USS Georgetown (AGTR 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Co MMANDING OFFICE WS LET TER 0.5.5. GEORGETOWN KP-GTR-'D GFRE OF FLEET P051 OFT-XGE NQN YORK. NX. oesexd 26 June l96'1 herein Ales e hriei gyjnpse oi the preud end dedi-eeted crew! oi X155 GEORGE-'YOW KP-GW!-75 during e recent cruise tbr0119.Y1 south pmericen waters where they conducted research operations end displayed the flag, oi our United States to the cltlmens end nsvles oi our dnelghhorurg eeentrles. 'these men have through thelr unselilsh eiiorts and longs sometimes 65-iilcult hours, attempted to insure peace in the wlorld end s long-lesting irlendshlp with other netrons -dydle iurtherfrni, our goal oi ?1'ogress 'through Research' . Vie here-Ln claim to 'oe e conplete team oi suppliers, engineers, technicians and seamen profrldyng the best sef-15-ces in our he-U and shove all-, representatives oi our country, families and irflends. this 'oooh 'ls therefore dedicated to those who may 'oro-dee through these pages because they too have e sincere interest -Ln the crawl their Dees vlhlle G?-ORG?-'YGQN deploys to the far reaches of 5 Pe 1, sed the seas! G2 . Gonmendumg Oiilcer 4 x

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..., if. A Research capability tests were performed during the training period. ' Immediately following the successful completion of shake- down training, and a stop at Montego Bay, Jamaica, GEORGETOWN was called back to Norfolk to receive pre- viously unprogrammed equipment which would provide her with the capability to perform a specialized research function previously exclusive to the USNS J. K. MULLERQT-AG-1711, On 1 April 1964, GEORGETOWN began her first oper- ational cruise - Muller relief operations - on 13 April, proceeding to Key West for turnover. Long live the free nations of the world acquired a personal meaning to the crew when, on 3 May 1965, while operating in the Florida Straits, 14 Cubans were rescued from what would probably have been a doomed attempt to flee communism. The words of the group's spokesman cited above give new meaning to the word Free , On 31 May 1964, after a quick turnover stop at Key West, GEORGETOWN returned to Norfolk for a month. The final cruise of the year, beginning 30 June 1964, was directed at following up the research began by the OXFORD in South Atlantic waters. The itinerary afforded the crew the opportunity to visit the urban centers of three South American Nations, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, where the GEORGETOWN band made a TV appearance, Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Three Caribbean stops - San Juan, Puerto Rico, Port of Spain Trinidad, and Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands - and several successful research results rounded out the cruise. Returning to Norfolk on 26 October 1964, the GEORGETOWN was assigned a restricted availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard to receive additional research equip- ment. On 20 November in Portsmouth, Virginia, CDR G. H. Mullahy, Jr., USNR, became the second Commanding Officer of the GEORGETOWN, relieving CDR W. A. Gleason, USN, 31 December found the GEORGETOWN and her crew of 19 officers and 257 men preparing for her next cruise, which began 5 January 1965. The USS GEORGETOWN was deployed nearly 8 months of 1965 conducting Research Operations. From 5 January to 14 May, operations were conducted in the Southeast Pacific and the Caribbean and included Panama Canal transits in both directions. During a port visit to Valparaiso, Chile, the Chilean Chief of Naval Operations inspected the crew and was honored by an unusual shipboard evolution, a Pass in Review on the forecastle. The last six weeks of the cruise were devoted to giving the USS MULLER QT-AG-1713 a break in operations by relieving her in the Caribbean. A major personnel turn over--nearly half the crew-- and a tender availability alongside the USS AMPHION KAR-51 occurred during the following in-port period. The deployed period 20 July - 13 Oct. took the USS GEORGETOWN through the Caribbean and South Atlantic waters, south of 360S, continuing the execution of CNO- sponsored electronic research programs. While in Montevideo, Uruguay, 40 crew members made an overnight tour to the cattle town of Durazno, becoming the first U. S. sailors to visit the area. The town declared a holiday on the second day of the tour, and many of 20,000 inhabitants assembled in the town plaza to meet the U, S. Navy. During a restricted shipyard availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard following this cruise, the USS GEORGETOWN received one of the latest additions to the Navy's communi- cations systems inventory, CMR, or Communications Moon Relay. The alteration added some 25' of deckhouse to the O1 level aft and a 16'-diameter parabolic antenna atop the new deckhouse. During the in-port period, the USSGEORGE- TOWN bid farewell to her sister ship, the USS JAMES- TOWN QAGTR-33 which departed in 'November for duty with the Pacific Fleet. The third cruise of 1965 began on 14 December to con- duct research operations in Caribbean and equatorial Pacific waters. At a Christmas Eve ceremony in Willemstad, Curacao, CDR Martin B. Betts, USN relieved CDR G, H, Mullahy, Jr., USNR as Commanding Officer, 10 days after departure from Norfolk. Remarks and congratulations were given by the U.S. Consul General and the Admiral of the Netherlands Antilles, whose Headquarters are located in Willemstad. New Year's Eve in Trinidad set the pace for 1966 - a lively one which included two rescues-at-sea, four Panama Canal transits, passing