Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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ITAT O On Hmarding thz Gold Mzdal fur Valar to Thr 11.55. Hircraft Gqrrizr Franklin, Officers and Gum FRANKLIN HAD BEEN STRUCK. WITH SADDENED HEARTS WE FOLLOWED THE FACTS ONE BY ONE AND LEARNED OF LOSS, CARNAGE, FIRE. EXPLOSION, AND DISASTER. BIG BEN, AFFECTIONATELY SO CALLED AFTER OUR FIRST GREAT AMERICAN. HAD BEEN CRIPPLED MANY WERE THEY WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE AND GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN SHOWN. THE PROUD CARRIER. LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD. HAD ALREADY RECEIVED ITS BATTLE SCARS IN A PREVIOUS ATTACK. WE PAY HOMAGE TO OUR NAVY: WE GLORY IN HER PROWESS: WITH FAME SHE IS ADORNED. WE SINGLE OUT FAVORITES AND ADOPT THEM AND FOLLOW THEIR CAREERS WITH PRIDE AND AFFECTION. ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO REVERE THE NAME OF BENIAMIN FRANKLIN. BIG BEN IS OF SPECIAL CONCERN. IT COULD NOT THEN BE OTHERWISE THAN THAT AS FOLLOWERS AND STUDENTS OF FRANKLIN WITH SADDENED HEARTS. WE FOLLOWED THE FACTS ONE BY ONE. N THE MORNING OF MAY EIGHTEENTH. NEWS CAME THAT THE GREAT AIRCRAFT CARRIER ERMISSION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE CAPTAIN TO ABANDON SHIP: BUT THE CARRIER FRANKLIN WAS NOT DESERTED. CAPTAIN GEHRES AND HIS GREAT CREW. MADE OF STERNER S ZUFF. WERE DETERMINED NOT TO ABANDON..THEN AS WE LEARNED MORE Tl-IERE CAME TO US THE THRILL OF VICTORY. FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE HAD BECOME THE FACT AND THE GREAT CARRIER IUST WOULD NOT GO DOWN. A MIRACLE WAS DONE. FOR THE FRANKLIN THAT HAD GONE DEAD LIVED ONCE AGAIN! NOT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NAVY THE TRADITION OF FORTITUDE AND HEROISM EXCELLED THAT OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW ON THE DAY AND AFTER THE CARRIER WAS BOMBED EVER IN THE ANNALS OF NAVAL HISTORY HAS GLORY BEEN BESTOWED AT ONE TIME ON SO MANY AS ON THAT MARCH NINETEENTH WHEN OUT OF THE SKY DASHED THE ENEMY INTENT ON DEATH AND TOTAL DESTRUCTION. IT WAS THEN THAT EVERY MAN DID HIS DUTY: IT WAS THEN THAT THE NOBLE CAPTAIN WAS EQUAL TO HIS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY: IT WAS THEN THAT OFFICERS AND CREW RALLIED AND WORKED AS A GREAT UNIT. SAVED LIVES AND SHIP. AND BROUGHT THE CRIPPLED FRANKLIN SAFELY HOME OVER A COURSE OF TWELVE THOUSAND LONG MILES. IT WAS ON THAT DAY THAT THE NAME FRANKLIN TOOK ON ANOTHER GLORY FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE NAME. G CHAPTERS EXTENDING FROM MONTREAL AND MASSACHUSETTSTO CALIFORNIA SPONSORED BY THE RSJTERNATIONAL BENIAMIN FRANKLIN SOCIETY. IAMES WRIGHT BROWN. PRESIDENT. RECOGNIZING 'IT-IE BRAVERY AND HEROISM OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW OF THE II. S. S. CARRIER FRANKLIN. ASKS You TO ACCEPT A MEDAL FOR VALOR TO BE PLACED ON THE CARRIER AS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF GREAT DEEDS WHICH WILL EVER BE AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE TO WHOM IS GIVEN GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. . CAPTAIN GEHRES, THE INTERNATIONAL IUNIOR BENIAMIN FRANKLIN SOCIETY WITH PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF THIS SCHOOL AND MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL IUNIOR EENIAMIN FRANKLIN SOCIETY. CHAPTER e. WHICH IS ONE OF SIX CHAPTERS ORGANIZED IN THE NEW YORK SCHOOL OF PRINTING. ILL YOU BE PLEASED TO RECEIVE THE MEDAL AT THE HAND OF IOSEPH AGNELLO. rlvrw IV Nnw vosuc 'rms . . , , 1' rvruiru DAY OIPJUNE till' FIIIIIBJIIOIIUI BIIIIDIIIR flillllll SHIKI, IN. NIN n EN Ilurwnuno rourv-mv: ' IRM' VlCl.-PRESIDENT

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