T H E BRIGHT PENNY

December 1997 A NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS OF THE USS BERKELEY (DDG -15) ASSOCIATION Reunion in New Orleans June 11 -14

Our next reunion is only six months away so start making travel plans now to SKIPPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT join your shipmates for a fun weekend. Captain Frost was born in Newport A reunio n packet will be mailed out in News, VA and raised in Norfolk, where February with a sign -up form, prices and he graduated from Granby High School. things to do while in New Orleans. We’ll In 1949, after two years of service in advise you on city transportation, airport the U. S. Naval Reserve, Captain Frost shuttles and interesting places to visit. received a Secretary of the Navy appointment to the U. S. Naval Music is everywhere in New Orleans and Academy and graduated, with much of it is ou tdoors and free. And the distinction, in June 1953. food! The local Cajun and Creole cuisine His first duty assignment was in USS is a real experience and can be a joyous BARTON (DD 722) as Communications social occasion. Officer and CIC Officer. While he served N ew Orleans is the only American city, in BARTON, the ship participated in Task Force 77 operations off Korea and other than Las Vegas, that is literally open completed a n "around the world" cruise. all night. We are looking into tour Subsequent duty at sea included tours packages and river cruises which you can as Commander, LCU Division 23, in sign up for in advance when you mail in operations with the Second and Sixth your registration. So much information Fleets; USS HIGBEE (DDR 806) as Weapons Officer; USS GOLDSBOROUGH has been receiv ed about the city that it (DDG 20) as commissioning Executive would impossible to list it all in this Officer; and to urs as Commanding column. When you arrive we will have Officer in BERKELEY from August available all the litera ture we can gather in 1969 to June 1971 and in USS Captain John F. Frost, III the form of brochures and maps in the WORDEN (CG -18). Operations in hospitality room. GOLDSBOROUGH a nd BERKELEY Captain Frost is a member of the included three deployments to the It has recently been learned that the USS Surface Navy Association and the U. S. Vietnam area. Both HIGBEE and Naval Institute. His personal awards New Orl eans and also the Swift Boat WORDEN were "forward -deployed" as include the Le gion of Merit, Meritorious Sailors Assn. from the Vietnam era will units of the Seve nth Fleet, homeported Service Medal and the Bronze Star. be holding reunions in the city on the in Yokosuka, Japan. Captain Frost retired from active duty in same dates as our re union. Shore and Staff duty tours included July 1979. He has se rved in engineering the Naval Postgraduate School at positions with Delex Systems, Inc.; United Mark you calendar now for 11 -14 June Monterey, where he earned a MSEE and plan to join your shipmates for a Technologies, Norden Service Co.; and degree; Staff, Commander Cruiser - DDL Omni Engineering, Inc. in various Berkeley weekend in N’awlins. To learn Destroyer Force, Pacific as Anti -Air surface ship combat system studies, more about New Orleans visit the web site Warfare/Electronic Warfare Officer; U. developments and technical support tasks. at http://www.nawlins.com. S. Navy Nuclear Power School and Currently, he is employed as a senior Reactor Training; the Naval War engineer by PRC, Inc. and provides Help get the word out! College, Newport; Bureau of Weapons technical and engineering program Our reunion announcement has been Naval Ordnance Systems Comm and as management support to the Navy's ship distributed to all the military magazines Advanced Missiles Branch Head, defense and theater a ir defense programs. SAMID/ASMD Weapons System Captain Frost, the son of Lt. Colonel and associations. To get additional Manager; 2 -D Radar Manager and AAW national coverage you can help by sending (deceased) and Mrs. John F. Frost, Jr. of Readiness Manager; ASMD Proje ct Norfolk, is married to t he former Sue F. the fol lowing announcement to your local Office, Naval Material Command; Naval Sanderlin, also of Norfolk. Captain and newspaper, if they publish reunions. Sea Systems Command as Deputy, Mrs. Frost have four children, seven Other reunion groups use this method of Surface Warfare Systems; and Staff, grandchildren and are the guardia ns of an Commander Operationa l Test and advertising and it works quite well in active fourth grade boy. The Frosts reside Evaluation Force as Assistant Chief of in Springfield, VA. reaching people who would not otherwise Staff, Surface Warfare. know of the reunion. Berkeley history USS BERKELEY (DDG -15 ) A SSN. 11 - Ongoing Projects Some of the ship’s history from the 14 J UNE 19 98, N EW O RLEANS , LA. early years is recorded on ditto paper and CONTACT J IM B ARRETT , P.O. B OX Former crewmember search quite faded. The plan is to h ave by 700715, S AN J OSE, CA 95170 -0715. This project got off to a late start due reunion time the entire history, year by TELE : 408 -996 -7035 to other commitments. To date 140 year, reprinted and in a notebook for people have been located and the reading in the hospitality room. New Roster responses are still coming in. Decomm ph oto album The ann ual roster enclosed with this USS Berkeley web page About 100 photos taken at the 1992 newsletter has been modified to include e - A web page is being developed and decommissioning party were turned over mail addresses. New e -mail listings may will be act ivated early in 1998. The to the Association. If you were there you be sent to DDGB [email protected] for ship is currently listed in other web are probably in one or more of the inclusion in the next issue. In addition to sites (see page 2). pictures. The photos will be compiled the roster there is an attachment listing the into an album for display at the reunion. names of new contacts who did not return Major Genera l Randolph C. personal data information. If you Berkeley autobiography recognize any of the names, give the We have a copy of the autobiography person a call and bring them onboard as a which is in small print. It will be new member. reproduced in lar ger type and available for reading in the hospitality room. The Bright Penny - December 1997 Page 2

