Cayuga (LST 1186) - Naval Cruise Book

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SUBIC BAY IS THE U.S. NAVY ' S GATEWAY TO THIS REPUBLIC. THE NAVAL BASE IS THE KEY TO THE DEFENSE OF FREE WESTERN PACIFIC NATIONS. LIBERTY AT SUBIC BAY IS BOTH REWARDING AND EN- JOYABLE. THE FILIPINOS EN- CHANT YOU BY THE FRIENDLI- NESS AND THE RICH HERI- TAGE ENDOWED THEM WITH A SPECIAL GIFT OF MAKING THE U.S. NAVY FEEL AT HOME. OLONGAPO CITY, JUST OUT- SIDE THE MAIN GATE, IS ALIVE WITH A HOST OF PEOPLE - MANY TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING, BUY SOMETHING FROM YOU, OR TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE IN THEIR TAXI, JEEP- NEY, OR TRICYLE. NEON LIGHTS LINE MAGSAYSAY DRIVE, AND WITH OVER 1,000 RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND CLUBS IN OLONGAPO CITY IT IS NO WONDER THAT IT IS CONSIDERED THE BEST LIBER- TY PORT IN THE WESTERN PA- CIFIC. THE REST OF THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT LIKE OLONGAPO. MA- NILA, 75 MILES FROM SUBIC BAY, IS THE BUSTLING, COS- MOPOLITAN PEARL OF THE PACIFIC . OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST WAS CORREGIDOR, AN ISLAND FORTRESS IN MA- NILA BAY DURING WWII. PAGSANJAN FALLS, WHERE YOU SHOOT THE RAPIDS, WAS POPULAR WITH ITS ' BEAUTI- FUL SCENERY. TOURS OF ALL TYPES AND PLACES WERE AVAILABLE THROUGH SPECIAL SERVICES. THE PHILIPPINES OFFERS BARGAINS IN WICKER AND RATTAN PRODUCTS, AND MANY OTHER ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE AS SUBIC BAY WAS THE MOST AFFORDABLE AND PLEASENT PORTS TO VISIT. SUBIC BAY

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SASEBO, JAPAN WE ARRIVED IN SASEBO, JAPAN ON THE 5TH OF MAY AND EVERYONE BEGAN LOOKING FOR- WARD TO THE NEXT 12 DAYS. TOURS WERE SCHEDULED AND MANY ATHLETIC EVENTS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP. FOOTBALL, SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, A 10K AND MINI-TRI-A-THON BECAME A PART OF EV- ERYONES ' ACTIVITY. CAYUGA DEFEATED PELE- LiU 14-6 IN THE SASEBO CHAMPIONSHIP FOOT- BALL GAME. THE WEATHER PROVED TO BE PER- FECT FOR ALL THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES HELD. SASEBO WAS A WELCOME RELIEF AFTER THE CONSTANT EVOLUTIONS AT SEA. SHIP ' S WORK STILL CONTINUED WITH JAPANESE WORKERS ROAMING ABOUT, COMPLETING MANY SCHED- ULED REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED BY THE SHIPWORKERS BY THEIR STEADY, AROUND-THE-CLOCK DEDI- CATION TO FINISH THEIR WORK PRIOR TO US LEAVING. IN ALL, OUR VISIT TO SASEBO WAS ONE TO TRULY REMEMBER AND DEFINTELY AN ENJOYABLE AND RELAXING STAY. SASEBO, WITH IT ' S SUB-TROPICAL ATMO- SPHERE AND SCENERY, HOUSES ONE OF THE LARGEST NAVAL BASES IN JAPAN. THE SEV- ENTH FLEET USES SASEBO FOR PORT VISITS AND REPAIR WORK. THE HARBOR IS DEEP AND SPACIOUS AND IS THE HOME OF THE USS ST. LOUIS (LKA 116). SASEBO WAS FILLED WITH MANY INTERESTING PLACES TO SEE. THERE WAS THE SHOPPING ARCADE WHICH SOLD EVERYTHING IMAGIN- ABLE: PEARLS RETRIEVED OFF THE COAST, PORCELAIN CHINAWARE, AND THEIR FAMOUS FOLKCRAFT - WOODEN SASEBO TOPS, TREA- SURED FOR THEIR FINE QUALITY AND DIAMOND- SHAPED IRON TIP. MANY LOCAL DISHES: SUKI- YAKI, TEMPURA, AND SUPER-FRESH, THINLY SLICED SUSHI (RAW FISH)-A DELICIOUS DELICA- CY PREPARED RIGHT BEFORE YOU. AREAS OF INTEREST INCLUDED HIRADO ISLAND, ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH, WHERE WILLIAM AD- AMS (FICTIONALIZED IN THE NOVEL SHOGUN AS BLACKTHORN) WAS BURIED, AND NAGASA- KI, ABOUT 52 MILES WEST. SASEBO WAS A DY- NAMIC AND INDUSTRIOUS PORT AND ENJOYED BY ALL.

