Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

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Q V E FOREWORD Now Hear This: This volume is prepared as a fitting memorial to men who have served their country in a great and terrible war. Some of them were trained in the Navy. Others have left their homes, schools and work benches but the trained and untrained have worked side by side to defend their country against the Germans and Japanese who delivered that terrible air attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Nothing we can put into pictures or words can fully express the earnest- ness of these men, their skill and their courage. To catch the patriotism, the fearlessness, and the devotion to duty characteristic of them, it is necessary to read much between the lines. Nor can we fully narrate the hard work, the long gruelling hours of training, the tiresome loading and stowing of supplies, and the tense drawn faces at General Quarters Stations ready for any eventuality. Captain Wallace M. Beakley has been anxious to have this book pre- pared for the permanent record of the Navy and all men who have served aboard either or both BLOCK ISLANDS. Many of our personnel have spent all their Navy careers in one or both of these vessels. Without Captain Beakley's interest, effort and assistance, the book would have been impossible. We, who have worked upon the story, know that many names have been omitted, It has not been possible to give every man his full account. Only incomplete records are available because of the sinking of CVE 21. The book is a story of a team and not a man. To have prepared a full Who's Who of our gallant crew would take more volumes than we can afford to print. Many men whose faces fail to smile back at them in these pictures may well claim their share in the glorious record of CVE 21 and CVE 106. . The illzcstratiofns in this volume are oiicial U. 5. Navy and Marine Corps photographs and may not bc' reproduced 'willxout permi.x-sion. The landing signal ofifers were drawn by Frances Mead.

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J 1 D D 4 .1 1 -,-.1 'U 1 1 10 :TO .CD - 512 591 :Q .- - 2 :Z ,.. L. D B- F W9 .ie- . .- ,.-. ...- ...- - .53 IL 's.. E.: a..- .... qu 'LJ 1-31 io -:Q LD 1 -1 ..- 'au 9512 Jn-1 'E --1 B Pl :Z fr 'ld Ze ,- 5- IE 1: 5:3 THE C0 NIA ll REAR ADMIRAL DIXWELL KETCHAM, USN ADMIRAL DIXWELL KETCI-IAM graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1920 and became a naval aviator 19 December 1922 after training at Pensa- cola. After many important tours of duty, 1939 found him Air Officer in the USS SARATOGA. The following year he became Operations Officer of Carrier Division One and later aide and Chief of Staff. In 1943 he commanded the USS CHENANGO. Wihile he was attached to Carrier Division 27 his Hag flew from the BLOCK ISLAND masthead. Admiral Ketcham is now Commander, Fleet Air Wing One. CAPTAIN FRANCIS MASSIE HUGHES, Academy Class 1923, made records as quarterback on the football squad and won letters in ' wrestling and lacrosse. His first sea duty was aboard the USS TEXAS. He achieved his wings March 1931 at Pen- sacola. After a tour of duty in the USS CHICAGO, he served with air units at Pearl Harbor and aboard three great carriers. His PBY squadron jj: 25, was the first to get into the air at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Still in his pajamas, which he rlirhft doff for 48 hours, his Catalina careened up the channel and was off on a 1500 mile patrol Hight. He com- manded squadrons in the combat areas of the Pacific until he came aboard the USS BLOCK ISLAND, CVE 21, I0 March 1944. He is now Chief of Staff to Commander. Fleet Aircraft, West Coast. CAPTAIN F. M. HUGHES, USN ,Y mam 4 .4 s:,yg . m'x'4ffY,3ff if-1 . ,A CAPTAIN LOGAN RAMSEY, USN CAPTAIN LOGAN C. RAMSEY graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1918 with the class of 1919. Diiring the last six months of World W7ar I he Served aboard the USS TEXAS in the British Grand Fleet. Captain Ramsey became a naval aviator in 1921. Wfhen the attack was levelled at Pearl Harbor, Captain Ramsey was Operations Ollicer of the Patrol Wiings based in the Hawaiian Area. In May, 1942 he became Operations Officer at the island of Mid- way. Subsequently he served as Chief of Staff to Commander Aircraft, Pacific Fleet. 8 March 1943 he became the Commanding Officer of the USS BLOCK ISLAND CVE 21 and served aboard until 10 March, 1944, when he was or- dered to duty as Chief of Staff to Commander, Fleet Air, Norfolk. He is now the Commanding Officer, USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN. CAPTAIN WALLACE MORRIS BEAKLEY, Naval Academy 1924, earned his wings at Pensacola in 1926 after tours of duty in the USS UTAH and the USS MAHAN. Remarked for his ability as an aeronautical engineer, he took post-graduate courses in this field. At the start of the present war he com- manded Fighting Squadron Five and subsequently was Air Group Commander aboard the USS WASP until it was sunk by the enemy submarine attack. He became Air Operations Officer of the Staff of Vice Admiral Towers, COMAIRPAC. and took part in strikes on Marcus and Tarawa made by the USS YORK- TOWN and the USS LEXINGTON. After nearly 2 years on the staff of Fleet Admiral King, Captain Beakley 1 August 1945 became Commanding Ollicer of the BLOCK ISLAND. CAPTAIN WALLACE M. BEAKLEY, USN