Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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4 fy Q M, M7 f I F H v

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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.

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- ,fx V Two all hands evolufions which caused no griping were fhe Ship's Dances af fhe Bradford Hofel ballroom. Confinuous dancing was made possible by fhe alfernafe use of fwo dance orchesfras. Chiefs Jenny and James played hosfs af fhe dance supper. ln addifion, dances held by fhe sfeward's mafes proved exfremely suc- cessful during fhe sfay af Bosfon. Because she was a froopship and des- fined fo carry hundreds of passenger officers and officer sfafus civilians, fhe number of sfewards and sfeward's mafes assigned fo fhe Mounf Ver- non was large. Chief Sfeward Wilson refurned from fhe Fleef Reserve fo fake charge of fhe firsf group who joined fhe ship af commissioning, and was on fhe ship af fhe fime of fhe Bosfon parfy. Before he was fo refire somefime afferwards af fhe end of fhiry-fhree years service, he and his sfewards were commended for fheir efficiency in caring for fhe pas- sengers. if r i, 1! o .an p.,f..,