Macon (CA 132) - Naval Cruise Book

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UHDERWAY

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The Naval . tlachc in Barcelona was making plans for a press con- ference and was having a ship ' s history translated into Spanish. Why all the activity? The MACON was coming into Barcelona and the Public Information Officer had wiittcn the Naval Attache well in advance so that oin- visit woidd be vcll publicized. Much work had gone into the Press Kits with their nevvly revised ship ' s history, Admiral ' s and Captain ' s biographies. The budding, official ship ' s reporters were on the spot when we got into port, eager to find material lor future stories and hometown releases. The ship ' s thorough coverage in foreign newspapers is a tribute to their industry. The daily Radio Press keeps you informed of the latest national, international and sports news. This is one of those important links with the home front which you were eager to have each day. And then the ship ' s and crew ' s activities were pidjlished in the MACON WAY. You read that your friend in the Maiine Detachment had been pro- moted, the news from ilie . ' nli l)i ision boys, and the feature articles cover- ing major e ents in ihe life of the ship. The thorough coverage im- pressed you and lelt with ()u ihc opinion that the Public Information Offi.ce men must be jnitting in some long hoins. Siewjrt, H S PHG3 Niagara Falls, N, Y. X DIVISION Twin Lalie. Mid. This man was over two hours and .... What is the most important thing to a Navy man on a long cruise? It ' s mail, of course, and the Post Office was always bustling with activity. For them it was a mailer of long night hours after the final close out of mail at midnight on the night before we got underway, or it was a rough boat ride in Cannes and a twenty mile ride to the Nice Airport, only to wait anywhere from one to eight hours for that R5D from Naples to arrive. And sometimes you waited only to hear that the flight had been cancelled. There were those Christmas parcel post packages which literally moved the Post Office into the Crew ' s Lounge so that the daily routine of selling stamps, money orders and processing out-going mail coidd be continued. Few of us knew of those behind-the-scenes hours of labor involved in getting the mail to the Crew, but the men in the Post Office, despite the work involved, shared in the crew ' s happiness when they gave out the mail and heard those shouts of, Oh Boy! I got letters! And we must noi forget the men who assist the Executive Officer in maintaining order and discipline aboard. The master-at-arms were always on hand to assist the OOD when visitors came aboard in the many foreign ports or tcj lend a hand on an especially big liberty night. This then is your , dministrative Department.

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GETTING UNDERWAY Dateline, Boston, Massaihusetts, Eaih ' in tlie Morn- ing of Monday, 1 December 1958. The night reluctantly gave wn to a cokl, gray dawn. In the first light MACOX men coming on deck from below shi ered in the icy blast off Roston Bay. ]l voii spent that last night home Avith yoin lamiK. Mill felt a doiiijie chill tliat ni ir ning. The (iikl ijieaih of the Clitnlcs River caused )oii to turn yom (i)llar njj when you got off the sid)way at Cit .Sc|uaie. . nd in r)ur chest you felt a cold tightness— l)ecause Mill knew the winter would be gone and the iiees in fidl leaf before you returned to the A -.irmth ol the home ou had just left. It was sailing da ! MACOX vas departing for the Mfilitrmmciin. We voidd join the Sixth Fleet, a l (wer lor I ' eace in a very troubled and disturbed ()ild. Oui of the bustle and apparent confusion of liie preceding veek there vas a sin face of calm now. Stores were all aboard; fuel tanks full; those last- iiiinute repairs liad been made and the N.iw aul nrkeis had gathered up their last tools ,i d lelt the ship. Rut underneath the surface there was a suppiessed excitement that per aded the atmosphere. DoA n )e- low decks the engineers, who h.id lighteil olt liie last boiler hours before, sipped tups ol hot (otlee as ihe sileiulv vatchell the guages on the fiaiiel in -Main Engine Control. Finalh, c.uiie that long-a-ivaited woid, .Vrue stdliuii the SjiecidI Sen Dclriils. ou had heard it m;u)y times belore Ijiu totlay it had a special meaning. Th.ere was a little thill that went ujs and ilown your back— a goose pimple or two on the back (.it our neck— as you mo ed to )our sea detail station. Erom the i)riilge, llowing o er the sound powered phone cir- cuits, came the last instructions— ' ' Tri .-c ' in nil line!, - Shiiifl l to (insicer nil belh. When the last line lell liom the pier, the bugle soiuided loiul and clear — (oloi ' s shifted— .J enj ine.s lineh one ' ' the engine telegrajjli came alive and slow 1) the scre s began to turn and MACON jjacked into the stream. . long twehe-se( onil blast was torn from tlie ship ' s vhistle b ihe lingers of the wind, and a ciutain of blowing sn(nv as drawn liet veen shi[) .ind shore. Il ' t ' locrc underway.