Vice Admiral Henry C. Mustin Furthered the Family Reputation for Service to Country
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Introduction Born into an illustrious naval family, Vice Admiral Henry C. Mustin furthered the family reputation for service to country. His grandfather, the first Henry C., is considered by many as the father of naval aviation, having established an air station at Pensacola, being the first to be catapulted off a ship, and being the first American aviator ever to take on live fire. His father, Lloyd, would have a notable career of his own as a "blackshoe," retiring as a Vice Admiral. As will be seen in the narrative, Mustin's father served as one of several life-long mentors. A detailed discussion of this family is contained in the final transcript. Graduating the Naval Academy in 1955, Mustin received orders to a Pacific Fleet destroyer followed by a tour as C.O. on a Mayport-based mine hunter and quickly honed his seamanship skills that prepared him to for a remarkable and varied career in the Navy during the Cold War. There are several areas of note in this oral history. First and foremost, Mustin was a naval warrior who helped bring on line new weapon systems and developed tactics and training methods for their employment. As a Lieutenant, he assisted creating early AAW doctrine; as a Vice Admiral he developed components of the Maritime Strategy. He had a hand in training evolutions such as Damage Control Olympics, NavTag, Surface Training Week, and pierside workups. During the Vietnam War, Mustin had a Pug Henry "Winds of War" experience, witnessing the conflict from Saigon, the Mekong Delta, as an aide to CinCPac, and as C.O. of USS Henry B. Wilson. Because of his service in OPNAV during Admiral Zumwalt's tenure as CNO, Mustin provides valuable insights about this controversial leader within the context of challenges faced during the early 1970s. Finally Mustin's narrative provides excellent examples of leadership. He gives examples of others such as Captain Pete Smith and Admiral Ike Kidd who he sought to emulate. His tenure as Commander Destroyer Squadron TWELVE is a classic "12 o'clock High" story. Throughout, there is an emphasis of providing junior personnel the opportunity to develop seamanship and warfighting skills. The Naval Historical Foundation appreciates Vice Admiral Mustin's participation in the interview process and his follow-on work to review the transcripts. Thanks also go to John Maloney who performed all of the transcription work and was timely and accurate. David F. Winkler, Ph.D. July 2001 Vice Admiral Henry C. Mustin, USN, (Ret.) Henry C. Mustin was born in Bremerton, Washington on 31 August 1933, the son, grandson, and great-grandson of distinguished naval officers. (The Guided Missile Destroyer DDG 89 has been named for the Mustin family.) He graduated from Coronado High School, Coronado, California, in 1950 and attended the University of Virginia for one year prior to entering the U.S. Naval Academy. He was graduated and commissioned an Ensign 3 June 1955. He retired 1 January 1989. Vice Admiral Mustin, a destroyerman, served at sea in the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets in USS Duncan (DDR 874); as Commanding Officer USS Bunting (MHC 45); as a plankowner in both USS Lawrence (DDG 4) and USS Conyngham (DDG 17); as Commanding Officer USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG 7); as Commander, Destroyer Squadron 12, homeported in Athens, Greece; as Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group 2; and as Commander, U.S. Second Fleet and NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic (225 ships and 2100 aircraft over 45 million square miles from the Arctic Ocean to the Equator.) He served ashore in Vietnam with the Delta River Patrol Group; as Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief Pacific; as Executive Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Naval Forces Europe; as Director, Surface Combat Systems Division in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations; as Deputy Commander Naval Surface Force, Atlantic Fleet; as Naval Inspector General; and as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Plans, Policy, and Operations). He was responsible for the development of requirements and fleet introduction of the Tomahawk missile, the Standard missile (SM 2), LAMPS helicopters, and the Ticonderoga-class AEGIS cruisers. He was instrumental in defining the initial requirements for the Arleigh Burke class destroyers. Vice Admiral Mustin directed all U.S. Navy arms control planning, including the START negotiations with the Soviet Union. He led high level U.S. interagency delegations to Moscow, London, Paris, Lisbon, Oslo, and Seoul. He also served as the Senior U.S. Military Representative to the United Nations. His decorations include two Distinguished Service Medals, three Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars with Combat "V," Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Gold Star and Combat "V," Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V," Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, two Navy Unit Commendations, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, many