Ashtabula (AO 51) - Naval Cruise Book

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Miss ASHTABULA Miss Lillian Kay Hammond Miss Gail l-0l m0n Los Angeles, California l-Ong Beach- Cvliforniu Henry W. Buffett, ETR3 James W. Hinton, SHI Miss Barbara Gould Westchester, California Submitted by: William A Frogue, SN Miss Judy Gentry M. Q o d Fresno, Comomio B ess Patrlcla Edmon s Lawrence D. Gentry, SN RGT:jgLOr3VW:Shl2if0EA . ans ,

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We're Not Always at Sea . .. it only seems that WCIY DEPARTURE FROM SAN PEDRO On a bright and sunny April 9th we bid G sod farewell to our families and friends and left to begin our six month tour in WESTPAC. Last goodbyes were exchanged when the ASHTABULA officers and crew held open house between the hours of 0800 and l000. The last line was cast off at i002 and we were once again off on a long trip to far away lands. We caught . our last glimpse of land at i430 that afternoon so long' I'yI'e as we passed by San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands. lvluch of the crew had recently reported aboard and were looking forward to seeing the Hawaiian Islands and Japan for the first time. For those making their second, fourth, or even twelfth such trip, it was merely a matter of five months, twenty-nine days and ten hours before they would return home again. Our transit to Pearl was hampered by heavy weather, but the endless series of shots ad- ministered by Doc Little proved much more bothersome to the crew. We observed Easter Sunday with a special sunrise service on the fantail, this was followed b y a zone inspection as once again we came to realize that there are no holidays for the service forces. On the l4th of April, the ASHTABULA opened its 2- center swimming pool and thus became the only oiler-luxury liner in the Pacific Fleet. International Market Place Aloha Tower HAWAII We arrived in Pearl Harbor on the morning of April l6th and were SUDfised to learn that our students at COVQO School had arranged for a ship's Aloha Party at Fort DeRussy. great time, hot dogs, hamburgerS, The Everyone had a WOVITI bluish waters of Waikiki Beach, and an after dinner stroll down Kalakaua Avenue toward the InternationOl Market Place all contributed toward making it a memo- r bl .a e day. The old saying, Guam is Good, but Hawaii IS Heaven , certainl S y held true for our visit to Pearl Harbor. slmenmen visiting the islands for the first time were 0 u en there were no hula girls in Hlllile grass skirts to welcome the ASHTABULA to Hawaii, but the men soon conceded that the more fashionable bikiniS but disappointed wh