Saluting Orvel Witt BMSN, who served his country proudly aboard the USS Mt McKinley AGC-7 during the period 62; 63 in 2 Division.
Album Photo Caption
Fish ladder at the hatchery at Bonneville Dam near Portland, OR. Reunion 2013
Thanks Orvel!
For the Month December in History ..
12/07/1960 - USS Mt McKinley AGC-7 - Mount McKinley's third Mediterranean navy cruise from 20 February to 26 August 1959 was marked by seven amphibious exercises involving U.S. and NATO forces. In February 1960, the ship sailed to Valpariso, Chile, via Panama Canal to provide communications support for President Eisenhower's good will visit to Latin America. On 19 April, the AGC deployed to 6th Fleet, returning to Norfolk 7 December. Upon completion of her yard period in the summer of 1961, Mount McKinley made her fifth deployment to the Mediterranean from September to February 1962, acting as flagship for several large-scale amphibious exercises
12/15/1944 - USS Mt McKinley AGC-7 - On 15 December the navy ship participated in the invasion of Mindoro and proceeded to Lingayen Gulf with ComPhibGru 7 aboard to direct shore bombardment and landing at San Narcisco, near Subic Bay on 9 January 1945.
12/16/1907 - Eugene H Farrar is 1st to sing on radio (Bkln Navy Yard NY)
12/22/1775 - Continental navy organized with 7 ships
12/26/1862 - 1st US navy hospital ship enters service
12/27/1943 - The Navy acquired the CYCLONE on 27 December 1943, renamed her the MOUNT MCKINLEY (AGC-7), brought her to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she was outfitted and commissioned on 1 May 1944; Captain W. M. Graham in command.
12/10/1950 - USS Mt McKinley AGC-7 - Directed operations off Hungnam, December 1950, for the amphibious withdrawal. Dunkirk and Hungnam represent the antipodes of the twentieth-century amphibious withdrawal. Dunkirk in May 1940 amounted to a hurried evacuation, executed under great pressure from the Luftwaffe, by a hasty assemblage of British and French naval vessels, augmented by myriad civilian ships and small craft. The British Expeditionary Force left behind most of its heavy equipment and arms, as well as about forty thousand British soldiers (along with many more French). However, the nearly 350,000 troops successfully returned to England, when recovered, rearmed, and reequipped, once again confronted the Germans in North Africa and Europe. Conversely, Hungnam constituted a planned, carefully staged massive redeployment of forces against enemy pressure. Most of General Douglas MacArthur's X Corps ground troops--the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) and the battered 7th Infantry Division--arrived at and staged off the beach at Hungnam as organized fighting units. In addition, X Corps's 3rd Infantry Division moved by road and amphibious lift from Wonsan to Hungnam before being redeployed south. All these units brought out their fighting equipment and supplies. The Marines brought their wounded (many others had already been evacuated by air) and virtually all of their dead down the gauntlet from the Chosen Reservoir. The Navy immediately treated the wounded and provided the troops with showers and warm food on board ship. (8) The Navy also lifted the Republic of Korea (ROK) I Corps from Songjin to Hungnam, where it was reembarked and lifted to Bokuko Ko. When the U.S. Navy closed out Hungnam on 24 December 1950, it destroyed all facilities, leaving behind nothing for advancing enemy forces. The Navy also redeployed United Nations (UN) forces from Chinnampo and Inchon on the west coast. Thus, during December 1950, the U.S. Navy conducted five nearly simultaneous amphibious redeployments from both coasts of Korea. The total evolution was remarkably well organized and executed; not a single life was lost to enemy action, and material losses were light.
12/31/1978 - CIA director, Admiral Stansfield Turner retires from the Navy
Famous Birthdays December ..
12/09/1910 - Stephen Jurika Jr, US pilot/capt (WW II, Santa Cruz, Navy Cross)
12/11/1797 - Hiram Paulding, Rear Admiral (Union Navy), died in 1878
12/15/1933 - Tim Conway, Willoughby Oh, comic (McHale's Navy, Carol Burnett Show)
12/15/1954 - Mike Ratledge, author (2DAY & NEWDAY)/ratledgm@spawar.navy.mil
12/18/1826 - Mercer Brooke John, (Confederate Navy), died in 1906
12/20/1808 - Thomas Tinsley Craven, Commander (Union Navy), died in 1887
12/23/1808 - Thomas Turner, Commander (Union Navy), died in 1883
12/25/1808 - Stephen Cleeg Rowan, Commander (Union Navy), died in 1890
12/29/1908 - Claire Dodd, AR, actress (Ex-Lady, In the Navy)
Famous Deaths for December ..
12/27/1952 - Henri G Winkelman, Dutch supreme commander army/navy 1940, dies at 76
This is a message I received several years ago from one of our members concerning the fate of the McKinley.
"Subj: Re: Mt McKinley Date: 09/04/2002 7:13:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: (withheld) To: Bill Ellis Sent via email
Bill:
I'm sorry I took so long to get back to you. My point of contact was out of town on vacation. My friend referred me to Ken Alt of Naval Ships in Bremerton, Washington. Ken tells me the records reflect the USS Mt. McKinley AGC-7/LCC-7 was sold in 1977 to a Scrap Metal company in Terminal Island, California. Unfortunately the ship has long since been reclaimed for root metal products! Wish I could have been able to tell you she was still alive and kicking and provided a location to view her, but alas.....
