Lexington (CV 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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PPLY DEPARTME T Every man has seen the Supply Department in action every day. The crew depends on Supply for what it eats and wears and the equipment it works with, for the money it spends and for something to spend it on. Commander lohn I. Iecklin organized the department originally, and Commanders Allan M. Gray and Warren E. Cliver have carried on the work. The heart of Supply are the CfeeEssKay boys, who are experts on how many copies of what forms to fill out in order to get a screwdriver or an airplane. They keep wonderful records that are guaranteed to tell, within a few hundred per cent error, just how much of anything but dust there is in any storeroom. Their job is a tough one, because besides knowing the correct source of supply for any item of equip- ment, they have to know all the places and tech- niques for completing rush orders and obtaining supplies when routine methods fail. And after an item of supplies comes aboard it is consigned to one of thirty-odd storerooms, all of'which have to be kept clean and orderly and painted. Who has not stood in line for an hour until he was second man from the window, only to see a sign go up, Clothing and Small Stores Closed? But the C and SS boys have troubles of their own, from ordering shoes in assorted sizes and getting back ' ' fgff-..8eff-EA, mostly sixes and thirteens to explaining where Il1C1f one missing black sock went. The closest section of Supply to every man aboard is Commissary. The cooks and bakers can't miss a meal, whether the ship is in battle or at anchor and whether the storerooms are loaded with turkey and fresh vegetables or nothing but Spam. Usually the cooks are hampered by lack of a variety of food supplies to work with, but they have shown what they can do with a couple of sensational Thanks giving feasts. The job of feeding the crew under the best of circumstances is staggering for size-a mere scrambled egg breakfast means 600 dozen cackle- berries, and every week's feeding takes six tons of flour and five tons of potatoes. ln combat, half of commissary moves topside to provide warm food for gun crews, and for night working parties there are midnight snacks. The bakers deserve special men- tion, not just for the l500 loaves of fresh bread they can put out in a day, but for their 4.0 line of pies. However, we suspect that in years to come the fondest memories of Commissary will be for that great innovation, canned butter, and the various forms of stew, hash and Spam. The oldest unit of Ship's Store is the canteen, specializing in toilet articles and stationery at far below civilian prices. From time to time Ship's Store S-I Division -qv it fm A pm, in 31 -f il l 9 l ,J

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Q W 91 CUMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT M i1

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has been able to sell such wartime rareties as wrist watches, alarm clocks, fountain pens and cigarette lighters. The canteen storekeeper can tell you that the Lex men ought to be clean, lor in a month he has sold tour bars ot soap for every man aboard. ln December of '44 the Ships Store absorbed Ships Service, so that laundry, tailoring and shoe repair could be done tree ol charge. The biggest attraction in the enlarged Ships' Store is the loun- tain, for candy, cokes, cigarettes and ice cream. ln one month the Lex men stowed away thirty bars ot candy per man, and Ships Store made a gallon and a halt of gedunks for every man. Everybody tries to make lriends with the barbers, for their specialty is making a man look like either a salt or a boot. Some of them even know how to give a haircut, and they've all been up late nights lowering ears tor Captains inspection. The laundrymen specialize in delicate shades ot grey. All they have to do is try to get stacks ol clothes clean in salt water, using equipment that loves to break down, working in a tepid compart- ment, and then keep all the clothing straight by divisions. The tailor shop has done an amazing job of keep- ing everyone satisfied, even with the tlood ot post- war Alnavs. And the Lex is especially proud oi S-2 Division ,,, f was 4, xi S . y , A-ppb-..,44 .. 'Q' in ,,....4 . ..., M4 wg ggi