through the eye of a hurricane and two Navy Awards for the GEORGETOWN, For the third year, GEORGETOWN found herself at sea for almost' eight months, operating primarily in the South- western Caribbean and along the Pacific coast of Latin America. Returning to Norfolk on 7 March, the all SHELLBACK Februaryj of 16 officers and 284 men could look back on crew qEquatorial crossing with full ceremonies occurred on 4 memorable cruise - a port visit to Cartagena, Colombia, double transit of the Panama Canal, and a successful two- day search for a 50 foot tug lost and adrift at sea. The MXV TARMARI out of Aruba bound for Colon, Panama had run out of fuel in heavy seas - her S, O, S, was received and the search was begun by Colombian authorities at Barranquilla. A joint effort - British, German, Colombian and, with the arrival in the search area of the GEORGETOWN, American- began 26 February. The tug was located by the GEORGE- TOWN at dawn on the 27th, some 200 miles Northwest of Cartagena, Colombia. A nearby British ship, IVIXV J. H. BARNES, assisted by the GEORGETOWN rescues party, took TARMARI in tow later in the morning. Re- search efforts Were also rewarding. A joint agency rec- 5 6 ognition of the results of the primary research goal and the,- first operational AGTR-to-AGTR communications QUSS BEL-4 MONT QAGTR-43 being on the other endj and complete. success in Communications Moon Relay tests merit mention. On 21 March while in home yard - Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia - the Commanding Officer was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for Meritorious achievement as Chief Engineer aboard the USS ORISKANY QCVA-34D and the Food Service Division was judged the best for ships of GEORGETOWN's size in the Atlantic Fleet Service Force. A luncheon on 11 May, with the Mayor of Portsmouth, R. Irvine Smith, and the Atlantic Fleet Supply Officer, RADM K, R. Wheeler, SC, USN attending, was held on board as an adjunct to the selection. The now-annual operations in relief of USNS J. K, MULLER QT-AC-1711 began on 24 May, withGEORGE'ITOWN's effort during the point to a less enjoyable but equally dramatic experience - passing through the eye of a hurricane. Hurricane ALMA, with winds to 119 on 8 June. The ship was well prepared for the event, suffering no damage, even though one roll of 43 degrees was noted. For the second time, Cubans fleeing to the United States provided the reason for a rescue-at-sea. Three self declared exiles were making the attempt to cross the Florida.Straits on an innertube raft. They were picked up on 26 May some 12 miles North of Havana and transferred that evening to a U. S. Coast Guard Cutter. On 4 August while at Acapulco, Mexico, notification that GEORGETOWN had been selected as the better AGTR in the Atlantic Fleet was received. The Battle Efficiency E for Fiscal Year 1966 competition was awarded.An unschedul- ed midnight visit to Puntarenas, Costa Rica on 10 August 1966 to disembark a crew member whose broken leg had developed complications rounded out the cruise, which ended 21 August 1966. ' K During the ensuring in port period, GEORGETOWN re- ceived her first drydocking since commissioning, and 110 crew members reported aboard prior to departure for the final cruise of the year on 4 October. ,fs Research operations requirements placed GEORGETOWN on Southwestern Caribbean. Port visits to Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia, and La Guaira, Venezuela were included in the itinerary. At the latter stop, the port city of Caracas, an unusual environment was encoimtered, as any crew member-group of mode? size ashore was accompanied by Venezuelan Naval Poli.- armed with sub-machine guns, as the Commanding Office' at all -times ashore. The measure was probably taken b, N Venezuelan authorities to discourage therrorist incider. . After completion of assigned r6SG2lI'Ch tasks, GEORGn- TOWN was tagged for escort duty, accompanying the T WALWORTH COUNTY QLST-11641 from San Juan, to Nc After rendezvous at 1500, 15 December Northwest c 8 Juan, the GEORGETOWN remained nearby ready tot vide assistance had WALWORTHCOUNTY's remaining el suffered a causalty. Completing the deployment on 21 December the officers and 278 men' of GEORGETOWN spend 31 Decembe in Norfolk, Virginia. ,-. ' A I 1 4 v .,........ L.- .... 1

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COMMANDING OFFICER A l l COMMANDER Gerard Paul Gebler Commander Gerard Paul Gebler, U, S, Navy, was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 30 January 1926. He graduated from the Pennsylvania Maritime Academy in 1945 and his first duty assignment was aboard the USS HARRY F. BAUER QDM-26y, Later he served in the USS E-PCER 1852i until his assignment to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron ONE. Following a tour with the Fleet Training Group at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba he was assigned to the USS BENNINGTON QCVS-205 in the Pacific,.then returning to the Continental United States as head of the Engi- neering Department at Officers Candidate School Newport, Rhode Island. Following tours with Destroyer Squadrons FOURTEEN and SIXTEEN he served aboard the USS OGLETHORPE QAKA-1009 as Operations Officer and later was assigned to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Before being ordered to GEORGE- TOWN he served as Executive Officer aboard USS UVALDE QAKA-885. , Commander Gebler resides with his wife Roseanne in Norfolk, Virginia. He has three children. His oldest son is in the United States Naval Academy Class of 68 . His other children reside at home.