Dear Family and Friends of Virgo,

Since I wrote you last, Virgo has been very busy We have just completed our second deployment "on the line" in support of the Navy’s operations in Vietnam, and are now in Subic Bay loading ammunition for another trip

I'd like first of all to tell you about the ships we've met and replenished, and some of the things they’ve been doing Our first customer, on February 12, was USS TICONDEROGA Although TICO is the oldest aircraft carrier in these waters, she is still doing a tremendous job Her pilots fly bombing strikes against supply targets in Vietnam almost daily Our first time alongside her, TICO treated us to a spectacular and ear-shattering display of aircraft launching and recovery operations while our replenishment operations were going on.

Next we re1plished the nuclear powered carrier USS ENTERPRISE, the world’s largest warship. Her immense size dwarfed Virgo. Our first meeting with the big"E" was at night, well before any of us had breakfast on the morning of the 16th. As she came alongside, her band was serenading us with "Oh what a Beautiful Morning". It was too early to tell.

We completed our carrier commitments the following day by rearming the carrier Hancock. In the first six days of operations in the Tonkin Gulf we had transferred over 1300 tons of ammunition. A back-breaking, around - the clock job, but we were rewarded by fine compliments from the carriers’ skippers.

After we had given all our bombs to the carriers, we started South from Yankee station, passing bullets to destroyers scattered all the way down the coastline to Saigon. They are fighting a different type of war from the carriers. Some of them are assigned to Naval Gunfire Support duties, firing at Viet Cong emplacements on the beach and in denying the Viet Cong any re-supply via coastal waters. These ships have been most effective in both of these roles. The destroyers we serviced during our first trip include USS CUNNINGHAM, TURNER JOY, DUNCAN, MYLES C. FOX, MADDOX, DEHAVEN, and NORRIS, each one named for some past Navy hero, and all now working hard to live up to their namesakes' reputation for valor Between February 19 and 27, Virgo gave 368 tons of ammunition to these destroyers, which they promptly deposited on the Viet Gong.

USS MADDOX is typical of these small, hardworking ships. She was the destroyer which North Vietnamese torpedo boats tried to sink in the now-famous Tonkin Gulf incident of August 2, 1964. More recently, just prior to our first replenishment of MADDOX, she made a direct hit on a large enemy ammunition dump in South Vietnam, resulting in a spectacular explosion that lit the sky for many miles. It was a crippling blow to enemy operations in that area, and earned her accommodation from General Westmoreland.

USS BRISTER, a radar picket type destroyer escort, also scored a big hit while Virgo was in the area. BRISTER picked up a 100-foot steel hulled ship on her radar, and then took it under fire when it was identified as an enemy vessel. The boat blew up, leaving nothing larger than a piece of steel plate 1 foot by 7 feet. It had been full of ammunition and guns for the Viet Gong.

We have also been servicing two rocket-launching landing ships, WHITE RIVER, and CLARION RIVER. These small, homely looking ships are armed with rocket launchers. They lie close in shore, and can lay down heavy concentrated fire in support of troop operations. At our first meeting with CLARION RIVER we gave them 20 bags of mail. To thank Virgo, she demonstrated her rocket firing ability, giving us an early taste of the Fourth of July on a February evening.

I might add that although we can see quite a bit of the action from our ship, particularly at night when illumination flares are fired, we always remain at a safe distance from the beach and act as interested spectators.

After a week in Subic Bay (March 2 to 10) taking on another load of ammunition, Virgo returned to "the line" March 12. In one hectic first day, your men transferred 614 tons of ammunition to six ships, including the carrier KITTY Hawk, the missile-armed cruiser CANBERRA, and four destroyers accompanying her: EDSON, STODDARD, COLLETT, and INGERSOLL. After such a busy day, it seemed almost easy when we gave 1187 tons of bombs to HANCOCK and USS BON HOMME RICHARD in five days, and 688 tons of bullets to eight destroyers along the Vietnam coastline during the period March 13 to April 5.

By now almost all our kinks have been straightened out. The replenishments are going very smoothly. The men look like regular pros. Recently three destroyer commanding officers commended us for the finest underway replenishment they have ever experienced in West Pac. It makes us feel pretty good to be singled out in this manner by ships who have been operating here for over six months.

Shortly before our recent return to port, we were happy to replenish Her Majesty's Australian Ship HOBART, an Australian destroyer which has come from "down under" to help the U. S. Navy in Vietnam.

Occasionally we feel the tension experienced by those directly involved in the Vietnamese conflict. I am particularly reminded of a night in early March. We were scheduled to replenish the carrier HANCOCK, but just before she came alongside, she passed word to us that two of her pilots had gone into the water near the North Vietnamese mainland, and our replenishment would have been delayed. Several destroyers raced to the scene, and HANCOCK launched planes and helicopters to press the search for the downed pilots. Shore fire from the North Vietnamese was intense, and visibility was poor. The running commentary which we received from HANCOCK told us that armed North Vietnamese boats were approaching one of the pilots when the first helicopters arrived. Then, two additional planes sent out on the search crashed, raising the total to four pilots in the water. The search continued through the night while we stood by waiting for the replenishment to start. Fortunately, the incident had a fairly happy ending. Helicopters recovered two of the pilots and the oiler USS PONCHATOULA, another hard working member of Pacific Service Force along with Virgo, spotted one of the pilots and picked him up many miles from the original scene of action. The next morning while we replenished HANCOCK, a helicopter brought the pilot back from PONCHATOULA, We watched as his squadron mates greeted him on the flight deck of the carrier.

