An earlier post contained a “Welcome Aboard” pamphlet that gave physical statistics about the Biddle. The ship was also the “container”/home for about 400 men, give or take.
In the cruise book for the 1969 deployment, there are photos of 403 men — 29 officers and 374 enlisted men. At various times during the deployment, six officers left the ship either to different assignments or as part of early releases from active duty. I don’t know the extent to which that happened with enlisted personnel.
With the exception of the commanding officer and executive officer, everyone else on board was assigned to a department and, within the department, to a division. There were five departments. Below is the makeup of each. (This is in the weeds for many, but sailors and particularly other Biddlemen [the ship had been decommissioned before women could have served aboard] may appreciate the detail and may recognize a name or two.)
ENGINEERING
Five officers, 92 enlisted. Initially, the Chief Engineer and Department Head was LCDR Hansen. He was relieved in July by LT McCammon.
B Division
The Boilermen (BT). Division officer was LTJG Rogers. Division chiefs were BTCM Schults, BTC Davis, and BTC Holland; members were BT1 Lee, BT1 Sweet, BT3 Weaver, BT3 Hamrick, BT3 Riley, BT3 Exell, BT3 Ford, BT3 Spieker, BT3 Mialki, BT3 Weidner, BT3 Spaulding, BT3 Enberg, BT3 Lockwood, BT3 Treadway, FN (Fireman) Miller, FN Clark, FN Pink, FN Hair, FN Vrobel, FN Stanbro, FN Pieprzyn, FA (Fireman Apprentice) Rodrigues, FA Snow, and FR (Fireman Recruit) Reddick.
M Division
Machinist’s Mates (MM). Leading chief was MMC Kann. Members were MM1 Roby, MM2 Black, MM2 DeGuzman, MM2 Lindsay, MM3 Miller, MM3 Armstrong, MM3 Potvin, MM3 Kading, MM3 Byrd, MM3 Brown, MM3 Brooks, MM3 Nagy, MM3 Meadors, MM3 Sullivan, MM3 Nelson, MM3 Williams, FN Lindberg, FN Volker, FN Priebe, SN (Seaman) Crowder, FA Roy, and FA Brogan.
A Division
Maintenance and damage control. Division officer and Damage Control Assistant was initially LT Wright. He was relieved in July by LT Combs. Leading chief was MMCS Lundgren and members were MM1 Ford, MM2 Troop, MM2 Bone, MM2 Ross, MM2 Bowman, MM3 Shaffer, MM3 Clark, MM3 Michalak, EN1 (Engineman) Bickhart, EN3 Lowthorp, MR2 (Machinery Repairman) Cawley, and FN Rafter.
E Division
Electrician’s Mates (EM) and Interior Communications Electricians (IC). Leading chief was EMCM Albright and members were EM1 White, EM2 Caldwell, EM2 Stanghetti, EM3 Tompkins, EM3 Carpenter, EM3 Pompei, EM3 Lane, EM3 Groshek, FN Wisniski, FN Keith, IC1 Geiger, IC2 Carter, IC2 Cresawn, IC2 Colclasure, IC3 Badgley, IC3 Modrall, IC3 Johnson, IC3 Mitchell, and IC3 Bohdan.
R Division
Shipfitters (SF) and Damage Controlmen (DC). Leading chief was SFC Pepple and members were SF1 Armolt, SFM2 (Shipfitter Metalsmith) Franke, SFP2 (Shipfitter Pipefitter) Cisowski, SFM3 Keith, DC1 Simacek, DC3 Reed, DC3 Guzowski, FN Barnes, and FA Strine.
SUPPLY
Two officers, 43 enlisted. Department Head and Supply Officer was LT Berquist, SC (Supply Corps).
S-1 Division
Storekeepers (SK), Disbursing Clerks (DK), and Ship’s Servicemen (SH). Division Officer and Disbursing Officer was LTJG Fox, SC. Leading chief was AKCS (Aviation Storekeeper) Clifford and members were SK1 Padgett, SK1 Dunevent, SK2 Becker, SK2 Ormond, SK2 Parris, SK3 Wilson, SK3 Fluck, SK3 George, SH1 Riggs, SH2 Sullivan, SH3 Zandi, DK2 Meier, DK3 Fejes, SH3 Jett, SH3 Curtin, SN Purcell, SN Lindsey, SN Horvick, SN Travis, and SN LaRosa.
