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DECOMMISSIONING CEREMONY USS VANCE DER-387 WATCHDOG OF THE PACIFIC USS VANCE DER-387 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Decommissioning of United States Ship VANCE (DER 387) CRUISERS* DESTROYERS* PACIFIC* VIGILANCE San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard Vallejo, California 10 October 1969 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIEUTENANT WILLIAM J. FULTON, USN Lieutenant William J. FULTON was born in Derby, Connecticut in October, 1940. He spent his boyhood in Ansonia, Connecticut and graduated from Ansonia High School in 1958. He attended the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned upon his graduation on 6 June 1962. He was assigned to duty aboard USS JAMES E. KYES (DD-787). While aboard KYES he served as Gunnery Assistant and ASW Officer before relieving as Weapons Officer. Upon completion of his tour aboard KYES In July 1966, Lieutenant FULTON was ordered to the NROTC Unit At Tuffs University to teach Navigation and Naval Weapons. In June 1968 he left Tuffs for duty aboard USS VANCE (DER-387) as Executive Officer. He served as Executive Officer for a year before assuming command of VANCE on 3 July 1969. He is presently in receipt of orders to the staff of Commander Services Force Pacific at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Lieutenant FULTON is married to the former Joan Lucille Edson of Shelton, Connecticut. They have two children, a son, Scott Donald born in October 1966, and daughter, Donnie Joan, born in January 1969. The Fulton's presently reside at Ewa, Beach, Hawaii. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHIP'S OFFICERS COMMANDING OFFICER LIEUTENANT W. J. FULTON, USN EXECUTIVE OFFICER LIEUTENANT P. K. JOHNSON, USN LT M. M. KRESS, USN ENGINEERING OFFICER LTJG M. R. NORDWALL, USNR SUPPLY OFFICER LTJG M. R. HEAVEY, JR., USNR MAIN PROPULSION OFFICER LTJG G. G. FARSTVEDT, USNR WEAPONS OFFICER ENS T. E. WOEHLKE, USNR OPERATIONS OFFICER CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS SENIOR CHIEF ENGINEMAN D. S. BAUMGARTNER CHIEF BOATSWAIN MATE G. R. RUBINO CHIEF ENGINEMAN A. R. MARKS |
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TN C. F. ANCHETA IC3 R. W. ANDERSON RD3 J. A. APLIN STG2 E. G. AULT SA J. R. ASHER FN I. G. BALAI ETR2 G. A. BAMMAN SN D. W. BANDYCH TN T. O. BANUT TN R. A. BAQUIR ENCS D. S. BAUMGARTNER TA P. P. BAY DC1 K. BEBEE EN3 R. A. BECKMAN EN3 R. C. BERGER MR1 J. E. BERRY EN3 G. A. BITNER YN2 J. W. BLUE EN2 C. W. BONELL RM3 R. J. BREAUX STG3 S. P. BRUCCOLERI ETR2 R. L. BUIE SM3 R. S. BUTKUS RD3 E. CALABRO FN G. K. CAMPBELL SN R. J. CASTANEDA SK3 E. J. CEBULAR |
SA L. P. CHILLIS EN3 E. E. COBB SA M. L COOPER EM3 T. H. CORRIE EN3 M. CORTEZ ST1 C. C. COUCH IC3 J. H. CREMEEN EN2 K. E. DENNE SN G. F. DUMAS FN T. M. ELY RM2 D. N. EWING SA J. GARCIA BM3 R. D. GLYNN IC2 B. K. W. GOO ETN2 G. R. GUSTAFSON EN3 G. L. GUTTNER SN D. A. HAARSAGER QM2 D. L. HANSON IC2 J. D. HEIKENFELD EN3 J. L. HERRERA SN I. HILLIARD PN2 P. W. HUKKI SA W. B. HUSKEY FN K. KAHIKINA FTG2 I. KAPLAN EN2 G. L KARLE SN H. Y. KATAYAMA |
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GMG3 C. R. KELLOGG BM3 T. J. KEMPER SN L J. KEREKGYARTO BT2 H. L KOONCE RD3 J. E. KOUTNIK EN3 B. H. KUCERA GMG2 R. V. LIGHT SA L. LUJAN EM2 C. T. MACALLISTER EN3 R. H. MACKENZIE ENC A. R. MARKS GMG3 W. D. MAXWELL SA R. E. McKINLEY SN F. J. McPARTLAND EN1 R. H. McLAUGHLIN SN J. R. McCONNELL RD3 W. M. MEREDITH SN W. N. MONGEAU BM2 T. W. MORRISON SA D. R. NOBLE SHL3 A. G. OBREGON SA M. V. OKEEFE FN J. L. OLSON SFM2 T. J. PATTERSON SA G. L. PERSONS FTG3 T. L PETERS TN A. N. PIMETNEL SFM3 A. F. PIONTEK |
FN G. A. PIQUE SN P. E. PLUMMER EM2 L. T. RICHARDS EN3 T. J. RICHARDSON EN2 M. G.ROWE BMC G. R. RUBINO STG2 D. R. RUNION QM3 C M. SANDELL SH1 D. Q. SCARBRO SA W. H. SCHARNHORST FN R. L. SHAFFER AN S. S. SMITH RD2 J. R. SOFFE SN R. C. STEELE EM3 R. D. SULLIVAN EN1 C. TAYLOR SM2 P. L. THORNBURG SK2 C. E. TOWNS SN A. T. TREPANIER SN T. C. TYNDALL QM3 F. T. WALTERS IC3 G. K. WARREN SN R. O. WASSON SN G. R. WILLIAMS PC3 R. WYZYKOWSKI TM3 A. W. SCHULTZ |
SHIP'S HISTORY
VANCE, as one of these units, was built by the Brown Shipbuilding Company
in Houston, Texas and commissioned in November 1943. During the next two
years she served on nearly continuous escort duty in the Atlantic.
