In ceremonies on July 4th weekend, 1968, Rear Admiral John Wadleigh COMCRUDESFLOT-FOUR presented Captain Snyder with the citation which read:
"For exceptionally meritorious service from 2OCT67 to 26APR68 while engaged in operations against enemy aggressor forces in the waters contiguous to the hostile coastline of both North and South Viet Nam. Although heavily engaged on seventeen separate occasions by enemy coastal defense shore batteries, the officers and men of NEWPORT NEWS executed their assigned missions with professionalism and intrepidity, demonstrating singularly outstanding resourcefulness and tenacity. During the conduct of nearly 1,000 strikes against enemy logistics craft, artillery positions and troop movements, NEWPORT NEWS fired over 59,000 rounds consistently surpassing all previous records in every area of Naval Gunfire Support and Sea Dragon Operations. The superior technical acumen, battle efficiency, and spirit of cooperation displayed by the officers and men of NEWPORT NEWS reflect great credit upon themselves and the United States Naval Service."
Washington
The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION to USS NEWPORT NEWS (CA-148) for service as set forth in the following:
CITATION:
For exceptionally meritorious service from 2 May 1972 to 1 December 1972 while participating in combat operation in Southeast Asia. During operations conducted in the coastal waters of North and South Viet Nam, USS NEWPORT NEWS inflicted significant damage upon enemy military installations, storage areas, and supply lines. NEWPORT NEWS, by her accurate and devastating gunfire, played a major role in containing the North Vietnamese offensive and was instrumental in Operation LAMSON-72 in sustaining the South Vietnamese counterattack. NEWPORT NEWS also led the first multi-cruiser strike since World War II on 10 May 1972 in a naval gunfire strike against military targets in the Haiphong complex. On 27 August 1972 during another raid on military targets in the Haiphong area, NEWPORT NEWS and a destroyer drove off three attacking torpedo boats by sinking one and damaging the other two attacking vessels. The consistently outstanding professional performance of the officers and men of USS NEWPORT NEWS reflected great credit upon themselves, their ship, and the United States Naval Service.
John W. Warner
Secretary of the Navy