Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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nf .i. ii Taj Mahal Hon

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Alone, the lighthouse stood guard at the edge of the reef. Ships came close aboard, made a sharp turn and slid between coral shelfs. The mountains were high and blue in the distance, but the hills at the harbor ' s edge were barren. Noumea, looking like a mining camp, was at the head of Dumbea Bay. During peace, the Clippers halted here, but with the world at war, countless Allied ships lay at anchor, refueling, taking on supplies, or giving the men a chance to set foot on solid earth after months at sea. Noumea had little to offer for entertainment. Bars were shambles, hastily thrown together. Good liquor was served for the first two or three drinks, and then it was exchanged for inferior brands. The huge Tonganese soldiers watched the long line of Yanks against the wall surrounding the Pink Palace. The souvenirs were not products of Noumea, but they were purchased by the Americans: wood carving from the Tonga Island and trinkets from the South Sea Curio Company. At the Army PX attractive French girls served coffee, malted milks, ice cream, or sandwiches. Officers spent their time at the Officers ' Club in the Hotel Pacific. The view of the city from St. Joseph Cathedral was excellent, lying spread under the billowing clouds of yellow smoke from the nickel smelters. Javanese women with their wrap-around skirts and Immense straw hats moved quietly among the cosmopolitan crowds of Chinese, Tonganese, British, American, and French natives. Water snakes and fungus infection resulted in the cancellation of swim- ming. Hunting parties were arranged when the time permitted. Chief Specialist Jerome Zerbe, Cafe Society photographer, was as- signed to the ship, reporting aboard the night before sailing. Preparing to retire, Zerbe donned a pair of bright pink pajamas. About 0200, Johnson, CWT, came aboard from liberty. Turning on the light he saw Zerbe blissfully asleep. Johnson was panic stricken. When he could control his laughter he led the Officer of the Deck in and pointed to Zerbe. Next he showed the sleeper to all the messengers and to the men returning from liberty, until the OOD had to send Johnson to bed. Later, when the ceremony of crossing the line was in p rogress, Zerbe was re- quired to parade around the ship in the pinkies. With the arrival In New Caledonia In 1943, the ship was called upon to furnish replacements for Admiral Halsey ' s fleet. Almost three quarters of the deck force was transferred. Shortly after, a new draft reported aboard in San Francisco. Fortunately, conditions were not as bad this time as they had been when the commissioning crew took over In Phila- delphia, for there remained a nucleus of the experienced personnel. Several of the men who came aboard as seamen in the first draft of 1942 had now become responsible petty officers. There was Villanelli, who took over the reins of the First division in 1943 and remained in charge until he was made chief In the fall of 1945. In the Second division Smiley Witter and Red Clifton were given charge of the division.

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The Transportation division, working with the permanent Army staff aboard, was responsible for the handling and caring for the six thousand passengers. It insured proper berthing and messing schedules, and main- tained cleanliness in the troop living spaces. One of the few larger trans- ports to do so, the Mount Vernon served three meals each day to all passengers, a total of nearly 20,000 meals daily — over eighteen tons of food! After one month at sea, interrupted by only two days in Melbourne, the Mount Vernon docked at Ballard Pier in the harbor of India ' s most famous city — Bombay. Then began a two week education in the art of bargaining which made the members of the crew expert tradesmen. It had been rumored that diamonds, rubys, and other valuable articles could be had at a cheap price in India, but it soon became appare nt that the shopkeepers were selling nothing cheap. The rupee, worth about thirty cents, and the anna, worth a little less than two cents, became familiar words to the ship ' s personnel, who soon learned that they were not ex- pected to pay the price first asked. The Indians were masters of the art of bartering, and could wear a pained expression that would give the buyer the impression he was stealing from them rather than purchasing an article. The first liberty party returned to the ship with ornate tables and baskets, silver filigree pins, ivory carvings, and brassware with colored designs. The favorite souvenir was a mounted mongoose-snake fight. Night found many at the Taj Mahal hotel, or the Green hotel relaxing