Monrovia (APA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 72 of the 1966 volume:

Vs WS. ' W£ £ THIS IS JOE. Joe is an American seagull, a species which spends a lot of time bobbing about the ocean. Since we spend a lot of OUR time bobbing about the ocean, we thought Joe would be an ideal guide for this trip back to the days of our Med Cruise ' 65 - ' 66. So, cast off all lines. ..Lead the way, Joe... ATTENTION CAPTAINS ATOStSSS ! g Captain J. G. Fifield COMMANDING OFFICER This cruise book provides an enduring souvenir of MONROVIA ' S 1965-66 deployment through the Mediterranean. I am sure that in years to come it will be reviewed many times and find each of us recalling our individual trials and tribulations. Although MONROVIA was a combat ready unit of the Atlantic Fleet upon departure from Norfolk, she returned with a greatly increased capability gained through participation in many fleet and NATO operations and exercises. We have had the opportunity to visit, rather extensively, four countries and many of us par- ticipated in tours to other countries and areas. At a luncheon given on board MONROVIA for the diplomatic representatives of fourteen countries, it was said that the real American ambassador was the overseas serviceman. The men of MONROVIA have proved to be just that in gesture and deed. I know that your donations of free time and personal effort will always be remembered by the recipients. The cruise was of necessity longer than planned. The extension was accepted in the best of spirit with no visible let down and, if anything, increased effort. This attitude is but another example of willingness and determination to do the very best job possible. For my part, I was delighted to have been a participant in this cruise and to have had such a wonderful group ofofficers and men with me. HISTORY OF U.S.S. MONROVIA (APA-31) The USS MONROVIA is an Amphibious Attack Transport (APA), with a primary mission of trans- porting troops and combat equipment from rear areas and landing them in assault on enemy-held beaches. MONROVIA carries 23 assault boats with which to carry out these landings. She is also fitted out as a flagship, and is presently the flagship for Amphibious Squadron EIGHT. Her keel was laid on 26 March 1942 at Bethlehem Steel ' s Sparrows Point Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland. She was first intended to be the DELTARGENTINA, part of the maritime fleet of Delta Lines, Inc; however, the U.S. Navy purchased the hull for conversion to an attack transport and she was christened USS MONROVIA on 19 September 1942. The ship was named for the home of President James Monroe, MONROVIA , located near the Potomac River not far from Wakefield, Westmor- land County, Virginia. The USS MONROVIA is 491 feet long with a beam of 65.8 feet. Her maximum speed is 17 knots with 7,800 shaft horse power. The daily fresh water distilling capacity is 40,000 gallons. Her displacement fully loaded (799 troops, with their associated equipment) is 14,281 tons and the normal cruising radius is 15,700 miles. The crew consists of 27 officers and 348 enlisted men. MONROVIA ' S homeport is Norfolk, Virginia. MONROVIA was commissioned on 1 December 1942. After training, shakedown and further con- version, she received Army troops on 10 May 1943 for transport to Oran, Algeria, in support of operations in North Africa. On 30 June 1943 General George S. Patton, Jr., boarded MONROVIA with his staff and troops to participate in the Sicilian Landings. MONROVIA received her first battle scars on 19 July 1943 in an attack off Sicily by a Stuka dive bomber which inflicted minor damage. After repairs, she set sail for the United States with Italian prisoners of war aboard. She was transferred to Pacific waters and operated in the New Zealand-New Hebrides area. On 20 November 1943, the bloody Tarawa assault found MONROVIA in the force, landing her troops and then acting as a casualty evacuation ship. On the 15th of June 1944, MONROVIA again flew her battle colors during the Saipan invasion. She once again came through air attacks and shore fire unscratched. In the Guam landings which followed, MONROVIA spent seven days with assault area landing elements of the 77th Infantry Division and experienced casualties. After repairs in Pearl Harbor, MONROVIA