campaign and services medals, and numerous foreign decorations and awards, including the Vietnamese Medal of Honor and Gallantry Cross and Palm. He was married to the former Lucy Holcomb of Alexandria, Virginia. They have three sons, a daughter, and nine grandchildren. He passed away on 11 April 2016. Subjects Covered 8 January 2001 Brief family overview--How parents met Naming of the destroyer Mustin Birth at Bremerton in 1933--Father's duties on Augusta Moving to Annapolis--Father's service on Atlanta Details on Father's career--Relocating to Coronado Attendance at University of Virginia--Exposure to WWII commanders Acceptance to USNA--Perceptions--Not a Round peg Make-up of student body--"Draft Dodgers" Curriculum--Navy football--Beating Army Youngster cruise to Northern Europe Junior year on Missouri--Failing eyesight limited options Comments on classmates--Jim Sagerholm as role model Comments on instructors--Adm. Harry Hill was Supt. Selection of duty station--Dating Lucy Graduation and assignment to Duncan--Condition of ship--Overhaul Capt. Pete Smith--WestPac deployments--Quick advancement--Excellent OJT Capt. Pete Smith's commitment to train J.O.s Recollection of reporting aboard--Discussion of WestPac liberty Enlisted "Snipes"--Chief Blazewski--Model Chief Casing pressure story Discussion of Sailors--Games played on watch First UnRep--XO impressions Visiting father in Subic to get movie projector Liberty in Subic--Swimming back to the ship--SPS-8 radar Liberty in Australian--Adjacent DD sinking Request for command Assignment as C.O. mine hunter USS Bunting Tracking underwater objects off Mayport--Change of Command Softball team--Rendering honors to Saratoga Father as a rider--Advice from dad--Fitrep Having Band play for Departure Postgraduate School--Electrical engineering degree Comments on the value of the education Assignment to Pre-comm Lawrence Problems at New York Shipbuilding--1200 PSI steam plant Boiler problems--Visit from Adm. R.H. Speck Taking the ship through sea trials--Becoming the Weapons officer Writing AAW Doctrine at Dam Neck Discussion of first underway--Developing a SOA/RPM table Feed water problems--Adm. Ike Kidd scalded Captain Worth Bagley--Getting orders as an XO--Cuban Missile Crisis Movie exchanges--Missile shoot with the President 31 January 2001 XO Conyngham--Capt. Paul Smith Bringing DDG out of New York Shipbuilding Breaking in the wardroom--Missile ship doctrine Improvements--Over-engineering problems--5 in. 54s Digital computers for gunfire control--Tonkin Gulf DesRon composition--Tactical development Deployment to Med.--Missile shoot--Soviet threat Naval War College Requesting orders for Vietnam--Resistance from detailer Chuck Horne Ordered in to relieve Admiral's Aide Orders to CTG 116.1-- Brown water navy--Recognition problems Organization--tactics--PsyOps--Game Warden PBR ops Discussion of firefights--Adm. Hyland visit Geographical overview--Logistics Vietnamese Navy--Working with ARVN and U.S. Army Weather--Monsoons--PBR performance Orders as Aide to CinCPac--Adm. U.S. Grant Sharp Power divisions and responsibilities--Background on Sharp Gen. Westmoreland--Turf wars Dealing with SecDef McNamara--Working with Sharp Discussion of flawed strategy Pueblo--frustration Tet--Mining of Haiphong SEATO--Dean Rusk speech--Johnson's decision to halt bombing Father as J3 on the Joint Staff--SIOP story Admiral McCain 7 February 2001 Demo Dick Marcinko Henry B. Wilson--Engineering problems Gunfire support missions--Connie Lautenbacher Chief Teddy Ross--Superheater failures Relieving the Chief Engineer--Firing 8,000 rounds Bore mount explosion on Hoel--Ammo change out Fire support mission story Commodore Worth Bagley--Fixing the TACAN Training the J.O.s--UnRep approaches Ordered to OpNav Worth Bagley in Op 90--Planning and programming Project 60--Sea control vs. the Soviet Navy Cutting the Navy to free up funding Challenges for Admiral Zumwalt Decommissioning ASW carriers--Fund 688 class SSNs Rickover forced the construction of CGNs Spruance DD program--"DX and DXG" Nimitz carriers--Aegis cruisers--Tomahawk Move to replace Adm. Zumwalt Fact Finding missions--Ammo shortages--Drug problems Propulsion problems--Establishment of the Propulsion Examining Board Best commander Fitrep from CNO--Tactical issues combating Soviets 21 February 2001 Overseas Homeport issue--Greece--Orders to CinCUSNavEur Serving under Admiral Worth Bagley--Mini staff Mid-East War--Soviet challenge in the eastern Med Tattletales--Vulnerability of fleet The Navy in NATO strategy--Resupply a low priority Challenges faced by Admiral Bagley--Greece--DesRon 12 Selected as ComDesRon 12 Material problems with Barry--Relieves C.O. with Greg Streeter Turning the rest of the Squadron around--Manley--William Wood Vreeland--shiphandling--Petty Officer Oskasar on Barry Political situation--Cypress crisis--Training Damage Control Olympics--NavTag--Master Chief Ted Ross--Leadership example Admiral Peterson and Sixth Fleet Political changes in Greece force USN departure Challenges of six ship types--Improvements at pierside--John Wayne promo Operating with the allies--Meeting with the J.O.s --Soviet activities Heading back to the States--Dependents Orders to Op-03--Surface Warfare VAdm.