Montrose (APA 212) - Naval Cruise Book

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r ,r ■v - ■T iVlt il ' . I . J In addition, [ eio is a personal set of memories for eacli of us: A l)roken nose suffered in an accident ; Il ip In Itauilio: That di ision lilast on Grande Island: Havinii a tooth repaired in 20 degree rolls from ground swells while at sea; The vigorous bargaining of Hong Kong: The (liilian Alert ' ; The championship winning MONTROSf, H AinERS:, Bowling in the ship ' s league: es. thi cruise provided all of u- wilh incinoric- that will never be forgotten. 43

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7 Vf Ifot o c on ottcft i, :f -il7 As we look Ijack on any of life ' s experiences, there are alwavs certain aspects that seem to remain lirightest in our memories. Menioiy always embellishes fact, but how much would this really change some of the truly unforgettable experiences of this cruise? Who can improve on the story of 17 inches of rain in one day in Subic Bay? A stoiy that would include waterlogged paint peeling from ship ' s sides; Shoes that turned green from mildew overnight; Wading in ankle deep mud in Olongapo and the feeling of being damp constantly; Or in contrast: A dip in the largest swimming pool in the world; A tough mama-san — Mary Sue who bossed a motley but highly efficient group tliat washed and painted the ship so deftly each time we visited Hong Kong. 42

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Every ciiiise has its share of work, loneliness, anger, fatigue, responsibility, pride, as well as laughter. Sometimes the laughter comes later, in retrospect, from the pure joy of sharing experience with odiers. It is this connadeship which helps to bring men closer together in times of stress and through the monotony of repetitious tasks which are necessaiy Init dull. Sometimes this closeness will highlight even the most routine tasks in our memories and sei e as reminders of the cniise. Wlui ' ll (|uiikly forget the endless shots lor flu, yellow fever, cholera or some other weii d sounding disease which the medics used as an excuse to pimcture us periodically. How many chickens were dissected, cooked, eaten and griped about by both the cooks and the crew. Or how nuich higher would the thennometers have registered in the engine room at Subic Bay if they had been calilirated higher? Lastly, who can forget the individual huddled over a microsco})e in the tiny lab in sick bay whose pronouncements meant eveiything from how much chlorine we could taste in our water to whether we were going on liberty that night. Work, loneliness, anger, fatigue, laughter, responsibility and pride — the emotions of a cruise. . (