1963 List  |
1963 photos  |
1963 387  |
Escort Squadron FIVE is homeported in Pearl Harbot, Hawaii
and is commanded by CDR J.W. Newland, Jr.
Ships in the squadron left to right from
the top are:
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USS DURANT (DER 389)
USS NEWELL (DER 322)
USS FORSTER (DER 334)
USS VANCE (DER 387)
USS FALGOUT (DER 324)
USS LANSING (DER 388)
USS SAVAGE (DER 386)
USS WILHOITE (DER 397)
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LCDR G.T. Strong;
LCDR W.R. Zimmermon Jr., squadron flagship
LCDR G.R. Nagle;
LCDR H.J. Beyer;
LCDR S.L. Gravely Jr.;
LCDR D.J. Kreicarek;
LCDR J.D. Stenstrug
LCDR R.L. Thorson.
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From: T & J Klaus
Date: 1/21/2008 2:08:29 PM
To: Joe DER387 65-68
Cc: George 387 Blust
Subject: Re: Desflot 5 information
Joe,
I just finished going thru some of my 'old stuff' and found a very complete list
of the Units of COMDESFLOT FIVE as of June 1963. That was about three weeks
before I completed my three years with them and returned to the 'states'.
I note that the Organizational chart shows the CO of Falgout as being Gravely.
That brought back memories. When he came to Oahu, I was the guy from FLOTFIVE Staff
that went downtown Honolulu to greet him at the Luriline landing. I had no idea
what he looked like, other than at the time; he would have been commonly referred
to as a Negro. I couldn't find him until most of the crowd left and there was an
African American LT standing there looking lost. I asked him if he was the new
CO of Falgout and he was.
He was out of uniform because he had been promoted to LCDR a couple days earlier
and couldn't get the stripes put on. He was the first Black Officer to take command of
a US NAVY combatant ship.
He later was promoted to Rear Admiral and then I lost track of him.
I just remembered that during the 'Cuban Crisis' in 1962 or early 1963, DESFLOT FIVE
had an additional CORTRON assigned to it. It was CORTRON SEVEN and composed of
eight steam powered DEs. They were all Naval Reserve training vessels from the
West coast of U.S. They were manned by nearly all recalled reserves. They were
old ships. The Squadron Commander was a very senior Naval Reserve Captain and
all eight Skippers were full Commanders. Each ship had a handful of regular Navy
station keepers on them.
I can't find my list of their names, but their hull numbers are, 361, 406, 365,
634, 366, 446, 644, & 699. Someplace in this apartment I have a book that will
give me the names of the ships. If you need them let me know. Maybe I'll have
found that book by then.
H. Thomas Klaus, PNCM, USN-Ret.
Green Bay |
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