NARRATIVE OF EVENTS FOR 1978
The year of 1978 got off to a lackluster start for the Guided Missile Cruiser USS STERETT (CG – 31). New Years Day found the ship moored at the Naval Station, 32nd Street, in San Diego, California undergoing routine upkeep and maintenance. Ship’s company spent their days performing the housekeeping chores that all ships demand to ensure combat readiness. Training was also emphasized during this inport period, and all hands took advantage of the opportunity to bone-up on professional topics.
STERETT remained inport until the end of January when she sailed to Seal Beach to transfer weapons. The actual onload and offload were carried out without incident and the ship took in all lines on schedule. However, proceeding out of the channel orders from the Commander of the THIRD Fleet set the tempo of our operations into high gear. Unusual shipping had been reported in the area of target vessels anchored off the coast of the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu. STERETT proceeded north at flank speed to investigate and inspect the target ships. There was no evidence of tampering and STERETT returned to San Diego the next day.
On 28 January the STERETT began an unusually long maintenance availability that was to last through the end of March. Long hours were spent by officers and men improving the overall material condition of the ship. A myriad of gauges and electronic test equipment was calibrated, the innards of our four boilers were torn apart and replaced, the deck force chipped and painted expansive topside area, and all hands initiated planning for the scheduled overhaul the ship was slated to undergo beginning the summer of 1979.
The daily routine changed little from the first part of the year. Training and equipment maintenance were carried out as before, but this second availability period took on an added dimension as it gave birth to a sports program that continued to grow and gain popularity as the year progressed. The spark that ignited this spirit was the STERETT softball team, more commonly referred to as the "Green Machine" from February on the team was the talk of the fleet as they went down to defeat only a handful of times. The enthusiasm generated by the Green Machine encouraged other teams to form. First basketball, then soccer, then tennis.
The month of February began with a change of Command Ceremony for the Commanding Officer. Captain Charles Gordon FARNHAM, USN was relieved by Captain Joseph Stover DONNELL, III, USN, during ceremonies conducted on the flight deck. Another high point was the ship’s party and dinner held at the Naval Training Center on the 14th.
In March the dominant evolution was preparing for refresher training (REFTRA) slotted for the end of May. Formal planning began with REFTRA conference on the 15th and continued through the 9th of May with the Training and Readiness Evaluation (TRE). Unfortunately energy directed towards passing REFTRA with high marks went for naught as engineering problems precluded the ship from getting underway.
On 3 April STERETT hosted 25 members of a Habitability Symposium being held in Coronado. This group was aboard most of the day initially receiving a briefing from the Commanding Officer and then moving on to a detailed tour of the messing and berthing spaces on the ship.
The summer months were highlighted by several festive events. First, in April, the ship sailed to San Francisco for a weekend visit. While there the red carpet was out to all who cared to come aboard.
On the return trip to San Diego the ship took advantage of an opportunity to exercise at flight quarters to train personnel not accustomed to working on a flight deck with a helicopter. The experience was beneficial for STERETT crewmen and new pilots alike.
In June STERETT was allowed to mix business with pleasure. Midway through READEX 13 – 78 the ship proceeded up the Columbia River to Portland, Oregon, there to play a principal role in the annual Rose Festival. Sailing into Portland was the most uplifting occurrence that the crew had experienced in several years. Hundreds of small boats escorted us in with spirited Oregonians waving and cheering as we approached our berth. A fireboat upriver was shooting streams of water high into the air as a carnival on the broadwalk rambled on. It was all very exciting. That night a television program called "THE EVENING SHOW" was broadcast live topside. Both the Commanding Officer, Captain DONNELL, and Command Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific, VADM William St. GEORGE, were interviewed. Shown also was footage of the Columbia upriver cruise that film crews had taken earlier in the day. Our reception to Portland, Oregon was certainly heart warming.
