Paul Revere (APA 248) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 27 text:

An untitled poem by a now-civilian Paul Revere man, David T. Van Etten, who expresses much of the spirit of an am- phibious operation, viewed from the best attack transport in PhibPac. Great giant dig in your hook the real work has begun, For iron muscle and wire sinew no rest till the job is done The drone of Wheels and sweat of man seeking perfection in the night, All Boats Away in record time in the least amount of light Now march the troops in silent column the reason why we're here, Now come the veteran and the green who proudly show no fear And on it goes, six hundred hands, three hundred hearts pulling through a night, And steel davits and battered boats respond to the darkened fight And somewhere toward the beach a Marine will wait for light, Knowing six hundred hands are pulling through the night And on a darkened bridge one man must stand apart, For his must be the biggest hands and his the biggest heart l 1 I The grayish-blue Pacific Dawn, four hours away, The clear cold cut of mist The hushing beads of spray A great gray giant is awake A screw is cutting clean, A tremor of tremendous power vibrates . . . vibrates . . . vibrates across her beam DANIEL T. VAN ETTEN Operations Yeoman CReductusD

Page 26 text:

ONE-ALF The grayish-blue Pacific Dawn, four hours away, The clear cold cut of mist The hushing beads of spray A great gray giant is awake A screw is cutting clean, A tremor of tremendous power vibrates across her beam A massive keel parts ocean dunes and moves them on their way, They change and form a Whitely trail and Watch her pass their way Giant arms with steel grips alert to the hour of birth, Stand ready the eternal warrior waiting for the surf A point is reached, a bearing checked short of track and to the right, A kick ahead, one-third should do now steady on in the night All back one-third, now two Let go the starboard chain - all stop, 15 Fathoms at water's edge beginning to take a strain Pipe down the Fo'csle . . . Pass the word Secure the Sea Detail Set Condition 1-A . . . All Boats to the Rail

Page 28 text:

SHIPS OPERATIONS of shotlines, boats, and whirly-birds F eling and High-line Op The Workers . . . Flight Qua The zoomies.