Cascade (AD 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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And I feel we must add this one word additional : She was strictly not wearing the costume traditional. She was not clad in furs, this gay captivator, (This year they don ' t wear furs below the Equator) She wore a lava-lava and a fetching sunshade, Which her many attractions conveniently displayed. She was prettier by twice than the pictures pinned up In the galley, the tool room, and the ship ' s barber shop. She ran straight up to me and gave me a hug That was like being wrapped in a soft bearskin rug. We had quite a chat, as we stood there together, About the crop outlook and the good flying weather. Though she had in her knapsack lots of trinkets and toys Brought along to make happy all good sailor boys, They can have all these presents to distribute about — Just give me the lady and I ' ll go without! If she ' ll be my Santa, then I say loud and clear It ' ll be a merry Christmas every day of the year! Then, though I rather wished she would stay a lot longer — • At least for the duration 1 1 can ' t put it stronger) — She confided she had other errands to run As part of her job on Santa ' s Route One. She flashed me a smile like a thousand-watt light And gave me a look as she kissed me Goodnight. Then she climbed on the wing of her flying-machine, And revved up the motors, turned on the si-rene; I watched her take off in the bright moonlit sky, She waved at me fondly, and I too waved Goodbye. But ' ere she departed, to disappear in the blue, I decoded this message which I pass on to you For she sent you this dispatch, this delectable maid : A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO ARE ON THE CASCADE ! December 23, 1943. ge Thirty-nine

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r ! ' Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas Author ' s Note: Any resemblance to any other poem, living or deceased, is purely intentional. ' Twas the night before Christmas and all through the ship Not a sailor was stirring, not even a drip. The socks were all hung in the space round about In the hope that the ventilator might dry them out. All Seamen First Class were snug in their beds Wliile visions of Market Street darned through their heads. And I in my nightgown, the O.D. in his cap. Had just settled down for a short mid- Salch nap. hen out on the boat deck there arose such a clatter Tlial I bounced out the hatchway to see what was the matter. On the doul)le up liie ladder 1 went like a rocket. Tlic knee on mv game leg ncarlv pulled out its socket. llic moonlight on the bosom of the sleepv lagoon Resembled a dessert you could eat with a spoon; There were the destroyers tied alongside in threes, A couple of barges, and about four D.E. ' s; Hut this. I assure you. was not the main reason 1 tore up the port ladder this holiday season. For out on the boat deck at frame fifty-eight. Was a sight that you can ' t see this side Coldcn Cfate; Evidently because of the area he covers Santa ( laus has turned over a few routes Iti others — There in a twin-engined auto-giro Was 1 .VV Sanlii Clan-, all laiin to go! ' « ; ■ I hirly-- ifiht

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Talent Night Between the dark and the daylight, Ifhen the night is beginning to lower, (.omes a jeature oj the ship ' s recreation Thai is known as the Talent Hour. From the porthole I see in the spotlight. ■isceniHng the plaljorm there, lirnve jMUtATT and laughing Kl.lTOWSKI And Morgan with golden hair. Polite applause from the boat deck, .t thunder of applause from the hatch. I can tell by the dial of the joke-gauge That Behi.kk ' s uncorked a new batch! IHAT which Was given out under the spotlight on the topside was customarily called Talent Night. Although letimes afterward you said ■talent with a rising inflection, like this — talent nights e had our ups 1 downs. Hut it was fine of the fellows to pitch in and help out the way they did. Ineie was a ready-made place for such festivities in the day ' s schedule. With evening chow finishing when ' 1 the movies beginning when they do, there was a sizable interval betwixt and between, it being loo darl • ' - read and not yet dark enough for turning on the projectors. This interval was admirably suited to music- ' i fversions, alleged impersonations, and other blandishments for eye and ear. ,i, way and another there was a good deal of variety, and quite an impressive list of performers. This ,. age does not provide sufficient space for the pictures of all of iheni. but immortalized here are the members of the Ship ' s Quartet (Jarratt, Miller. Donnelly, and IJennettl. two harnionizers from the Sick Bay ( Madsen and I, and assorted talent from the Fifth Division (Smith. Rowan. Johnson, and Dziedziak). The last- ,.„ . , ,( g larger cast which put on a first-rale, under-the-big-lent show one Sunday night. Talen ii ' he topside programs ranged from Marra ( Sweepers, man your brooms. Clean and sweep down, from the . ' ' back! ) through the inimitable Mr. Shea and Mr. Pruden doing an old-timer act. to Morgan and r.I. giving out simultaneously on the harmonica, galley spoons, and the guitar. Several other shi|)s also provided us with boatdeck entertainment. Some of it. to say the very least, was unpred ' ' Ijle. I mind the lime, for an inslance. when the nejjhew of Moris KarlolT cul a few capers. There was one al red-headed Ensign pianist who on two dilTerent occasions lifted our ship ' s piano out of its hum- - icnce of being pounded on by the messcooks. He coaxed some melodies out of it which were reallv 4.0. to these regular under-the-spotliglit ilcni- tlieic will be remembered also the spet ' ial broadcasts of layers from the 21) mm. ( li| |iiri)j idom. ;iri l llic liiie prc-movie concerls of the ship ' s band. ' « « • F„rl