participated in the Leyte invasion. On the 20th of October 1944, she landed elements of the 96th Infantry Division and completed offloading equipment the next day, just in time to miss the arrival of units of the Japanese Fleet coming up from the Sulu Sea. The exit from the transport area was made under cover of a heavy smoke screen. On New Year ' s Eve, 1944, MONROVIA got underway to participate in the assault on Luzon, Philippine Islands. She made two trips to Luzon during the month of January 1945 and MONROVIA landed her troops in the assault on Okinawa, harrassed by vicious air attacks. After the war, MONROVIA served as shuttle ship between China a ' nd Japan, carrying troops and supplies. She was decommissioned into the Reserve Fleet on 31 January 1947. In November 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, MONROVIA was recommissioned. She joined the Atlantic Amphibious Force and in December 1951 made the first of her many post- war Mediterranean cruises. On 15 July 1958, MONROVIA served in another important amphibious landing being the first ship to anchor off Beirut, Lebanon, and land her landing force when that country requested assistance from President Eisenhower in resisting communist pressure. The MONROVIA always seems to be close by when trouble arises. On 23 October 1962, she was the first amphibious ship to arrive at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and offload her Marines at the out- set of the Cuban Quarantine Operation. And again on 9 January 1964, the day of the violent riots at the borders between the Canal Zone and Panama, MONROVIA had arrived in Cristobal, C.Z. only a few hours before. MONROVIA, on this occasion, supported U.S. Army troops on the embat- tled front line in sight of the ship. A MONROVIA boat and crew conducted three successful evacuations of U.S. citizens and dependents from Colon waterfront hotels on the 10th and 11th of January bringing out a total of 108 persons, mostly women and children. On 8 May 1965, when it appeared that American citizens and property were in danger in the Dominican Republic, the MONROVIA assisted by landing Marines near Santo Domingo. The MONROVIA received the following citation from the Secretary of the Navy in 1949 for her outstanding record during World War II: For exceptionally meritorious service in actions against enemy aircraft, shore batteries, mines and submarines. Operating in contact with the enemy and under attack the USS MONROVIA performed her duties as an attack transport, consistently main- taining a superior degree of efficiency in the performance of her assigned tasks and contributing materially to the development of the technique of amphibious warfare. Her courageous determin- ation and effort were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. MONROVIA is authorized to wear the following ribbons: Navy Unit Commendation, European- African-Middle Eastern Campaign (1 bronze star), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1 silver star), World War II Victory, Naval Occupation Service Medal (Europe), China Service (Extended), Philippine and National Defense Service Ribbons, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal for service in Lebanon and service in the Dominican Republic. ENS D. S. Hes ' ersonnel Office CDR R. L. Olsen Executive Officer R. E. Cluugb, YNC Chief Clerk There is a saying that the Navy is run on paper. To a certain extent this is true, for paper work is continually necessary for the efficient operation of any organization. On a ship this becomes the responsibility of the Executive Department. The yeoman and personnelmen of the department ab- sorb and properly direct the flood of paper that Ai continually surges through the ship. The door of the MONROVIA ' S ship ' s office is emblazoned with the words, v v Paper to any Point , and the carrying out of this motto becomes the source of all activities on the ship. The department is headed directly by the Executive Officer, and its steady, efficient functioning, often unnoticed by those around it, results in a smooth-running ship and ultimately in a powerful and effective Navy. C. . Boutuell. EMC Chief Master at Arms II ' . Hensley.YNS B. Steele. PC} R. Green. P 3 J. Fields, PCSN H PCSN }. Dungan, YN3 R. Speer. YXSN Chief Clougb wrestles with a new op