Boxer (CV 21) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 98 of the 1950 volume:

I BUSY B CRUISE BOOK OPERAVnON ORIENT Uii„ ,jI l,l,ul.,.Kr,pJ. . FOREV ORD THIS BOOK tells a story; a story that is a remarkable kaleidoscope of many people, places, climates, hard work and play. It is the record of the cruise of the United States Ship BOXER to the Far East at a time in the world ' s history when the bloodless struggle between people, motivated by two opposing ideologies, was moving toward an end that only the future will disclose. In retrospect, we, each of us, realize we have been part of a memorable expedition. Among our hosts in those foreign lands we have made many fast friends for ourselves, our Navy, and our country. Each member of the crew did his part and confidently shares in the knowledge that it was, in fact, well done. Captain, U. S. Navy, Commanding. IN PREPARING the cruise book, the editorial staff has had one paramount aim: to tell and to illustrate, insofar as possible, the average vision of the cruise. This has meant including material which would not interest some; it has meant leaving out material which would be of interest only to a minority. This book is for the men who made the cruise successful, for their relatives, and also for the men now serving on the BOXER. The editorial staff wishes to express their appreciation to the men who contributed pictures, offered suggestions, stories and anecdotes. We sincerely hope that the men of the BOXER will find the book worthy of the time served and hardships encountered on the cruise. Like its fellow crew members the editorial staff believes that the BOXER is the best damn ship in the fleet. THE STAFF. ENS. A. T. BARR DT2 D. J. CARD MU2 A. T. BENTON AFAN R. A. WILLIAMS ENS. R. E. WHITESIDE HM3 A. A. HINSON FCI R.E.PIERCE SN E.J. BANKE SKSN V. E. SMITH LEFT TO RIGHT Staff Air Group Representative Assistant Editor; Correspondence Manager Layouts and Staff Artist Staff Photographer Editor-in-Chief Feature Writer Managing Editor Feature Writer Feature Writer LTJG J. B. CASKE. VF-194 LTJG H, GRAEFE, VE-195 LTJG M. J. TURNER. VF LEST WE FORGET FRIENDSHIPS ON Carriers draw together enlisted men and officers of every depart- ment; the family is small even among so many men. Each success of an individual helps buoy the spirits of all; each accident is deplored by everyone. The message and mean- ing of the Easter Season of 1950 will be remembered because of the sharp pain of separation from shipmates; silent and audible prayer was offered remembering the bereaved ones at home. Three trained and experienced pilots, believers in the Triune God, met their Maker doing that which they most loved to do in Navy life — flying aircraft. They were repre- sentatives of American homes; two were husbands; all were graduates of the Naval Academy. They were friends in life; they laid down life ' s work in a short period of time. All hands of the USS BOXER unite to respect their memory and pray every blessing for their loved ones. Ji IP (LL ,J0 [ CDR F. L. MANSON (DC) CDR O. H. MATHERS (MC) LCDR J. C. DAVIS I TH£ WORD WAS UNDER WAY I rfi.H t ,!} ' Twas a dreary Wednesday morning The Ship sailed out to sea. To face a troubled continent — Protection for you and me. We watched her hoist her anchor. Our eyes were filled with tears. The present world situation, Could keep her away for years. The ship thai I have mentioned, A mighty Carrier — She Won ' t mean much to many folks. But it means the world to me. Tis the U.S. Carrier BOXER. My Father is part of her crew. Now when her mission has ended, Let ' s hope the enemies are through. SANDRA JEANNE ROEDER HAWAMI WHERE IS the one spot in this world that we can hear the welcoming Aloha as we enter? Of course, it is Honolulu, a city which takes its name from the words fair haven. And a fair haven it is, for Honolulu is at the end of the journey for many tourists from all over who seek out this beautiful, easy living, and restful Aloha Town. For