Ships Photographs Taken by Crewmembers
1970-1983


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The following pictures were contributed by Van Tunstall, LT of Aptos, CA.   Pictures were taken during the period 1969-1970.  OI Division, on left LT Tunstall, X Division on right, LTjg Hunter, formal inspection summer 1970 (beards were in!).   Keeping station and standing watch on the open bridge - 1970, LTjg Al. Hunter is OOD.;  Wardroom 1970 Wordroom poler game - Ens. Whitt, LTjg Hunter and LT Seyboth.;    Radio Shack, circa 1970.;  P Rock's really open bridge, circa 1970;  No wussies here, especially in the north Atlantic during fall and winter.  On the signal bridge, The OC boys taking a bgreak by the Big Eyes, l-r  RM3 Guess, SM3 Thompson, RM2 Bethel.  View from the Open Bridge, the OOD's view from the open bridge; Navigators standing watch on open bridge; The "Lady" in all her glory

The following pictures were contributed by Jack Huett,  BT3 of Sutherland, VA  Pictures were taken on a Med. cruise during 1974-75.  Terry Arnette, BT3 Brown, ?????; Boat in the Water; Plymouth Rock smoking again; Gab Hernendez; Fontaine, Deroche, Sanders, Burgess and Brown;  Plymouth Rock in Villafrance; Sanders, BT3; Kelar, MM; Harry Ishmael, BT3; Flight Deck.

The following pictures were contributed by Doug Jacques, YNSN of Alpena, MI.  Pictures were taken from 1972-73.  Doug Jacques, liberty call, Nags Head, NC.  Shipmates Dave Jones, George Krencik and Jim Helmer on liberty.  Doug Jacques on the flight deckUSS Plymouth Rock and USS Saginaw, not sure where.

The following pictures were contributed by Harry Ishmael, BT3 of Chafee, MO.   Pictures were taken from 1971-1974.  MM2 Hoffman with pipe, David Dortch BT2 and John Rook standing, back of head is BT2 Reynolds.  BT2 McElroy with camera, David Bortch, BT2 lying down.  John RookJack Huett.    MMFN Greg Minor, Gallatin, TN.

The following pictures were contributed by Harry Ishmael, BT3 of Chafee, MO.   Pictures were taken from 1971-1974.  David Dortch, Rocco Cherone doing PT, MMFN Greg Minor,    Jerry Robison, Kenny Larkin, John Gibson, BT3, had chronic sea sickness, slept with a trash bag.  Mark Whiting.  Hernandez, Harry Ishmael, BT3, fire sides.  Harry Isnaael, BT3.  #1, smoking as usual.  ACU2

The following picture was contributed by Rob Oldham, MM2 of Sidney, OH.   Picture was taken in 1976.  A couple of snipes in the berthing compartment.

The following pictures were contributed by Rick Leeth, MM3 of Washington C.H., OH .  Pictures were taken during the 74-75 Med Cruise. #1 Boiler RoomLester, MM1 in log room.  Lt. Rick WrobelA Gang, Bow of the P Rock, #1 Stack, Liberty in Alicante, Spain,  Lalonde, MMFN and Jerry Tacenelli, MM2, sub tied up to pier in Rota, Spain, MM1 Peck, Snipes up on deck,  Tanks in well deck, Bill Bess, ENFN and unknown sailor.

The following pictures were contributed by Thomas Hickson, BT3 of Rock Island, IL  Bow the P Rock.  Captains BargeLiberty run in St. Thomas.  Stern of the Plymouth Rock


The following is a picture of Carl Fontenot who is on the right and John Stan, BT3 on the left.  The picture was taken in Knoxville, TN during the first week in June 2003.  Carl and John had not seen each other since serving on the P Rock in the early 70"s.


The following are cartoons from the 1972 Med Cruise Book and were drawn by LCDR John Malcolm Schantz. The images were provided by LTJG Wallace E. Mason, Sykesville, MD.  Cartoon 1; Cartoon 2; Cartoon 3.


The following pictures were taken while on 2 Carribean cruises 72-73 and a Mediteranean cruise by Wallace E. Mason, LTJG, Sykesville, MD.  Joseph Mills , Engineering Officer sightseeing with the big eyes off of Vieques  Captain Roger Betts was very proud of his shark.  Cleaning the well deck.   Some of the Junior Officers L-R, Chris Hansen, Frank Brooks, John Gebhardt, Craig Sackett and Peter Synowiez.  USS Plymouth Rock flying her international call sign.  On the bridge, L-R Michael Fullington, Craig Sackett, Captain Roger Betts, LCDR Schantz and XO J. Converse in the Carribean 1973.  The Rock freshly painted tied up in Little Creek. Troop entertainment on the pier in Bari, Itali.  Happy fisherman off Vieques L-R Paul Elliott, Warren Robinson and John Gebhardt, Carribean 1973.  Swimming in the well deck.


The following pictures taken in the period from 1970-72 were provided byThomas Hickson, BT3, Port Byron, IL   Water skiing behind the Captains barge in the Virgin Islands.  Charles Eiland gets instructions on rolling his neckerchief.  Tom Hickson hitting the beach in Ireland.  Joe not so cool has the duty.  Roger and Chuck Eiland in crews quarters Roger writing a letter.  Carl Fourtenoy at the burners in #2 Fireroom.  Card game in B division quarters.  Tom Hickson seated.  ??? and Russell Emmons hoisting Tom Hickson  Looking over the flight deck helipad.   Watching the marines leave the welldeck.   Liberty run in St. Thomas.   Hickson and Emmons on the wingwall.   Going ashore in England.  Tom Hickson wearing XO's cap.  Marine landing vehicles in the welldeck.


