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Final Hue City Leadership Award

USNA 66 presents final Leadership Award to Petty Officer Daralyanne Smith on 14 July 2022.

Final Presentation of the Naval Academy Class of 1966 USS HUÉ CITY (CG 66) Leadership Award

14 July 2022 marked the final presentation of our Class ’66 Leadership Award for USS HUÉ CITY (CG 66). USS HUÉ CITY will be decommissioned at 1000, 23 September 2022 at Naval Station, Norfolk, VA.

On 13 July, Tide Water Virginia Classmates RADM John and Gail Sigler (6th Co), Tom and Faye Martin (16th Co), Pat Muldoon (17th Co), Rob and Joyce Ploeger (3rd Co), Jim and Marjorie Powell (12th Co), Hank Strickland (17th Co), Charlie and Sharon Votava (17th Co) attended an evening diner-reception at the Mermaid Winery, Virginia Beach restaurant to welcome VADM Scott and Donna Redd to Hampton Roads.

On Thursday 14 July, on board USS HUÉ CITY (CG 66), VADM Redd, presented the final Class ’66 Enlisted Leadership Award, check and citation signed by our Class President, Gen Carl Fulford, USMC Ret., to Fire Controlman 1/C (SW) Daralynne R. Smith, USN for Superior Leadership and Professionalism for 2022.

The summary of Petty Officer Smith’s achievements during the canceled Cruiser Modernization Program and subsequent Decommissioning Availability would fill two pages and detail exceptional response to tasks necessary and critical to the successful daily administration and operation of a ship in this difficult environment. Petty Officer Smith served as the Command Pay and Personnel Administrator, the Command Leave Administrator, the Command Apprenticeship Program Coordinator, the Command Training Petty Officer, and, as a member of the Command Resiliency Team, led focus groups in support of the Annual Command Climate Survey. In every task, Petty Officer Smith’s performance raised the standard for others to emulate.

VADM Redd, presents the final Class ’66 Enlisted Leadership Award to Petty Officer Daralynne Smith, USN

This ceremony did not include an Officer Award because only two officers remain aboard; the CO, CDR Thad Tasso, USN, and XO, LT. Brian A. Skirvin, USN. 

For a list of all recipients of the USNA Class of 1966 Leadership Awards, Click HERE.

Prior to presenting the award, VADM Redd addressed the remaining 34 members of the crew. In his remarks, VADM Redd described the history of the Naval Academy Class of 1966 in the Vietnam War; the loss of Classmates killed in action, 100 awards of the Purple Heart, award of the Medal of Honor to Sgt Freddie Gonzalez, USMC, for heroism in the Battle for Hué City, and the participation of our present Class President, USMC General Carlton Fulford in the defense of Hué City. VADM Redd further noted that the Class ’66 interest and high regard for HUÉ CITY and its crew originated at her commissioning. Captain Tom Eubanks, Class ’66 was the commissioning Commanding Officer and at the commissioning ceremony reported the HUÉ CITY for duty to RADM Redd, Class ’66, the Cruiser Destroyer Group Commander. In closing, he related a brief history of our class from the day we reported to the Academy, our careers and lives from the Vietnam War through the end of the Cold War and then the “hot sandbox of the Middle East”, the First Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm and the liberation of Kuwait; noting that our class President, General Fulford, led Marines liberating Kuwait just as he had at Hué City.

Left to Right: John Jackson, Chuck Grutzius, Charlie Votava, Charlie Pfeifer, John Sigler, Scott Redd, Chuck Tebrich

At the end of the ceremony, the CO presented a Hué City plaque thanking the Class of 1966 for our “over three decades of support to the Golden Dragons of USS HUÉ CITY (CG 66).”

USS HUE CITY plaque thanking USNA Class of 1966

Following the onboard ceremony, the crew hosted the ’66 Classmates to a buffet luncheon in the crew’s office space ashore.

Prior to the Decommissioning Ceremony, Charlie Votava will return aboard to take temporary custody of the Wardroom Plaque listing the names of all HUÉ CITY crew members who received the Class ’66 Award. Final location of the plaque will be determined by the Class ’66 Executive Committee.