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PHILLIPPINES AT 1600, FRIDAY, 31 MAY, WE MOORED AT SUBIC BAY IN THE PHILIPPINES. WE IMMEDI- ATELY BEGAN RECEIVING STORES AND SUPPLIES, AND EVERYONE WAITED PATIENT- LY FOR MAIL CALL. BOW RAMP OPERATIONS BEGAN TO OFF-LOAD OUR MARINE PERSONNEL AND THOSE THAT WERE GRANTED LEAVE WERE OFF TO REUNITE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WE BE- GAN TO PREPARE FOR A 21 DAY INPORT PERIOD WHICH WOULD INCLUDE AN AVAIL- ABILITY WITH THE SRF FACILI- TIES TO MAINTAIN OR REPAIR OUR EOUIPMENT THROUGH- OUT THE SHIP. MANY OF THE CREW ATTENDED VARIOUS SCHOOLS OFFERED ON THE BASE. RECREATION FACILITIES WERE ABUNDANT, AND WE FORMULATED A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT COMPETITION WITH THE LOCAL BASE TEAMS. WE ALSO PARTICI- PATED IN BASEBALL TOURNA- MENTS AND MANY TOOK AD- VANTAGE OF THE INDOOR RACKETBALL COURTS. DURING OUR FIRST INPORT PERIOD, THE CREW HAD A SHIP ' S PARTY AT WHITE ROCK BEACH. THE PARTY WAS HELD FOR A THREE DAY PERI- OD TO ALLOW FOR ALL PER- SONNEL TO ATTEND. ENTER- TAINMENT INCLUDED CUL- TURAL DANCES BY THE LO- CAL ORPHANAGE AND MUSIC BY A LOCAL BAND. EVERY- THING WAS CATERED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT, AND THE SHIP ' S PARTY WAS A COM- PLETE SUCCESS. L ii OUR SECOND INPORT PERIOD WAS IN AUGUST. WE BEGAN PREPARING FOR OUR VOYAGE TOWARD HOME DURING THESE 12 DAYS INPORT. WORK CONTINUED BY SRF, AND MANY HOURS WERE LOGGED IN TO COMPLETE OUR LAST AVAILABILITY WITH SUBIC BAY. OUR FLAG SHIP, THE USS PE- LELIU. HOSTED A PROFES- SIONAL OLYMPICS, OF WHICH CAYUGA DID VERY WELL. OUR FIRST PLACE AWARD WAS RE- CEIVED BY OUR COOKS FOR THE CHILE COOKOFF. ALL RATINGS COMPETED AND CA- YUGA CAME OUT WITH A FAIR SHARE OF TOP SCORES. IN ALL, THE WHOLE CREW EN- JOYED THE FESTIVITIES AND AGAIN CAYUGA PROVED TO BE THE VERY BEST.