the Navy man, Honolulu is just a few miles East from the Navy Base at Pearl Harbor, and is easily reached for an excellent liberty. Honolulu, on the leeward side of the island of Oahu, the capital of Hawaii, is truly a sailor ' s paradise. In and about the city are located the much publicized Waikiki beach, with its Moana and Royal Hawaiian Hotels; Diamond Head with its imposing profile, the Aloha tower which is first to spot your ship on the horizon, Nuuanu Pali, the windy pass where the famous warrior chieftan, Kamehameha, drove his enemy, Kalinikupuli, off the precipice and thus became the first King of Hawaii; and also the aquarium, where one can watch the Huma-huma-niku-niku-apuaa fish play all day. And did you ever notice the gigantic, ever-ripe pipeapple on top of the Dole Plant? As we leave Honolulu, with our shoulders draped with Leis, and hear the bon voyages sent our way, we know we will truly miss this Aloha Town and will look forward to hearing Aloha once again. W Mi I - - .-■. 1. linn . KING KAMEHAMEHA KAU KAU KORNER DIAMOND HEAD I 4 I j I WAR MEMOR LOHA TOWER ' Wfjm ' i , ,11 J ill i ' ' Vy!l.l« ' « 1 r x % in lb ' [Ml. ? iilllilliiip - .— ... II II • «ik  • I III! III! II r r, t ai k-s BEACH AND MOANA LOA HOTEL JAPAN SURELY WE ' RE not going to anchor way out here? Answering with a rattle of chain in the hawse pipe, the BOXER dropped her hook in Tokyo Bay, seemingly 900 miles from land or civilization. But the famous Mt. Fujiyama loomed over the Japanese Naval Base of Yokosuka which was hidden by hills that were honeycombed with passages, machine shops, and bomb shelters, it was Nippon ' s largest Navy Yard. Once ashore, our first impression was a land of utter poverty, yet the short, plump men and women looked healthy and smiled at the Americans. We discovered later that it is Japan ' s custom to build houses and shops as flimsy as possible. In the shops we found a new sport: bargaining. Haggling for prices was a new and wonderful experience. Silk pajamas, smoking jackets, china, silver, raw silk, fishing poles, leather goods, cameras, pearls, knives and knick-knacks came aboard in boatloads. The weather in Japan is like that of Northern California. In spring, cherry, orange, peach and lime tree blossoms add color to the green countryside. We found Japan ' s main food and industry is fish and at one time it had the largest fishing fleet in the world. Fast electric trains carried us to the city of Tokyo, and curiosity drove many to Yokohama, Kamikura (the movie capitol), Zushi, and other outlying towns. Armed Forces Clubs and services, combined with the friendly welcome, made our stay most pleasurable. USS BOXER ANCHORED ir YOKOSUKA JAPAN TOKYO STREET SCENE GENERAL MacARTHUR ' S HQ IN TOKYO, JAPAN, FACING EMPEROR ' S PALACE p. BOXER BLUEJACKETS ON PARADE IN TOKYO, JAPAN Ui 111 ■I jji I EM CLUB, YOKOSU I RICE PADDY i HOMG KONG HONG KONG ' S crowded streets and shops will live long in the memories of the crew of the BOXER. It was here that many of the crew first saw the Sam-Pans, the float- ing homes for a large percent of the Chinese population who derive their living from fishing, working around the docks, and the coins sailors throw to the hundreds of chil- dren who dive to great depths after a mere nickel. It is rare to see a diver come up empty-handed. Rickshaws alongside the English Trams and automobiles are another strange sight. Hong Kong is a city that has a natural wall of high, barren hills around It. These hills are used to gage a person ' s importance. The higher you live on the hill the more im- portant you are. The hills are quite picturesque in the early morning and afternoons, with a heavy fog covering the caps. The narrow winding streets, which are filled with more pedestrians than vehicles are lined with many modern buildings. The many shops here are predominantly Chinese, which makes bartering very much in effect. The shops are well filled with lacquer, silk, silver, ivory, jade, cloth from