U.S.S. FERRY (DD 844)

c/o Fleet Post Office

New York, New York

 

                                         21 November 1962

 

F-A-M-I -L-Y-G-R-A-M

 

Dear PERRY Family,

 

I regret that nearly three months have passed since I last wrote to you; but even if I had written the information would have been inaccurate before you received it. You see, CHANGE, has been the key word which has characterized our operations during this period. You have undoubtedly read in the newspapers that Yemen Las been the scene of a revolutionary coup, and that the United Arab Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have intensified the situation by supporting the revolutionaries on the one hand and the royalists on the other. Because the United States has a consulate, government representatives, arid citizens in Yemen, therefore a direct interest in the outcome of thi5 revolution, the PERRY has been ordered to support the actions of our State Department. This we have done.

 

As a result, we spent all of the month of October in the Red Sea, and. even after we sailed into the Mediterranean to visit Beirut, Lebanon, and rejoin the SIXTH Fleet; we were directed on 11 November to return to the Red Sea to add stability and security by our presence. To show his appre­ciation for the work of the PERRY during our deployment through September - October, Rear Admiral Semmes, Commander Middle East Force, sent this mess­age to the ship on 2 November:

 

“The fulfillment of this command’s mission has been greatly assisted by Perry’s ability to meet unexpected operational requirements. Your timely appearance and performance at Jidda was outstanding. Perry’s sea­manlike participation in exercise ANDALAN was a credit to the U.S. Navy. Well done, goodbye, and smooth sailing.”

 

Exercise ARDALAN was a combined U.S.-Iranian naval maneuver for train­ing. It was conducted in the vicinity of Kharg Island, which is off the Iranian coast in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Thereafter, we called at Bahrein in the Persian Gulf; Aden; Jidda, Saudi Arabia; Massawa, Eritrea; and Djibouti, French Somaliland. In performing our tasks we certainly felt a part of the Navy described by Admiral Anderson, Chief of Naval Operations, in his Navy Day message of 27 October.

 

 

“The prestige and determination of our wonderful country, a determination to live in peace, not in fear and not under duress, are embodied and typified in the fleets now at sea and in the men who man them.....’We look to you now patrolling the air, the sea, and the waters beneath the sea, as symbols of that for which we stand.”

 

Soon we shall be on our way through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean again. We have received little logistic support and no repair support since we departed Mayport on 3 August. Though we’re lacking in a few items we are quite capable of carrying out our operational commitments. We’ll be at sea this Thanksgiving, nonetheless we share Admiral Dennison’s (Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleets thoughts in his Thanksgiving Day message:

 

“Today as we Americans pause in thanks for our manifold blessings, we can be thankful for our country’s leadership in its continuing effort to­ward peace. Let us be grateful for the abundance of good things which we have and our freedom to enjoy them.“

 

To our wives and families we owe a special debt of gratitude for yours is indeed a most difficult task in these most trying times. b4ail has not been too regular, and often our thoughts indicated frustration and dis­couragement. But even so, we have found good times and relaxation and are sure that our operations serve a great cause of peace. You are congratulated on your ability to keep the “home fires burning” so brightly and causing us no concern or worry for our loved ones. Your efforts and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

 

 

R.     B. POND,

Commander, U.S. Navy

Commanding Officer