order ' ' Yes sir, the postal clerks did meet that flight . . . trouble is, we haven ' t seen the postal clerks for three days. Speer pounds out tomorrou ' s Plan of the Day. ' ' Speling errors? What speling errors? T. Wilson, YN3 K. Baker, SN A. Hamilton, SN D. Hull. SN C. Miller, SN M.Beckmann. X4 T. Massey. SA LTJC T. W. Andres Communications Of ic LCDR H. L. Vogt Operations Officer ENS A. H. Bo s rom Asst. Operations Officer This is the modem Navy, and the concepts of operations gov- ern virtually every phase of Naval warfare today. In any exercise, the Operations De- partment establishes the ob- jectives, determines the best methods for attaining them, and guides the entire movement from start to finish. The men who perform this work are highly trained specialists who must utilize complex equipment to its fullest extent. Operations encompasses a wide variety of skills from the old, but still valuable, methods of visual signalling, to the latest in modern radar and radio equipment. The radarmen in the Combat Information Center are at work 24 hours a day, con- stantly watching for the approach ot any ship or aircraft that may be a source of danger. In battle they must process any infor- mation they obtain, evaluate it, and relay it to the Commanding Officer. Radiomen must be thoroughly proficient in the operation of their equipment. It is up to them to be certain that the ship receives and acknowledges all message traffic. These men must constantly keep pace with the rapid technological advances that are taking place in the field of Naval warfare, and their These men must constantly keep pace with the rapid technological advances that are taking place in the field of Naval warfare , and their value to us becomes more critical all the time. ENS R. L. Fleming Electronics Material Of i, A quick nooner before turn to m R. Wiersma. ETR2 R. Portell, ETR2 is D. Pedone.ETNj Sosalla plies bis trade D. Harris. ETN 3 B. Becker. ETR3 . m || K. Sosalla. ETRSN N. Kendall, ETRSN D.Schroeder.SN D. Syrop. RM3 N.Johnston, RM2 D. Hemdon, RM3 4 mmm ' Now let ' s see. Did he send a D or a Q? D. Cill.RMSN D. Hofer.RMSN P.Burgos. RM3 J.Jones.RWSN G.Umstead.RM3 J .Pirinak.YNi H .Rumley.RSM D. Smith, SN J.Schueren.SMSA B.Howard.SMSN M. Crippin.SMSN ENS J. C. Wes pbal CIC Officer Bridg e, this is Combat. The Ops O fi, M Miles. RDl J. Coilnan. RD2 No haircut, no liberty. lv Bridge, this is Combat. Those three bogies you reported are plotting dead in the air. We believe them to be stars. mm ' Noble. RD2 L. Kasson.RD] 4 4 . Bova.RDi W.West.RDj M.Smolinski.RD] J Baglama.YNi L.Creus.SN H Hoeck.PFC The success of an amphibious invasion de- pends or weakening the enemy ' s resistance at the point of attack. This is where the big guns of the Navy go to work, and their effec- tiveness depends on the ship ' s Gunnery Department. In peacetime the guns are constantly ready for action. The complexities of the modern gunnery system require all the skill of care- fully trained fire control technicians and gunners mates. They must be able to send round after round of ammunition into the enemy ' s defenses with pin-point accuracy. The success of any amphibious operation depends on this. 6 M  ta ... and after 1 care ull computed the target angle and cautiously cranked in the elevation, I fired and blew down the mainmast. Whatta day. . . A.Baker.GMGl B.Depper.GMG2 D.Zywica,GMG2 F.Carillo,FTG2 D.Nicholson,FTG2 D.Althaus.GMGi R.Foreman.GMG2 J .Larimer. GMSN F.Maso.FTGi R.Carawon. FTGSN D.Clark.SN LTJG R. W. McMam First Lieutenant The Rembrandt of Five Hatch. As long as there has been a Navy there have been boatswains mates. These are the men who rule the deck force, the ones who can create works of art with a few feet of line and a piece of metal called a marlin— spike, who look down on the sea from the rigging ' s dizzy heights. They are the old salts, the men people picture when they think of the typical sailor. But this is only a very small facet in the world of the deck force. They have a less romantic and very real job to perform today. Skillful handling of cargo, the maintenance, and the overall appearance of the ship are their daily concern. They are of necessity a hardy lot, for their endurance and skill are called on time and again. On a ship such as the MONROVIA, all this is doubly true