S-2 Division
Commissarymen (CS) and Stewards (SD). Leading chief was CSC Matthews and members were CS1 Cookman, CS2 Locklear, CS2 Dunn, CS3 Evans, CS3 Porter, CS3 Schmidt, CS3 Browne, CS3 Boland, SD1 Ponder, SD2 Madrigal, SD2 Tulio, SN Powers, TN (Steward Seaman) Macasieb, TN Quicho, TN Sison, TN Enriquez, TN Table, TN Visain, TN Castro, TN Callado, and TA (Steward Apprentice) Hortaleza.
OPERATIONS
Nine officers, 104 enlisted. Department Head and Operations Officer was initially LCDR Steinbrink. He was relieved by LT Holtel in July.
OC Division
Radiomen (RM) and Signalmen (SM). Communications Officer and Division Officer was LTJG Meyers, until October, when he was relieved by ENS Roberts. Chiefs were RMCS Porter and RMC Short. Members were RM1 Janke, RM1 Raynor, RM1 Mahoney, RM2 Dunn, RM2 Edwards, RM3 Nokyos, RM3 Cantrell, RM3 Tabor, RM3 Sucharski, RM3 Siwinski, RM3 Murphy, RM3 Higgins, RM3 Allen, SM1 Anderson, SM2 Martinez, SM2 Mrozcek, SM3 Young, SM3 Burthardt, SM3 Cureton, SMSN Clelland, SN Watson, and SN Creed.
OI Division
Radarmen (RD). CIC Officer and Division Officer was LT Libbey. Assistant CIC Officer was ENS Graham and Intelligence Officer was ENS McDonald. Chiefs were RDCS Barnhart and RDC Riester. Members were RD1 Hargrove, RD1 Gribler, RD1 Hardaway, RD1 Kronvall, RD1 Massey, RD1 Mullen, RD1 Hartz, RD2 Luria, RD2 Davis, RD2 Dodge, RD2 Templeton, RD2 Salowitz, RD2 Webb, RD2 Warmann, RD2 Huff, RD2 Sterling, RD3 Jones, RD3 Slavkovsky, RD3 Covington, RD3 Lefere, RD3 Horst, RD3 Anderson, RD3 Burd, RD3 Mullin, RD3 Rube, RD3 Picking, RD3 Lowery, RD3 Muzyka, RD3 Stanbro, RD3 Allen, RD3 Plan, RD3 Heist, RD3 Barron, RD3 French, RD3 Metz, RD3 Fletcher, RD3 Watkins, RD3 Berry, RD3 Schumacher, RD3 Miller, RD3 Hardy, RD3 Conover, RD3 Harshbarger, RD3 Moore, RD3 Saul, RD3 Gist, RD3 Goode, RD3 Scrofani, RD3 Kowal, RD3 Hish, RD3 Martini, and RD3 Culbert.
OE Division
Electronics Technicians (ET) and Data Systems Technicians (DS). The Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) Officer and Division Officer was LT Marusa. Electronic Material Officer was CWO2 Deniz. Chiefs were ETCM Harrison, ETCS Reeves, and DSC Johnson. Members were DS1 Juhola, DS1 Plaskiewicz, ET1 Vincent, DS2 Patnode, DS2 Gaible, ETR2 (Electronics Technician Radar) Letter, ETR2 Fleck, DS2 Treadway, ETR2 Blees, ETN2 (Electronics Technician Communications) Arias, ETR2 Klindt, ETR2 Johnson, ETR2 Ramey, DS2 Schaefer, DS2 Merrill, DS2 Fyhr, ETN3 Miller, DS3 Hagstrom, DS3 Stanek, ETN3 Maraski, ETN3 Hinds, ETR3 Brummett, DS3 O’Neill, and DS3 Thomas.
NAVIGATION
One officer, 16 enlisted. Navigator, Department Head, and NX Division Officer was LT Daniels.
NX Division
Quartermasters (QM), Yeomen (YN), Personnelmen (PN), Postal Clerk (PC), and our two-person Hospital Corpsmen (HM) medical team. Chiefs were QMC Willey, YNC Eppley, PNC Montagnaro, and HMC Flores. Members were QM2 Schnur, QM3 Sexton, QM3 Harrell, QM3 Erbe, HM2 McKay, YN2 Van Alstin, YN3 Wilkins (who was also ship’s barber), YN3 Holsinger, PC3 Leiderman, PNSN Hipper, SN Goldstein, and SN Black.
