Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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Division PO ' s and a tourist ALL HANDS WORKING PARTY

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i ■ , f-.f. f ■ -f- t. -• ' ' ( f; ' A T FRONT ROW : Dow, L.G., Brooks, J.L., Lockley, L.E., Anderson, J.M., Hendrix, J.L., McKnight. R.W., Bloomer, J. P., Medieros, R.J. SECOND ROW : Austin, J.G., Press, W.E., Schmidt, W.W., Casanova, A. A., BMC, ENS R.E. Rutledge, LTJG C. Davision, Rourke, J.P., GMC, San Felice, F.A., Dorrance, L.S., Armstrong, R.E. THIRD ROW: Shelton, J.L., Ruskin, E.A., Darush, M.E., Carson, R.J., Burrell, C.A., Knox, W.P., Angove, J., Rosso, G.C., Turner, C.L., Buford, D.R. FOURTH ROW: Savage, E. M., France, R., Head, D.R., Dunn, R.D., Spencer, B.J., Ariel, E.F., Moore, J„ Price, C.L., Fisher, R.C., Vandiver, R.A., Williams, J.D. LTJG Davison ENS Rutledge The First division has cognizance over the starboard side of the forecastle and the quarterdeck area. Here W. W. Schmidt, BM1, reigns supreme, with the aid of Buford, BM1, and Press, BM3. The main purpose of our divisional organization is to insure an efficient manning of the guns. Under the watchful eye of Chief Rourke and San Felice, GM1, Turret One has established a new high in smartness and its ability to bring the guns to bear. Shelton, GM2, a veteran in main battery, has done much to establish this excellence. The First division also has an impressive record in athletics: Austin, GM3, is captain of the Softball team, Ruskin and Moore are hardcourt standouts, Burrell and Anderson shine on the gridiron, and Savage had quite a reputation in AAU swimming circles before entering the Navy. The heated rivalry with the Second division for the Forecastle Crown continues. The First also boasts one of the highest percentages of high school graduates on the ship. This has been achieved through a strong emphasis on GED tests as a means of completion of high school credit. Nor is experience lacking within the division. LTJG Davison, the Division Officer, has more time aboard the Columbus than any other commissioned officer. He is ably assisted by ENS Rutledge. It ' s the personnel that really make the divison outstanding. Chief Rourke was one of seventy-five survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona on 7 December 1941. Later he received the Bronze Star for action on a submarine in the Pacific. The division is also distinctive in having two petty officers from Canada : Schmidt, BM1, and Coder, BM3, are representing our neighbors well by holding down positions of leadership in the United States Navy. And San Felice, GM1, as he so humbly puts it, has squared away every turret on this ship. His conscientious and thorough work earned him a meritorious mast.

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FRONT ROW: Ferrar, R.B., Giampetro, P.J., Trahan, A.J., Benson, J.D. SECOND ROW: Saunders, E.J., Veneziano, J.F., Basco, M. L., Creeger, J., Knutson, R.G., GMC, Busch, I.G., Bailey, R.A., Walters, E.W., Goodman, C.E. THIRD ROW: Edwards, B.J., Komara, R.J., Maschal, J.R., Smith, J.J., Debozy, J., Ferris, D.P., Bryson, J.F., Fulton, J.L., White, D.C. FOURTH ROW: Torbert, J.E., Grispon, R.J., Thompson, G., Tolbert, R.E., Ermi, J.F., Tomlinson. G.W., Chvilicek, R.L., Buchholz, G.A., Romans, R.E., Guttrung, R.A. LTJG Hill Get that rust ! When the Second division turns to on the port side of the forecastle, you can hear Creeger ' s whip cracking all the way back on the fantail. Campbell, BM2, is the strong boss topside, and what he doesn ' t know about seamo would almost fit on the point of a needle. Bailey, BM3, is another good man with a line and helps keep the boys turned to. The second deck is in the able hands of Jones, BM2. Besides making sure that officers ' country forward of the wardroom is spotless, he ' s a good man under the backboards on the Columbus basketball team. Way down on the fourth deck there works a portly gentleman named Veneziano, who is in charge of the House Beautiful boys, otherwise known as compartment cleaners. This is where people come to see how a compartment should really look. In the middle of all this deck space there towers a huge steel castle, commonly referred to as Turret II, where Prince Charming, alias Chief Knutson, and his little elves make merry. Busch, GM2, is the Ichi-ban elf in charge of making the 8 inch guns work. He gets a lot of help from Basco, GM3, and Goodman, GM3. The showplace of the ship and, If it works as well as it looks we ' ll be the best ship in the Navy : these are just a few of the comments made by some of the distinguished visitors who have taken the weekly grand tour of Number Two.