Benham (DD 796) - Naval Cruise Book

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V JBt Fro,,, Rou: SCHACK, CALHOIN, SANCHEZ, GIEBNER. BRADBURY, CARTON, CONSIDINE, DOWNING. Second Row: MCROY, PAULSEN, WENDOWSKI, GRIFFIN, JOHNSTON. PACKARD, HANSEN. WALTERS. Third Row: MCKENZIE. ROBERTS. KERR. RUSHING. Not Show,,: PARR. KELLY, DOVE. EISENHAUER, VARNER. RIVARD, GREYDANUS. GROSS. •P V ■ » ' ' R DIVISION Repair! How many pieces of equipment aboard ship require repair and upkee p will never be known for there are far too many to be counted and put down on paper. R Division is made up of three separate gangs. The A gang, the electrical gang, and the shipfitters who have the never ending job of constant check, upkeep, and operation of these essential organs of the ship ' s life. Members of the A gang, when not in the machine shop drinking coffee, usually are working on the emer- gency diesel, refrigeration plant, after steering, air compressor, auxiliary steam system, scuttlebuts, ship ' s boats, laundry, or turning down jobs on the lathe. ' What is more important than fresh food? What would a ship be without liberty boats. ' With Chief Walters and Fritz (Junior) Kelly, the A gang have their work cut out for them. The duty electrician report to the quarterdeck. Many times a day this is passed throughout the ship. Elec- tricians work continuously on the 440 volt power system, 110 volt lighting system, ventilation system, motors, electric ovens and ranges, refrigeration controls, signal lights, degaussing, gyro compass, telephones, announcing system, and generators which manufacture the ship ' s electrical power. Credit is to be given to W. I. (Oakie) Griffin and his crew of Sparkies . The shipfitters are a combined group of metalsmiths, damage controlmen, and carpenters. Metalsmiths have a busy time cutting metal, soldering, and welding even without men- tioning the times the BENHAM has slid or rammed its way into the barn ! Carpenters are just that and fill their hands with saws, hammers, and nails to fulfill someone ' s needs. Damage controlmen maintain the upkeep of damage control lockers and if ever a time is such that our ship is damaged, they will patch her up. Dove and Red Giebner, with the shipfitter gang, do a good job for the little R Division. • r f

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?.-t r i »« ft.f ' l- ' f »1 4 Z j Rc u. MCCORMACK. PASSMORE. C. A. ROSS, E. J. ROSS. SCHULTZ, SCOTT. Third Row: REYNOLDS. DAVIS, MCANALLY. BIRCH, LOE, O KEEFE, ANDERSON, HEIM, HOLCOMB, POSTELL, CROCKETT, DALTON. Second Row: TITLIS, BUCKHOLTZ, FERNJACK, DAWSON, KIEWRA. MORRISON, PRYOR, CICCIU, COSTA, PERRIN. WOODS, ROTON, KRATZ. Front Row: REED, BULLOC, DRAGON, MIXON, HALL, EZZO, RALFCH, SPENCER, MCMILLAN, YOCUM. E DIVISION The engineering division is one of the largest aboard ship. It is made up of Boilermen and Machinist ' s Mates who work below the main deck. Usually it is hot and sweaty in the bowels of the ship but these snipes continue to wrestle the valves, manufacture steam, regulate the steam pressure, and govern the speed of the ship. To move, a ship must have steam for power and the BT ' s have their job tending hell hot boilers. It isn ' t easily done but after a watch, these sweaty, grimey, fuel oil smelling snipes know that it is a job that has to be done and they are proud to be doing it. ' Midst regulators, pumps, gears, generators, and evaps, Machinist ' s Mates spend the day in the engine rooms. It is their job to convert steam to power and to regulate the speed of the ship. The Motor Macks convert sea water to fresh water for personal uses and for use in the galley, laundry, sick bay and the boilers. To maintain this essential machinery, their time is filled with constant checks, work and repair; for the heart of a ship must not stop pumping. This credit to give a ship its life goes to the E Division.

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Jai SLiiidiiig: HOBBS. PRICE, KUYKENDALL. BARTON. TURPIN, COBB, GAUDETTE, WHITE. Kneeling: SAULT, BACHTELL, MEINERT. PIGGOTT. LAWSON. DAWKINS. MANNER, Sittnig: DEWEIL. BRANAGH, MRACHEK, SAUERWALD. KESSLER, DONAHUE. TULLOCH. S DIVISION The S Division is a very diversified division, including many rates — well trained cooks, laundrymen, barbers, disbursing clerks, hospitalmen and store keepers. The job of feeding the 300 odd men on the BENHAM is a tough one and requires long hours of planning — food must be ordered, menus prepared, and provisions stored. The laundrymen keep their washer and dryer full most of the time; and do the difficult job of keeping the crew in clean dungarees. Hospitalmen are busy treating the usual cuts and bruises plus unex- pected callers such as the fueling detail. In addition sickbay is our library — novels and technical books are always available. If there is a line in the after head a little before 0800 any day the boys are most likely waiting to sign up for a haircut. The barber does his best to help everyone book him. The storekeepers keep the ship ' s budget balanced, and order our general stores. We all like to see the disbursing clerk post the pay list, it means another pay day, cigarettes, writing paper and shoe polish from ship ' s store and more liberty. The men of the S Division like the men of all divisions are specialists in their field and do their job with pride and sureness.