Manatee (AO 58) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 62 text:

1 mat ■flf m ■■ ■ Wm i 7 rilD »t 1 14jfb t if fl riTrcwtr- : After a two-day stop in Subic, MANATEE steamed out toward her tenth line trip of the cruise. The final swing was marred by a collision with a destroyer which lost power to her gyro compass during the crucial approach and ran into the side of the ship. Only minor damage and injuries re- sulted from the accident, and after repairs the fueling was completed. The whaleboaf costs off enroufe to Vung Tau landing. INREPS Landing ship VERNON COUNTY comes alongside for

Page 61 text:

Once released from the stock, the excited pollywog, now almost a Shellback, plunged headlong into his next task ... a ten foot tunnel of garbage, especially saved by our fine cooks. To urge on the man between layers of refuse, paddlers lined the trench and pounded out encourage- ment. Finally, weary and dirty, but now a Shellback, the once slimy pollywog turned Prince of the Sea bathed in his glory ... a fire hose. These accounts may seem harsh and frightening. How- ever, the ceremony itself was conducted with the greatest concern for safety and orderliness that allowed each man to enjoy the experience. Each of those participating will receive a large color certificate to verify his accomplish- ment in the future. The general comments were that: IT WASN ' T ALL THAT BAD . . . The initiate washdown, and it ' s all over! 57

Page 63 text:

ENS FINLEY passes instructions to the helmsman, while standing wa ' ch as Officer of the Deck. For the ship ' s officers, the wardroom offered a place to relax, a dining room, a place to hash out administrative problems. The ship had a rapid turnover in officers during the cruise. LT Harve SCHUTTE was relieved as Supply Officer by LTJG Rick KLAUBER when the ship arrived in Sasebo. In Subic CAPT GILLOOLY was relieved by CAPT FAAS. As a result of the early release program initiated in September by the Navy, the ship ' s Communicator LTJG George RIPPEL was relieved by ENS Jeff FINLEY, and LT Jim LAWIN was relieved by LTJG Wally NABERS as First Lieu- tenant. Both ENS FINLEY and LTJG NABERS were already serving aboard and Fleeted up to their new positions. By January LCDR Ken FISHER, LT Ron THOMPSON, Chief Warrant Bosun Joe HEENEY, Ensigns Dave MILLER and Mike ANDREWS had joined the Wardroom. LCDR Bob MUMFORD, LTJG Wally NABERS, and LTJG Al WEYL were transferred to new duty stations. With the rapid turnover there were constant hail and farewell parties at the Kalayaan Officers Club in Subic. OFFICERS Taking a break in the LTJG CALKINS. rdroom: (L-R) LTJG GABRIEL, LTJG WEYL, 59