Primary Recovery Ship Captains

PRIMARY RECOVERY SHIP CAPTAINS

Mission

Primary Recovery Ship

Captain

Mercury-Atlas 1 USS Casa Grande CDR John B. Meehan

Mercury-Redstone 1 USS Valley Forge Capt. Clarence Agree Melvin

Mercury-Redstone 1A USS Valley Forge Capt. Clarence Agree Melvin

Mercury-Redstone 2 USS Donner Cmdr. R. A. Brackett

Mercury-Atlas 2 USS Donner Cmdr. R. A. Brackett?

Mercury-Atlas 3 USS Donner Cmdr. R. A. Brackett?

Mercury-Redstone 3 USS Lake Champlain Captain Ralph Weymouth

Mercury-Redstone 4 USS Randolph Captain Harry Edward Cook, Jr.

Mercury-Atlas 4 USS Decatur CDR Royal Thomas Daniel Jr.

Mercury-Atlas 5 USS Stormes CDR Walter J. Millar¹

Mercury-Atlas 6 USS Randolph (Designated)
USS Noa (Actual) Captain Max Arnold Berns, Jr.
CDR John Dryden Exum

Mercury-Atlas 7 USS Intrepid (Designated)
USS John R. Pierce (Actual) Captain J. L. Abbot, Jr.
CDR Adrian Lorensten

Mercury-Atlas 8 USS Kearsarge Captain E. P. Rankin

Mercury-Atlas 9 USS Kearsarge Captain E. P. Rankin

Gemini 1 None N/A

Gemini 2 USS Lake Champlain Captain James Longino, Jr.

Gemini 3 USS Intrepid Capt. J. G. Smith

Gemini 4 USS Wasp Captain James W. Conger

Gemini 5 USS Lake Champlain Captain James Longino, Jr.

Gemini 6 USS Wasp Captain Gordon E. Hartley

Gemini 6A USS Wasp Captain Gordon E. Hartley

Gemini 7 USS Wasp Captain Gordon E. Hartley

Gemini 8 USS Boxer (Designated)
USS Leonard F. Mason (Actual) Capt. Albert O. Morton
CDR Alan Michael Hazen

Gemini 9A USS Wasp Captain Gordon E. Hartley

Gemini 10 USS Guadalcanal Capt. Raymond Edgar Hill

Gemini 11 USS Guam Capt. Stephen Thomas De La Mater

Gemini 12 USS Wasp Captain Melvin R. Etheridge

MOL USS La Salle

Apollo 201 USS Boxer Capt. Albert O. Morton

Apollo 203 None N/A

Apollo 202 USS Hornet Captain Van V. Eason

Apollo 1 (Fire) USS Essex Capt Edward G Dankworth

Apollo 4 USS Bennington Captain Richard Graffy

Apollo 5 None N/A

Apollo 6 USS Okinawa Capt. William Alex Mackey Sr.

Apollo 7 USS Essex Capt John A. Harkins

Apollo 8 USS Yorktown Captain John G. Fifield

Apollo 9 USS Guadalcanal Capt. Roy M. Sudduth

Apollo 10 USS Princeton Capt. Carl Mann Cruse

Apollo 11 USS Hornet Captain Carl J. Seiberlich

Apollo 12 USS Hornet Captain Carl J. Seiberlich

Apollo 13 USS Iwo Jima Capt. Leland Erwin Kirkemo

Apollo 14 USS New Orleans Capt. Robert E. Moore

Apollo 15 USS Okinawa Capt. Andrew F. Huff

Apollo 16 USS Ticonderoga Captain Edward Ayes Boyd

Apollo 17 USS Ticonderoga Captain Norman Kenneth Green

Skylab 1 None N/A

Skylab 2 USS Ticonderoga Captain Norman Kenneth Green

Skylab 3 USS New Orleans Capt. Robert Wilhelm Carius :RADM

Skylab 4 USS New Orleans Capt. Ralph E. Neiger

ASTP USS New Orleans Capt. Ralph E. Neiger

Notes:
1. Email (Feb 2011) from Ash Pipkin who was First Lieutenant on the USS Stormes on November 29, 1961

