Chikaskia (AO 54) - Naval Cruise Book

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R 2215052 DEC SS FM USS CHIKASKIA TO TG SIX ZERO PT TWO RT UISICLAS IT'S TIME TO SAY.,,GOODIsYE YOUR SHIPS HAVE DRAIISIED US DRY SO WHILE YOU 'PLAY THIS CHRISTMAS DAY WE'LL STILL THE OCEAN PLY WHILE RESTING EROM YOUR SPREE SPARE HALF A THOUGHT FOR ME THE-COTE D'AZUR GIVES REST FOR SURE BUT WE'RE FOR NAPOLI OUT CHRISTMAS STOCKING RED SWINGS WILDLYIO'RE OUR BED WE ASK NO TOYS FOR CHIKASKIA BOYS BUT FUEL FOR YOU INSTEAD WE'LL MEET YOU ALL SOME MORE KEEP ADDING. TO OUR SCORE ' FUEL ON THE LINE I IN SIXTY-NINE FROM AO-64. Anchored fast in Villefranche Bay, CHIKASKIA enters New Year's Day. At Waters edge her anchor chain Frails out five shots to a mod'rate strain From the starboard bow to a muddy floor, The depth, in fathoms, thirty-four. Condition Yoke is modined The Sixth Fleet OPSKED is our guide. Generator one gives light With steam from boiler one tonight. The Nitro, AE-23 Glows brightly here in company. R l9lO2OZ JAN 69 FM USS CHIKASKIA TO RUTMS IITF SIX THREE BT UNCLAS E F T O THEIR BOW WAVES FROTH AND FOAM THE SIXTH FLEET IS AT SEA THEY GUARD US ALWAYS FAR FROM HOME. ITHEY GOT THEIR FUEL FROM ME.I UNCHALLENGED IS THEIR MIGHT THEY SAIL THE SEAS WITH PRIDE AND MEETING 'US BY STARLESS NIGHT WE BROUGHT SERVICE TO THEIR SIDE. THE BLACK SEA SAW THE FLAG ITS PRESENCE WAS MADE KNOWN BUT HAD OUR SERVICE EVER LAGGED THAT FLAG WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN WE'RE OLD AND SLOW IT'S TRUE WITH-NO DESTROYER'S FLAIR BUT COULD KOELSCH SAIL THE ROLLING BLUE HAD OUR WATER NOT BEEN THREE. NOW FOREIGN LABORS CEASE. WE START OUR HOMEWARD RUN WE SERVED THE FLEET THAT KEEPS THE PEACE TO HELP A JOB WELL DONE. Where. CG-12, Columbus, ridesg In which the SOPA now resides. Rear Adm'ral Johnson leads his men In command CRUDESFLOT Ten. The lights on shore are glimm'ring near We wish you all a Happy Year. And so in Nineteen SiXtyANine, My poem complete, the log I sign. C. N. Dragonette ENSIGN USNR

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lig.1z-:-- Hlzika kia Pawn A CHRISTMAS DRINK TWAS SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND ALL THROUGH THE- CHIK THE CREW WAS RELAXING ENJOYING THE FLICK THE HOSES WERE HUNG ON THE OUTRIGGERS WITH CARE IN HOPES THAT HANDBOOK AND HER GROUP WOULD APPEAR WITH ALL BOILERS AND GENERATORS BACK ON THE LINE THE BIG CHIK WAS READY AND RIDING REAL FINE WITH DECK CARGO BROKE OUT AND DECK STEAM ON THE LINE THE COOKS WERE PLANNING A MEAL SO DIVINE WHEN OVER PRI-TAC THERE AROSE SUCH A CLATTER ME. B. SPRANG FROM HIS PIT TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER WHEN ON THE HORIZON CAME A FLASHING RED LIGHT AND THE CALL OF SIGNALS COULD BE HEARD IN THE NIGHT OUR ONLY TWO SIGNALMEN WERE THERE IN A FLASH THEIR LITTLE COB PIPES FILLED UP WITH HASH AND WHAT TO THEIR BLOODSHOT EYES SHOULD APPEAR HANDBOOK , SKY ROCKET BEN HUR.',', AND PRIVATEER WHEN HERE CAME HANDBOOK STEADY AND TRUE LAUNCHING HER AIRCRAFT AND RECOVERING THEM TOO ON PRI TAC SHE SAID LET'S GET ON WITH THE, GAME SHE SCREAMD AND SHE HOLLERED AND CALLED THEM BY NAME COME BEN HUR , COME SAWBO NES GO ON ALONGSIDE NOW OAKBROOK AND HANO TAKE STATION ON THE GUIDE AND THEN TO L-5 HANDBOOK WENT PELL MELL TO COME ALONGSIDE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL SHE READIED HERSELF AS BEN HUR BROKE AWAY AND COMMNECED HER APPROACH FOR HER SIX HOUR STAY THEN UPON US SHE CAME WITH A WALLOWING HASTE TO HOOK-UP WITH THE CHIK TWAS NO TIME TO WASTE EMERGECY SIX WAS PLACED OUT OF SIGHT AND SIX SHORT BLASTS WOULD NOT PIERCE THE NIGHT CAUSE ON THE BIG CHIK EVERYONE KNEW SHE HAD A GOOD HELMSMAN AND AN OUTSTANDING GREW AND WE HEARD HER EXCLAIM AS SHE STEAMED OUT OF SIGHT THANKS FOR THE DRINK ON THIS COLD WINTERS NIGHT! SMS BLASSO 8QqRD3 WITTMER PUBLISHERS 81 COMPOSERS VER

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Palma 1 Our stop at the beautiful port of Palma de Mallorca was most enjoyable. Palma, an island off the coast of Spain, is a vacation spot visited in great numbers by people from all over Europe. Excellent tours ofthe entire island were available for the crew. Christmas shopping was wonderful because of the large variety of stores available. Crew members could enjoy a reasonable and very delicious meal anywhere in the city. As far as the scenic views from restaurants were concerned, the large number of Scandinavian girls made a sidewalk view quite enough. E- as