Eng- land and many other Items which attract the tourist. To buy a piece of merchandise you bargain ' till you think you have brought the price down to the very bottom and shown another shopkeeper that you can ' t be cheated out of a penny — as you walk triumphantly away, that little chisler is smiling to himself victoriously as he rings up another sale to an American Sucker. If you had been Chinese you could have bought the Item for half what you paid for It. Here, as at all the other ports we visited, the merchants knew the exact time the first liberty launch would reach the dock with the rich Americans. The reason so many looked heavy-eyed on our arrival was due to their working day and night changing the price tags to a velly special pllce for us; yes, four to five times higher. We said farewell reluctantly to H ' Kong, a city of many good liberties. BESEIGED BY JUNKS i, o UBIC BA Y SOME HAIL Subic as +he best base outside the States. Many have different opinions on that score, but we doubt that more than a few can say that Subic personnel didn ' t go all out to give us the best they had. The old timers say that this base was Just a bit of land surrounded by salt water at the war ' s end. Since that time the lively group at Subic has built a swimming pool, a Gedunk Stand, bowling alleys, clubs for Officers and enlisted men, and housing for the mar- ried personnel. Trees have been felled and ground leveled to provide recreation fields, and one beach has been turnd into a top rate picnic ground. That is Manga Point, and there it was where we all enjoyed a few cool ones with a turn at every sport conceivable with the exception of cold weather sports. For those with a flair for local color, one had only to step outside the main gate of the base. Here one was greeted by what we feel we can safely call a typical Filipino village. Cock fights, a main attraction in this area known as Olongapo, always draws a big crowd of sport fans and gamblers. Here among the stilted houses and streets crowded with pigs, dogs, kids and chickens we rode first class in the colorful jeepneys to visit the town tailor shops, souvenir stores and night clubs. We left Olongapo with a full picture of life outside the big cities of the Philippines. Ui. Battalion 5UTHERLAN UlOHLANDER ABOARD U. .A oxER,5uBic Bay ?- - f-f. ' 4)sig:v; t OFFICIAL PU0T0 3kA?[ i V.6.H. MAXNILA YES, WE sailed into Manila Bay, paid our respects fo her President with a 2 I -gun salute and the city was ours. The Pearl of the Orient, the name given her some years ago, shows many scars from WW 11. These scars are being removed fast, and soon Manila can once again be the gem of the Orient. Manila is Filipino, Spanish, and Oriental with an American flavor, an atmosphere to be found no other place. The city ' s name comes from the Tagalog word Manilad (place of many Nilads, a white flowering shrub). Many of us rated Manila to be the best liberty port in the East. Although it did not offer us much to take home in the way of goods, we have many experiences to remember. Entertainment never ceased. The U. S. Embassy gave a dinner dance much remem- bered and enjoyed. The U. S. Naval Base at Sangley Point was a continuous host. Manila received us with open arms and we enjoyed her. ANILA HOTEL AND FLEET LANDING EMBASSY DANCE v ' Tifi 4. ■ ' ' W Ruins Of Once Famous CaTH EPRAL5 mssmm A . t i a - ' VSEBO AFTER THE extreme heat of the tropics, we welcomed the next stop, Sasebo, where the climate is more temperate. This Japanese port, in the island of Kyushu, served as a two-man sub base as well as a carrier base during WWII. The latter part of ' 45 found Sasebo occupied by the Second Marine Division and Seabee components, who arrived amid complete industrial inactivity. The people here, as elsewhere in Japan, have worked diligently, and as a result, they have made their city self sustaining once again. The beautiful cherry blossoms greeted us in Sasebo as we strolled through the town in search of rare