Frank Evans (DD 754) - Naval Cruise Book

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After 10 hectic days of HUK operations we stopped at Iwakuni, Japan, for a brief rest. Iwakuni is located near Hiroshima on Japan ' s Inland Sea. The entrance to Iwakuni proved to be one of the most scenic sights of the cruise. As we threaded our way around one large freighter and through the hundreds of tiny islands and inlets which dot the chart of the Inland Sea, we could not help but be enthralled by the beauty of this ancient green land against the calm blue water. Anchored off the Iwakuni Naval Air Station we struggled with scarce liberty boats and endless taxi rides to a not so well lit thieves alley . But Iwakuni by virtue of its geographic locale, did offer an exciting opportunity to visit Hiroshima, the first atomic bomb tar- get. Highlights of the tour were a visit to Memorial Museum at ground zero, brousing through the modern downtown shopping district and a never-to-be-forgotten visit to the ancient religious shrines at Miju Jima. Our next port was Sasebo, Japan. After 10 more days of HUK Operations we arrived there to spend the Christmas holidays. We didn ' t exactly have a white Christmas but it rained a lot. Yet , despite the fact that we were away from loved ones the Christmas spirit soon became evident throughout the ship. Christmas trees were gaily decorated on the mess decks and in the wardroom. The post office was flooded with packages from home. Each night the ship glowed from stem to stern with multi-colored lights. Under the circumstances it was as nice a Christmas as we could expect and it was highlighted by a delectable Christmas dinner.

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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

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The ship ' s party . . . was perhaps the most memorable occasion during the holidays. It was held on two nights to allow all three duty sections to attend. Free booze, and chow, prepared by the ship ' s cooks, were consumed in huge quanti- ties by the ship ' s company and their forty beautiful, young, charming, in- digenous companions. The guest of honor, Commodore DWYER, COM- DESRON 23, visited the party on both nights.