In August this scene was repeated to some degree as the STERETT sailed to Seattle, Washington for the "Seafair". Crewmen were able to enjoy Big Band Concerts, YMCA Disco dances, tours of the tall ship USCGS EAGLE, the King Tut exhibit, and the featured attraction of "Thunderboat" racing. The Seattle Seafair Parade saw the advent of the STERETT Marching unit representing the only entry from THIRD Fleet units. The summer of 1978 certainly smiled upon the officers and men of the STERETT and in retrospect rightfully so as the ship was but a month away from one of her most arduous extended deployments.
On September 26 Task Group 37.9 comprised of Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group THREE, USS CONSTELLATION (CV – 64), Commander Destroyer Squadron SEVEN, USS HOEL (DDG – 13), USS WADDELL (DDG – 24), USS DECATUR (DDG – 31), USS BRADLEY (FF – 1041), USS KANSAS CITY (AOR – 3), USS NIAGRA FALLS (AFS – 3), USS BARB (SSN – 596) and STERETT commenced transit from San Diego (or San Francisco) to Pearl Harbor. Upon arrival in the Hawaiian Operating Areas CONSTELLATION and her escorts broke off and conducted flight operations. The remaining units participated in COMTUEX 1 – 79 involving AAW scenarios and live missile firings. After completion STERETT proceeded into port Pearl Harbor and moored on 6 October 1978.
The trip to Subic Bay from Pearl Harbor was not uneventful and tragedy struck as a shipmate, SN Marvin BURKHART, was lost at sea. Memorial services were conducted on the flight deck the following day. The ship arrived in Subic Bay on 24 October and departed the same day for typhoon evasion – returning on the 26th.
Following departure from Subic Bay on 10 November for the Indian Ocean the ship continued to prepare for the large fleet exercise involving ships and planes of the CENTO Nations that would run from 23 November to 7 December near Karachi, Pakistan. Participants included the United States, Iran, England and Pakistan.
The STERETT arrived in Karachi on 12 November and immediately began an ambitious schedule of training exercises conducted in conjunction with foreign naval units at anchor. Once operation MIDLINK commenced there was a good deal of underway helicopter exercises, gunnery training, tactical maneuvering drills, communications drills, and engineering and seamanship exercises.
The exercise was marred early on however, as two Pakistani divers were killed while carrying out an anti-ship swimmer attack while all units were at anchor in Karachi Harbor.
In early November while STERETT was enroute from Subic Bay to Karachi, Pakistan turmoil was brewing in the country of Iran. Demonstrations that began as half-hearted protests against the Shah of Iran escalated into ugly rioting on 5 November. Cinemas, liquor stores, and hotels all became targets of angry youths. As the month of November wore on, concern for welfare of Americans in Iran grew as the situation worsened and became unstable.
December found many Americans leaving the country of Iran voluntarily. Others who remained would be asked to leave later in the month. The insurrection in the country continued to mount and on December 7th, units of TG 75.1 were directed by the National Command Authority to proceed to the Gulf of Oman to await further orders.
The ships proceeded into the Arabian Sea and awaited orders. The spirits of STERETT sailors sagged as scheduled port visits to Mombassa, Kenya; Perth, Australia, and Djakarta, Indonesia fell by the wayside, yet all shared a deep sense of pride knowing that they were "on station" and ready to respond to any contingency. As the Christmas Holidays neared morale began to improve with the prospect of mail on Christmas Day.
As the weeks wore on all ships in company competed in weekend motor-whaleboat races, (sometimes the rules included sails), had kite flights, fantail cookouts, and numerous tournaments (chess, acey duecy, bridge, etc…) to keep themselves occupied. On board physical fitness programs were initiated and in the early evenings the "track" around the missile house forward took on the appearance of Hollywood freeway at 5:00 p.m. (22 laps around was a mile). Volleyball was played during cookouts on the flight deck.
On Christmas Eve USS BRADLEY and USS WADDELL moored alongside the USS STERETT for a Christmas Show that crewmen will not soon forget. Talent shows, skits, talking with friends on other ships, relaxing, were all topped off by a candlelight Ecumenical service aboard STERETT. The meaning of Christmas could not have been made any clearer to the men who served aboard STERETT that night.
The year concluded with the units of TG 75.1 continuing on station in the Indian Ocean.