purchases. Many are the items to be bought in Sasebo, and as we bid our farewell, we left with treasured silks, pearls, china, ivory carvings and many souvenirs reprsentative of the country. SHIPYARD REMAINS SAGE OF TH E ORIENT LIBERTY TRAIL GOIN ' TO TOWN? YOU SPEAK MAYBE 200 YEN? ANCIENT JAPANESE CASTLE COIN ' SHOPPIN ' 1 KOREA y KOREA, ALSO known as Chosen, means Land of Morning Freshness. This nanne was given by Korea ' s first known ruler, Tangoon. The first capitol city was Pyongyang, dur- ing the 24th century, B.C. Tangoon, a semi-deitic figure, welded various prinnitive tribes together into one kingdonn. This was the beginning of Korean history, in the year 57 B.C., a group of tribes united, and conquested a small territory, calling their king- dom Silla. In 27 B.C., a kingdom of Kokuryu was formed, and in 18 B.C., the kingdom of Pakche came into being. Out of these three kingdoms emerged what is now known as Southern Manchuria and Korea. A melting pot of arts, architecture, and customs make up the Korea with its many points of Interest which we saw and enjoyed. Korea is noted for aluminum and brass products, silk and cotton products, tires, leather goods, canned food delicacies and her world famous apples. Many of us will remember the warm welcome we received at Inchon and Seoul. Not to be forgotten was the Manning the Rail for President of Korea, Slgnonle RHEA, his Impressive speech and farewell aboard ship. f 1 CHARLIE PIER, INCHON, KORE i-k:i ... SHRINE ON CAPITAL STREET LER— SHRINE WITH LION STATUE IN CAGE— SEOUL RIGHT— CHURCH TOWER AND APARTMENT BUILD- ING-SEOUL RIGHT— KOREAN TRANSFER AND EXPRESS SERVICE —INCHON wmm I ll MANNING THE RAIL FOR PRESIDENT RHEA, INCHON HARBOR KOkEAN Tt EET CENE ■ S! a- - - - CREW TAMING SECRET MEETINGS, and mumblings of the crew would lead a casual observer to imagine a mutiny in the making. Perhaps the Polywogs thought seriously of one. They knew that the Shellbacks, old sea dogs who had been across the equator before, were preparing to initiate them into the Ancient Order of the Deep, and rumors were flying as to just what and how much they would be called on to endure. Wild stories circulated, and the strong in heart felt weak in the knees. One day Davy Jones came aboard, with Peg-Leg Pete, and King Neptune ' s own clerk. He greeted Captain MOSS and inspected the slimy mess of Polywogs that were to be purged the next day of landlubberly smells and habits. There followed a mild hazing and parading in outlandish costumes. A glassy calm sea heralded King Neptune ' s arrival on the fateful day. His High- ness and party was greeted royally and the initiations began. Derrieres were swatted, electric shocks, haircuts and mustard were administered; a dunking in salt water, and a final cleansing by fire hose converted the bedraggled polywogs into bonafied Shell- backs. Outside of some soreness in the stern quarters, it wasn ' t so bad ... or was it? ii ki PoLLYWO i BAN ondCHOIK RIEFINC1 P0LLYW0 i ii n Ersatz I EAt Y Pilots OFFICIAL PHOTCx jRAP ' H U. .N The 6uantlet Operation 5ticky Ki5 Of Death Ouch ! OFFICIAL PUOTO SRAf M U.5.N. Royal Party Half ! 5pLA5H iiLV | R£FRE5HIN i? Jolly Rocjer SINGAPORE SINGAPORE, THE harbor of in+rlgue and enchantment, the Gibraltar ot the Orient, or the crossroads of the world. All nnay be ways of describing the port of Sinapore, but to the crew of the BOXER it might be summed up to the tune of . . . Post cards, Joe, Bananas, Coconuts, plenty for cheap, Telia your fortune, Taxie, Joe, and the swarms of pleading Trishaw boys that were the plaguing escort of the sailors everywhere. The first view of the city of Singapore proved to be one of mixed impressions. The sight of ancient Chinese junks with their lug-sails full blown alongside the most modern merchant and war ships, the Western and Eastern architecture side by side and the mixture of the races that greeted the eye as you drew near Clifford pier, filled everyone with expectancy, which was not let down. The most