Leyte (CV 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 16 text:

SAN DIEGO In the gloaming. AFTER squeezing through the Canal we had a quiet, uneventful trip to San Diego, a city in the land of California where there is no rain. Although we were only here for two days -during which time there was much work to be done-most of us managed to get ashore once and explore San 'Diego or Old Mexico to the south. ln a well known American novel, of recent vintage, it was stated that aeventually all good things come to the lobby of the,U.S. Grant Hotelf It would have appeared upon glancing intosaid lobby-and lounges-on the nights that we were in town that we had a few readers aboard. Then there were the non-readers, the low brows, whose activities had a dehnite Latin flair. There is a bar in Tiajuana which is reputed to be the longest bar in the world, or possibly just in Mexico, or perhaps in Tia- juana. Anyway it is so long that the proprietor has stated that he will give the bar to anyone who can start at one end and drink one drinkvfor each bartender behind the bar. This magnificent bar did not change hands while we were there, but there were some valiant efforts. This might give you the impression that we didn't do any work in allege, but such is not the case. We worked continually until we left, loading the rest .of our Air Group, supplies and fuel oil for the long trek westward. And of all tl1e departments onthe ship the one that had the most to do with getting us there was the Engineering Department. V

Page 15 text:

BEIRUT TO KOREA THE Hbig push came upon us suddenly and unexpectedly-one night ashore on liberty, the next morning underway. That night the flag moved off and the next morning, after we were underway, we received word that we were re- turning to the U. S. You can always depend upon one thing in the Navy, and that is that it is un- certain. It makes for an interesting, if somewhat haphazard, life. In Norfolk, Virginia after a steady 24 knot run across the Mediterranean and North Atlantic the ship received an accelerated shipyard overhaul of 10 days duration. And this was our jumping-off point for Panama. Special Canal Detail. A tight squeeze. 5 at

Page 17 text:

The Executive Officer, CDR. W. M. Ryon Saturday Inspection t EXECUTIVE DEP RTME T GUR daily lives are continually regulated by this small but busy department. The Exec- utive Department should really be called the Administration Department since it handles countless matters pertaining to administration: Officers and enlisted personnel records, ship's orders or memoranda, berthing, printing, legal matters, enforcing the ship's discipline, educa- tion, morale, training, library service, religious services, Public Information, and let us not for- get our daily gouge-The Plan of the Day. Lt. Wriglit assists the Executive Oflicer with numerous administrative details, While Ensign Schrier supervises training. Chaplains Frame and Szczesny look after the spiritual welfare of the crew. Warrant Officers Jones and Gifford keep the yeomen in the Captain's and Executive OfHcer's offices hopping. For such a small de- partment they certainly have enough work to do-Ask anyone in it! D Shipping over with a smile As if the work isn't complicated enough - X twin yeomen