Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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0 qnce in a while, fhe wind blew 'rhe wrong direcfion from fhe Bosfon Fish Pier, or from fhe ferfilizer planf in Norfolk, buf fhe greafer porfion of fhe fume, fhe breezes were from fhe sea, wifhouf fhe benefif or dis- comforf of having crossed land in fhe immediafe vicinify. Mosf of fhe fime spenf on Aflanfic Operafions was spenf ON fhe Aflanfic, shuffling our froops befween Bosfon, New York Cify, and Norfolk on fhe sfafeside and Liverpool, Naples, and Marseilles over fhere. Cccasionally, fhe rou- fine was pleasanfly inferrupfed by deviafion fo anofher porf of call: Glas- gow, Oran, or Gibralfar or by a varied passenger lisf. Red Cross Workers, en roufe fo fhe European Theafre ioined 'rhe ship's company in posf-vicfory dances on fhe sun deck. USO froupes pre- senfed fheir producfions for fhe enferfainmenf of all presenf. Casualfies we carried, supplying fhem wifh complefe medical service uninferrupfed befween foreign and home base. Displaced persons we carried fo fheir homelands: prisoners we carried fo our land. All foreign porfs of call showed physical affecfs of war and bombings. They revealed, foo, fhe hisfory, archifecfure, and culfure of fhe people. The froops which sformed fhe Normandy beachheads D Day were reinforced by men en roufe fo England aboard fhe Mounf Vernon and fhe ofher ships under fhe command of fhe Naval Transporf Service lAf- lanficl fhaf day. She became one of fhe span of ships across fhe ocean, an imporfanf one. Six fhousand men a frip guaranfeed her imporfance as a froop carrier. These men embarked af Bosfon, buf fhey were fhe men of fhe Easfern cifies and fhe Wesfern plains, fhe Norfhern facfories and fhe Soufhern hills. The rnaiorify of froops and passenger personnel carried expressed fheir approval or disapproval of fhe ship verbally.. One, an officer of fhe lfalian forces, however, leaped overboard wifh suicide or escape fo a passing ship as his infenf. Adroif ship handling by Lieufenanf Kayser and expedifious lowering and operafing of fhe mofor whaleboaf by Cox- swain Hughes resulfed in a successful rescue af sea. Following fhe orders of Radio Washingfon, on 26 January l945, fhe Mounf Vernon alfered her course and proceeded fhrough cold fog fo sfand by a fanker afire af sea. Preparafions for boarding wifh fire gear were complefed, buf noi' carried ouf as fhe Moun+ Vernon was ordered relieved by a Coasf Guard fire boaf. The relief arrived only affer all hands aboard were benumbed by cold.

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Nofhing compares wifh BOSTON. As a home porf, she reflecfed her many facefs upon fhe ship. She was Beacon Hill and Back Bay: Scolley Square and Easf Bosfon. She was damp fog: she was musical moonlighfg she was a sunny affernoon on fhe Commons. Her music was fhe sym- phony on fhe Esplanade or fhe iive af fhe Lighfhouse. The Sfafler, Essex House, and Imperial knew when fhe ship arrived. They missed us when she leff. We missed Bosfon, foo. Arrival in Bosfon 22 May I944 marked fhe beginning of fhe ship's Aflanfic operafions. Summer had nof yef arrived in Bosfon, and fhe day seemed doubly cool affer confinued exposure fo fropical and soufhern Pacific climafe. Commonwealfh Pier was fo become fhe welcome maf and fhe scene of fond farewells. Bosfon is a bank in which much of fhis counfry's hisforical richness has been sfored. One can reflecf fhe pre-Revolufionary Days of fhe Massa- cre, of Paul Revere's ride fo desfiny, of Redcoafs and red blood in fhe snow. The Sfafe House sfill overlooks fhe Commons and fhe anfique sfores around ifs base. Paul Revere's Home, Old Norfh Church, and fhe fields of nearby Lexingfon and Concord lead one info fhe pasf, along roads lined wifh field sfone fences, once gun supporfs buf now quiefly ivy-covered. One of fhe quarfermasfers had nof learned of fhe liffing of fhe black- ouf. He disfinguished himself and saved fhe darkness by climbing fhe hundred foof masf and personally blowing ouf fhe lighf which was burn- ing fhere. Such acfion, of course, followed arrival aboard from liberfy.