1968 US Navy USS Hector AR-7 Divers Vietnam Cruise Book

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1968 US Navy USS Hector AR-7 Divers Vietnam Cruise Book

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Sold Date: 12/17/2006
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Militaria & Weapons

is a very rare USS Hector AR-71968 Vietnam deployment Cruise Book. The book is in excellent shape and is 97 pages. Great operational photos, Hard Hat MKV Divers with full dive equipment, liberty ports and beauty queen actress Linda Harrison. Very little wear and a great find. HECTOR was built by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in San Pedro, California. She was christened by Mrs. Ramona Heim, wife of Captain Schuyler Heim USN, and launched 11 November 1942. She was commissioned 7 February 1944. After shakedown along the West Coast, she sailed the Pacific, arriving in Pearl Harbor on 9 April 1944. She departed for Eniwetok on 5 June, arriving t 13 June. HECTOR spent the summer t, and on 30 September, departed for Ulithi. Her largest repair job in WWII was the USS HOUSTON which was torpedoed twice by Japanese submarines. The HOUSTON was towed alongside on 27 October. Although hampered by a severe typhoon season, which twice sent her out to sea for safety, HECTOR managed to repair HOUSTON by the end of 1944; this in addition to repairs on other ships. HECTOR departed Ulithi 16 February 1945 and arrived at Tarragona, Leyte Gulf, to repair ships during the battle for the Philippines. She then returned to Ulithi 30 March and on to Saipan 22 May. After WWII in the Pacific ended, Hector remained in the Pacific and Asiatic areas during the occupation duties, earning the China Service Medal for the period 27 May-24 Oct 1947, and prepared various ships for return to CONUS. HECTOR departed Saipan and arrived at Long Beach early February 1946. After a year of doing repair work in Long Beach, she got underway in May 1947 for her first peace-time West-Pac tour. She then alternated four to six months of service and exercises along the California Coast with six to eight month West-Pac tours. Shortly after the Korean War began, HECTOR sailed into Yokosuka, Japan, on 18 September 1950, then to Inchon, Korea, for the amphibious assault on 25 September. After participating in the Inchon Invasion, Hector took station in Sasebo harbor, Bouy 16 repairing over 200 various ships damaged during the Korean War and serving as flag ship for Service Squadron 3. Hector returned to her home port of Long Beach on Saturday November 17, 1951 ending a fourteen month deployment in Far Eastern waters. For the period 17 Sept 1950 - 4 Oct 1951, Hector earned the Korean Service Medal with one Star for North Korean Aggression during 23 Sept 1950 - 4 Oct 1950. For the remainder of the Korean War, HECTOR alternated repair service along the Korean Coast, in Japan, and normal duty out of Long Beach. In 1954 she was presented with the Battle Efficiency Plaque for the year 1953-1954, and again in 1955 was awarded the the same plaque for the year 1954-1955. During the second half of the 1950's, HECTOR alternated 4-6 months of service and exercises along the California Coast with 6-8 month West-Pac tours. During these cruises, HECTOR, operating in support of the nations far-flung Pacific and Asian defenses, visited the ports of Yokosuka, Sasebo, Kobe, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kaoshiung, Guam and Eniwetok, serving intermittently as flagship for Service Squadrons 1 and 3. HECTOR was also a major participant in the U.S. Navy's "People to People" program in Asia. Her deployments to the Western Pacific continued into the 1960s. From 1 Feb 1962 through 28 may 1962 Hector was out of service for regular overhaul and drydocking at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, California, and for post-repair trails. In June, underway training exercise were held. On 29 Nov 1962, Captain Robert Lander relieved Captain Ovid Butler as Commander Service Squadron One, with change of command ceremonies held aboard Hector. From June 1963 to January 1964, HECTOR made visits to Agashima, Sasebo, Yokosuka, Iwakuni, Keelung and Subic Bay. The crew had their R&R in Manila and Nagasaki. During this deployment, Hector was again the Flagship for Commander Service Squadron Three. In late 1964, the TV Series "CONVOY" sta...