for our pur- pose, the putting ashore of boats, vehicles and personnel, depends on them. They are the ones who move the entire assault force from the ship to the water. Often they must work from before dawn until long after sun- down without a let-up. But when the planning is done and the preparations made, the deck force is called on to perform the final step of the job we have been sent to do, and they can be counted on to produce. up forC.Q. a te CAPT T. R. Horn, USMC Combat Cargo Officer R. H. Maeder Chief of the Ship ENS H. K. Evai Asst. First Lieute ' Cast off, make the beach, and return to the ship. THE DUNGEON immM D. Forrester, BM2 J. Hughes, B.U.? A.Windham.SM} J .Anderson, B.M 3 S.Poiand.BMi R.Green. BM3 H .Parrotl. BUSS H. Garrison, SN P .Gatewood.SN W. Rogers. S L.Poe.SN AI. Baker. SN D.Fulton. SA J .McKinnies. SN DXVS ENS G. R. Cbubbuck Second Division Office A.Leuts.SN T.Scolt.SN H.Coon, SS R.KosIouski.SN T.Young.SS D. Anderson. SN J.Lambert. SN D.Stepbens.SN C.Repass.SN G.Tavemite.SN P.Mattingly.SN J.Allison.SN J.Currie.SN j.Hackelt.SN B.Rabon.BMl W.Harris.BM} ] . Spivey, BM3 R.Davidson, SN D. Flower. SN G. Lockhart.SN R.Groenendyk.SN ' Hmmm, ubere did I put the robin ' s ' ' Gotta look good for that side- cleaning. m W.Trott.SN J.Weaver.SN R.Cruz.SN J. Pepper. SN W.Ouen.SN L.Lee, SA J. Fleming,SN The Baby Bos ' n! D.Tvrdy.SN H.Gjellstad.SN M. Randolph. SN A.Stinson.SN W. Goodwin, SN J.Ziobron.SN R.Diehl.BMSN q - - •vL QL t mmik J.Mueckl.SN M. Goodhue, SN J . Boremann. SN D. Chamberlain, SN D.Moon. ' SN K. Queen, SN A. Randolph, SN M II V p1i e . More than any other type of Naval ship, an APA relies on boats. A large number of boats are necessary to conduct a landing, and for this reason, the Boat Group Department is extremely important when the ship goes into action. Both the competent handling of the landing craft and the maintenance of their engines are up to the Boat Group Commander boat group. Once the boats are in the water and loaded, there is no room for error. They must operate perfectly until they have deposited their cargo on the beach and returned to the ship. The boatswains mates and enginemen who supervise the main- tenance and operation of the craft are professionals who know their business thoroughly, because the safety of the embarked troops and the success of an operation will depend on them. ENS J. N. Reilly Asst. Boat Group Cdr. One of the hazards of our trade. D.Cliatt.BMZ C.Melvin, BM2 F.Radley.BM} G.Echard.BKi M.Larsen.SN R. ;SN P.Bamicle.SN G.Butler.SN F.Lenau.SN j.Leeper.SN R. Herman. SN G.Tirendi.SN A.Bash.SN CBroun.SN ' Alright, Mister Reilly, if you want a page-boy, The only thing to do with some of the  page-boy it is. Secretary-mates. D Goodpastor.EM2 A. Williams. EN2 R.Pride.EN2 J.Bial.ENi J.Wright. EN3 D. Lottery. EN 3 H.lsley.ENFN C. E. Doyle. EN CM Senior Ship ' s Enginem, Lottery mid Greenlee on sta The job gets kinda dirty at t P.Nickerson.FN j | I MM 1 ■ .11 f ■ Hiflfl B G E M W.Hinkley.FN ' W.Killion.FN B.Ela.FN W.Barbour. FN L.Cox.FA G Col ton. FA D. Smith. FA W.Benton. FN LCDR A. D. Schaaf Supply Officer LTJC S. R. Wassi nbt rg Assl. Supply Officer D Carpenter. SHI PA ' enable. SKI L.Ba v ' Get it from supply. Whenever a piece of equipment has broken down be- yond repair and must be replaced, you can count on hearing those words. The Supply Department is the origin of any material on a ship. Anything from boiler plates to paper clips must come from them, and theirs is a pressing and never- ending job. But procuring material is only a small part of their task. Included in their functions are the operation of two ship ' s stores, the preparation and serving of meals for all personnel aboard, the paying of the crew, and the proper storage of all supplies. This requires a large number of people and a lot of work seven days a week, for the well-being and the morale of the ship depend heavily on a smooth functioning supply department. «■ . hm G.Ptneda.SDl ]. Elliot. CS2 M Martin. SK2 R. McBride. CS2 J.Spc ,CS3 D Covey. CS3 C. Myers. CS3 F Pendleton, SK3 C. Little. SH} H. Cordon. SK} P.Magnawa.SDi H Ac SUPPty B. Catcher. SN l Alrwr.n, f. J. Brewer, SN J Campbell, SHSN H.Wood.SN V.Wiggins. SK3 C.McKinney.SN R.Paraiso.TN C.Atgner.SK} id put the so a over tht Pineda. Trapsi. and Dunlop turn to on Monday