Frank Evans (DD 754) - Naval Cruise Book

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Mfd X3 % ,. The windy Pali Honolulu suburbs The proverbial Hula Dancer . V rttLEMAM) PINEAPPLE STAND Sailor enjoying indigenous gedunk The ARIZONA Memorial 38

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to visit Hawaii Surfers, surfers The Blow Hole and more surfers The Punch Bowl Memorial Cemetery We spent a month in Hawaii. Surf and sand were the most popular acti- vities on the weekends. Many men took tours of the island paradise. They saw such sights as the blow hole , the Punch Bowl, the Pali, Waikiki and the world famous Diamond Head. 37

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During the weekdays we were in- volved as a unit of the HUK Group in advanced ASW Training. This group was composed of the carrier HORNET, DESDIV 231 and DESDIV 252. In four weeks we participated in exercises which covered every facet of anti-submarine warfare. When we finished we were considered ready in all respects to become a member of the WESTPAC HUK Group- all respects save one: OUR EVAPORA - TORS COULDN ' T MAKE WATER. So while the HUK Group sailed for Yokosuka, we stayed behind in Pearl Harbor for repairs. Three days later with repairs complete, we hoped, we set sail to join our group in Yokosuka. On the way we stopped at Midway Island for fuel. For those interested, and there probably aren ' t very many, Midway is a small atoll located about 1100 miles northwest of Hawaii. It has been a United States possession since 1859 and a naval base since 1941. Most people remem- ber Midway for the famous naval battles fought there in 1942. The men of the EVANS who visited Midway pre- fer to forget it. But in spite of our- selves, we cannot help remembering the large, fat, lazy GOONEY BIRDS which covered the island and the com- missary store which we almost bought out. Some argued that we took on more gedunk than fuel in the short 2 hours we spent there. It was between Midway and Yokosuka that we heard the tragic news of President Kennedy ' s assasination. Each man felt a deep loss with the death of his Commander-in-Chief. It wasn ' t until the cold, dreary morning of the 25th of November that we saw dry land again, Yokosuka, Japan, the land of the rising sun. There was little time for sightseeing or much of anything else; because we had just caught up with our group which was getting underway for operations at sea. So almost before we finished our delicious Thanksgiving Dinner we were at sea again. 39