Chenango (CVE 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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vw- --- - ...-.--- IIHENANGULHIGHLIGHTSlCmitinuedD t - 4444444444444-444-4-YI!-444444-444-V-444-44444-Y-444-444444444444444444 V-444-'YA4-Y-4444!-4444444-44-4444? - ' THE ,SQUADRON '- A little incident occurred in the life of the Air Group the other day and I thought that l would pass it on to you as it was written up by a squadron member. I The .Navy ,announced today a feat unparalleled in the annals of Navy 'History and Tradition. It is the story ofthe heroic and breath-taking adventure of Ens. R. L. Rice, a pilot of a TBM-3 affectionately known to Naval' Aviators as 0ld Flash . Ens. Rice fwhose nickname is Skin as a result of a glandular ailnmentf, is a' tall, modest, unassuming boy of 24, happily married and several times childless. Skin took off on a mission against the Japanese island of tcensoredj lit was really lshigakil from his carrier, the lI.S.S. CHENANGO, more commonly known as Old Flash by its hardy and somewhat motley crew. After scattering his bombs with reckless abandon among the inhabitants of the doomed island, Ens. Rice was vaguely aware of a fire burn- ing fiercely on the under side of his left wing. Skin calmly tore the mike from its socket and awakened his crew. After further observation, they noticed a large hole through the center compartment. Cold sweat from the pilot eventually froze the engine and Sl-:in ,was forced to make a water landing only five miles from'enerny territory. Japanese citi- zens flocked to .the shore for miles around and filled hastily- built bleachers to watch the spectacle. Several soldiers were seen to commit Hari-Kari in sheer' joy, while others sold peanuts and popcorn and read programs dropped by the remaining TBM's circling above., ' f'Sl:in dropped his fiaps just as if he expected them to go down. He then slowed the plane down to a mere 200 knots and crashed gracefully into the sea. The pilot's hatch locked shut, but being rather thin, Ens. Rice managed to slip through the air vent at the top of the enclosure. Pilot and crew escaped uninjured except for a few self inflicted wounds. Radioman Thacker, known as Old Flash by his colleagues, suffered a sprainedankle as a result of a- mild argument over, who was goingto row their rubber raft. After an hour and a half of fierce rowing, the airmen were spotted by a PBM who slipped between the .lap islands disguised as a Val and landed backwards to' confuse the astonished onlookers. Ens. Rice and his crew were trans- ported back to their base where the Captain, commonly known as Old Flash by his staff, gave him a very warm Well Done . - - W Modest and blushing, Ens. Rice said, Anyone, with my superior knowledge of aerodynamics and natural' ability to fly could have done the same . 1 ' i , YVhen asked if he- would like shore duty at'Alameda, Ens. Rice exclaimed, Hell, nol l want to stay out here and hit those ,laps again and again. l donlt see why'8rIy0hC in his right .mind would want to go back to an orgy of women and liquor when there's a war to 5ght. -Wriuen by Ens. Ernesl R. Thueson, Edited by Roving Reporter. THE U,S.S-. CHENANGO BAND-ONIQTOUR! The CHENANc0'band, under the assorted batons of Frank Yirant, De St.. Joer, and Larry Bellis, after having rever- berated unrelentlessly in the hanger deck of this vessel for some many- months, stepped out on their new wings .of music Wednesday to play a one-night-stand on the beautiful island of -Manus, a tropical paradise inhabited at present by Seabees, Marines and Soldierls. f While it could be said that their spirits were dampened- in the preliminaries by a husky downpourof rain that threatened to flood every last saxophone and render the trap drums about as vibrant as a dishrag, we understand that they weren't. The band was' accompanied by Ensign Kiester, the band officer, and a small group of sailors who twist words and wire with equal pronctency who prefer to call themselves technicians, who rigged up a sound -aHair, but it has been stated that the band shell was an eztcellent sound thrower. That this band shell was so all-out'accous- tical is demonstrated by the occasion when De St. .loer scratched his spick-itch and it sounded to the audience like a team of chow hounds in a Grape Nuts 'eating contest. lt was the first time the CHI-ZNANGO band had played to an audience other than its own shipmates on 'board since its beginning six months ago, and ,the fact that the shore- side audience gave them such a wholehearted ovation was highly encouraging to the boys. It has been ,said that the Seabees knocked ofi building things long enough to keep up a steady supply of applause, and that the Marines and Soldiers came out of their foxholes long, enough to grasp every last note that waited past their music-starved ears. fliarlier reports that the purpose of the appearance was to cheer up a group of stranded, war-weary USO entertainers with three months to go on their rotation -plan, were not confirmed.l - , - Rollowing the concert, the musicians stayed for the movie,- and were treated to a tasty feed in the chiefs' tent over in Acorn 25, the Seabee unit. ' ' - The band played a program of 14 selections, starting oH with the original song, Chenango , and wound ,up with Seven-Twenty in the'Books lno pun intendedl. The beach audience particularly- applauded the jump numbers, and screamed their heads 'off at numbers like Begin the Bc- guine and Tuxedo Junction . Virantdid vocals on Inter- mezzo and Sleepy Time Cal , and De Sl. JCCI' p6l'f0l'IYlCd his rendition of Mairzy Doates in good style. - ' Following is a list of the men in the band: I. A. Ar- guelles, RM3cg N. RA. Riede, Slclg -L. B. Bellis, AMM3cg Bill Tracger, Bug2cg Archie'Moore,- Y3cg I.. C. McCallion, BugMstr3cg L. M. Brown, MM2cg C. W. Plantg Slcg A., Jackson, StM1cg W. H. Reed, S1cg.W.' F. De St. loer, ART1cg F. H. Buchman, CMM: and F. P. Virant, SK1c. K. I Page49

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