Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

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I W' 'JT The ojfcers' home aboard ship is the Wardroom, where they have their meals and comefor relaxation when work is done. Similar to the Wardroom, hut smaller, the W. O. Mess is where the ship's Warrants eat meals andfnd ease and recreation. Q' 1 The GSK storekeepers maintain a card fle on the .3500 dgferent lffm-f they have on handfor issue to all departments. K The tons of stores, provisions and supplies which the ship uses during a cruise must he replenished upon entering port. To the crew, Suppbf Ofce work on requisitions and accounts Ctopj is of less interest than the paymaster's end-of-month chores. 147

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HE Supply Ofiicer has over- J I 1 I 1. 'iv I lr if ffl 4 rr lik ii? -I 'fi 1, iq 'iv in il 4. I ai: L PAYING, FEEDING, PROVISIONING ARE FUNCTIONS OF S DIVISION all supervision of the de- partment, assisted by the Ship's Stores Ofiicer, the Dis- bursing Officer, and the Com- missary Ofiicer. The veteran ofiicers and men of the Supply Department know their jobs and execute them faithfully. They requisition, go after, and return to the ship with provisions and stores of all kinds-not only necessities, but also the extras that make life more pleasant for all hands. The men of the de- partment see to stowing the sup- plies in the proper storerooms, from which storekeepers and strikers issue them to the ship's various departments and activities. The Disbursing Ofiicer and his assistants handle pay accounts averaging between 375,000 and 580,000 a month. They must be concerned with each man's family allowance, savings allotment, insurance premiums, and war bond allotment as well as with the amount he person- ally receives in the pay line. The Commissary Ofiicer organizes the menus and supervises the preparation of an average of 3000 meals per day for the crew. His part of the Supply Department I i 146 Q...-am.-T1 Ji T., 3- .1--aiii-lv -- r we V f - Y-W Tlze Supply Offer, Lt. Comdr. Louis B. Wagner, USN. also issues stores to the Chiefs' Mess, the Warrant Officer's Mess, and the Wardroom Mess. The Ship's Store Activities, under the direction of the Ship's Store Ofiicer, touch many fields. The Ship's Store itself has sold over S233,000 worth of sta- tionery, peanuts, razor blades, and other items - including 975,000 packages of cigarettes, 36,200 gallons of ice cream and 483,000 cokes and root beers have been dispensed from the Hgedunk stand. The profits from these sales provide for the free service in the Barber Shop, Laundry, Cobbler Shop, and Tailor Shop. Even after paying for all this there is a sizeable profit, but it does not goto any one man-every man on the ship gets his share. The money is placed in the Ship's Store Profit Fund, which buys cold beer for parties on hot PaCif1C beaches and pays for events like the Ship's Party in thff States. VVith the end of the war some other departments have been able to let down a little, but not so with the Supply Department, men still want to get paid and they still have to eat.

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The Supply Department believes the old maxim that a ship that feeds well is a happy ship and serves the crew three good, hot meals a day in the messhalls. Men waiting in the chow line wonder how many days at sea this time before dehydrated spuds and Spam manage to get on the menu. A menu callingfor stealesfor everyone is a large order, but the cooks in the galley manage it with ease about three times a week. With 1200 customers every meal, the cafeteria system is the best method of giving each man all he wants of what is offered. X Advancement in rating to Chief Petty Ojfcer brings with it the privilege of living in the C.P.O. quarters, where the Chiefs have a separate mess. X O T