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The U.S.S. Yorktown CVS-10 And The Naval Reservist Article Submitted By: George A. Brubaker RM1 USN Ret Just Thinking!! For years, the USS Yorktown CV/CVA/CVS-10 had been the home and duty station for countless numbers of Naval Reservists. Some were there for an entire WestPac Cruise, or perhaps just their 2 weeks Acdutra. My intention is to refresh old memories and give my point of view about how critical their presence actually was. These men were, more often than not, treated with disdain. Many did not get the training in their rates that they were sent for. “Don’t touch any equipment” is a phrase I often heard the leading petty officers tell the Reservists. They were often assigned to duties such as compartment cleaners, mess cooking, ammo/stores working parties, side cleaners, bilge cleaning etc….Ironic, some were actually prior servicemen just trying to get their time in the Navy for retirement while holding down a civilian job. Know any Reserivist? Pat him/her on the back and thank him for his/her time and service. A few years ago, quite a few now, I stumbled upon a newsletter titled “The Naval Reservist”. I don’t even remember where I found it. Anyway, in the December 1963 issue, there were these photos of submarines, surface ships, ASW Acft. and the USS Yorktown CVS-10.  This was a huge ASW Exercise. Wow…that’s exciting because I was serving aboard the ship at that very time. I was in the radio shack, as communications staff messenger (because I was non-rated, with no navy schooling). Sometimes non-rated sailors were often treated much like the Reservists. I found that in time, the Navy was grooming me to be a man. Below is the article as stated in the newsletter…. ASW Exercises Around The Fleet Antisubmarine Warfare operations are on the training schedule of many Reservists. The photos below show the Fleet in various phases of ASW.
ASW Task Group Alpha takes part in operations off east coast of U.S. 
S-2C Tracker flys with the Seventh Fleet 
“Weapon Alfa’ – long-range ASW rocket armed with high explosives – is launched from USS Waller (DD 466)  Acoustic-homing torpedo is fired from USS Tweedy (DE 532) 
Depth charge explodes off stern of USS Philip (DD 498) during structural tests off Hawaiian Islands 
DASH – Drone Antisubmarine helicopter – hovers in free flight over flight deck of USS Hazelwood (DD 531)
HS-3A Sea King helicopter dips sonar cable during Seventh Fleet exercise. |