LCDR.
REMBRANDT C. ROBINSON, (Deceased) - (25 January 1959 - 06 November
1060)
The first Commanding Officer of the USS CHARLES BERRY
was Lcdr. Rembrandt C. Robinson.. He commanded the ship since its
commissioning at Charleston, South Carolina on 25 November 1959, and headed the
nucleus crew in Avondale, Louisiana.The Captain came to USS CHARLES BERRY from duty with the Strategic Plans Division in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
Commissioned during World War II, the Captain saw action in the Pacific with the FIFTH Amphibious Force and later joined the amphibious forces in the Atlantic Fleet, service on five ships. In 1948 he was ordered to the USS ENGLISH (DD-696), serving as her Engineer Officer for nearly 40 months, thirteen of which were in action in Korea.
His first tour of shore duty came in 1952 with the Bureau of Naval Personnel, where he headed the NROTC program. He directed the nation-wide competition for NROTC appointments and was responsible for the direction of many phases of the college training program for regular and reserve officers.
Next he served for two years as Executive Officer of the destroyer USS Walker (DD-517), and then attended the Armed Forces Staff College. He was assigned to the of CNO upon graduation.
Captain Robinson puts on three stripes when he leaves the CHARLES BERRY. He wears the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V".
Just as our first year ended the Captain was relieved by LCDR Harrison C. Murray, USN.
The CHARLES BERRY's first Executive Officer was a
1950 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Lieutenant Commander Roger L.
Buck. He is the first officer to hold the "XO" post on the CHARLES
BERRY.Mr. Buck served with the administrative department of the Naval Academy before reporting to the CHARLES BERRY.
His first duty was as 3"/50 battery officer on the USS NEW PORT NEWS (CA-148). He later became Commanding Officer of the coastal minesweeper USS CROW (MSC(O)7).
He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1955, and attained his present rank on 1 July 1960.
Mr. Buck was captain of the baseball team during his senior year at the Naval Academy, and also served as a baseball coach during his later duty there.
Prior to entering the Naval Academy, Mr. Buck attended high school in his home town, Mansfield, Massachusetts, and also attended Boston University.
As our XO, he has been responsible for the internal administration and organization of the ship, and had to keep the Skipper happy with all paperwork -- a job we understand hasn't always been easy.
LCDR Mark P. Frudden, graduated from
the United States Naval Academy in 1950. His first tour of duty was in USS
George K. MACKENZIE (DD-836) as Damage control and Main Propulsion Assistant,
followed by one year of flight training at Pensacola, Florida, LCDR Frudden then served in USS LST 1080 as navigator and First Lieutenant, and in USS LSMR 527 as Executive Officer.
In August 1954, he reported for duty aboard USS TOLEDO (CA-133) as Fire control Officer. He then served two years as Aide to the Commander Puget Sound Naval Shipyard after which he took command of USS QUAPAW (ATF-110).
LCDR Frudden's next tour ashore was spend as assistand to the Administrative Aide to the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Following attendance of the Command and Staff Course at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., for 10 months, he served as Executive Officer of USS WILKINSON (DL-5).
He assumed command of USS Charles Berry on 14 December, 1963. LCDR now has orders to duty as Personal Aide and Flag Secretary to Commander In Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Lieutenant Commander Dempster M.
Jackson is a 1952 graduate of the US Naval Academy. His first sea duty was
aboard USS Dehaven (DD-727), where he was Damage Control Assistant and General
Quarters OOD.In 1954 after six months of Combat Information Center School in Glenview, Illinois, he was ordered to USS Helena (CA75) as CIC Officer and Regulus Missile Guidance Officer.
LCDR Jackson served with the Army Ballistic Agency in Huntsville, Alabama in 1956, where he was the Inertial Guiadance Officer for the first Jupiter Launch Team.
After a year at Huntsville he went on to use his missile experience as Test Officer for the Polaris project at the Bureau of Ordnance in Washington, D.C.
His next tour of sea duty in 1958 was in command of USS SUMNER COUNTY (LST-1148). LCDR Jackson two years of command were followed by duty under instruction at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monteray, California, until 1963.
He was then ordered to USS MADDOX (DD-737) as Executive Officer. He was aboard the USS MADDOX when the ship saw action in the Tonkin Gulf.
LCDR Jackson becomes the fifth Commanding Officer of the USS Charles Berry.