William M Wood (DDR 715) - Naval Cruise Book

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INTRODUCTION TO THE CRUISE In embarking upon her 1953 cruise of the Mediterranean, the Willie Wood assumed her post within that assembly of friendly ambassadors, The Sixth Fleet. Her diplomatic task, if it may so be termed, was to enlarge and strengthen the bond of friendship between the peoples of Europe and the United States, and to inspire confidence in the protective might of America. She fulfilled her mission admirably. But to the officers and men who are the life's blood of the Willie Wood, the cruise was much more than an assignment from Washington. For despite the torment of separation from loved ones back home , it was for everyone, an absorbing education, a lively social spree, and experience never tobe forgotten! And especially worthy of mention is the satisfaction of a long-suppressed desire by a very few of us who - with Pop Duffy - can now say, fried snail! Gad! At last I've eaten a genuine French 4' ,l 4' , 74 f p ' Q qg -I 1'-E 3- - ANQAN Zi X, f'-42'-, , 'ids

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THE CRUISE We departed from Norfolk shortly after noon of November 12, 1953, and in company with the USS TARAWA, held to an almost undeviating course across the wide Atlantic. Ten uneventful days later, we entered the Straits of Gibraltar, sighted the mighty Rock and acquired a sud- den glow of contentment with the prospect of a new association and, more important, relief from the steady tedium of shipboard life. As a place on the globe, Gibraltar is insignificant, yet historically it has been, is, and will continue to be of great importance. As a fort- ress, as a naval base, as a fueling station and a free trade emporium, it is known the world over. Though Gib was a source of temporary fascination, it was generally agreed by the men of the Willie Wood that aprolonged visit would inevitably produce serious psychological distur- bances. The citizenry of the Rock resists attacks of a dread malady termed Gibraltar Cabin Fever by the prophylactic consumption of e- normous amounts of Tombstone , a delightful beverage produced by the distillation of granite. We journeyed next to exotic - and necrotic - Algiers. This ancient stronghold of Moslem faith is now a divided city of unmistakable contrast: the inviting chocolate shops and delicate perfumeries of Rue de Prince merging with but completely hostile to the depressing squalor of Rue de Casbah. Daily tours of the city, including a visit to the curious Djedid Mosque and a hurried expedition through the notorious Casbah, were followed by nightly excursions to clubs and cabarets which featured a simple, folksy, rather fluid sort of entertainment. Our hearts were stolen las well as our watches and ringsj by a bro- therhood of devastatingly charming youngsters who devotedly set-out to make our visita memorable one! These lovable little fellows were con- stantly by our sides, ever willing to unveil local objects of interest, d above all, fav- provide a unique, commodious currency exchange, an 'th formal introductions to the budding young debutantes of society - uswi Alger. We shall forever be grateful to the senior class of Mohammed Spillane's Finishing School for the Criminally Precocious. From Al iers we sailed to Naples. . . our one-day stopover was all too 8 Short. The brevity of our stay prevented even a superficial investigation f the wonderful scenes in and around this colorful Italian city. But o we did nothing else in Naples, we encountered the most energetic, most ' ' dl Th 'r resourceful, most doggedly determined salesmen who ever live . ei wares were of every description, in ' ' ceivably be loaded aboard a Destroyer of the 692 Class. of the Italian language created not the cluded everything which might con- And our unrivaled ignorance slightest difficulty in conducting every sort of commercial transaction. Onthe contrary, most of these genial Italian merchants would deftly de- ' ' - t ocket, rub osit some sort of highly polished hardware in a pea coa p P their palms methodically and in crisp, flawless, Bostonian English ask, Ve1l, Joe, vut vill you give me for it ? ' I-an-M 'sg