morning. G.Garcia. SN A.Meyer.SK) N.Papa.SA S.Albano.TA D.Decipulo.TN K.Kleis.SHSN R.Llewelyn, SKI V. Trapsi. TN In the early days of seafaring, it was considered bad luck for a doctor to be aboard a ship at sea. This superstition has long since passed into well-deserved oblivion and today the Navy makes medical services avail- able to all its ships. The MONROVIA carries a full medical staff equipped to handle both routine and emergency medical problems. A dental staff with all the capabilities of one found ashore is also aboard. In addition to tending the sick, the Medical Department is concerned with regularly checking on sanitary conditions to insure that a healthful environ- ment is maintained for the crew. LT R. E. Scbnee. DC Dental Of icer C. A. Wilbum, H.VCS Senior Ship ' s Corpsman ' Sol s, ' Don ' t uorry. n uon ' t hurt a hit. ' s.DTl C. Franklin. HM1 J.Cooper,HM2 cr r ' ' All bands stand by to drop trou or hepatitis shots. ' ...kmmm, facial on 14...dum de de duni.. the ine ' ll have to go. ..la la la. . .meisial on 16.. ' It wasn ' t exactly a plague, but the hepatitis scare we had during the cruise was enough to send our medical department into action. It happened in Genoa when several cases of the malady appeared among embarked personnel. The individuals found to have hepatitis were immediately sent to the Naval hospital in Naples, and later transferred to the States. Within three days after the outbreak, every person on the MONROVIA had been innoculated against the disease and the epidemic was at an end. ■ ].Gary,HM3 J .H ergenrother.HM2 L. Palmer. HN S.Beck,HM3 Loading for be For a ship to maintain maximum fight- capability, it must have an engineering plant that is in top operating condition at all times. The machinery that moves a ship through the water is a vast and highly complicated labyrinth of turbines, boilers, generators, and gears. It ' s oper- ation requires a team of competent and dedicated rnen who are ready to spend long hours working in close quarters and intense heat. These are the men who are seldom LT E. E. seen as the ship goes about its dailv Damage Cow routine. They spend their day among the great machines that provide the ship with heat, electricity, and fresh water, making sure that those machines are always ready to provide the right amount of power quickly and safely when called upon. Hams.MMl, makes an entry in the water-soundings log. M. Franco, SN Keeping up uith the POMSEE Program. J.Estepp. AIM 3 ( | ' DIVISION C.Rhss. MM) R.Clarke. FA E.Pates.FN R. Dombrowski. FA C.Eltinger, FN J . Slephens.MM) C.Tartavoull e.MM) H.Degenbart.MM 1 E Hilton. DCl A.Raker.SFP2 SHrobak.SFM} R.Gara.SFM) G. Freeman. SFP3 D.Bruder.DC2 D.Neher.ENl }.McKernan.SFM2 E. Homey. F.V J.Merlz.FA H .P eterson. ENFN VI. Horning, FN J .Masley.ENFN B. Jurczyk.FN • • • A.Mallory.BTi C «  w MSlurauski.BTi ' First you dram the oil . .Schuiler.BTi J.Kimbrell.BTFA T. Patten, BTFA L.Smith, FN C.Helgesen. BTFN C.Evtms, BT3 F H icketbier, BT3 J . Triptetl. FN JHtftftetr Lane and Orr repair a bad jixtu M.Austin. EMI J.Kekic.EM2 G.Bulaca .EM2 D.Harris.ICi G.Sumph.EM) C.Orr.EM} R.Williams.ICi P.Lane.EMFS ]. Klein. EMF LT T. R. Conye Navigator tttio , Keeping the Pilot House ship-shape and Bristol Fashi: Now listen up, Romig, and I ' ll show you how to take a Gator fix: a range and hearing on a floating buoy. Commander Price inspecting Stall personnel « tf? The Monrovia was the flagship of Amphibious Squadron Ten during the deployment and, as such, carried the Squadron commander Captain Edward Miller and his staff. These men are a group of thoroughly ex- perienced professionals who carry the responsibility for all ships in the squadron. Their work encompasses every phase of any operation the squadron is involved in. Each man must be a professional who is ready to put his abilities to work in any situation. ' Well, I guess that contact WAS closing. Better give ' em a dispe The Commodore ' s Tabl ' Boy. will ibis signal ever mess them up ' The Commodore awards Rinaldi the Good Conduct Medal. Ah! I think I ' ve got Saturn. Nope, it ' s just the masthead light. I think I ' m getting Tokyo Rose. The Stall Yeomanry. ran H ' 7so« seoi s o« fee norrf ran Ac top. _ TH HE DESERT FOX The Commodore and LCDR Cooke observe a tactics drill. ' ' II. , Stretch! Geta load of