Vesole (DDR 878) - Naval Cruise Book

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f ,S N Q1 STATISTICS LENGTH 390 feet, 6 inches BEAM 41 feet DRAFT 15 feet Qmeanj MAIN ARMAMENT 6 5t f38 cal. guns in three twin mounts 2 3 f50 cal. guns in one twin mount 2 Hedgehog mounts 6 MK 32 ASW Torpedoes 29 December 194 4 V fx 7 , f Z S iq I 14 69,06 I kg ff X ff fl MQ W, Q, ffz Ry S WS 0 N, sf A A S. ,, W

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She's not young, extremely fast, or endowed with all the latest gadgets man has lireatedglolr ' ' art. e warring with his fellows. Her dimensions won't cause a pitter-pat in a young man s e ' a ain She is a mature lady in was built for a war, the likes of which will probably never be seen g . ' ' ' er thou h she is a world of over-bearing, over-sized upstarts. She has never fired a shot ln ang g . constantly ready to do just that. She is a work horse that never seems to know when to qult even s of constant activity though her plates and ribs must surely feel the effects of sixteen year ' - l s thrown Most of all, she's a good ship. When others have slacked or faltered, she has a way her collective shoulders back and gone ahead. This ability she owes to the men who serve on her. ' ' ' ' h Fl t dut almost ' Her life has been a busy one. She has seen the Mediterranean and Sixt ee y once a year since she first came into being. She's worked in almost all realms of the Navy, AAW, ASW, surface, and even experimental work, as with Project Mercury. - - - - - .1---. .:.,.,......,.A4-,+A 1-ns-A-.sv-vw- i .HQ H l i 5 it F E I i z E , I H V w ! 1 2

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COMMANDING DFFICER CW RICHARD S. WHITE, III CUMMANDER, USN Commander Richard S. White, III, USN, was born in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, 24 December 1919. After attending the University of North Carolina for three years, he entered the United States Naval Academy in June 1939. He graduated and received his commission as Ensign in June 1942. Commander White reported to the destroyer USS LA VALLETTE QDD-4481 for his first tour of duty and served in that vessel until November 1944. During this period the LA VALLETTE participated in convoy escort operations in the North Atlantic and in nine major campaigns i.n the Central and South Pacific areas, including support of the landings in the Philippines. He received the Navy Commendation Ribbon and Pendant for performance of duty as Gunnery Officer of LA VALLETTE during operations in the Soloman Islands when his ship was credited with the destruction of nine Japanese aircraft. He wa s promoted to the rank of Lieu- tenant ljunior grade! while serving on board the LA VALLETTE. In November 1944, Commander White returned to the United States and was assigned to duty as Gunnery Off' f d - ' ' ' icero anew estroyer, USS NORRIS CDD 8591. In October 1945 he was assigned duty as Executive Officer of NORRIS. After a tour of duty in the Far East he was selected for instruction at the U. S. Navy Postgraduate School. Commander White then attended the California Institute of Technology and in June 1948, was awarded a Professional Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. After a short tour of liaison duty at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, Commander White reported to Commander Cruiser Division ONE in April 1949 for duty as Aide and Fla L' t t D ' g ieu enan . uring the next two years he spent seventeen months in the Far East, including operations inthe Formosa Straits and Korea. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during this period In July 1951 Commander White reported to the U. S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance in Washington, D. C. , and served for two years as the head of the Air-Launched Missile Section. In August 1953 he was ordered to com- mand the USS I-IUSE CDE-1451. Highlights of this tour of duty were amidshipman cruise to Northern European ports and promotion to the rank of Commander, United States Navy, on l January 1955. Following the tour of duty as Commanding Officer of the HUSE, Commander White returned to the U. S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance for a three year tour of duty as Project Officer of the Terrier Guided Missile Weap- on System. Upon detachment from this duty in January 1959 hebreported to the Joint Staff of the U, S, Com- mander in Chief European Command for duty as Advanced Weapons Planning Officer, where he served until ordered to dutyas the Commanding Officer of USS VESOLE QDDR-8781. Commander White assumed command of USS VESOLE on 8 November 1960.