Ernie"
Attention on Deck for the Captains - Hand Salute
Attention on Deck for the Captains! - Hand Salute!
01
CAPT.
Graham, William M. (NG)
1 May 1944 - 20 January 1945
02
CAPT.
Gamet, Wayne Neal :RADM
20 January 1945 - 9 August 1946
03
CAPT.
Riddle, Frederick Leavenworth
9 August1946 - 2 June 1947
04
CAPT.
Ware, William Lynch
2 June 1947 - 16 October 1948
05
CAPT.
Sugnet, Lee Ferrand
16 October 1948 - 17 December 1949
06
CAPT.
Printup, Carter Alston
17 December 1949 - 18 July 1951
07
CAPT.
Chappell, Lucius Henry
18 July 1951 - 26 January 1952
08
CAPT.
Beasley, Charles Black :RADM
26 January 1952 - 25 July 1952
09
CAPT.
Norgaard, Rollo Niel :RADM
25 July 1952 - 7 April 1953
10
CAPT.
Hardin, James Thomas
7 April 1953 - 1 April 1954
11
CAPT.
Adams, Scarritt
1 April 1954 - 25 November 1955
12
CAPT.
Renken, Henry Algernon :RADM
25 November 1955 - 28 September 1956
13
CAPT.
Fleck, Thomas Martin
28 September 1956 - 30 October 1957
14
CAPT.
Blouin, Francis Joseph :VADM
30 October 1957 - 30 December 1958
15
CAPT.
Pittard, George Franklin :RADM
30 December 1958 - 23 December 1959
16
CAPT.
Kelly Jr., Monroe
23 December 1959 - 17 November 1960
17
CAPT.
Lauerman, Henry Conrad
17 November 1960 - 18 January 1962
18
CAPT.
Schwab Jr., Ernest Louis
18 January 1962 - March 1963
19
CAPT.
Flynn, Russell Francis
1963 - March 1964
20
CAPT.
Tuttle Jr., Louis K.
March 1964 - June 1965
21
CAPT.
Thornhill Jr., Henry Ehrman (Tim)
June 1965 - 17 August 1966
22
CAPT.
Bowling, Roland Alfred
17 August 1966 - 31 January 1968
23
CAPT.
Poorman, Herbert R.
31 January 1968 - 1969
24
CAPT.
Grause, Jerome E.
1969 - 26 March 1970
Our Ship
United States Ship Mount McKinley AGC-7 was the design class of ship that all of the AGC's were designed after. All were named after mountains. To see a complete list of all of the AGC ships related and almost identical to the Mt McKinley, both in looks and mission, just use our drop down menu at the top right of the page and click on 'Links'. Many of the sailors from their crews are members of our association and brothers in that we have so much in common.
What was to become the USS Mount McKinley AGC-7 was laid down, 31 July 1943, as Cyclone, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.
Launched, 27 September 1943
Acquired by the Navy, 27 December 1943
Converted at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA., to an Amphibious Force Command Ship (AGC)
Commissioned, USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), 1 May 1944, CAPT. W. M. Graham in command.
Decommissioned: March 26,1970
Struck: 30 July 1976
Fate: Sold for scrap in 1979
General characteristics
Displacement: 12,550 tons
Length: 459 ft 2 in
Beam: 63 ft
Draft: 25 ft
Speed: 15 knots
Complement: 664
Armament: 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal. gun
8 × 40mm guns (4×2)
Veteran's News
Presidential Memorial Certificate now available free
A Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) is an engraved paper certificate, signed by The President of The United States, to honor the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans.
WWII Vets living or deceased are also eligible to be listed in theWWII Registry
.
VA Adds Chat Feature to Online Application for Health Benefits
WASHINGTON – Veterans will find it easier and faster to apply for their health care benefits now that the Department of Veterans Affairs has enhanced and streamlined its online Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits.
This revised online application now features a chat function which will allow Veterans to receive live assistance while they are filling out the form. Additional enhancements to the process include simplification of questions relating to military service in Southeast Asia during the Gulf and in the Vietnam wars. Several additional minor enhancements make the application easier and faster for Veterans to complete.
Veterans may also contact VA at 1 (877) 222-8387 (VETS), visit the VA health eligibility Web site at https://www.va.gov/healtheligibility or apply for health care benefits at any VA medical center at https://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp with the help of a VA health care eligibility specialist.
USS Mt McKinley Association would like to introduce you to the Honor Flight Network. Honor Flight Network recognizes American veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by inviting you to fly to Washington, DC to see YOUR memorial at no cost. Top priority (for which we are currently accepting application only) is given to WW II and terminally ill veterans from all wars. Honor Flight will be expanded to include Korean and Vietnam veterans. For Honor Flight to achieve this goal, guardians fly with the veterans on every flight providing assistance and helping veterans have a safe, memorable and rewarding experience. For what you and your comrades have given to us, please consider this a small token of appreciation from all of us. For further information, please Download and mail the Honor Flight Veteran Application Here.
This site is automatically updated via database - 12/11/18 16:57:26 Mountain Time
