Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE COBBLER GEDUNKS l CLEAN SWEEP DOWN FORE AND AFT 4741 57 44lEver,y6oc9f Ido Q CPUO or sonic: numborj fs 04010, GUN! 'm', Unnmn 1'-'?-Yq,mff'gf1,0 2'af'H sq NAVY PAY RECEIPT X ' I ffffz fShip or no tionl 2' '7 I acknowledge to have received from the Disbursing Ohiccr, in S ' person and IN CASH, on account of pay, the sum of: fx-f . X QAmount in liguroej A if-cf , LQ ZLZD' 'A' A A -' Y 'A Dollars ant in wozduj . o . A f x CPqyoo'l lignatur ' -K 2 . 'W V-mx ...-.7 d crufmdpz mmbenuedourwirhoufilffeflkvfff 1 7 LAUNDRY THF BATTLIC OF CORROSION

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66 DIVISIO ' It was difficult to shop so far from safety zones. The BLOCK ISLAND got its fuel, firecrackers, and food at Kerama Betto. The ship usually rushed there in the morning to load and take on the usugar reports. Kerama Betto is a fabulous kind of place. It was the first ground that the U. S. Forces took any- where in the Nansei Shoto operation. 26 March, six days before the Easter Day landings on Okinawa, landing forces stormed ashore on the islets that make up this group. Then, during the week that followed, while Tokyo radios shrilled about Nun- important landings on barren islands, the Army and Navy quietly built up their forces in this natural anchorage. Literally G'Retto,' means 'alittle group of islands while uCunto means Nbig group of islands. The largest island of Kerama Retto is five miles long, very rough, and having only a few villages where the natives fish for a living. Liberty parties were not safe ashore and time spent in the harbor was not a Sunday School excursion. We loaded stores with all G.Q. paraphernalia at hand- and loaded in a hurry. It was best to get out before sunset. But it's all over now S Division brings home the bacon It provides the neces sltles of life It 1S a real job to plan for all the necessities of home wlthout expecting any deliveries for three months At any time tlllS ship has been prepared to remain three months at sea without contact with a beach It supplies the technical needs of the ship as well as tl1e personal needs of its company Its corner drug store the ships store has a capital of 322 000 and grosses 3:9 500 to S14 000 monthly an amount of business any neighborhood store would covet 80 gallons of ice cream 1S produced a day and 2 000 cokes are sold daily at the Gedunk Stand The haberdashery shop small stores will sell about 33 600 monthly of the latest thing in G I clothing Since the CVE 106 has been commissioned the ship has sold over 18 000 pairs of diawers That s a lot of drawers The BLOCK ISLAND BANK AND TRUST COMPANY carries 12 types of accounts and paid in cash in Decembei 1945 a total amount of 35219 000 The capital of the bank 1S as great as that of the United States and the actual cash carried aboard usually amounted to about 35300 000 enough to meet the full payroll if every man drew all that he had on the books The Barber Shop Cobbler Shop THIIOI Shop and Laundry are all Ships Service activities manned by men rated for these jobs and strikers On the FBI all these services were free sax ing men about ten to fifteen dollars a month ,Q V35 QB lglixfgtv gpg 1. P? -Ja itszfiais. I 'rf Wxlwfmk

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THE COMMISSIONING PARTY allor Ha e ore Fun Than People Recreation parties at Casablanca, Mag Mag and Gab Gag Beaches in the forwarded areas will never be forgotten. The feel of the sand under- neath one's feet instead of cold steelg the great quiet after the vibra- tion of the pounding motors and blowersg the swim in the crystal blue waters of the Pacificg the feeling of comparative safety after danger of attackg all these things made a few -hours ashore equal to a week at Coney Island. The larger parties at the Commissioning, in San Diego, and at Camp Peary are a few of the social events with lady guests that must be recalled. MI-Iappy Hours in the BLOCK ISLANDS have been unusually good. Some have depended upon Mhome talentf, On August 3 the best talent in the Shipis Company joined to produce the BLOCK ISLAND PIN-UP GIRLS. The stars should have a future at the Old Howard in Boston. We've had some fine boxing and tumbling acts. The two 'Gshowsn aboard which stand out is the one pictured here in the book when the dusky ladies of the Pacific entertained in the hangar deck and even Captain Waite tried to learn to HULA. The other was in Panama when the best talent of the night clubs gave a suppertime per- formance under the direction of the USO. We'xfe had a good time. If we could have shared the fun with those we love at home, it might have been the best time of our lives in spite of the danger and hardship. WE CELEBRATE IN TACOMA. THE FBI PARTY AT CAMP PEARY