"We went in and did harassment fire for the first day, we got into Vung Tau harbor, we had 119 percent of ammunition and fired down to 2 percent in 24 hours."
Engineman Third Class David A. Cleveland
The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the July 2020 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Engineman Third Class David A. Cleveland. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Engineman Third Class David A. Cleveland at the USS Norris DD-859 reunion at Atlantic City New Jersey in the Fall of 2019.
David A. Cleveland enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve while still in high school. He recalled, "All of my family were either Army or Marines, and I told my Dad that I’m a better swimmer then crawler, and he willingly signed." Upon successfully completing basic training, his objective was to earn the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. His objectives were met through hard work and being recognized as a rising leader in his trade.
He was assigned to the USS Norris DDE-859 and shared, "my first hurdle, was when I arrived and give my orders to a Boiler Technician Chief who wanted additional members...I said I was an engineman... and I went to R Division on the USS Norris." Repair Division's responsibilities focused on damage control and maintenance of the ship.
His first experience overseas was to the Mediterranean Sea during the height of the Cold War. He shared, "our first time to the Med, our base of operations was Naples Italy. We would pull in there and go out at night to do Anti-Submarine Warfare Activities. The thing with engineering was that you are below deck, you don’t know what’s going on. A lot of time we are concentrating on making sure you are making steam, electricity, keeping the general functions of the ship to support what the Captain is charged to do."
During his second trip to the Mediterranean Sea, he recalled, “we operated with the Iranian Navy and the British...we got into a competition during target practice...we were preparing to meet with the Shah of Iran to take him up the Euphrates River on a PR trip." The PR trip did not occur as anticipated and after visiting different ports in the Middle East, the USS Norris was ordered home in preparation for service in South East Asia.
Engineman Third Class Cleveland participated in two Mediterranean Cruises before departing for Vietnam on the USS Norris. He remarked, "We went in and did harassment fire for the first day, we got 
into Vung Tau harbor, we had 119 percent of ammunition and fired down to 2 percent in 24 hours." The USS Norris operated from Vung Tau to the DMZ and protected convoys and provided fire support for any troops in the area. Engineman Third Class Cleveland spoke fondly of his time on the USS Norris and its contribution to American History.
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Engineman Third Class David A. Cleveland, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at http://navylog.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.
To view this interview please visit the USS Norris DD-859 Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.
Interview of David Cleveland Part One Joining the Navy Reserves in High School and Memories of Basic Training in 1964
Interview of David Cleveland Part Two Joining the Crew of the USS Norris DDE 859 and the History of the Ship
Interview of David Cleveland Part Three Memories DesDiv 202 DESRON 20 and Deploying to the Med
Interview of David Cleveland Part Four Operating with NATO Allies and the Iranian Navy in Middle Eastern Waters During his Second Deployment to the Mediterranean
Interview of David Cleveland Part Five Preparing for Vietnam and Providing Fire Support Along the Coast of Vietnam in 1967
Interview of David Cleveland Part Six Working with the USS Kitty Hawk and the Vietnam War
Interview of David Cleveland Part Seven Final Memories on the USS Norris and Returning Home