Brownson (DD 868) - Naval Cruise Book

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PA AMA ' Theodore Roosevelt must have been a Hep Cat , for ever since he gave the word to Dig that Panama Canal , engineers all over the world have been amazed by the tremendous en- gineering feat accomplished through American ingenuity and skill some four decades ago. France had been unsuccessful in her attempt to construct the Big Ditch , American engineers had to conquer not only the terrain and cli- mate, but also disease in order to complete what is popularly regarded one of the modern wonders of the world. The Cana1's six locks enable ships to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean in approximately 8 hours. Com- pare this with the long and dangerous journey around South America and Cape Hornl Our pass- age' on 8 August was the first trip through for the Brownson. A day was spent in Colon on the Atlantic side prior to the transit and two days of rest in Panama City on the Pacific side followed the passage. H On 10 August we left Panama and set our course for San Diego, California. As interesting as it was remarkable, the Canal provided an impressive keynote for the many new sights and adventures which the Brownson was to en- counter in the ensuing months. The gates of the Miraflores Locks open Covefel' Of the New W0I'1d- and we enter the waters of the blue Pacific. Above: Monument to Columbus, 'immortal dis I Below: Panama City's El Panama Hotel.

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Admiral Wright pauses in the 1 The Division nested at South Dock, Melville, Sunday, 1 August 1954. lt was a gray day - 2, August 1954 - when the Brownson and her running mates, the Roan, Roberts, and Royal set the special sea detail and got underway on the cruise that, for almost all of us, meant many new places and faces. In- spected that mor-ning by Admiral Wright, Rear Admiral Hartman, and Rear Admiral Varian, and sent off musically to the martial strains of a Navy band, we could not help but swell with pride as we passed in review by the flagship Yosemite and sliced through misty Narragansett Bay to 'start on the cruise that was to cover nearly 50,000 miles. It was a typical Newport day - that August 2nd - wet and bleak, and it was depressing to some who thought of their fami- lies and loved ones whom they would not see for eight long months, but it could not dampen the spirits of many of us who felt we were embark- ing on a journey that was the greatest we had ever experienced - an Around the World cruise. mess deck on his inspection tour. Commander J. S. Weiler, our former Executive Officer who helped us prepare for the cruise, casts off our last line.

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Above: Gunnery boys heavin' a- round while refueling at sea. Right: Chief Peeks giving the needle to Huegel, EN1. The USS Yosemite's band gave us a musical send-off when we left Melville, Rhode Island. Admiral Wright being greeted by Commodore Scott and the Captain as he comes aboard for our depar- ture inspection. -.SECKA