USS Cambria (LPA 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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SPORTS D ETWEEN the Navy and Marine basketball, soflball, soccer and track teams, we came home with our share of the victories. In a 32 game schedule the Marine basketball team carried home the bacon 29 times. They were undefeated in the 14 con- tests with European teams and two of the three losses against Navy teams came from the Cambria sailors. The Navy hoopsters claimed nine of their 13 matches. Like the Marine quintet, they too walked off on the high end of all games with European teams. On the softball diamond against other Sixth Fleet teams the Navy sluggers took nine straight, dropped one and then finished their schedule with a win for a 10-1 record. With the exception of a win over the Latimer and one over a Sicilian team, our soccer season wasn ' t up to par. The kickers ended with eight losses. The Leatherneck track team surprised everybody. Sadly out of condition, they took on a track team in Syracuse. Sicily and brought back a big, shiny trophy and a majority of the first place medals. During the Christmas holidays in Naples boxing took the s| otlight. Contenders from the Latimer, Oglethorpe and White Marsh came over to join with our leathersmiths in a 13 bout smoker on the mess deck. With that we rest on our laurels. m «t

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PARTIES TTerk lie the remains of parties. Whether on the giving or receiving end, whether for the orphans of Naples or the orphans of the Camhria, there were always parties. When birthdays and anniversaries rolled around the bakers whipped up icing bedecked cakes suitable for the occasions. On November 10th, the Marines marked the 176th birthday of the Corps with a cake cutting. On December 12th, cake was passed again, to celebrate the first anniversary of TransDiv 24 under the command of Commodore Schleif. In Greece it was a party every night at the Sixth Fleet Canteen. Our host was the American Colony of Athens, a group of state-siders with jobs in Greece. Every night we filled up on free franks and burgers, gulped up coffee and soft drinks and almost tripped ourselves up doing a medium-light fantastic with aspiring goddesses. We gave two parties for orphans. The first, on Thanksgiving, was for a group of Greek orphans. And the second was in Naples just before Christmas. There we watched eager-faced boys and girls wait- ing in line to get presents from ' Papa Natalie. After that one, we chased wrapping paper from the buffalo ' s head to the after 5-inch. On Christmas Eve we stayed home and had a party of o ur own. Our singers, musicians and thespians staged a Happy Hour. It included a little bit of everything. Music ranging from hillbilly stompings to swing, skits taking off roach hunts and boatswains ' piping, and in between, round noters and slow boaters giving out in a variety of vocals. And then there were the Navy beer parties and the Marine dances in Naples. Yes there were always parties. ' In Greece it was a party every night. ' '