References
a) http://www.navsource.org/archives
b) individual ship's homepages
c) signed Recovery Ship covers from personal collection
d) Captain's covers

Mission	Primary Recovery Ship	Captain
Mercury-Atlas 1	USS Casa Grande	CDR John B. Meehan
Mercury-Redstone 1	USS Valley Forge	Capt. Clarence Agree Melvin
Mercury-Redstone 1A	USS Valley Forge	Capt. Clarence Agree Melvin
Mercury-Redstone 2	USS Donner	Cmdr. R. A. Brackett
Mercury-Atlas 2	USS Donner	Cmdr. R. A. Brackett?
Mercury-Atlas 3	USS Donner	Cmdr. R. A. Brackett?
Mercury-Redstone 3	USS Lake Champlain	Captain Ralph Weymouth
Mercury-Redstone 4	USS Randolph	Captain Harry Edward Cook, Jr.
Mercury-Atlas 4	USS Decatur	CDR Royal Thomas Daniel Jr.
Mercury-Atlas 5	USS Stormes	CDR Walter J. Millar¹
Mercury-Atlas 6	USS Randolph (Designated) USS Noa (Actual)	Captain Max Arnold Berns, Jr. CDR John Dryden Exum
Mercury-Atlas 7	USS Intrepid (Designated) USS John R. Pierce (Actual)	Captain J. L. Abbot, Jr. CDR Adrian Lorensten
Mercury-Atlas 8	USS Kearsarge	Captain E. P. Rankin
Mercury-Atlas 9	USS Kearsarge	Captain E. P. Rankin
Gemini 1	None	N/A
Gemini 2	USS Lake Champlain	Captain James Longino, Jr.
Gemini 3	USS Intrepid	Capt. J. G. Smith
Gemini 4	USS Wasp	Captain James W. Conger
Gemini 5	USS Lake Champlain	Captain James Longino, Jr.
Gemini 6	USS Wasp	Captain Gordon E. Hartley
Gemini 6A	USS Wasp	Captain Gordon E. Hartley
Gemini 7	USS Wasp	Captain Gordon E. Hartley
Gemini 8	USS Boxer (Designated) USS Leonard F. Mason (Actual)	Capt. Albert O. Morton CDR Alan Michael Hazen
Gemini 9A	USS Wasp	Captain Gordon E. Hartley
Gemini 10	USS Guadalcanal	Capt. Raymond Edgar Hill
Gemini 11	USS Guam	Capt. Stephen Thomas De La Mater
Gemini 12	USS Wasp	Captain Melvin R. Etheridge
MOL	USS La Salle
Apollo 201	USS Boxer	Capt. Albert O. Morton
Apollo 203	None	N/A
Apollo 202	USS Hornet	Captain Van V. Eason
Apollo 1 (Fire)	USS Essex	Capt Edward G Dankworth
Apollo 4	USS Bennington	Captain Richard Graffy
Apollo 5	None	N/A
Apollo 6	USS Okinawa	Capt. William Alex Mackey Sr.
Apollo 7	USS Essex	Capt John A. Harkins
Apollo 8	USS Yorktown	Captain John G. Fifield
Apollo 9	USS Guadalcanal	Capt. Roy M. Sudduth
Apollo 10	USS Princeton	Capt. Carl Mann Cruse
Apollo 11	USS Hornet	Captain Carl J. Seiberlich
Apollo 12	USS Hornet	Captain Carl J. Seiberlich
Apollo 13	USS Iwo Jima	Capt. Leland Erwin Kirkemo
Apollo 14	USS New Orleans	Capt. Robert E. Moore
Apollo 15	USS Okinawa	Capt. Andrew F. Huff
Apollo 16	USS Ticonderoga	Captain Edward Ayes Boyd
Apollo 17	USS Ticonderoga	Captain Norman Kenneth Green
Skylab 1	None	N/A
Skylab 2	USS Ticonderoga	Captain Norman Kenneth Green
Skylab 3	USS New Orleans	Capt. Robert Wilhelm Carius :RADM
Skylab 4	USS New Orleans	Capt. Ralph E. Neiger
ASTP	USS New Orleans	Capt. Ralph E. Neiger