USS Estes AGC-12 1954 1955 Far East Cruise Book Tachen Island Chinese Evacuation With News Article

Dedication: to the free peoples of Vietnam and the Tachen islands in whose future we will share and injuring interest

 When she returned to the states, the Estes had a period of relative tranquility before leaving for Eniwwetok and more atomic experiments, in January 1954.  Upon completion of these tests she returned to San Diego for eight months of rest and leave.  In June Rear Admiral L.S.  Sabin, Commander Amphibious Group One, came aboard, and on July 6, the Estes left for the far east.This book is a record of that cruise……

 Contents

The cruise

West from point Loma

Hawaii

Japan

Suddenly…  The Japanese interlude was broken, and we sailed under secret orders.  Rumors and tension mounted until Admiral Sabin announced that we were going to…

Indochina

Haiphong

Saigon

The refugees

Crossing the line

Singapore

Change of command

Hong Kong

Korea

Japan

Faces of Japan

Operation “pull back”

While we were again in Indochina, new an undisclosed orders came for us, and we steamed northward to Formosa on a mission which we soon learned was to be the evacuation of Chinese Nationalist soldiers and civilians from the Tachen islands, only a few miles from the coast of Communist China.  It was a sensitive and potentially explosive operation, because no one knew what to expect from the nearby Reds.  We steamed in close to the Tachens under the protecting guns of the seventh fleet.  Working night and day, combinded forces of the U.S. and Chinese nationalist Navy’s had the island’s cleared of people and material in less than a week.  The communists never opposed the operation, and we sailed safely away…

 Department’s-divisions

Ship’s officers

Flag officers

First division

Second division

Tare division

Charlie division

Marines

Easy division

Fox division

George division

How division

Item division

Jig division

Mike division

Nan division

S-2 division

Roger division

Able division

S-1 division

TACRON

Flag division

Helicopter division

Sports-activities

Roster: statisticians have found that the average man can expect to find his name in some publication at least twice in this lifetime but statistics are cold figure’s and names are warm and personal, at least to the people possess them.  So for those important words in your life we include these next few pages…