Mr. Philip Selden contacted me and also sent the following photographs taken during the 1965-1966 WestPac cruise. He was aboard the Calvert from June 1965 to May 1966, and left her at Hunter’s Point as she was being deactivated and being converted to a training vessel.
These are great photographs from the Calvert’s last days at sea:
Lou Christiansen, Commander of the USS Calvert Associates, passed away in January 2015. Lou served aboard the USS Calvert during ’65 and ’66. His obituary is available here.
Lou scoured the National Archives for records that would prove that the Calvert’s crew was exposed to Agent Orange during 1965 and 1966. His success in this research led to the addition of the Calvert to the VA’s “Brown Water.” Lou’s work opened the way for veterans aboard the Calvert in late ’65 and early ’66 to be eligible to apply for Agent Orange related illness benefits via the VA. Additional information is available here.
Later in his life Lou co-founded Drug Crisis in Our Backyard as described here and here.
Appreciation to Warren Burch and Lou Christiansen for the information below and work getting the Calvert on the VA’s list of ships covered for Agent Orange disability compensation.
The Calvert was added to this list in July, 2013, and the record is available here. The Calvert’s entry is below:
| Calvert (APA-32) (Amphibious Attack Transport) |
Entered inland waters of Qui Nhon Bay during October 1965Served as Da Nang Harbor station ship with crewmembers going ashore from November 1965 through January 1966 |
Please visit the VA page here for more information about disability compensation related to Agent Orange exposure claims.
’65 – ’66 DECK LOGS
For reference, below are the deck logs that Lou obtained and submitted in his disability case that led to the confirmation that the crew of the Calvert were eligible for disability compensation based on their participation in the ’65-66 WESTPAC Cruise.
These deck log excerpts, from late-1965 to early-1966, provide anchorage and shore duty information while the Calvert was in Vietnam. This information will be helpful of members of the Calvert’s crew who are submitting claims for agent orange exposure during their time aboard the ship (while in anchored in the harbor, manning landing craft in the harbor, and duty ashore).
Many thanks to Lou Christiansen for investing time to visit the Naval archives in Maryland to obtain copies of these documents. Additional thanks to Wasey Broussard for sending these to me as electronic documents to be published on this site.
“Brown Water” Explained
If you are considering submitting an Agent Orange related disability claim, it is important to understand the distinction between “blue water” and “brown water.” Additional information is available at the following sites:
Appreciation to Lou Christiansen for providing an electronic copy of the Calvert’s 1965-66 WESTPAC Cruise Book. You can view the entire cruise book here.
