Badoeng Strait (CVE 116) - Naval Cruise Book

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' . ' ■ . ' -; HJSjl, January •• ■-, ' lobe C03(3ttJiyWS3W o qscesL ( ornmanaei idxobert zDrent, after graduating from the Jlaval ( Academy in ' 939, served with snip s of the 1 ntlantic -Tied before deceiving his II ings in 1941. -Assignments to duly multi- engine squadrons during the war culminated with duty as Executive ( ' Jfice of i - ' xi- L ' J—110. i •iflcr touts in t-Jlnti= S5ubma ' dne zUevelopment Squadron C ne ana unload the Jlaval uJiir Station, San il iego, he repotted to the USS Sicily (C VG—118) as Operations Office. Sie left this didtj to assume command of .J ' leet Service Squadron Seven- n r-fanuarq, 1954, he hecanie ( ommanding ( ' fficet of c Hir t inti= Submarine Squadron dhirtij ' tiqht. ' 1 l om • homa I n nery teported ■ ' . embe ' , ig54, from ' i I ' tit i station, ' Ke previa had duty as ' ' hqlil j : . IS ' ' ,,: QJork, eau of Ships, in ' Inlt ' ■ i i ' if e and tat i ' ' ,. ' ' f ■ i ' ' ' ; Commander Shomas ' . JncOnery, JSjl, Wecember tg if-t ' ctober 195?

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?4 ' pecv ?i t In March 1954, VS-38 became the the first squadron on the West Coast to receive the S2F-1. Commander Robert Brent, VS-38 ' s skipper, set the pace by being the first pilot to bring the plane aboard a CVE, the USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116). Later that evening, LTJG Bowers followed suit to make the first night landing aboard a CVE. To better appreciate this feat it is best to mention dimensions: The wingspread of an S2F-1 is 69 feet. The flight deck width of a CVE is 74 feet and the landing length is 366 feet. The planes land at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour, and if the pilot rolls straight down the center of the deck he has a 2 foot clearance on either side until he reaches the barriers and the island structure. To add further proof to the skill of its pilots and its safety conscious crew, VS-38 received the COMAIRPAC Safety Award for VS type aircraft for the 2nd and 4th quarters of 1954. It maintained this accident free record throughout the cruise. Adding to its list of firsts — at sea aboard the USS Hancock (CVA-19), VS-38 ' s ST-7 was the first plane to be launched from their steam catapult. Aboard the USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116), VS-38 became the first squadron to launch the S2F via catapult while at anchor. Om ' PneAeat cU e April 1955 : Days of intensified training and periods of expectancy are over. With little fanfare and few tearful goodbyes, VS-38 quietly went aboard the USS Badoeng Strait and again set sail from San Diego. Stopping in Hawaii only long enough to prove its operational readiness, the ship and squadron continued on their assigned mission — to be ready and immediately available to the 7th Fleet and other forces protecting our interests in the Far East. Besides the ports of call ; Hawaii, Japan, Formosa, Okinawa, and Hong Kong, many shore liberty parties fanned out on excursions to explore nearby points of interest. Fleeting pictures come to mind ; the peaceful beauty of Pacific islands fringed with cotal beaches and coconut palms ; noisy Oriental ports with their narrow streets and flashing neon signs, left hand traffic and scurrying natives hounded by maniacal taxi drivers who used their horns instead of brakes. Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Tokyo, Kamakura, Keelung, Naha, Hong Kong ; Leering wooden idols, volcanoes, Mt. Fuji, hundred foot pagodas, and gigantic bronze Buddahs ; Hula girls, Geisha girls, and Blue Moon girls ; Grass skirts, slit skirts, and kimonos ; Slanted eyes, almond eyes, and round eyes ; Liberty boats, fleet landings, rickshaws, and taxi cabs ; Fistfuls of Military Script and bales of Yen exchanged for boatloads of cloissone vases, chinaware, ivory pieces, cameras, binoculars, brocade and silk goods. A brief stop at NAS Atsugi and then back to the ship. Hoist anchor. Prepare for underway scheduled opera- tions. Short days, long days, cool days and days filled with unbearable heat. Idle days and busy sweat-filled days of Flight Quarters, General Quarters, and sea-going details. The days blend into nights, the nights into weeks, the weeks into months. . . . October 1955 : Homeward bound ! The hardships are forgotten, only the good times are remembered. It was a good trip and a good crew. There were many interesting sights and unforgettable adventures, but there is nothing. absolutely nothing, that can compare with the thrill that sweeps through the ship as men eagerly line the rails to catch their first sight of Point Loma, USA. The ship enters the bay. Bands, majorettes, and Welcome Home banners line the pier. Tugs ease the ship into its berth. Sailors cheer as the first lines are cast and made fast. Crowds gather. Tension mounts as familiar faces cry out and frantically wave handkerchiefs. The gangway is lowered. Eager men rush down into waiting arms. Sweethearts and wives laugh and weep with uncontrolled relief and joy. Home is the sailor from the seas. . . .

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Rear Row : LTJG K.L. McClain. Ill, CDR R. Brent Front Row: R.A. RaderJ.E. Miller. R.L. Boyd Rear Row : LTJG E.E. Schnetzler. CDR T.V. McEnery Front Row: S.D. Gorham, G.P. Nieberle, H.R. Cooper Rear Row : LCDR M.L. Chapman, LTJG T.D. Eyres Front Row: E.F. Wilson, R.N. Sullivant, Y. Tallent