Postal Items

Here are some postal items from the ship’s post office.

Contributed by Dan Davis

Reserve Fleet Exercises, 1973

The Isbell joined the reserve fleet upon completion of her 1971-1972 Westpac cruise, joining DESRON 27 out of Long Beach, California.

Here are some photos of reserve fleet exercises, as well as stops in San Francisco and Mazatlan, Mexico.

Contributed by Dan Davis.

Portland Rose Festival, 1972 and 1973

As a part of Fleet Week, the USS Arnold J. Isbell visited Portland, Oregon, for the annual Rose Festival in both 1972 and 1972. Here are a few photos from those visits.

Contributed by Dan Davis

1971-1972 WestPac Schedule

Attached to DESRON 13

1971

9 Sept – depart Long Beach in company with USS McKean (DD-784)
15 Sept – arrive Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
17 Sept – depart Pearl Harbor
20 Sept – arrive/depart Midway Island (refuel)
27 Sept – arrive/depart Guam (refuel)

2 Oct – arrive Subic Bay (refuel/resupply/repair)
10 Oct – depart Subic Bay for PIRAZ Station, South China Sea.
16 Oct – enroute Hong Kong
19 Oct – inport Subic Bay (refuel)
20 Oct – depart Subic Bay for NGFS MRIV

2 Nov – track SL-6 trawler
8 Nov – arrive Singapore
11 Nov – depart Singapore enroute Indian Ocean Ops (MIDLINK) with HMS Eagle
17 Nov – cross Equator 00 degrees-75 east
17 Nov – MIDLINK cancelled
22 Nov – inport Singapore (refuel)
26 Nov – arrive Subic Bay

2 Dec – depart Subic for South China Sea ops
29 Dec – arrive Hong Kong

1972

15 Jan – depart Hong Kong
16 Jan – South China Sea ops with USS Constellation
22 Jan – Danang, South Vietnam (refuel/resupply)
23 Jan – NGFS, DMZ and IV Corp

16 Feb – arrive Subic Bay
20 Feb – depart Subic Bay for last time
24 Feb – cross Equator at 00 degrees-145 East.
25 Feb – arrive Manus island, Admiralty Islands, near New Guinea (refuel/picnic)

2 Mar – arrive Sydney, Australia (refuel)
4 Mar – arrive Devenport, Tasmania
7 Mar – depart Devenport
8 Mar – arrive Melbourne, Australia
13 Mar – depart Melbourne
17 Mar – arrive Wellington, New Zealand
21 Mar – depart Wellington
25 Mar – arrive Pago Pago, American Samoa
26 Mar – depart Pago Pago

1 Apr – arrive Pearl Harbor (refuel)
7 Apr – arrive home port, Long Beach, California

1971-72 WestPac Photos

A collection of photos from the Isbell’s 1971-72 WestPac cruise. It includes two Shellback initiations, plus stopovers at Manus Island and Devonport, Tasmania.

1971-72 WestPac Photos

Contributed by Dan Davis

Ship Portraits

These images were supplied by Don Scott at subpride@aol.com.

Don writes:
“With collecting as my hobby for the past 42 years have placed over 8500 8×10 photos on disc that I have scanned (all 8×10 official US Navy), filled in more by commands and museum. I had the opportunity to get really unusual and tremendous amount of views. Miscellaneous, insignia, missile shots, accidents, etc while in the navy, a lot that the Navy don’t pass out. I have the following on disc:
– battleships-cruisers
– carriers-aircraft – 2 cd disc with 6100 images
– destroyers
– ships in general – no subs or aircraft
– other – includes merchants, civ, auxiliaries and misc info
– submarines – 2 cd disc with 6,000 images
– sub welcomes (over 200)
I’m working up now one with ship welcomes and photos on same disc – have hundreds already done – will take a while.

Any of these are $25.”
Contact Don at subpride@aol.com

EN3 Harvey Anderson Photos

A-Gang Andy (EN3 Harvey Anderson) stood watches on the throttles in #2 engine room. Here he’s pictured with Dan Buckley. He provided these photos from the 1971-72 WestPac cruise.

The Isbell hauling at 27 knots.

Showing the wear and tear of an extended cruise.

Rearming during an unrep (underway replenishment).

Those wonderous pre-flashless-powder days.