WEAPONS
Nine officers, 119 enlisted. Weapons Officer and Department Head was LCDR Wendt.
First Division
Boatswain’s Mates (BM) and Seamen (SN). First Lieutenant and Division Officer was LTJG Armentrout. Chiefs were BMCS Chrisman and BMC Dickson. Members were BM1 Jeffries, BM2 Coken, BM3 Revell, BM3 Richardson, BM3 Dunn, BM3 Neil, PNSN Angelotti, SN Kendall, SN Weaver, SN Powers, SN Kopelow, SN Sefcik, SN Williams, SN Heiser, SN Payne, SN Humphress, SN Rivera-Vega, SN Burris, SN Schmidt, SN Titilab, SN Witham, SN Perez, SN Bienfeld, SN Dazey, SN Depetris, SN Kirper, SN Griffith, SN Howe, SN Mitchem, SN Owens, SN Baldwin, SN Burkett, SN Freeman, SN Hicks, SN Macomber, SN McDade, SN Strube, SN Barrie, SN Mullen, SA Diaz, SA Collins, SA Breland, SA Gurewitch, SA Brannon, and SA Henderson.
Second Division
Fire Control Technicians (FT) and Gunner’s Mates Missile (GMM). Missile Battery Fire Control Officer was LT Morris. Missile Battery Officer was LT Seufert, until he was relieved in August by LT Cashman. Missile Ordnance Officer was LTJG Marsters, who was relieved by ENS Curran in September. Chiefs were FTCM Dreisbaugh, FTCS Clinko, and GMMC Gillichbauer. Members were GMM1 Webb, FTM1 (Fire Control Technician Missile) Valle, FTM1 Walesby, FTM1 Hill, FTM1 Petrie, FTM1 Anderson, GMM1 Luck, FTM2 Harris, FTM2 Russell, FTM2 Galyen, GMM2 Jarrett, FTM2 Palmer, GMM2 Goodman, GMM2 Johnson, FTM2 Dickerson, FTM2 Reynolds, FTM3 Rigdon, FTM3 Decker, FTM3 Cross, FTM3 Boynton, FTM3 Royer, GMM3 Rose, GMM3 Smith, GMM3 Phillips, FTM3 Johnson, FTM3 Pajk, FTMSN Czelatka, and SN Edwards.
Third Division
Gunner’s Mates Gun (GMG) and Fire Control Technicians Gun (FTG). Gunnery Officer and Division Officer was LTJG Fauth. Chief was GMCS Thomas and members were GMG1 Hamlin, GMG2 Rossire, GMG2 Mikolsky, FTG2 Jones, GMG2 Bednar, GMG2 Boyles, GMG2 Kuczmarski, FTG3 Evans, GMG3 Fleshmen, FTG3 Wilson, FTG3 Stasek, GMG3 O’Hara, GMG3 Lennon, FTG3 Moody, FTG3 Willis, GMGSN Fite, FTGSN Austin, SN Sharp, SN Roberts, and SN Dillihay.
Fourth Division
Sonar Technicians (ST) and Torpedoman’s Mate (TM). Antisubmarine Officer and Division Officer was CWO2 Fridell. Chiefs were STC Sterry and STC Surges and members were ST1 Williams, STG2 (Sonar Technician Surface) Steps, STG2 Oliver, STG2 LeCouteur, STG2 Alwine, STG2 Metscke, STG2 Doolan, STG2 Sikes, STG2 Brooke, STG2 Brennan, STG3 G. Collier, STG3 L. Collier, STG3 Drennan, STG3 Kaczmarek, STG3 Uhrin, STG3 Blair, STG3 Pizzuto, STG3 Hunter, TM2 Cody, and TM3 Benson.
Biddlemen all.
Correction R- Division My name Frank(e)
Thanks for the correction. It was wrong in the cruise book. 🙂 Welcome any memories of yours.
FTM3 Pajik is incorrect. Correct spelling is Pajk (pronounced Pike).
Thanks for the correction, which has been made on the post. Sorry for tardiness. I was overseas when you sent this. Hope you are finding the blog interesting.