Vancouver (LPD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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..,.m,x.,,..s.a..Hfzg., .,z:s . ...Q Lx .... amxzp-L:..,,...... ., , r.,. Commandm fficer Captain Carl M. Cruse United States Navy CAPTAIN C. M. CRUSE, USN, - A BIOGRAPHY Captain Cruse was born in Woodville, Texas on July 10, 1923. He attended Sam Houston State Teachers College from 1940 to 1942 before entering the Navy in con- junction with the Naval Aviation Cadet Training Program. After completion of flight training at Pensacola, Florida, in June of 1943, he was commissioned an Ensign. From 1943 through most of World War ll, Captain Cruse served as aflight instructor in the Naval Air Training Comm and, Pensacola, Florida. Later toward the end of World War II he joined some of his former students in the Pacific Theater as a member of Carrier Air Group Five. Subsequent to World War II, he served in various naval air ,activities of the Naval Air Test Center, and the Naval Air Training Command. It was during this period that he first qualified as a test pilot, and became a member of the elete Society of Experimental Test Pilots. From July 1955 to November 1957 Captain Cruse served on the staff of Commander Second Fleet and Commander Striking Fleet ATLANTIC. In January 1958, Captain Cruse assumed command of Fighter Squadron Twenty-Two, and later assumed command of Fighter Squadron Eighty-Two, both of which were attachedto the Atlantic Fleet. From March 1962 to March 1963 he served as Commander Carrier Air Group Nineteen operating in the Western Pacific from the USS BON HOMME RICHARD QCVA 315. June 1964 to November 1966 he was assigned to the Naval Air Systems Command as Project Manager for the A-7 CORSAIR II LIGHT ATTACK AIRCRAFT. Service schools attended by Captain Cruse include General Line School, Armed Forces Staff College, Naval Test Pilot School, and the Naval War College. Captain Cruse is married to the former Laverne Burns of Backersfield, California. They have two daughters. When not occupied with Naval affairs Captain Cruse likes to relax with sailing, duck hunting, and some occasional fly fishing for trout. 1, - ' ,2- f

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Melbourne in Australia as well as the often visited Subic Bay Philippines Yokosuka Japan and Pago Pago Samoa with Okinawa an occasional stop The Coral Sea festival in 1965 was the highlight of that 1n1t1al WestPac cruise On July 9th 1966 VANCOUVERbacked away from pier 5 in San Diego and set her course west for her second full WestPac deployment After a short stop in Hawaii the slopes of Diamond Head faded as she set course for the Philippines At long last, the familiar sight of the Zambales mountains of Bataan appeared on the hori- zon, and the ship made ready to enter Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. Here VANCOUVER's versatility was dem- onstrated at the outset. As the ship pro- ceeded into the harbor, she was ordered to reverse course and proceed to sea. A mil- itary aircraft had gone down, and VANCOUVER was assigned to participate in a search and rescue operation. The ensuing operation reflected the readiness of VANCOUVER to adapt to any situation Commander United States Military Assist ance Command Vietnam QGeneral Westmorelandy The efficiency and speed with which the planning and execution of this second assault was completed served as another example of VANCOUVER's out standing flexibility During the next month 1nDeckhouse IV which took place a scant two miles south of the Demilitarized Zone VANCOUVER dis tinguished herself in her usual bussiness like manner When called upon during the operation to fuel helos from the IWO JIMA, VANCOUVER assumed the task of primary helicopter refueling ship, and although it required an extreme effort and all day flight operations during the ass ault, VANCOUVER performed this task with such efficiency and cheerfulness that she was commended by those who witnessed her performance. The helicopter squadron paid VANCOUVER the unusual honor of pre- senting a helicopter tail rotor to the ship as a tribute to her outstanding support of the helicopter operations. V V N W-nvmkwvm WM ,,Av I MN ,,,,. W, , ., ., ,,,, f - 9-.V -- '--' -11 -' ' - in - F HMA f AM F V AW D 46 0-MT V A-0'- 9 , ' - . . . . . . I 9 , , 0 O C I 9 9 9 9 . I ' 'Q A s a u , I , .- ' 9 9 , . 9 9 ' . 