Ticonderoga Apollo Recovery (CVS 14) - Naval Cruise Book

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and a Boxing Smoker. , ,........- ,X:,'Q..,, AX X' 1, .f X X. J I ,X15 ,X ',.,Qff:, ei.. Q1,zsQ,,X-lift'-Q' X ' wine ,Xwgw'1:gg,f':wmX ' flliiffwrifwXvvmswpf wtf' M 't d ' Y' 'W ' , X, ,V M e w JV ' kg Wi W we:-.fz.m41na . way,-fa,,f.laX1.Xrf:-rgimne ma,-lfhgffiaiwif , A MM ,-.,,A,,W.. v,.,.,.,,-1F.9M1W..,,29 XX,. , ,.X,mf gg.-9' , u:,'.n.1:,,w,,.,,.e.-.Hv,,...,.Xw-gn.: ma.. ,:+,n.'- .:w,4, min...3,,,rgf.3.,.yywbw-an1,2 vp' Xxifwmfi - sew ,f?YQf'LU -aX,J,X!Xl5-:iff ,,X.,1Xfu.X.w-tw, ep-u.v.f,-u,X:,,i. w-- J... ,.,Z.,X-.-'r-M-Q i -4-, .1awf:X-.V-w-Arn,-, -an-rafidzv, . 1,1 , X Q Xw.imfw.:.X,'-, .1 V X , ,fain,wwff1Hwiflrfqs-L1-arX:vZ,r+ye:f'-X.Jarzii?',w-.tfvzftw . i. , . ',,ff,.X, 1: X ...-..........,,........2 The afternoon of 16' April 1972 saw a highly successful boxing smoker sponsored by TICONDEROGA's Special Services. The Smoker was well attended at ringside, and NBC telecasted the event on TYKO-TV. Bill Lindsay of NBC radio and Dick O'Brien of CBS-TV provided color commentary, while Marine First Sergeant Dolan called the action. The event was so professionally executed that one would have thought he was watching a professional boxing match at Madison Square Garden on television, if he knew that he wasn't some 2,500 miles south of Hawaii on that day. ' All the contestants put forth fine individual performances, and the sportsmanship was outstanding. These men exhibited the high calibre of character it takes to serve our Nation in these troubled times. They can be justly proud of serving their country on TICONDEROGA and for providing their many shipmates good entertainment during that break from the long hours at Work.

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SIMEXes . . . Prior to the actual Splashdowny TICONDEROGA conducted many PTC' recovery SlMEXes or practices on the way to the recovery s1te The exerclses were geared wlth the actual Apollo plckup rn mmd Th1S was a PCl'10d when the pllots and alrcrewmen from NAS Imperlal Beach based Helxcopter Squadron One and NAS North Island based Carrler Alrborne Early Warnlng Squadron One Hundred Eleven, Detachment Apollo Underwater Demolltlon Team Twelve from Naval Amphrbrous Base, Coronado and TICONDEROGA s crew had dress rehearsals A pomt of splashdown was srmulated and all forces necessary for the actual plckup were employed as lf It were the real thmg Slmulated emergencles were practlced rn order to be ready for any sltuatlon that might crop up durlng the splashdown The TV and radro pool crews rehearsed thelr operatlons through the SIM EXes to be ready for the operatlon that of brmglng the whole world to the scene of this hlstorlcal occaslon Playlng the part of astronauts 1n each of the practlces were members of UDT 12 the team of swlmmers that attached the flotatlon collar around the command module on Splashdown and opened the hatch for the astronauts to ex1t Bollerplate These men were brought on board ship and glven VIP receptlons every other day m the course of the trammg . , 1 ' . n ' ' . . . , . . a . Q , 1 H n . . ,X . I I - . ' . o . . . . . - . ' Q cc ac - cc - n ' . . .

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23, 24 Aprll Sunday, 23 April 1972 saw TICONDEROGA and her crew observing a day of holiday routine, a day of much needed rest after an extremely busy 18 hour-a-day work week. ' It was on this day that the happy crew enjoyed a barbeque, unfortunately, the barbeque couldn't be held on the flight deck as planned because of some unscheduled rain showers. The problem was ,solved immediately in typical TICO can-do tradition-the barbeque went on as planned, steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs and all the trimmings were enjoyed by all in what was probably the first barbeque SlMEX to be held aboard this proud ship.