SQUADRON 9 DIVISION 93 PATCH

Ships Patch

Operated in the coastal waters and rivers of South Vietnam.

SA Mike Seljos

SM3 R Florea

YN3 Paul Esche

We received this replica of a new postage stamp signed by over 200 students from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. I'm the bareheaded sailor in the t-shirt 4th up from the bottom, along the left side of the picture. GMG2 Otis Lambert is in the lower left corner. Captain Roy E. McCoy in front center in whites.

XO Don Larson in Olongopo bar, Phillipines.
submitted by Bob McGee

PN3 Charles (Chuck) Thoin

BM2 Ray Springmeyer

YN1 Gary Preble

SN Howie McDermott

Believe it or not, I wasn't the only man on the ship, all the pictures notwithstanding...haha! That's GMG1 McDaniels on the deck and BM2 Bustos next to him. (hey guys...its been 30 years, so if I get a name wrong and you know who it is, don't be bashful, huh? Thanks)

My stepfather at the time. I was then, and still am now, proud to have been able to call him "Dad"..

Hey, is that me again? This is what I was required to carry for "repel boarders" and "abandon ship". I had a satchel of about 20 magazines of .45 caliber ammunition for the Thompson that I was supposed to abandon ship with... Rrrrrright! I'd sink like a rock..Were they trying to tell me something? That's Seaman Dugan in the background behind the 40mm guntub, the intrepid leader of "Dugan's Gang", a motley group of Deck and Gunnery types.

SHIP HISTORY

Carronade's keel was laid 19 November 1952, and she was launched 26 May 1953^[1] by Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Seattle, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. L. Herndon; and commissioned 25 May 1955,^[1] Lieutenant Commander D. O. Doran in command.

Carronade departed Bremerton for her home port, San Diego, 21 July 1955. She arrived 24 July, and was inspected by Secretary of the Navy C. S. Thomas on 26 July. The first ship of her design, Carronade carried out extensive training in the San Diego area until 19 March 1956 when she sailed to Pearl Harbor for a month of operations. Returning to San Diego for local exercises she made a good-will visit to Vancouver, British Columbia (20 August – 1 September), and then participated in amphibious exercises demonstrating the effectiveness of the inshore fire support ship (November 1956 – January 1957).

Carronade resumed local operations, upkeep and overhaul in the San Diego area until a Far Eastern tour of duty (18 January – 15 July 1958). She returned to the West Coast and local operations the autumn of 1959 when she departed on another cruise to the Orient. Sailing back to San Diego in February 1960, Carronade remained there and was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 31 May 1960.

Carronade was re-commissioned as IFS-1 on 2 October 1965. During the Vietnam War, Carronade served as the Flagship of Inshore Fire Support Division 93 (IFSDIV93), working alongside the USS Clarion River (LSMR-409), USS St. Francis River (LSMR-525) and USS White River (LSMR-536). Shortly before decommissioning, all ships in IFSDIV93 were re-designated as LFR.^{[citation needed]}

Decommissioned again in 1969, Carronade was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 May 1973. She was sold for scrap on 1 September 1974.^[1]

Seaman Tucker (from Chicago) cleaning one of the rocket launchers.

We named our 5' gun, "Baby Huey", after the cartoon duck by that name. QM3 Hector Cardenas has identified this man as Matahali "Su" Sui, a Signalman from Samoa. Notice how corroded the brass plate is on the side of the gunmount...

Me again... Now look at how shiny that brass plate is now. Guess who had the "privilege" of shining that thing after each cruise.... (Do you really need three tries?)

I believe this is Seaman Cassone carrying a very important piece of military equipment on board. I don't know what he's smiling about, that might be tonights dinner in there..just kidding(?).