Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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During the long weeks of the Pacific voyage, the athletic program of the ship was utilized to its maximum extent. War had emptied the swim- ming pool and brought the space and equipment devoted to recreation to a minimum, but due to ample deck space, ahletic competition proved practical and popular. Interest of the ship ' s commanding officers had always been reflected in shipboard athletics. One had been extremely interested in the tradi- tional Navy sport of boxing. Another, whose interest followed volleyball, had notified officers of any such games by sending an orderly with the message: Captain ' s compliments. Volleyball will begin on the arena in five minutes. During the Pacific cruise, however, basketball caught the interest of the crew and passangers, and, with the active support of the commanding officer, became the center of the most far-reaching athletic program the ship had seen. Such athletic pursuits were in addition to an extensive program of calisthenics each morning which kept the officers and men in top physical condition. The Pacific cruise saw the first of the basketball tournaments, consist- ing of competition between divisions. Corpsmen of the H division and deck hands of the Second division rated as the top teams in the initial round of play. With the development of scores of expert players, an All-Ship team was organized for competition with passengers as well as teams from other ships. Although many strong Army teams were de- veloped aboard, only three times were the passengers successful in de- feating the ship ' s enlisted squads. In the years to follow approximately thirty of these Army-Navy games were played aboard. When the vessel steamed into the Atlantic, weather conditions, although often unfavor- able, seldom caused cancellation of the program, and games were played many times In almost freezing temperatures.

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i k OPERATIONS ATLANTIC were, for the most part, varied. At times, the seas mounted and showed power unsuspected; the waves tossed the ship as If she were a piece of wood; they sprayed eighty-five feet to her highest deck; they slowed her travel. Such was the trip of the Big Roll at which time the ship listed thirty-two degrees before righting herself. At times, however, the silence and the calm were hypnotic; the sea brought back memories of the quiet lake off in the woods at home.