The following pictures were provided by Ron Bonacci. MM2, Bena. VA  #2Engine Room, #2 Boiler Art Work, 1978.  The following pictures were taken on the Unitas Cruise XXII, 1981. Landing Craft.   Jim "Bear"Weaver, BT3 and Keeling "Kentucky", BTFN, #2 Engine Room.  Paul Maas, MMFR and Deane George, MMFN, #2 Engine Room  The Plymouth Rock at pier side in Callao, Peru.  Well Deck Ops.  The following pictures were taken on the Northern Wedding Cruise in 1982.  North Atlantic, headed for England.  "Dead in Water!"  Rigging towline in N. Atlantic so USS Sumter (LST1181) could tow the ship to the yards in Portsmouth, England.  The following pictures were taken in 1983.  Plymouth Rock under tow down James River as she passes Naval Base, Norfolk.  Plymouth Rock in the "decom phase".


The following pictures were provided by Earl Boyer of Simi Valley, CA. 
The following pictures were taken in early June 1970.  Shot of USS Newport News CA-148 as the Plymouth Rock pulled into Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA.  Looking forward, ship is tied up in the yards.  Photo taken from the mast.  Looking aft, the nuke sub behind the ship is the USS Skipjack (SSN-585). 
The following pictures were taken June 29, 1970.  Looking aft while at anchor off Onslow Beach, NC to board marines and LVT's.  In the well deck while flooding to receive Marine LVT's  On the flight deck looking forward. IC Room looking towards entrance with main switchboard left, MK-14 gyro compass center and ships entertainment center behind.  IC Room looking towards back, MK gyro center, work bench behind and alarm switchboard to right. IC3 Earl Boyer on gyro watch.  Picking up Marines off Onslow Beach, NC.  They came up the nets from LCM's off USS Arneb (LKA-56).  Lowering the Captain's GigMarine LVT's arriving.  LVT entering the well deck.  LVT backing into parking space. 
The following pictures were taken July 4, 1970.  BBQ in well deck.  Marinesalways in the front of the chow line.  Chow line at the BBQ.  BBQ seen from forward part of the well deck.


The following pictures were provided by Scott Gallaway of Reading PA.   Helo OPS in Chesapeake Bay.   The P Rock in Rosie Roads .   The Plymouth Rock in St. Croix.  Well deck operations.  Amphib operations.  The OS Gang; Jimmy Dove, Mike Williams, Artie Johnson, Tony, Chris Devor and ?.  Scott Gallaway.   O3 Level, Mike Williams, Artie Johnson and Scott Gallaway.


Travis Guess has provided us with his own website for pictures taken when he was on the "PRock" in the summer and fall of 1970.  The ship was in the North Atlantic deployed on operation LOVESONG in the summer and CARIB 3-70 in the fall.  The url link is http://ripguess.home.mindspring.com/prock/


The following picture was sent to us by GMCS(SW) Craig Williams, USS Oscar Williams (DDG-79).  This is a picture of Mount 31, taken sometime in 1981.  Craig is the one with the beard.


The following pictures were sent to us by Bill Hamilton, EN2 of Sealy, TX.  The pictures were taken in 1978.   Gus the Gunners Mate shooting at a target being pulled by another ship.  They shot those guns all day from 06:00 til 18:00, and the rust was falling all over everything. Loading up at Morehead City before the ship left on a Med. Cruise.  Took three days to load all the trucks, tanks, LCU's, ACP's etc.  Chopper mail call in the middle of the Med from the USS Nimitz.  The A Gang 1977-78.  Larry Larmeu at drum level watch #2 Engine Room on Med Cruise in 1978.  Throttle board, #2 Engine Room.   Refueling minesweepers in the North Atlantic in 1978.


The following pictures were provided to us by Rick Leeth of Washington, C.H., OH.  All of the pictures were taken on a Med Cruise in 1975.  A familiar scene of assault boats heading into shoreRick Leeth in M Division berting compartment.  Some of the snipes in M dilvision compartment, Musa, Jaramillo, Mc Daniel and Selvidge.   Normand Selvidge and Lalonde in the compartment.


Lee Pridemore of Hewitt, Texas sent me a few pictures.  This is a picture taken in the Carribean in and around GTMO in 1977, a few of the crew sunbathing on Sunday in between standing watches.   This is a picture taken in GTMO in 1977 of what looks like the Captain's Gig hanging from the davit on the port side.  The "PRock" at the Quay Wall in Little Creek in 1977.  A picture of a crew member and his son taken on a dependents cruise in 1977.  A picnic on the famous steel beach somewhere in the Carribean in 1977.


These  pictures were provided to us by Dave Spriggs, Norfolk, Va.  The pictures were taken during 1977-78.  A picture overlooking the bow of the ship. Rough water and all of us have seen plenty of that.  A picture taken during operations of the flying bridge.  Looking back aft with the cranes crossed.


The following  pictures were supplied  by Mike Verhagen,   S40W27334 Stonegate Road
Waukesha, WI   53188  A view of the  welldeck.   Another view of the welldeck.  Mike being initiated


 

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