Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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The pier of NAPLES, ITALY, Molo Luigi Razza, more lhan any ofher single i+em, lies a dying memorial lo The deposed Fascisfi. The false facade of marble and gilf fell wifh ihe crumbled rubble of The sfafe. Bronze sfal. ues, 'rypifying 'rhe spirif of 'rhe undying ancienfs, however, remained erecl, haughfily surveying 'rhe remnanfs of fhe lale regime. Dead, bloafed which once profecled fhe Halian lifeline clog fhe bay. All Naples, however, is noi in ruins. The Casfle of Sf. Elmo, sfill inlacf, dominales 'rhe ci+y's highesf hill. To 'rhis vanfage poinf, Naples rises from fhe shore fo display herself, garbed wilh one of The world's mosf beauliful localions. Buildings, some ancienl, some modern, ferrace 'rhe hill's side, falling away info fhe blue wafers a+ +he cify's shore. Mounf Vesuvius, wi+h delica+e pink clouds afloal overhead forms a disfanl baclc- drop. Virgil, who was believed +o be a sorcerer, once puf fhe newly laid egg of a sea serpenf in+o an iron cage. By magic, +he egg was fransformed info 'rhe Caslel dell'Ovo lCas+le of 'rhe Eggl. The casfle slill sfandsg Virgil's lomb, also, is in Naples. The San Carlo Opera house, foo, survived fhe onslaughl fo remain a gem in 'rhe dusf of +he ci+y. Wi'rh i+s area of 5l57 square yards and sfalls capable of seafing IOOO specfarors, ir is one of Europe's larges'r, wi+h i1's plush, and gill, and emblazoned ceiling, if is one of +he world's mosl' elaborafe. All Haly sings: lhe opera is The spirif of her singing. ships , i 'UI g , f . 1. I1 4 X 56 , , s flllvfi ' .J 4.. s

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pompegi and her conqueror, Mounf Vesuvius were buf a fruck-ride disfanf from Naples. Excavafed from her bed of lava affer I80lJ years of silence, fhe ancienf cify's glories and perversions were .bared in fheir arfisfry and baseness. Slowly emerging from fhe cenfuries dusf were 1-he House gf fhe Veffii, fhe fheafre, fhe forum, and fhe Temple of Juililijrerupfion of March, I943, assisfed fhe Allied bombers fo find fheir fargefs in Naples. By one erupfion, fhe volcano enslaved and silenced a people, by a second erupfion, she freed anofher. I A landing craff, loaded fo fhe gunwales wifh gold braid, leff Naples for fhe Isle of Capri. The group, familiar wifh Radar, Loran, and radio direcfion finders, ignored fhe fog and proceeded on fheir course. Such basic navigafional observafion as fhe sun's irregular appearance in alfer- nafe quarfers of 'rhe sky worried some, buf fhe coxswain held fheir con- fidence. He was following anofher craff across fhe mine field so he, didn r need a compass. If fhe ofher craff had a compass he did nof know. He did know, however, fhaf fhe ofher coxswain had faken fhe roufe before and knew fhe way. Neifher boaf had a compass! All faces were red. Buf fhey blossomed a deeper scarlef when an Army fug rescued fhem from fhe mine field and led fhem fo Ca ri. The lushness P of fhe Blue Groffo and fhe relaxafion of swimming in fhe Mediferranean relieved fhe nervous fension of fhe frip. A+ Mondragona Beach fhe ship's parfy was greefed wifh a shaded welcome. lf you sef off a mine when in swimming, please realize fhaf if was nof leff fhere in+enfionally . The German command had expecfed +hO b h l l I I t is eac fo be a ponnf of invasion. Anzno, msfead had been used. This beach became a resf cenfer for 'rhose who invaded elsewhere.