Antares (AK 258) - Naval Cruise Book

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ROME by E. R. Malin On Tuesday morning, 17 Feb. 1953 a tour including 17 men and ofiicers left the ship for two days in Rome. During the five and one-half hour ride the guides pointed out the sites along the old Apian Road. Mr. WALKER, L. PURVIS, and R. HAWKINS made the trip as shore patrol. Upon arriving in Rome, the men were treated to' an Italian favorite - spaghetti. After dinner spaceous rooms were assigned. The tour that afternoon included such wonderful sights as St. Peters Basilica, St. Paul's church, the Pope's summer and winter homes, the Park of Rome and the balcony from which Mussolini gave his speeches during the war. Camera armed sailors including Florian, Austfjord, Stamos, and Vetter took pictures of 'many of the sites. Kelly managed to get his face in most of the pictures much to the dismay of Forte who ran a close second in posing for pictures. Later chow consisted of another spaghetti dinner. The men began to wonder if they ate anything else on this sunny peninsula. Mr. WALKER marveled at the fountains in Rome and wondered how they could waste so much water. On ship fresh water is as valuable as top secret material and as guarded in almost the same manner. ' Kelly, Vetter, Forte, Sz Meier decided to go dancing that night. They met several of the Roman beauties in one establishment. The taste in women varied among the gobs. Kelly preferred fat women. Vetter liked them thin. Vetter was the hit of the evening when 141 he tried to jitter-bug on the dance floor. It was a pleasant evening until Vetter ended up paying the cab fare back to the hotel. Forte's girl was so obliging in relieving him of his last three thousand lire. Crook, Zimmerman, and Saltus had a nice night also and it was difficult to get them up in the morning. On Wednesday morning another tour of the city was conducted. On this trip such tourist attractions as St. John's church, where the 28 steps with Christ's blood are found, St. Mary's Basilica where the Catholic boys received blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, the pyramid, the Colosseum, Pantheon, Arch of Emperor Titus, and finally the Roman Forum where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death, was seen. The latter was a photographers dream. Mr. SMITH, MEIER, STAMOS, and AUSTFJORD jumped the railing to get a better view of the ruins. A guard took them to an ofiice where they had to pay two- hundred lire each for admission. They returned to the bus amid loud laughter from the other members of the crew. After this tour the journey home was started. On the way the Catacombs were visited. After wandering through these ancient tombs the tour party boarded the bus once again for Naples. An evening meal was served in a small town named Formia. The chow again was spaghetti. The driver made the last part. of the trip at a record breaking speed. . He drove like a wildman taking hair pin curves on two wheels. About 2045 the bus driver left the tour party off at the ship. A -tired but happy group of men climbed the gangway of the ANTARES full of stories to tell their buddies.

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CASABLANCA The stay in Casablanca was a short one. Liberty in this town was perfect according to Burke, Saltus, Szczur, Mann, and Hawkins. The city is suffering from growing pains. Soon it will be a challenge to any metropolis in Africa. The sections of the city are remarkable in contrast. The French section is as modern as New York. Window displays show the latest fashions from Paris. Sables and minks adorn the expensive shops on palm tree lined boulevards. Prices are high as most of the men found out when they went ashore. The bargains found in Rome and Naples were not present in Casablanca. The night clubs were more expensive than those in New York or Philadelphia. The rate of exchange in Casablanca was 325 franks for one American dollar. The other extreme is present in the Arab section of Medina. Here dirt, winding alleys and open markets prevail. Some brave people including Barnett, Tomchick, and Gunter went into this section to see the sights. Hair-cuts were not common among the arabs and Tomchick, our, barber, could make a fortune in this part of Africa. The last trip, tours were made to the prisons but no old salts went back for a second time on this cruise. The reason would be worth investigating. The thoughts of home were dominant as the ship left this port for the trip back across the Atlantic. IT May Bs Jonv' orHARo Fan ME To C ozvvuvcf Tn: 7?E.s'T of' The CHIEFJ' THAT I Gov' A li Goan BARGAIN 7 s-us NME. ' 7. h a 1 'fav' .',,. nw' My 6