Kenneth Whiting (AV 14) - Naval Cruise Book

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i l r -)■■ ri Z ' - . OKINA WA

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to you too, Iio icy : One Of tlic worla s greatest copy artists — caiiqnt m t ic act. QiiaraiilccJ lOO ' O Qcisha QirU, oi volu nionev back ! Typical 7iativc Jrcs l J .h.uh .iwr m jay Colorful Lira ia I ' malc in 1 akarazuka 1 hcairc.

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The ship s own BUCCANEERS help celebrate our arrival to Okinawo. Then afterwards let ' s hit village two anc • S - ne of Okinawa ' s many picturesque tombs that dot the island OKINAWA (j ic of tnc first tilings vcc were tola about I our Far East cruise was the rather gruesome ' fact that our home port would he Buckner ■ %(tf iv Bav, Ohmawa. However alter we liaa been A? ' ' h ' ' awhile, oiily to leave right away to ■ i spe 7ci weehs on ena in aavancea bases like hgat hay in the Southern Philippines, (Dhinawa s pleasantly cool hreezes, fine clubs ana friendly people loohea mighty gooa to us. WW -i Ohinawa , a )iaine that has neconie a regular part of the American vocabulary, was unhnown to most of us in the W estern W oria until the spring of 1043. Prior to that time it was only a aot on the map — a lonely, subtropical islanci no one carea about, that is until the Japanese convertea it into a mighty bastion guaraing the approaches to their homelana. W e may not have Known much about L ' hinawa before we arrivea, but it s a aifferent story toaay. We are well acquainted with the military facilities, the fine P. . stores, and we guichly felt at ease around the villages and the small people. I he sight of the neat terraced land where the Kyukyuans had tilled every available inch became a welcome sight ., .,. ..,„.,. . ..c ., c.