Sitekeepers Bio
Prior to joining up with Uncle Sam, I attended Mass. Radio And Electronics School in Boston, Mass. completing a two year Basic and Advanced electronics curriculum. graduating in April 1962. After reading this poster , and running in to these two swabbies , I was convinced to join the US Navy on 3 May 1962. Upon completion of basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, I was then assigned to the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va. as a designated striker (ATRAN). Saratoga got underway for Guantanamo Bay Cuba and participated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Blockade. Made 3 Med Cruises on the Saratoga. While on the Saratoga, I held rates of ATR3 and ATR2; and then changed rate to MT3 and MT2. I shipped over in 1966 for 4 more years, and then was transferred to shore duty at Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic ( POMFLANT ) in North Charleston (Goose Creek) South Carolina for about a year. While at POMFLANT, I changed my rate again from MT2 to FTM3 and then to FTM2 and finally to FTM1. While in the Navy, I took 7 rating exams to advance 4 pay grades (example: if you were changing from MT2 to FTM2 - you took the FTM3, FTM2 and rating exams). I was next transferred to the USS Leahy , which was about to go through a modernization upgrade at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Prior to locating to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, I attended various Class C schools at the Naval Guided Missile School in Dam Neck, Va. Leahy was re-commissioned on 4 May 1968 (CO Captain William B. Murray Jr.), and re-assigned to it's new homeport of Norfolk, Va. On 28 July 1969, Leahy commenced participation in the UNITAS X cruise to various Central and South American ports (photo above shown landing the big one in the Galapagos Islands - August 1969), and returned to Norfolk, Va. at the end of 1969. I remained on Leahy until my discharge date of 9 June 1970. In civilian life, I worked briefly (2.5 years) for Pacific Ordnance And Electronics Co. in Norfolk, Va. I then hired on to the General Electric Co. in their Medical Systems Operation as a Field Service Representative and Support Engineer in the Norfolk Area, and also held positions at headquarters support at GE Medical Technical Services in Pewaukee, Wisconsin and instructor at the GE Medical Systems Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (the home of real winter weather). On my 60 birthday in 2001, I retired from GE after 28 years of service. I then relocated from Pewaukee, Wisconsin to sunny Rockledge(Viera), Florida , in the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center, where I currently reside with my bride of 36 years, and where I can spend most of my free time in my new pool .
BEFORE
AFTER
IF YOU HAVE ANY PERTINENT INFO
REGARDING USS LEAHY
AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
A CONTRIBUTION:
Accepting Any Photos, Documents (Scanned Or Un-Scanned - Permanently Or On A Loan Basis), Personal Experiences, Ships Timelines, Personal E-Mail Addresses For The Crew Roster, Cruise Book Items Or Cruise Book Photos, Info On Any Past Leahy Shipmates That Have Gone On Their Eternal Patrol, Etc. - Any And All Pertinent Info Will Be Considered.
OR
If You Have Found Some Erroneous Or Undesireable
Information On This Site - Don't Hesitate To Contact
The Guy At The Wheel By Clicking On The Postage
Paid Envelope Below.
OR IF YOU FEEL LIKE USING THE "SNAIL MAIL" ROUTE:
Ken Deshaies
4318 Collingtree Drive
Rockledge, Florida 32955-6617
Site Contributors
Brian Ackerman
Ron Barrett (Plankowner - 1962)
Kenneth Deshaies (Plankowner Re-Comm. 1968)
Jerry L. (Gay)Gayre
Geldon Harper
Paul/Carol Harty
Stan Kielbowicz (Plankowner Re-Comm. 1968)
Captain William B. Murray Jr.
Johnnie Noles
Reference Documentation
1962 Commissioning Booklet
"Welcome Aboard" Booklets (1967 and earlier and 1968 versions)
1968 Re-Commissioning Booklet
"Welcome Aboard" Booklet 1970
Change Of Command Booklet 1971
1993 De-Commissioning Booklet
Surface Missile Systems (SMS) Recruiting Literature - 26 Page Booklet Circa mid 1960's
USS Leahy 1966 UNITAS VII Cruise Book
USS Leahy 1969 UNITAS X Cruise Book
USS Leahy 1970-1971 Med Cruise Book
USS Leahy 1977-1978 WestPac Cruise Book
Cruiser-Destroyerman Magazine Article - UNITAS X - 1970
All Hands Magazine Article - Leningrad, Russia Visit - September 1975
Some Very Useful Software
IrfanView Imaging Software (Freeware) - Link Here
Paint Shop Pro Imaging Software (Shareware) - Link Here
SizeOmatic (Change Screen Resolution) Software (Freeware) - Link Here
Mihov Backround Tester Software (Freeware) - Link Here
Mihov Image Resizer Software (Freeware) - Link Here
Color Schemer Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Button Studio Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Button Wiz Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Text2HTML Software (Freeware) - Link Here
Text To Gif Software (Shareware) - Link Here
IMH HTML Utility Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Textpad Text Editor Software (Shareware) - Link Here
TxE8 Text Editor Software (Freeware) - Link Here
HTML Optimizer Pro Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Image Optimizer Software (Shareware) - Link Here
Ipswitch WS_FTP LE(Freeware F/Non-Business)- Link Here
AdSubtract Pro Blocking Software (Shareware)- Link Here
