Fort Mandan (LSD 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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£?: This square is the center of interest in Pisa. In the background is the fabled Leaning Tower of Pisa. LIVORNO, ITALY I pass like night from land to land; I have strange power of speech . . . -SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE - Livorno, Italy (otherwise known as Leghorn, a name given it by British sailors) was our third Italian port of the cruise. Ideally located, Livorno placed us in an area rich with things to see and do. Most of us made the short trip to Pisa and saw the Leaning Tower, and the other beautiful buildings that make Pisa a must for sight-seers. And a few miles farther away was the city of Florence with its art, architecture, sculpture, and overall beauty accumulated through centuries of cultural and artistic activity. Those of us who were not able to make it to Rome earlier in the cruise found that city to be all that our friends had said it was. And Livorno itself was not without attractions. The beaches there were better than those in many of our ports, and we soaked up health and fresh air while basking in the sun. Camp Darby, an Army base located nearby, gave us the opportunity to buy foreign items we had not been able to acquire before, and provided a good place for a good drink. Our squadron flagship, the USS MOUNT McKINLEY, was there with us, so there were plenty of sailors around to take care of the town. After a week of liberty, we gathered ourselves together and took off for another operation, this time at Anzio. Down near the waterfront at the edge of town, there are usually swimmers and sunbathers. The lower end of town and the inner harbor are viewed clearly in this panoramic shot. 22

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THE FIRE AT SETE Local newspapers carried front page accounts of the fire, and later ran pictures of the ship ' s crew in action. During our visit in Sete, an Italian tanker, the OMBRINA, caught fire inside the port, and threatened to cause a major catastrophe in the town. While entering the harbor, the tanker struck the side of a canal and spilled fuel on its decks. Minutes later the fuel was ignited, making a flaming holocaust of the ship. The fire threatened other ships and small boats in the harbor, and gave rise to fears that people and buildings in the town itself would be killed and destroyed. The tanker, however, did not explode. The flames in the canal and aboard the ship were extinguished before the great potential of the fire was realized. It was mainly through the efforts of members of the FORTMANDAN crew that this fire was brought under control. Our sailors embarked in boats and went aboard the burning ship to put out the flames. Others helped keep order on the pier in the vicinity of the fire. The ship was thanked and congratulated by members of the local govern- ment, the province government, the National Assembly in Paris, the French Navy, and other maritime officials. While it is always unpleasant to witness any disaster, we were glad that in this instance we were able to render assistance in saving lives and property. This scene on a street in Sete at the time of the fire shows the black cloud that rose above the town. The OMBRINA is pictured sprawling across a canal here, after some measure of control had been attained. FORT MANDAN sailors fought the fire from our LCM, and boarded the ship to halt the spread of the flames. 21

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f 7 7 - ' tttf The Arch of Constantine in Rome was a sight that many of us were able to see. The old Roman Coliseum still attests to the spectacles that took place in ancient Rome. The Tiber River, its banks and bridges, cut a beautiful path through the heart of Rome. The old Roman baths are among the many interesting ruins to be seen in that city. The shores on the outskirts of Livorno present a picture of serenity. Boccale Castle is in the background. 23