Bainbridge (DLGN 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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II n ' y a pas de quoi. And we indeed were ! Toulon added hospitality to its long list during Bani- hndiic ' s stay. !

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CHAPTER III PORTS VISITED Part of the normal duty of a ship with the Sixth Fleet is to take part in friendly calls at friendly ports, a mission that is becoming increasingly important in destroyer activity wherever the U. S. Navy shows the flag. In port the mission of the fleet is to promote good will, understanding, respect and acceptance, both through official contacts and through simple people-to-people relationships. Each man in uniform is considered an ambassador of good will and respect and is expected to act like one. The high standard of conduct ashore of SLxth Fleet personnel has won the re- spect of our friends and allies, and the continual presence of this ready fleet in the Mediterranean has earned respect from those countries which are not friendly to the United States but understand only the meaning of power. The Fleet has been so active for so long in promoting good internation- al relationships that many of its activities have been institutionalized. In a normal year as many as 1000 individual shipboard parties will be given for children in ports around the Mediterranean. Sports contests be- tween ship teams and local teams are a common feature of port visits. Exchanges of official calls and entertainment are a fixed part of all visits. Ships of the Fleet are open for visiting in all Mediterranean ports. Ship bands play public concerts before enormous crowds. Bluejackets of the Fleet can be found on tours in all the great, historic, and interesting cities of Europe. Although the motto of the Sixth Fleet is Power for Peace , activities such as those mentioned above, along with the traditional alacritv of the Fleet in responding to disasters such as earthquakes and Hoods, and the legendary generosity of the American Bluejacket in helping those in need won for the Sixth Fleet a reputation as The Friendly Fleet . 57

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TOULON, FRANCE After a week of at-sea exercises with the Sixth Fleet, Bainbridge arrived in Toulon, France, her first foreign port of call and France ' s largest Med- iterranean Naval Base. Here she was toured by officers and men of the French Navy, many of whom enjoyed the movies shown on board each night and the abundance of icecream made in the ship ' s soda fountain. Although all had seen ships before they were quite impressed and many C ' est magnifique ' s were heard each time the missiles were run out on their launchers. The French officers were most impressed by the technical and habitability advances incorporated into this first Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Frigate. Bainbridge men availed themselves of the opportunities to visit Paris, Nice, and the French Riviera on tours. Long famous for its beautiful churches, lacemaking, and wines, Toulon added hospitality to its list during Bainhridge ' s stay. In addition to the numerous shops lining the narrow streets were res- taurants with the superb cuisine of French foods. Toulon is adequately supplied with taverns, or as they are called in France, bars . In each a bevy of attractive waitresses served their mild intoxicants in a manner unlike anything found in the States. All hands found the visit to Toulon a very memorable visit which was all too brief!