Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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. , ..., an u 4 CIEIAPTER ELEVEN . . . I-III surf' hw liward as, that gray Sllllllllvl' morning, as we hnelt on tht' a'm'l.' and pravr-11 for lhe lnulflies nho ivouldnil he Corning home . . . Ilnjv in-iw I'l'l'-Y close Io as fha! clay . . . they alzra-vs will lie close . . . 5, - .J B I G B F CQ H U 1 Sxnmixiin mr Lxiutxfiw-311. determined to fight again, the torn. tire-blackened llattop anchored at Ulithi. Sunday, llarch 25th. lt?-15. mass of Thanksgiving on the flight deck was led by Father Joseph O'Callahang Protestant service ol Thanksgiving was led by Charles G. Weldon Catlin. Most men attended both servicesg some wept openly during the humble, sincere prayers. And since it is of Thy mercy, U gracious Father, that another week is added to our livesg we here dedicate again our soul and our bodies to Thee and Thy service, in a sober, righteous. and godly lifeg during the week we made new resolutions and in these, do Thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen usg that, as we grow in age we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus l:'l:'rnal Father, strong to save, llnhose arnz, doth hind the resllvss ware, Who lzldst the mighty ocean deep, Its oan appointed limits lfeepg O hear as when ne Cry Zo Thee For those in peril on. the sea . . .E The Thanksgiving services were followed by Memorial Services for the dead. On the flight deck, in the htfully falling rain moving across the harbor in sheets, the men of the Franklin, led by Father O'Callahan, assembled to the mournful strains of a dirge softly played by the surviving bandsmen. In a beautiful, heart-touching talk. the priest re- called to the men that their comrades had died on Saint Joseph's Day - Saint Joseph. the patron saint of a merciful Chfiftf who taught U5 t0 Pray - - -M death-that their death. though tragic, had been in merci- The services closed with the Navyis hymn, Hlfternal ful circumstances, with every man having a brief moment Father. for a last prayer. Protestant Memorial Services on Franklinys hangar deck . . . Chaplain G. Weldon Carlin conducting

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And while their sad toss could never be forgotten, those who lived must ncvcr forget they had dit-tl proud deaths, in the service of their country. lighting for Codis cause against bloody oppression. A Psalm was read and men bowed and prayed for the souls of their shipmatcs. The Marine squad fired threc volleys and men stood in salute. honoring their fallen comrades. 96 9? N' Monday evening the hospital ship Bountiful sent its tal- ented entertainment group to the Franklin. Amid debris and fire-swept steel. with a bomb-blasted elevator for a back- drop. their performance did much to brighten men's spirits. All salvageable equipment was given to other ships or to the repair force. A Tiny Timw, which had lain in a dan- gerous position on the second deck and defied all efforts of the shipis personnel for days. was carefully carried topside and lowered into the water, by volunteersiunder the direc- tion of a bomb disposal officer from the repair force. Tuesday, March 26th, accompanied by two destroyer es- corts, Franklin and Santa, Fe were underway at sunset for Pearl Harbor. Under the personal direction of Captain Gehres every officer and man labored throughout the days. The debris must be cleared away and the ship made habit- able, the personal effects of more than 2000 men must be collected, inventoried, and packaged. With water, lights, and manpower at a premium these tasks required weeks to ac- complish. There was little of laughter or gaiety on the shattered decks as men found surcease from tension and memories in the exhaustion of toil. They were proud that Franklin still sailed, proud to have brought her from the jaws of death, sad in the absence of their friends. Another dispatch arrived from the commander of the Fifth Fleet, Admiral Spruance, to the Franklin, and to every ship in the Fleet, as well as to the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean Area, Admiral Nimitz: Wfhe courage, fortitude, and ability of you and your crew in saving and bringing back Franklin for future use against the enemy cannot be too highly praised. Fran.klirf.s hand lost its instrzunrznts, hut not its spirit Hfnrnhon Watson, does his Nhat trickn Spirits lifted some. Captain Gehres, at a little show on Wednesday afternoon, where a makeshift band played, using old kettles, bottles and combs to H11 in the harmony, ad- dressed the men informally. The determination of this fight- ing captain was never more plainly evident than in his words: Hwe are going to take this ship back out and get even with the little yellow scoundrels. I, for one, am going to be the first volunteer to take her backfl Big Ben, with Santa Fe, steamed slowly into Pearl Harbor on April 3rd, 1945. In the words of one of the men, H011 March 3rd we had sailed from Pearl-so clean, so proud, and in such fighting trim. On April 3rd we were returning, in such a wrecked condition that it was almost unbelievable. A group of fifty WVAVES and the station band were on the dock to greet us, singing 'Aloha'. Some of our crew cried unashamedly, as did many of those who came to greet us at the dockf, The seven hundred and four men who were coming back to Pearl Harbor on Big Ben were drawn up in thin ranks on the undamaged part of the flight deck. Saxie Dowellis makeshift band struck up a tune and Franklinis men showed the world they could still sing. The captain. himself, had written their song, and it was to the time of the 'G Marine Hymniiz From the Jap isle of Kyushu To Arnericats shining shore llictre brought our ship, the Franklin, To he hxcrl to fight some rnore. Oh the laps they thought theyicl sunk us As they came anal came again But they couldnit get the shot in That was marked! to sink Big Ben. Frorn the Shores of lap Kyushu., By Ulithiis steaming strand, Anil the isles of Aloha Nui We all come to our own land. Many shiprnates sail not with as Hut their spirit shall not dieg When our lrugle sounds To Stations We will answer for them 'f4ye.