Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home: A Story of USS Soley (DD-707) 1956-1957, is the narrative of a destroyer during the Cold War Era.
Detached from the Sixth Fleet and sent to the Middle East for a tour of duty with COMIDEASTFOR prior to the 1956 joint British/French invasion of Egypt, USS Soley in company with USS Barton made the transit of the Suez Canal and suddenly found their selves stranded “east of Suez” due to its war related closing. This unforeseen incident resulted in an unprecedented 15,000 mile voyage home which began in Abadan, Iran, and ended in their home port of Norfolk, Virginia, fifty-five days after being detached from the Middle East.
Based on the personal journals and observations of the author, with excerpts provided by Captain Charles H. Witten USN, (Retired), Commanding Officer, USS Soley (DD-707), 1955-1957, from his Unpublished Autobiography, this is the story of life aboard a destroyer as experienced by a young seaman serving his enlistment who found himself in a rare position to see a large part of the world before its present day drastic changes took place.
