had relieved Commander RUBEL. ln February T956, Commander W.W. Witter, the CHANDLER's present skipper relieved Commander J. D. H. Kane. Later in the same year the ship was awarded the coveted E for modified battle etticiency during the fiscal year '55- '56, Since the termination of hostilities in Korea, the CHANDLER has made THREE routine six month tours to the Far East in addition to training operations off the West 'Coast of the United States. These tours included operations with Task Force 77 and Formosa Patrol, as well as visits to such ports as Hong Kong, Kobe, Yokosuka, Sasebo.

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The Executive Officers ,, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER EDWIN PAUL SMITH JR., USN Lieutenant Commander Edwin P. SMITH JR., United States Navy came to the CHANDLER in March 1955, after serving as Navigator and Engineering Officer aboard the USS HOPEWELL lDD 681i. LCDR SMITH received his commission as Ensign at Northwestern University in 1945 after attending Mis- sissippi State College, the University of Louisville and Notre Dame University. His previous Navel service includes duty with Naval Scout and Raiders Units, service as Executive Officer of the USS LST 257, Commanding Officer of USS LSM 160 and two tours of duty with Underwater Demolition Teams, Pacific Fleet. Lieutenant Commander SMITH has since been de- tached and is presently at the Armed Forces Colloge in Norfolk, Virginia. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GEORGE J. KARLSVEN, USN LCDR KARLSVEN, newest member of the CHANDLER's family came to us in December 1956 after spending nearly three years as an instructor in Nuclear Physics at Special Weapons Center, San Diego. Previous to that he had a year's duty on PHIBPAC staff. Mr. Karlsven was commissioned as Ensign at Mid- shipman School, New, York, N.Y. in June 1944. After serving as Gunnery Officer on USS CHARLES J. KIMMEL lDE 5841 in the South Pacific until July 1946, he attend- ed St. Olaf's College and received a B.A. degree in Chemistry. From mid 1947 until 1949 LCDR Karlsven was Electronics Off. aboard the USS HUNTINGTON lCL 1071. For the next four years he was attached to Special Weapons Unit 471 and later, staff, PHIBGRU 1. A member of the American Chemical Society and a native of Minnesota, LCDR Karlsven resides in Chul-a Vista with his wife and two children, Paul age 7 and Cheryl age 6.