9 9 ' ' 0 on short notice. The first real test came soon after. Her first assignment as a member of the Amphibious Ready Group was to conduct what was to become a routine procedure: an amphibious assault on the coast of Vietnam. In the shadow of the coastline, VANCOUVER proceeded to an area a short distance north of Saigon where she landed her embarked Marines in a combination vertical envelopment and assault boat landing. Employing helicopters to land troops quickly and effectively, and boats from her well deck to assault the beaches, VANCOUVER applied the tactics ofamphib- ious warfare rapidly and efficiently. Once the troops were ashore,, supplies were heloed- ashore to assist in securing the beaches. When only minor resistance was encountered, VANCOUVER withdrew her troops and returned to sea, leaving a surprised enemy to wonder when and where she would strike: next. The answer came quickly. Less than 33 hours from her orig- inal assault, qknown as Deckhouse HD VANCOUVER put about and again landed troops 20 miles south of her first invasion point, in answer to a request from On December 14th, VANCOUVER paused in Subic Bay long enough to say farewell to Captain Aubrey and welcome her new skipper, Captain C.M. CRUSE. The brief ceremony included comments from both Captains praising the crew for the notable record they had attained in VANCOUVER. VANCOUVER, in her most ambitious operation of the cruise, participated in Deckhouse V. In what was the largest amphibious landing since lnchon in Korea, VANCOUVER landed Marines in the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam, the heart of the communist effort in the south, and an area not penetrated by Americancombat troops since the beginning of the war. All of the results of that assault are not yet known. But given VANCOUVER's history, and her known and proven abilities as a member of the amphibious forces, it can be assumed that VANCOUVER scored another striking success in her long list of achievements. She has exemplified, and will continue to demonstrate, that excellence of performance which make VANCOUVER and versatility synon- O1'1'1Ol.1S . '

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Executive ffieer Commander Bruce R. Banks United States Navy Commander Bruce R. Banks, U.S. Navy, a former resident of Syracuse, New York, graduated from the University of the State of New York at Cortland with a B.S. in Education in 1948 after having served as an air-crewman aboard anti-submarine air- craft in the North and South Atlantic in World War II. , From 1948 to 1951, CDR Banks taught high school and coached in the Fairport, New York school system. In March, 1951, he was recalled to active duty for the Korean War and, in August, 1952, was selected for officer training. Graduating from the Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, he received. his commission in December 1952. CDR Banks' first sea assignment was as Assistant Fire Control Officer in RANDOLPH QCVA-155. After a two year tour on the Attack Carrier, he was ordered to LLOYD QAPD-635 as Executive Officer, and in 1956 was assigned to SPIEGEL GROVE QLSD-32y as Operations Officer. During this five year period, CDR Banks completed five extended deployments with the SIXTH FLEET in the Mediterranean Sea. From 1958 to 1960, CDR Banks served as Instructor 'in Naval History at the NROTC Unit at Northwestern University, Evanston, ,gffbilnnn Illinois. In June 1960, CDR Banks was ordered to the ZELLARS QDD-7773 as Operations Officer, in which he made another Mediterra- nean deployment, and in January 1962 he was assigned as Executive Officer in DEHAVEN QDD-7 27y homeported in Yokosuka, Japan and serving with the SEVENTH FLEET. Ordered to the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island for study in the Command and Staff course in July, 1963, CDR Banks was retained on the Staff of the War College after graduation. During the following two years, he was assigned to the War Gaming Department of the College and attended George Washington University extension at Newport. In July 1966, having been awarded a Master's degree in Inter- national Affairs, he joined VANCOUVER as Executive Officer. CDR Banks presently resides in Chula Vista with his wife Beverly. One daughter, Susan, graduates from Florida Presbyterian College in June 1967, and his other daughter, Cynthia, is presently completing her fresh- man year at Arizona State University. Chief among his hobbies is tuning, shining, and driving his Austin-Healy sports car. When not so absorbed, CDR Banks enjoys reading and listening to good music.