USS Little Rock
CLG-4: I served onboard "The Rock"
in 1973. I got onboard her in New Port, RI and forward deployed to Gaeta,
Italy. This ship is a guided missile cruiser. We had, I think, 5 and 6
inch guns forward and a Talos missile system on the stern. The Rock was a
great ship although she was a bit weathered. We had an almost constant
fuel leak on our trip over to the Med, so much so that in Rota, Spain they
put a big floating ring around us before they would let us into port. The
Little Rock was the only ship home ported in Gaeta, Italy which is about 30
or so miles north of Naples. We were the Flagship of the Sixth Fleet. We
had onboard the most powerful naval commander afloat at the time, a four
star Admiral named Dan Murphy. Gaeta was a wonderful town. It was a resort
town and quite beautiful. I travelled and ate around Italy during my tour
there. I think I gained 20 pounds that year. I left the Little Rock for
the Naval Hospital in Naples and reassignment back to the U.S. (Thanks to
Donald W. Shuld's webpage, the USS LITTLE ROCK ASSOCIATION HOME PAGE and
the U.S. Navy for what appears to be an Offical U.S. Navy file photo.)
Just click on the photos to see a larger view.
This
is a great photograph courtesy of Mark DeSotto, an ex O.S. who was
stationed onboard the Rock around 1974. The photo is of the Little Rock
firing off the 6 inch guns during her time in the Med and home ported in
Gaeta. Here is what Mark said about the photo: " I took it during one
of our war games in the Med. I was on lookout duty, inside the lookout
"tub" above the bridge. I remember being able to feel the heat
& the force of the shots." Great shot, Mark-- literally.