metropolitan city of the Orient is the home of many fine European shops, restaurants, hotels, theaters and night clubs, where a person may enjoy himself royally. Dining in an exclusive European atmosphere, one may glance through the shaded win- dows and see Indian fakirs with their snakes and tricks, performing for one and all; lightly garbed vendors of many oriental nationalities loudly recommending their stock of soda waters, oriental foods, or tropical fruits to the passing sightseers. The shops, which are predominantly Indian and Chinese, are filled with items from all over the world. Here you can buy a rug of camels hair from Kashmere, Lacquer from Foo Chow, Siamese silver from Bangkok, silk from China, tapestries and rugs from Italy and India, woolens from England, leather goods from Malaya, and as the merchant would put it, rare jewels cheap which more often were cut from glass than the genuine mineral. There are many good phrases to sum up Singapore, but the sailor who said Damn good liberty port pretty well expressed the opinions of the BOXER ' S crew. m I M G p o m N 4 46 MALAY TEMPLE i rluiliM 11 SULTAN MOSQUE ST. ANDREWS CATHEDRAL SNAKES ALIVE ' ;S! REFERRED TO by her crew as that rusty old tub, and nobody else had better call her that, our lady of affairs, the U S S BOXER Is only five years old. She daintily dunked her bottom in the cold December ' 44 waters of Newport News, Virginia, and was com- missioned in Norfolk on 16 April 1945. She was a precocious youngster, and wasted no time in getting about the business of being an efficient man-o-war. 7 May 1945, VE day, was just another working day as the crew whipped her Into shape for bigger things. Victory over Japan. She ventured out, little by little, into the Chesapeake where she first felt the sting of tires as Air Group 93 came aboard, then to the Caribbean Sea for a shakedown cruise. In a month and a half she had chalked up 2,395 landings. hHer Boxer Bulldog mascot, Cee Vee, went over the hill In Cuba but her mostly green crew stuck to the job of learning, and July found the ship loaded and ready for the trip West. Squeezing through the Panama Canal, and skirting the coasts of Mexico and Cali- fornia, she became a part of the Pacific Fleet of 6 August 1945. Then to Hunters Point for repairs, alterations, and additional equipment. While the crew was busy trying to keep the yard workers from dirtying up their brand new ship, the word spread on 14 August 1 945 that an Atomic bomb had brought about the surrender of Japan. The Yard Birds dropped their tools and disappeared. The BOXER lay strangled with lines, while the crew and San Francisco had an orgy neither will ever forget. But while the rest of the Navy counted points and planned homecomings, the BOXER steamed right past the Welcome Ho me sign, and pointed her bow West. In Septem- ber she dropped her hook In Tokyo Bay at last. The war was officially over but there was mopping up to do. She was a working girl, and there was plenty of jobs at hand. And she ' s never shirked a job, training green pilots, patient, never complaining, sometimes severe In reprimanding mistakes, but always willing and ready. In five years of serving our Navy, she has steamed over 1,032,040 miles, enough to go around the world 41 times, or make two trips to the moon and back. She ' s taken over 36,000 landings on her back, some smooth, and some that hurt. Even now I think she has an idea of her importance to world peace by her presence In the Far Eastern waters, and she ' s hot to go, anywhere, anytime. Even though she didn ' t see any war action, we believe she ' d rather do the more im- portant and perhaps less glamorous job of strengthening the peace and helping to prevent war rather than fight one . . . . UflPPV felRTMOflVy FRONT ROW (kneeling): Messrs. Springer, Mdldrliy, Grunigen, BIdkeslce, Beadle, Pickard and Ware. SECOND ROW (standing): Messrs. Barber, Greisser, VADM Durgin, RADM Boone, Captain Moss, CDR Jonson. Knox, Johnson, Parr