Samuel B Roberts (DD 823) - Naval Cruise Book

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mzumfy 7, 1955 nhl Mary Soo's girls furning 'lo on 'lhe ship's sides. N W with fradifional British colonial aplomb fhig policeman directs lraffic. I'?1--4...-Ts, Z 644 I gm 5 fa -f G , W- -.,, Pars- -L. ,Ms Y A ju waz., 'F .-. ' V' 'T ia. ,M t ,gi 'lr g -' , - .'9'i H- l -f HONG KUNG The bargain basement of the Far East was Hona Kong. Here 'C No Squeaksii and all his young ans old relatives sold us squeaky shoes. Gloucester Road featured thirty dollar suits for . . . thirty dollars. If you wanted something and it was for sale you could buy it in Hong Kong. Mary Soo and company signed on for three days as 3rd deck divisionj ln those three days she' man- aged to show even our hard working deck force something about how a ship's sides should be painted. The service men's guide organized a very ex- cellent Round-the-Island tour. A man would be a millionaire if he could have a penny for every picture taken at Tiger Balm Cardenf' that weird and wonderful creation of a now deceased patent- medicine king. The fishing village of Aberdeen, straddling the shore and the water, provided a gourmet's fish luncheon, and with the favorable exchange rate we could afford to be gourmets. Hong Kong was an intriguing place, featuring elements of almost every nationality in its vari0US quarters. An additional element of intrigue was provided by Communist China being jUSI HCFOSS the Bay. Nix x x E ,, . nj, 'fu v Some of 'lhe boys living if up in one of Hong Kong's many rickshaws. ll' was amazing lhe ihings ihey dragged ouf of 'lhose sampans 'lo frade or sell! aff' EE

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MANILA The next port of call was Manila. The Philip- pines are in Asia, thousands of miles from the States and hard by Japan. China. and Siam. but it was like coming home. People chatted in Ameri- can on the streets even if the accent had a touch of the native tagalog, and thousands of Lf S. Army hand-me-down jeeps jolted the population around town. Coke was the popular drink tho' sometimes laced with a jigger to give it muscles. But the Filipinos proudly made us remember that they have an Independence Day too. also July 4. They bragged about their democratic government tho' they willingly admitted its short- comings. And they pointed out to us the war ruins and the historic places where Filipinos and Ameri- can soldiers fought side by side against invaders. Manila socialites invited many men from the Ship to their homes and clubs as part ofa Welcome- the-Navy program, and the guests lived in style. Tours of the city and outlying districts kept us out of the city till nightfall too. We ground to a stop several times to watch water buffalo amble across Main Street, and we checked up on copra factories and grass huts. Mighty different, but we felt like home. A busy strut corner in Manila. Nota the inp-taxi. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. .D 3 Pr - Some of the officers and crew got to mee? President Megsaysay of the Philippines! 1-gi 90 . , X l Ti.. .1 , .. Pg.. r s ,v I ,.,'r ' ,.----Q' ' 'rffy W , ' Q ' X, , ,Ve . , ::: :iz I: ' . l v'f.',- ::: : ' I 'Q hail!!-.-E ff ,F i - 4- 'Q l-E515 gm- 'LL'-'

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if Q' ,f jj-, E, X 1 , U35 fir slilfil This maiesfic whife pagoda a+ fha Garden is visible for miles around. o' ,. W A , ,, ,AH 25-' -T-fs 'il ', .. - ll Tha fabulw raw sum e.,fa.n. 5 X ' ' ' 9 'YK' o g, - , X ,qw . 9 ol Q rgzrf J 1 -,,..--f- ' L aq- A couple of our officers on 'Phe way up fo ihe Garden.