this. The Grant County ' s in station! THE PORTS • Hfi 1 I i «a. ' .jJt ' T. 1 ! ' •- ill tejt.fc Bin r;.. i VI tu. i- j 4 Our first port of call was Marseille, France. Just getting to a port after the long crossing and the hard work of our first landing at Almeria, Spain, made us glad to be there, and Marseille proved to be a fine place to visit. It is a busy city with a wealth of activity and enter- tainment. Tours were available to sev- eral other cities, including Paris. For many it was the first visit to a foreign port, and Marseille was a good place to begin. t L. The first of hundreds of visitors to the Monrovia. Fleet landing and sweet libe Pineda heads for the bright city lights. One of the many churche visited by U.S. sailors it the Med. The Skyli wet Sunday morning finds the at a local cathedral. Malta won the respect of the free world when it proved itself a valiant island fortress during World War II, and it won our respect during our stay there. The people welcomed us with genuine enthusiasm. The friendly attitude toward Americans and the fact that English is the principal language of the island, helped everyone enjoy the time spent there. We were favored with good weather throughout our visit, and this enabled many of us to take advantage of the sightseeing attractions that abound on Malta. .t i.rkl , A Hi j t jtjg i -W A pleasant old fashioned way to travel that is still popular in Malta. €M€WB6«.? f f ,t f B III! I III ■• ■ ■ Young Ensign Reilly and bis two uncles. Hoiis and Eslepp relax on a park bench in Malta  ' ' .I The early liberty party retur. from the beach. Another view of the harbor Naples silhouette. The ship visited three Italian ports on the cruise. Naples was the first and the least of these. Bad weather persisted during most of the time we were there, and the attitude of the Neopolitans, while not hostile, was not genuinely friendly. Genoa was our home for the Christmas holidays. We spent two full weeks there, and while everyone would have liked to be home for Christmas, it was an enjoyable stay. Many departments and divisions held Christmas and New Years parties here, and one of the highlights of the Genoa visit was a project to help renovate a home for the city ' s retarded children. A large number of the crew mem- bers gave their time and effort to the project. They made a lot of friends for the American Navy in Genoa. Livorno is a small seaport in Northern Italy. We were again plagued by bad weather, but many of the men were able to take advantage of tours to nearby Pisa and Florence. Beckman takes careful aim at a prize at Luna Park in Ge Birthplace of Christopher Columbus Mr 2 Nauy men a( Pisa. 4 Radioman and a Bos ' i up (fee Italian atmosphe i THE OLD IN KEEPER ' ' Garrison, ij you think that stupid story about ' uax burns ' on your hands is gonna get you a light duty chit, forgit it! HOLIDAY fesTS Seaman Franco and Lance Corporal Dickms the Navy-Marine Caps team. Gara reports conditions normal. Austin ulacan and guests soak up a je at the Engineering party held at the International Lounge. St. Nick beams from the side of No. 2 boiler. Christmas party in Main Control. The two Spanish ports visited were looked forward to throughout the cruise, and they lived up to expectations. We paid two visits to Palma. It is located on the island of Mallorca, a few miles from the Span- ish coast, and is one of Europe ' s principal resort communities. The native population is Spanish, but because of its at- traction to tourists, the city has a very cosmo- politan atmosphere. People from all over Europe are present in large numbers. Palma was an especially good port for shopping. Excellent bargains were offered by the many shops and craftsmen on all types of merchan- dise. Barcelona is considered one of the finest ports in the world to visit. It offered all the advantages of a large seaport town and still retained the old world charm that Americans look for when they travel abroad. The old Spanish culture still prevails. Tra- ditional Spanish foods and entertainment, featuring the always popular flamenco dancing, were among the greatest attractions for us. iblas de Cologn TOUION We had entered Barcelona thinking it would be our last port of call, but before leaving we received news that our deployment had been extended for one