BERKELEY HISTORY DECEMBER New DDG’s Five Years Later 30 Years Ago Continuing QRC 99 test and evaluation project. 11 -14 Secretary of the Navy guest cruise , Pacific Missile Range. 15 -31 Holiday leave and upkeep, inport Long Beach. CDR Thomas M. Ward Jr. is the Commanding Officer. 20 Years Ago Continuing overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. In October 1992 the last of the Adams Class DDG’s were decommissioned, stricken 15 - celebrated 15th anniversary of c om - and scrapped or sold to a foreign country. At th e same time the new Burke class missioning. 16 - refloated and moved to DDG’s were entering service. Since then the Navy has pursued an aggressive shi p- pier 5. 17 -31 - continued overhaul. CDR building program commissioning three to four new ships each year. A total of 32 Jack E. Helmann is the Commanding have been authorized. Visiting one of these shi p’s can be an enlightening experience Officer. and is recommended for anyone living near where one is homeported. The following 10 Years Ago list ill ustrates the progress to date and where the new ships are located. Inport San Diego. 7 - moored alongside USS Acadia for work availability. 11 - NR NAME HOMEPORT NR NAME HOMEPORT commenced holiday leave period. 15 - 51 Arleigh Burke Norfolk, VA 66 Gonzales Norfolk, VA celebrated 25th anniversary of commis - 52 Barry Norfolk, VA 67 Cole Norfolk, VA sioning. CDR Charles R. Girvin, III is 53 John Paul Jones San Diego, CA 68 The Sullivans Mayport, FL the Commanding Officer. 54 Curtis Wilbur Yokosuka, JA 69 Milius San Diego, CA 55 Stout Norfolk, VA 70 Hopper Pearl Harbor, HI Some old Navy history 56 John S. McCain Yokosuka, JA 71 Ross Norfolk, VA The following is an excerpt from The Recruit’s 57 Mitscher Norfolk, VA 72 Mahan Norfolk, VA Handy Book, United States Navy, 1910 58 Laboon Norfolk, VA 73 Decatur San Diego, CA SEAMANSHIP 59 Russell Pearl Harbor, HI 74 McFaul Norfolk, VA 6. The a bolition of sails has reduced 60 Paul Hamilton Pearl Harbor, HI 75 Do nald Cook Pending PacFlt seamanship in the Navy to the science of 61 Ramage Norfolk, VA 76 Higgins Launched Sep 97 handling and navigating steamers under all 62 Fitzgerald San Diego, CA 77 O’Kane Launch Feb 98 conditions of sea and weather. In place of 63 Stethem San Die go, CA 78 Porter Launch Nov 97 “sail -seamanship” we now have “battleship 64 Carney Mayport, FL 79 Oscar Austin Lau nch Sep 98 seamanship,” which includes everything 65 Benfold San Diego, CA 8? Winston Churchill mentioned previou sly, as well as general handiness and skill in the management of In April 1974 the Association submitted a letter to the Secretary of the Navy with co p- ships and boats, knowledge of modern ies to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps nom i- mechanical appliances used in the daily routine on board ship, work with tackles, nating USS BERKELEY as the name of a new Arleigh Burke Class DDG. A followup anchors, chains, hawsers, etc., used in letter supporting our nomination was submitted by U.S. Senator John McCain of Ar i- mooring, unmooring, towing, hand ling zona. Thirty of the new DDG’s now have names assigned. Nevertheless, our letter weights. Sailors are needed as much as ever, remains on file with SecNav for consideration of future ship names. although the scope and character of their work have somewhat changed. Ships still float, and we want quick, active, handy men, Interesting web sites accustomed to all the emergencies and demands of a seafaring life. Every b luejacket should take special pride http://www.charlesfadamsclass.com in modern seamanship. He should aim to be Every Adams Class DDG is listed a good helmsman, a good leadsman and a on this web page. Sign the guest log. good boat man; to be quick with signals, to be http://www.navy.mil active in lowering, hoisting and handling This is one you can explore for boats and heavy weights, slinging stages, hours. A lot of good information on towing and handling targets, etc., and be expert in the use of tackles and in keeping almost any subject. For example, select gear clear at all times. Wire rope is used in index, click on [S] for ships and find the modern ships for various purposes and information on any ship in commission enlisted men should know how to splice wire, including mailing addresses. Click on http://www.militarycity.com and how to work quickly and skillfully wi th [B] and go to the Bureau of Na val Military City Online. Look up Navy hawsers of all kinds used in towing. Personnel. All detailers are listed by Times articles, archive information, par - name and e -mail address. ticipate in web chat, people looking for http://www/destroyers.org/ people, reunions and much more. Biennial Dues abouttin.htm http://www.shipmates.com Dues for 1998 -99 ($10.00) are now being Organization of the Tin Can Good source for finding reunions and accepted. Note the date on the mailing Sailors, Assn. Very large organization people. label to determine your paid up s tatus. (18,000 members), newsletters, re - http:/ /www.navy.mil/homepage/ Other coding is HM , honorary member; unions, etc. bupers/locator.html XX , never have participated in dues. http://www.cais.net/fra/reunion s.html The Bureau of Naval Personnel web The Fleet Reserve Assn. bulletin page lists several avenues to pursue in USS BERKELEY ASSOCIATION board which lists reunions published in locating former navy personnel. P.O. Box 700715 their Naval Affairs magazine, http://www.cnet.navy.mil/ San Jose, California 95170 -0715 http://www.telep ort.com\~jgriffin Chief of Naval Education & Train - 408 -996 -7035 This is the web page for the De - ing. Check out info on your old boo t E Mail: [email protected] stroyer Squadron Association. Many camp at Great Lakes or look up info Editor: Jim Barre tt reunions listed plus a multitude of other about the Naval Post Graduate School. Biennial Dues: $10.00 subjects to choose from. Also, information resources at USNA.