All Fleet Troubleshooters
The Story About This Flag and An Unusual Deployment in 1958
by Capt. Jack Nuttall, C.O., USS Charles H. Roan
Looking back at "Med" deployments, the 1958 "Jolly Cholly" "Med" cruise was a real winner and one for the books. We left Newport on 11 July and arrived at Annapolis (14 July) where we picked up 35 midshipmen for their summer cruise. The ships got underway for the "Med." We were suddenly recalled to Norfolk, VA, because of the tense situation in Lebanon. After top loading of all supplies, stores, and provisions, we left Norfolk on 23 July to participate in U.S. Marine exercises at Vieques Island on 27 July. We departed for San Juan, P.R. and then on 1 August, continued to the Mediterranean arriving at Naples on 14 August. Things were getting very tense in Beirut, so on 17 August the Charles H. Roan and the Forrest Royal received orders to proceed to Beirut and provide gun fire support, if necessary, for the U.S. Marine and U.S. Army units ashore.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, the Red Chinese were shelling Quemoy and Matsui Islands in the Formosa Straits. The "Jolly Cholly" and the Royal were detached from duty at Beirut (28 August) and ordered to rendezvous with the rest of the Task Group in Port Said, Egypt. The group transited the Suez Canal, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Straits of Malacca, and Singapore, and left the South China Sea, arriving in Subic bay, P.I. on 12 September.
Prior to our arrival in Subic, all ships were encouraged to fly a banner with a slogan on it. For example: the Royal crew flew "Have No Fear DesLant is Here." The banner excluded Essex. Captain Jack Nuttall suggested that the Essex signal gang manufacture a banner which we could all fly. The Essex made three flags emblazoned "All Fleet Trouble Shooters" which were flown on the Essex, Charles H. Roan, and the Forrest Royal. The Task Group left Subic on 19 September and commenced patrolling the Formosa Straits with units of the Seventh Fleet. By 29 September the situation quieted down and the Task Group returned to Subic Bay.
The Essex, Roan, and Royal departed Subic on 3 October enroute to Newport. On the way home, we made calls at Singapore, Colombo Sri Lanka, Cape Town, South Africa, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The banners were last flown together when we parted company with the Essex off the coast of Florida. "Jolly Cholly" and Royal proudly flew their flags when they entered Newport harbor and tied up at DesLant pier on 18 November after 35,750 nautical miles of deployment.
The flag weighs a little over 6 pounds, and is 5 feet 10 inches wide by 9 feet 6 inches long. We believe it is the only one in existence.
