Catamount (LSD 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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1 A Far Eastern cruise with its laughter its monotony its exotic excitement its frustration its value to you, to your country its long distance from home skijjping from Oriental port to Oriental port warming your hands on a hibachi pot on Christmas e e watching the fanatic parchinko players as you walked down any street the small-featured, charming hostesses in ever) ' cabaret who were as integral a part of the establishments as were the bar stools the arguing, smiling souvenier merchants who always made a profit the countless fishing and salvage boats that appeared in every harbor well before reveille Mount Fuji in all its madgesty the hills and mountains with a greenness it was hard to imagine could exist Scochi and Ichi ban and Sayonara shower shoes with the split-toe effect laundry boats as welcoming parties in every port a crashing surf inside the well of your own ship lines on the quarterdeck as the LCVP liberty boat made the gangway life jackets and helmets for general quarters walking, eating, sleeping on a ballasted, inclined plane movies every night in the special open-air theatre. . . . lashing down gear for the unique LSD roll mess gear eight o ' clock reports sweepers, man your brooms Bible study in sick bay at 1830 light oft number one you knew that you were there for a purpose sometimes it was hard to sustain the feeling yet tiic realization was still there your very presence up and down the waterways surrounding tiie islands of Japan jjositivc proof to tiie communist v()rld tliat the ftag which your ship flew would fly anywhere in the world it was needed to keep a free world your own jiractical training shij board life. . . . learning the whys and wherefores of the Navy ]:)reparing )ourself and your ship preparing for the |30ssibility of aiiollicr war ....a Far Eastern cruise tiic first for some, the last for others one of several for most memorable for all Numazu Yokosuka Iik lion Kobe Sascbo To .Jang Po. . . . Pusan. . . . Paeng- yong Do Tyon Pyong Do CHiigasaki beach Nagoya (lamp McGill Okinawa Iwo Jima a Far Eastern cruise. — 10 -

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THE CRUISE — 9 —

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