The following address was made to the crew by John P. Ingle, Jr., Lt. Cdr., USNR, Commanding Officer

In Retrospect

On this occasion of the first anniversary of the commissioning of the U.S.S. Doyle C. Barnes, I wish to commend you officers and men, individually and collectively, as having proven yourselves to be a hard working, loyal, and extremely efficient team in manning your ship.

To a man, I think we all long for more combat with the Japs- more shooting, more fighting, more excitment.  I personally feel that there is much in store for us along these lines.  The war isn't over yet.

Meanwhile, if you pause to look back on your year's activity you must agree that it has not been colorless.

Your ship sucessfully carried out every mission assigned her.  She has traveled 56,713 nautical miles, or more than twice the distance around the world, starting at Orange and touching at Sabine, Galveston, and Baytown, Texas;  Bermuda, B.W.I.; Boston, Mass; Norfolk and Yorktown, Va.; Cristobal, C.Z.; Galapagos Islands; Bora Bora, Society Islands; Espiritu Santo, New Hebribes; Hollandia, New Guinea; Mios Woendi in Padaido Islands, Dutch New Guinea and the following ports in the Philippine Islands:   Tacloban and Tolosa, Leyte; Mangarin Bay, Mindoro; Subic Bay and Manilla, Luzon; Zamboanga, Mindanao; and Calicoan, Samar.  Our latest base is in the wildest country yet, but of course its identity must temporarily not be disclosed.  Your ship has sailed the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the following seven seas:   Caribbean, Bismarck, Coral, Mindanao, Sibuyan, Sulu, and South China Seas.  She has transited the Panama Canal, crossed the International Data Line, and criss-crossed the equator 10 times (not without appropriate ceremony as you will recall).

There have been 191 advancements in rating among enlisted men, and 12 Petty Officers were appointed Chief Petty Officer.  Two CPO's were appointed Warrant Officers and were transferred for higher responsibilities.  One Petty Officer was admitted to a V-12 course leading to a commission. There have been 6 promotions in rank among the officers.  Our former Executive Officer was transferred to take command of another destroyer escort and three other officers were promoted to Department heads.

One officer and 27 enlisted men are Regular Navy, the vast majority of us being reserves.
All 3 regular Navy men whose enlistment expired, voluntarily reenlisted or extended their enlistments.  Fifteen of you who have had three year's active naval service became eligible for Good Conduct Medals.

All of you who have served aboard the Doyle C. Barnes for the year have become entitled to wear the American Theater Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one star.

Your ship has convoyed 244 naval and merchant vessels to safety across dangerous waters in spite of bombing and torpedo attack.  She has made attacks on potential enemy submarines which were in a position to threaten her convoys.  She has investigated suspicious surface contacts during darkness in hostile waters causing you to leave your bunks innumerable times to man your battle stations in the dead of night.

When assisgned two months at an advanced base to exercise with friendly fleet submarines in their training for war patrols, you were commended by Rear Admiral Fife for having an extremely smart ship.  In addition, at Norfolk while awaiting formation of the remainder of our division, almost a thousand officers and enlisted trainees were taken out to learn from you the art of going to sea.

On 19 October 1944, Commander W. C. Jennings, USNR, hoisted his CortDiv 82 pennant on this vessel and she became the division flagship.  It is traditional that flagships have added burdens of communications, the added responsibility of tautness, and the necessity of being both dependable and smart.  You have met these requirements well.

Wartime conditions have made it necessary for you to stand rigorous watches both at sea and in port without lessening the burden of keeping your ship trim and clean.  The excellent condition of your ship today is a tribute to how well you have met this problem.You have never yet permitted your ship's engineering plant to break down and as a consequence the ship has gained a reputation of being always "ready to go".   This record has been achieved by your enthusiasm, hard work, and forehandedness, and by extensive self-maintenance programs in all departments.

There has been no serious sickness aboard and out of over 200 men now aboard, more often than not, not a single man is on the sick list.

Perhaps of help to your fine spirits have been:  our good fortune to have excellent cooks, the 2,280 gallons of ice cream produced aboard, the 194 entertainment movies shown aboard, AND, most important, the inspiration you gain in your letters from home.

Your sacrifice in taking this year of your life away from your home and loved ones and giving it to the defense of your country is a reward in itself that you can be proud of always.  In this year a noticeable change has occurred in you men.  First is the vast amount of skill gained in seamanship, engineering, gunnery, and other phases of naval service.  Next, the mark gained in your physical fitness, your deep tans and toughened physiques, and the ability to get along with your shipmates.  And finally, your more mature outlook on the seriousness of war, your appreciation for those who have given their lives in it, and your constant rededication of purpose and devotion to make this ship worthy of the great name of DOYLE C. BARNES and a credit to the nation whose colors she flies.

Censor's note:  It is permissable to send this letter home if you wish, but no part of it may be published during wartime
 

In Memoriam

Unable to be with us to celebrate this, our first commissioning anniversary, we take this opportunity to express sympathy in the memory of Lawrence Earl McCarthy, Gunner's Mate second class, whose untimely death occurred aboard ship, in the line of duty, on 22 April 1945.
"Mac" was personally known, liked, and respected by each of us, his shipmates.   At his passing, every man felt a keen personal loss.  As a gunner's mate his "know how", his willingness to turn to -day or night- and his cheerful disposition will not soon be forgotten by those of us who worked with him.  He was a good sailor and a good shipmate.