ATTN: Barbara Knox & Edward L Williams

I offer the following information in response to your web site link:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~txnavarr/name_sakes/uss_navarro/

I recall, that I was aboard APA, USS Navarro, during spring of 1955 as a member of 2^nd Division, US Army, stationed at Fort Lewis, Tacoma Washington, and that we boarded the ship in Puget Sound and sailed south towards Silver Strand Beach at south end of San Diego Naval Base. Part of our Force made an amphibious landing at Silver Strand Beach. Upon return to the ship from the amphibious landing exercise, the ship sailed northward and anchored off south end of San Clemente Island. The majority our Battalion, transferred to a very large LST that had accompanied us from Puget Sound. Then, we made an amphibious landing at Pyramid Cove and conducted artillery firing exercises on the island, while the USS Navarro remained offshore. Afterwards, we returned to ship and sailed northward and anchored off coast of San Simeon near the William Randolph Hearst Estate. We boarded LST’s launched from ship and made another amphibious landing at San Simeon and traveled inland to Hunter Leggett  Military Reservation. I recall as we proceeded inland on a road, passing above the Hearst Estate, seeing an elephant, giraffe’s and other exotic animals within confines of castle walls.

After a few days, we returned to USS Navarro and disembarked at Puget Sound in Washington.

I offer this information in reply to your web site: “Navarro County Texas, Genealogical & Historical Web Site”. I do not recall the exact APA designation for USS Navarro. The designation, APA-215, does not sound familiar to me, I seem to recall a one/two digit number following APA. However, perhaps, I am confused, since there were at least two other APA’s, accompanying us on the maneuvers.

I have served on destroyers, carriers, and submarines as part of my USNR service separate from USAF and US Army. I served as an operations and intelligence specialist and am a Korean Era veteran. I associated with Petty Officers from ship’s crew and enjoyed the cruise like experience, listening to the ship’s personnel WWII experiences.

Although I have lived in Redondo Beach, California, the majority of my life, I am a native of Texas, born in Ranger, near Ft Worth, April, 1932. My family stems from Uvalde, Texas, circa 1860, British Columbia, early 1800’s.

Sincerely, Frank Jacobs

Frank Jacobs

SeaQuail Communications

[email protected]

http://SeaQuail.US/

skype.com (VoIP): frnkyj