Theodore E Chandler (DD 717) - Naval Cruise Book

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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.

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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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Department Heads LT. H. C. GEE, USN LT. F. J. BEETZER, USN GUNNERY OPERATIONS 1 I I I LTJG. J. R. THUNE, USN LTJG. E. A. PARENT SC, USN ENGINEERING SUPPLY