and Hewitt. THIRD ROW (standing): Messrs. Euler, Rosekrans, Barnes, Hickey, Ketman, Krause, Falge, Mazzera. Hoffman Clippinger and Bennett. CHOW DOWN TAKING A BEARING THE MEN DIG ii STANDING OUT TO BATTLE TWIN SCREWS JOINT ' IT ' S BEEN A PLEASURE ' HE WRONG CARRIER? OPERATIONS SPORTS 58 Official phtitogrtph V. LAUNCH AIRCRAFT TAKE ' ER UP! FORMATION . AH, THE mysteries of the Far East, the enchantment of a new port of call. Such is the theme here, but don ' t let it mislead you, for the story behind it all is not to be omitted. It Is the record of the men who made it possible the toil which produced the pleasure. Yes, we had to get there someway, and our way was provided by unceasing work to operate the ship. We fueled at sea, and we had air operation, even some at night. We had inspections, we loaded stores, we fired gunnery shoots, we operated with the English Navy, and we ran our boats under a heavy load. The engineers labored long and hard to provide our power and water. The signal gang and the radiomen main- tained expert communications, while the navigating team got us in and out of the harbors, to and from the ports. The office staffs, the dental technicians, and the hos- pitalmen carried on their work with gratifying determination. The band was on station to lend moral support to the working parties. Sometimes we felt near the point of exhaustion. It was truly an all out operation, and yet, we still were blessed with activi- ties which were downright fun. We had guests aboard, and we were entertained by Scotch soldiers and dancers from Bali. We even had a birthday celebration aboard. And don ' t forget the athletes who put on many a top performance in every port we hit. Yes, there ' s two sides to every story, and now that it ' s over, who can ' t look back and say, It was a tough one but it was worth it. ■IbM , , ,.k - ' I WET GOING BIG ONE OVER THE BOW m START OF TROPICAL CRUISE t ' tmmmmmM GOING NATIVE f. f ] MANILA BOUN BLOWIN ' UP A STORM LCDR T. W. RUNK, U5N 66 DIVISIONS THIS SECTION has been devoted to the divisions and squadrons aboard the BOXER. Working individually and together they have nnade our cruise harmonious, creditable and effective. They have no regrets that it is completed. Through the tireless efforts of all, the objectives were accomplished. The feeling of unrest that was easily discernable in most of the ports of call must surely have been calmed a marked degree by the presence of the BOXER and her representatives pre- sented here. I w ill X DIVISION MASTER AT ARMS O N DIVISION OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT X --A H s i ' l -ijAi . O I DIVISION O I DIVISION OS DIVISION OR DIVISION E R DIVISION OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT f It ' l DEfA RTMENT V I DIVISION V I DIVISION V2 DIVISION tbiCAl DEPARTMENT - 1 1 ii:i:it: DENTAL DEPARTMENT V3 DIVISION A DIVISION H DIVISION A DIVISION D DIVISION DIVISION ENGINEERING DEf A RTMENT A DIVISION A DIVISION t 1 f I m ' V tm DIVISION ENGINEERING DEPA RTMENT DIVISION i I , t ,u W ■iLt K I -v VI DIVISION DIVISION I W « n m -11 -■■ i ' k -|| 1 ,,  • . 1- t mwMmw-. -Jw ••.• ' _.. I ENGINEPRING DEPARTMENT n H fc M DIVISION a f : -i .- ♦ rii M DIVISION R DIVISION GUNNERY DEPARTMENT DIVISION 2nd DIVISION . m ¥ ♦■.. ■ ..r 3rd DIVISION GUNNERY DEPARTMENT 4+h DIVISION r i % Ivf .,- i is 5+h DIVISION 1 Is ' I If ] i . V rv ;T MARINE DETACHMENT a J sA?Js LtXlXl I L A jk. i VV M M it fc v H g_ F DIVISION %. ■ . DIVISK SU??IY DEPARTMENT DIVISION S2 DIVISION DIVISI ;? ie DISBUR V ' -i SUfflY DEPAXI TMEMT S 3 DIVISION n-c: i;-Li DIVISION ill DISBURSING 80 AIR GROUPS VC 190 1 MLyiifim i= I (-■esa VF 191 %HW% ¥ r r r r r ri VF I9i JI)4WflfH WMi! AIR GROUPS h} ' :- ' ' r w £ «l ' v f. t = '  « J 5: f :%y ii If f ' ¥AyA ' m III iie-i iv 4-11 b mf ' , AIR GROUfS MiiHi i ' iJifii VF 193 VF 194 Aili GROUPS f ■? I ill i I ? I ift V- ' ' VC6I VC 3 DIVISION Aili GROUfS V i ' t ' S 4 : ± ± JL i «4 STATESIDE AT LAST! t V. i r I II ' 1 ' 1