This is the way it goes. As you can easily see your men have been working hard, often responding to calls for ammunition in the dead of night, often putting in long hours with little sleep. But there have been lighter moments too, and some periods of rest, relaxation and fun.

When Virgo’s busy schedule permits, we stop the ship for a few hours, in some likely looking spot, and sound "Fish Call". We're not going to put the Vietnamese fishing industry out of business, but it is a change in pace. Winners in our fishing derby include: Radarman W. H. SMITH, Seaman David BRADLEY, Steward D.G. MARAAN, and LTJG Charlie RIGGS. I have always respected sailors' imagination and ingenuity but I never realized its full potential until we started fishing. Almost any kind of string becomes a fish line in their hands. Some of the men even made their own fish hooks. Signalman First Class Marcus WICKLINE became so enthusiastic when "fish call" was sounded that he held the bait and threw his fishing outfit over the side, or so I've been told.

During one quiet afternoon of fishing, a Navy Swift boat came out from the shore area to pay us a visit. "I just wanted to see what a big ship was like again," said the boat's skipper. As it turned out he also was interested in getting some fresh fruit, which we were glad to give the Swiftie. These little boats, descendants of the PT boats of World War II fame, have a hard dangerous job, they patrol alongside the coastline, stopping the suspicious looking junks and sampans and making sure no supplies are being smuggled to the Viet Cong. In return for Virgo's favor the Swift boat took some of our crew on a short, but fast ride.

On our way back to Subic after our first tour "on the line", we celebrated the Pacific Service Force's 25th anniversary. Since Virgo is a member of Pacific Service Force of long standing, we did things up quite properly. The ship’s cooks set up a barbeque pit on the fantail, where they grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Chief Commisaryman Robert WINTERS, an artist when it comes to decorating cakes, supplied an original masterpiece decorated with Virgo's and Pacific Service Force's emblems in eight edible colors.

While Virgo is in Subic Day, a little place called Grande Island has provided many a relaxing and pleasure-filled moment for your men. During our stay in Subic in early March, the crew held two parties on Grande Island, complete with charcoal broiled steaks, soft drinks, and beer. The first day, the enlisted men challenged the officers and chief petty officers to a softball game, then got trounced by a score so high that I cannot in clear conscience record it here. (Fortunately for the winners, the star pitcher for the enlisted men was on duty on the ship the first day. He pitched in a game the next day, and nobody touched him.

For those of you interested in things historical,. I have several items to pass along. First: Virgo, a seasoned veteran of World War II, and participant in most of the major Pacific naval battles of that war, has been invited to send a representatives to the upcoming Coral Sea Festival. It is being staged by the Australian Government to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, during which the Japanese invasion fleet was turned back from its move on Australia. Virgo’s representatives are Machinist Mate First Class Douglas C HAMMER, and Engineman Second Class Dennis N YOUNG. They will board the nuclear-powered cruiser USS LONG BEACH in a few days and spend two months aboard her, as she visits the sites of the most famous naval battles of the war. LONG BEACH will also spend ten days in Sydney, Australia, at climax of the Coral Sea Festival.

Second: fans of MR. ROBERTS, the side-splitting story of Navy life during World War II, will be interested to know that Virgo reportedly was the ship that inspired it all. According to scuttlebutt, rumors, etc., Thomas HEEGAN, the author of the book, was communications officer on Virgo from August 1944 until the end of the war. You can still see the spot outside the Captain's Cabin where a steel bracket held in place the Captain's palm tree.

To bring us back to the present, Virgo plans to leave Subic Bay, April 14, heading to Manila, Philippine lslands for two days visit to the capital city. It will be the first time Virgo has been in a "liberty port" since coming to the Western Pacific nearly three months ago; your men deserve the break in the routine. Manila we will return to "the line" for another month of providing support to the ships in the Seventh Fleet.

I have recently commended three of our engineers for their performance of duty, Senior Chief Boilerman John E. LEACH, Machinist Mate Second Class David L BROOKS, and Machinery Repairman Second Class Rodney A. WILLIAMS. These men exercised much ingenuity in repairing a broken pump in the ship’s fresh water distilling plant, without which we simply could not have operated at sea for more than a few days.

Congratulations are in order to six men who advanced in rate since I last wrote you. The men and their new rates are Richard A. PARTLOW, seaman; David P. BRADLEY, seaman; Richard W. HOWE, seaman; Richard L. La CHANCE, engineman fireman; Jerry L. REISINGER, seaman apprentice; and Sayles B. ROTHMEYER, seaman.

Virgo also has two proud new fathers, Electricians Mate Third Class Lester K. REYNOLDS and Storekeeper Second Class Gerald L. GORHAM. Congratulations to them, and their wives

Several men have jioned Virgo’s crew in recent week. Lt. Donald E. MACHOLZ and ENS. Stepben R. PARER are newly reported officers. Seaman Richard F. DURAN, Gunners Mate First Class Benny J HENDRICKSON,Seaman Recruit Bobby L. MASSEY, Gunners Mate Seaman Apprentice Dana S. QUANSTROM and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Larry W. SMITH are new enlisted members.

H. R. MACMILLIAN, Commanding Officer