Highlights of this duty included her participation in the sinking of a
German submarine off Oran, Algeria in 1944 and the capture of a submarine
with her crew off the Azores in 1945.
Shortly after the war ended VANCE, along with many other heroic ships,
was decommissioned. She was placed in "mothballs" in Green Cove, Florida.
(### During the Korean War, Vance was loaned to the Coast
Guard and was recommissioned as USCGC VANCE WDE487. She was decommissioned in
San Diego following this period, 1952-1954.) By 1956,
however, the aspects of national defense were Changed. In particular the speed
of aircraft had already tripled since World War II and the early detection of
air attacks had thus become increasing critical. To meet this need radar picket
stations and ships were required and the destroyer escorts were found to be ideal
in supporting the Navy this responsibility. They possessed tremendous endurance
and were admirably suited as a mobile platform for newly designed long range radar and
communication equipment.
Called back into active duty for this purpose. VANCE was fitted out with
extensive electronics installations and redesignated as a radar picket ship.
For the next two years she was homeported in Seattle. Washington operating
on patrols as part of the Distant Early Warning line helping to maintain the
radar barrier that blankets the western coast of the United States. In 1958,
her homeport was changed to Pearl Harbor with her patrol area extended
northward to the Aleutian Islands.
In 1961 VANCE was fortunate to be selected to participate under Commander
Naval Support Forces, Antarctica in Operation Deep Freeze 1961-62.
April 1965 VANCE commenced duty with Market Time Operations. Vietnam and
assumed additional duties with the Taiwan Defense force in June 1967.
VANCE continued these duties until May 1969 when she became the last DER
to participate in Market Time Operations.
She returned to her homeport of Pearl Harbor in May and before the end of
June, VANCE had orders to sail to Vallejo to be decommissioned and placed in
"mothballs", once more.
VANCE was decommissioned on 10 October 1969 at Naval Inactive Ship
Maintenance Facility, Vallejo, California.
VANCE takes her name from Lieutenant Junior Grade, Joseph Williams VANCE.
Jr., USNR. LTJG VANCE, while serving on liaison duty with the British Navy,
was killed at his battle station and went down with HMAS CANBERRA off Savo
Island during the battle of the Coral Sea. His wife
(### His Mother) sponsored the ship at its launching
During the early years of World War II, destroyers were our primary
weapon for convoy escort work and for Anti-Submarine Warfare. but destroyers
were costly and their production period was long. To combat the German
menace, inexpensive ships of relatively simple construction were needed
immediately and out of this concept the destroyer escort or "DE" was born.
These ships were diesel-powered, highly maneuverable and completely equipped
for anti-submarine warfare. They became a major factor in the winning of the
battle of the Atlantic and ultimately in the winning of the war itself.
### corrections made in data
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PROGRAM INSERT
PROGRAM
BAND SELECTIONS
TWELFTH NAVAL DISTRICT BAND
*
INVOCATION
LIEUTENANT H.L. BERGSMA, CHC, USN
*
REMARKS BY COMMANDING OFFICER
READING OF DECOMMISSIONING DIRECTIVE
AND COMMANDING OFFICER'S ORDERS
lIEUTENANT W.J. FULTON, USN
*
ENSIGN, JACK AND COMMISSION PENNANT ARE HAULED DOWN
AS THE BAND PLAYS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
THE SHIP IS NOW DECOMMISSIONED.
LAST WATCH IS PIPED DOWN
*
COMMANDING OFFICER RELINQUISHES COMMAND
*
COMMANDING OFFICER
NAVAL INACTIVE SHIPS MAINTENANCE FACILITY
ACCEPTS CUSTODY OF USS VANCE DER 387
CAPTAIN W.M. OUSEY, USN
*
BENEDICTION
LIEUTENANT H.L. BERGSMA, CHC, USN
*
BAND SELECTIONS
TWELFTH NAVAL DISTRICT BAND
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