Canberra (CAG 2) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 26 text:

Out of Pearl Harbor for the long, long crossing to Japang routine steaming in an ocean named for its calmness, its peacefulness. But, no, the Pacific turned on us and beat us like a schizophrenic friend gone mad. First, white water broke over our bow, and then the green ocean enveloped our fo'c's'le in yawning jaw- like Hows. It went as unnoticed augury of the days to follow when both ship and crew would be worn, not by other mighty waters, but by the demands of the job ahead. N X QI f W Jf .1 so ,I , --'17- 1191 O T 3 f g.3.9O

Page 25 text:

w 1 4 1 BY CAR A short run to America's island outpost of Hawaii, a last brief glimpse of our country. The tourist attractions were there: the swaying grass skirts, the pearly white beaches and a startling, sobering reminder of a war fought not so long ago in this same ocean. The battle monument of USS ARIZONA, a victim with her crew of the devastation on that day of Infamy in 1941, drew in poignant relief for all from CANBERRA who saw it the need for our journey, the need to main- tain peace and freedom in the Pacific.

Page 27 text:

YoKosUKA JA A ,. , ! E ,S X ti le, tr mglrq' f , A ri R 'af -171 The CANBERRA's schedule allowed for two weeks in the Japanese port of Yokosuka. There were tours of Tokyo and enrapturing visits to the religious sights at Kamakurag there were bargains to be had in tape recorders, amplifiers and any number of other items. But, the shopping and sightseeing were abruptly shortened. After just five days, the CAN- BERRA returned to sea and her crew began to realize this was noordinary WESTPAC cruise-pleasures would nec- essarily be sacrificed all during the jour- ney as their ship wascalled to a combat area for the first time in 20 years.