153
Mobilization
FIRST NAVY SEALIFT: 14 APRIL 1977
Muchofthe sealift for the Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project
was furnished by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Pacific
(COMNAVSURFPAC) and subordinate elements, including
Commander, Amphibious Group Eastern Pacific, and Commander,
Amphibious Group ONE.Their deployments of amphibiousshipsto the
Western Pacific several times a year called at Enewetak Atoll throughout
the project, bringing equipment and supplies. Without this extraordinary
effort by COMNAVSURFPAC—and the total cooperation of all Navy
echelons from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations down to
individual ships’ crews—the project would have been in serious financial
straits from thestart.
The first such task group arrived from San Diego on 14 April 1977
(Figure 3-5). It included the USS ANCHORAGE, USS ST. LOUIS, USS
ALAMO, and USS SCHENECTADY .38 They delivered 2,588
measurement tons (M/T = 40 cu. ft.) of cargo, including a 90-ton crane,
generators, trucks, causewaysections, anddistillation units from the West
Coast, and busses, shop vans, trucks, construction equipment, and
building supplies from Pearl Harbor. All this materiel had been acquired
and delivered to the ports of embarkation in less than 3 weeks by Field
Command, H&N-PTD, USASCH,and Pacific Air Forces in order to take
advantage of the no-costsealift offered by COMNAVSURFPAC.
FIGURE 3-5. CONVOY ARRIVAL.