All of us who reported aboard
Chevalier in Bath, Maine, owe a debt of gratitude to all of the regular Navy officers and men in our crew who supervised our training for wartime service. They had lived in genteel poverty in the Navy before World War II, with low salaries and few promotions, and they used their experience and professional knowledge to commission the ship and train us to make her one of the finest US fighting destroyers of the war. We will be forever grateful to
Captain McLean,
XO Wilson, Engineering Officer Hansen and all the regular Navy CPOs and petty officers . . .
. . . I’m sure that you will all agree that our service in Chevalier affected our whole lives. Those who came through looked deep into their own hearts and souls and characters and they have marched forward through all their trials and tests with pride and confidence.
My thanks to all who helped make Chevalier a memorable ship, and who helped me have a wonderful career in the Navy.
All the best,
George Gowen
