Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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kb f A 91 f? K, L, f Q 14 N, F I - 1 1 Y '1ffi Q , QM XC? 'l fl 1 FGX HQ Willyy' wanted to go to war on Big Ben . . I M The Toughest Sailor, alittle Berzf? te Us the SP fSh0re Patrolj where to 'ahead inf' X i

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Uluigi 1 t 1 J The if-us of Pop ll rigiztis S-Tzro I7l.l'iSI-Ull' were serious about the war and in dead-earnest about their religion. that would make a micrometer look like a steam shovel was necessary to success - perfect harmony in the movements of pilot. plane. lighter director. and the big ship herself. Even the episode of Willy could not slow down these final preparations. It was on this cruise that 'CRed Harris discovered among his plane-pushers a huge colored boy, sweating as only a colored boy cang doing as much work as any man on the ship and obviously enjoying it more than twice as much. It was an odd sight, but uRed,' passed it oli' with a shrug. thinking that one of the steward mates had come up for fresh air and exercise, curious as the latter seemed. Willy became known all over the ship. Below the third deck he labored tremendously with the engineersg on the hangar deck he fell in with working parties and joined willingly into any toil. Willy was taken for granted as a part-some partvof the crew, for no man arises to ques- tion another man who is working hard and seeming to love it. Une day. however: 'dlistuh Wright, Ah'd lak to get paid hve dollars, suhfi This to Lt. Pop Wright, harrassed mess manager, who saw in Willy just another of the l50 Negro boys of his 5-Two Division. Pop signed the request, as did Lt. Qorndr. l'aul Speer. aide to the executive oflicer, merely as a matter of adding to Pops endorsement. and hardly looking up lrom ln- desk. l'ayrnastf'r less iilliritton. how ex er. had to be a trille more tHl'inif:al :ilfout tht--1: matters. llc sent to the execis ollice lu' W lllii' tray 8f ounts. 'lille exec-s ollir-rf flifl not have them and a rninor sfpiall -f'Y'VIlf'll tlireatening. Then someone 1 . . . 'tiff ight to ,J-Lp ll illj. about Iliff situation. 'illilrffrffifl you Vflliflf from. larry? L lwflf- lsldfii lllll H lirriliglil jylpljf fmriyrl- Qjllll jigjy 3-fjf'lllll'llF: llllllll ytlllf Nu .i-rf lfy'jl1-jfjg for rnv pay aff-onnts, sul' dey was lost ff l 7iX llfilf' .i2 1.H llwi, it all fijfflf' wit. in 21 -ll'lltt11rif'Xf'lll5 which will not Fighters of VF-13 at Puunerne dirfielrl. Maui. during Big Berfs operations at Pearl Harbor stand dialect. Willy had not been paid in two monthsg his clothes had gone the way of the Lucky BagHNavy Lost and Found Department. So had his bedding. He had been denied liberty-so he had just come aboard Big Ben in his dungarees. to get away from Ford Island and its restrictions, and out into the broader Pacific where he might see what a lap looked like. He simply wanted five dollars for a few little things such as cigarettes and soap. He was willing to Nwuk like Hellf, But it was no soap for Wiillyg the Naval llegulations. which he did not understand. decreed that he must go hack to lford lsland. lle was standing on the dock. sad and df-jerfted. when Big lien. on ,lune l-ltth, stood out to sea. and to battle. ...raw 05.1471

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12 Il K I' 'I' Ifl It I I Y IC I mm 11 tm, fu' !l1'zHll1 'fl'UIlI Illf' fur Il lun limw nun' ww ffl!!!-1 lt'Ul'lAt .5 fy .. ... ffflx' 1 gmlffvl to . . . lfzwlwgx II frffrz lIIlllll'!l l'Ifllll'l'U1l.t on Nllllzlwr flllw fllnllnl tsrm f,'1.w fwffwf' fmt! l'1'w fluff 1111'l1f' . . . H 1 1 f 1 ,V 'yr 1 Y If IR lr L1 IO xx rxprm 1 mimr .wt cxcltvnrvnt multl lat- ll-lt as Itig Ilvn Xlurine Corps uml Arrny slippml into Pearl Harlmr fm lrpptwl out nl, l't'41rl IILIIIIWUI' on jum' I5tl1. SUIIIl'XXlIl'I't'. ITIIIICIIIIII. Silvlrtly IIIUY It-lt. over tlle Sva HIICI into tlrf- trsgzmls wt milt-5 to tht- xwstutml tlu- miglrty lfilllm mul ft-tting sun, c'i1'clcrcl Ivy Sfltli1fIl'OIlFUlI lean. grey clestroyers. txllllt tflwlf NWN' ?i1llH'I'1'tl for tmwtltt-r Irislurit- assault :XIllt'I'IfAJ.t wus on tlw road lvackl xxqfjtllfl the next Strike Irv tw the lfmp1rc'- tlvllvrrst- lirws. IItIlItIl'ClIt4 ul' Il'LlIISllUl'IF. ,Q1g',g1Itl5lIIlySItIl'I0tlS. IIIlIJl'i'QIIC1llItAn Truli? The Pllilippines? vmmwl with lnrrxlvm-tl. Sl1IIlttII'IIl'tI slim-k trumps nl' Ill-f rIIltt'IIlLlIIll21IliIUlilllllllil? Surncxslrme a still powerful Im- , f I ful, HU ,WJ fl lj jf' l1tl,,,,,,,f ,!,-,Milly lull' my flip Hl'lI'.N'u 'fIl'l' ruff: yum.