First Commanding Officer
Capt. Donald W Todd
22 Feb 2008
Hello,
My name is Cordell Corder and I live in Merlin, OR now. While browsing the other day, I found the Tulare 's website and found it very interesting. I was one of the members of the crew which put the Tulare in service. I became a crew member about November of 1955, stationed on Treasure Island with daily trips to the Tulare in Todd shipyard. It was a mess then with shipyard personnel working like crazy to finish.
I was a Radioman Seaman at that time and worked installing radio equipment and getting the radio shack in order. We commissioned the Tulare in January 1956 and had sea trials shortly after that.
After sea trials, our shakedown cruise took us to Pearl Harbor , Australia , Guam and then to Yokosuka where we met up with our squadron.
We were one of the ships chosen to go to Shimoda , Japan for the Black Ship festival honoring the U.S. arrival in Japan back in the 1800's. We traveled to such places as Singapore , Pusan Korea , the inland sea of Japan among other places I can't recall right now.
Our squadron consisted of LST's, APA's, AKA's and a converted destroyer escort, none of which could hold a candle to the Tulare 's speed.
I'm attaching and article and a few photos I found. Hope they're interesting.
Sincerely,
Cordell Corder RM2
Postscript:
After reading the story by L. Hickman, RM2 about his abuse of a marine sgt., I thought I might submit one of my own concerning the marines.
We were in the middle of an operation where we would attack Camp Pendleton after a week at sea under wartime conditions. One morning we had general quarters and Joe Ruiz and I were assigned to the emergency radio room under the forecastle. To get to it we had to go through the hatch up forward, which was full of queasy marines, and then turn right into the radio room. At this time of the Tulare’s young life, we had a fruit bar that stretched along one bulkhead that was always full of a variety of fruits. Usually, after breakfast, we would grab a handful of grapes, etc., and munch on them during our watch. Before we reported to the emergency radio room, both of us grabbed a bunch of grapes and made our way to our stations. The marine quarters already had that vomit smell as we sat down by the desk inside. Naturally, we left the hatch open, and gave the impression we didn’t know they were there, and then began munching away. It didn’t take but ten or twenty seconds before we heard several of them upchucking into the trash cans that were tied to the stanchions. It was all we could do to keep from laughing. I imagine if we had, we might have ended up with a bloody nose. We pulled this prank several times during the time I was stationed on the Tulare.
Cordell Corder RM2
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First Commanding Officer
Capt. Donald W Todd |
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Cordell Corder, RM2 |
Tulare Departs San Francisco for Sea Trials
