Calvert (APA 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 21 text:

NAVARLEX l-55 was the second operation we held on Ckinawa and was similar to the first except the participants were different. This time it was the Army instead of the Marines. This operation was completed with the same smooth- T i ness and effectiveness as the preceeding one. Being the largest such operation held on Okinawa since World War 2, a lot of work went into the execution of it and the crew highly deserved the HWell Done given to them by the Squadron Commander. The Calvert anchored in Buckner Bay in preparation for our second big amphibious operation. NAVARLEX1-55 Troops anxiously await the landing craft Once again troops go over the side and into to TOUCl'l Clown. They will go into Q simu- the waiting boats which will carry them into lated but Very realistic battle. ' the heart of the mock battle.

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A Navy-Marine landing exercise requires a lot ot planning and work, but above all, coordination and cooperation of all units participating. This was very true ot the operation I we held on Okinawa. The tollowing are a tew pictures taken on that operation which proved to be so highly successful. Okinawa as it looked to us when we arrived at Naha, the capital, on June 5th 1955. N A V M A R L E X 1-55 Marines debarking into the boats as they leave for the beach on D Day. Y The landing craft hit the beach.

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ff 7 , W, UKINAWA Okinawa lying in the Ryukyu Islands chain is a historic battle ground of Japanese, Chinese, Mongol and Korean invasions. It was near here at le Jim the famous war correspondent, Ernie Pyle met his death prior to the end of the Pacific campaign. On Easter Sunday of i945 American forces stormed ashore on this 67 mile long Island of strategic Asiatic importance. Many Americans lost their lives on this rugged but beautiful terrain but it was finally conquered and has since been supervised by our military government. U. S. Army Engineers and Navy Seabees began the alteration of Okinawa into a modern base. Initial work was near completion by September T945 when three Typhoons struck in succession, destroying much that had been accomplished. In T949 congress appropriated funds to finance Typhoon resistant structures which are now being installed. Since the Korean Action in l950, U. S. military planners have recognized the strategic importance of Okinawa and it has been developed into one of the key American bases in the Far East. By l958, the expected date for completion of construction, the Ryukyus will have become a virtual U Gilbraltar of the Pacific . Today the Okinawans carry on many of the customs and traditions of their ancestors. They are calm and easy going, but their lack of modern mechanical equipment forces them to perform back-breaking labor in their fields and jobs in medieval fashion. A view of the recently constructed buildings at Naha, the capital of Okinawa.