month. Toulon, France be- came the first stop after the extension. Since we had all looked forward to returning, few of us were in the mood for a liberty port. Toulon, however, turned out to be an enjoy- able town. It is France ' s principal Naval base and headquarters of the French fleet. The Naval establishment and the civilian population did much to make us feel at home, and we enjoyed a pleasant stay there. Several of our French berthmates ubere many of us visited and uere cordially received. -K-X-SP OCTEA Sion Good use u as made of a nearby recreation Pedone. ETR3. receives a well deserved letter of commendation. Coffman. RD2. ships for Kekic becomes an EM2 fiVJAfy Rabon and Franklin move up to BM1 and H Ml, respectively. w. J Hot ' l ' s, M VI2, receives Good Conduct Medal. ALthaus, GAIG3, and Aigner, SK3 pose with their advancement certificates. e M p r • 9 S Four sheets to the wind and rigged for heavy weather. ' Christmas in the Med: HO, HO, ho. Everybody line up for tht sack race. •I have a feeling wt a ant bill. £fc?TAlN ON THC PIER Engineers bit a brace. E Division isn ' t worried. Sitfttcr X l PALHA The radiomen stand ready. Deck Department gets the once-o ■■• % ' Uncover . . . Two ' Wf l rf SET Co . In the gray light of dawn the ship is a ghostly shadow in the harbor, but on board no man is asleep. Everyone is in full battle dress and waiting until the silence is broken by the announcement ' v Set condition one-alpha. This is the moment when the amphibious ships go into into action. Now the boats are loaded and launched and the assault waves stream toward the beach. The job of the Monrovia is to land assault troops in a precise and effective manner, and the energies of every individual aboard turn toward carrying out this mission. erial our dash yellow eight. A mule goes over the sid THE TARGET Boreer scans the ski frUN b- i i ' Lock and load. SHOOT off MALTA ' ■ W. .VGER. ' The safety obs CHAPLAIN TRftXSf m PPftO CM€5 Vh. I think we ought to come left little, Mr. Fleming. ' ' Lookin ' good. Tell the engine room to make six-zero rpm ' s. I I 1 1 p Jft l rf so Chaplain Lang lo highline into his record. ' ' Bon Voyage. Chapla Unrepiug uith the Sylv I can ' t figure out whether this thing ' s a soup kettle or a bathtub. fbRE mi AFT.. The Girl from Monrovia. Shore Patrol eels its reward. THOR. the god of Thunder and Lightning. Getting the sides ready for Norfolk. What, me worried about tu-o closing contacts, a radar casualty, and an up-coming form axis rotation? Nah, not me. CAPTAIN TO THE BRIDGE! Cpl. Ferara. photographer TAD to tin Cruise Book Staff, u ilh luo young ladies of Barcelona. ••After-lookout, this is Bridge: Stand by to receive a helo back a 1. ' ' Bridge, this is After Lookout: 1 can ' t hear you - there ' s a damn helicopter back hen ' r e Captain and the Commodore greet three French officers from the ships that operated with us during our stay. •Well, son, I ' ll tell you how it was back in the Old No A little of that down-under sound from Elliott, CS2. Ensign Fleming greets the French admiral on the Quarter-deck. Chaplain Lang presents a Church Pennant to Commodore Miller on the 150th anniversary of the Chaplain Corps. Tuo stewards strike a salty pose by the ship ' s schooner wheel. ' Oh boy! Shrimp asp: IP i y ■ ifc w «- 4 3 Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. nd then I says to the Ac, Some of the last of our foreign visitors. Since the earliest days of civilization men have taken to the sea, going forth to answer the call of far off and exotic places, to seek out adventure and even danger. But these men always, in the end, want to return home. Although we marvelled at the castles of Italy and thrilled to the grandeurs of French cathedrals, there was nothing in the Mediterranean to equal the sight of that humble, yet noble edifice, Pier 4, Norfolk, Virginia. Tuo new Monrovians wait to meet their seagoing fatbi Ensign Fie ■ or the fi, P m Okay, Joe, we ' re back in Norfolk now. You ' ve had your good times in the Med, and it ' s come time for you to step aside and let the brown-bagger pass, for this is HIS hour. CREDITS: Cruise Book Editor: Assistant Editor: Photographers: All drawings and lettering by: Ensign L. A. Meyer Ensign J. L. Bennett H. J. Peters, PH3 C. Ferara, LCPL, USMC Ensign L. A. Meyer mm J -