Chourre (ARV 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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,THE FIRST CRUISE We loaded our Ammo at Port Chicago. The Captain said, I-Iurryl We got to go With our Ammo loaded we sailed away. Hoping to reach Diego,' at a future day, The Captain said, F ull speed ahead? And the engineers rolled out of their beds. The boilers groaned and huffed and puffed, we could have gotten more speed with all sailsluffed At twelve knots per, we set to sea I'll never know why they needed me. As we sailed away, you could hear the wails. As the fish were fed from over the rails ------ Mal- de-mer hit hard and fast. ------ Some men swore this would be their last. ------------ White-Hats were sick and the Oflicers too ------ Even the Doc. was a sickly hue. Said the Exec. to the Doc 'CThere's a flew men ill. Said the Doc. to the Corpsman, Give me another pill. ------ But into the haze and fog and mist, our ship sailed on with hardly a list. As we traveled, our own wake we crossed. ------ It seems our Navigator had gotten us lost. ------ Alas and Alackf' the Captain cried. Until at last an island was spied. Then- on to Diego we sped away. ------ Like Mariners of old, we found ouriway.i----- -14-

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CONIIVIISSONING

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UNDERWAY TRAINING ELEMENT ' Hip Hip Hurray! --------------- Hip Hip Hurray! With our daring crew we'll save the day. ------ Liberty is over so we set out to sea. To take our training as U. T. E. ------ General Quarters and drills. ------ We had them galore. As one was secured, they piped down two more. ------ Repair party forwardf, Repair party aft. ------ Explosions below decks have increased our draft. The wounded were laid out ------ all neat and trim ------ but the way some were bandaged, it became very grim. Gunners on target. At gunnery we'll tryg ------ to shoot down the target way up in the sky. Load, aim and fire with the greatest of ease. ------ When the clatter was over. we had just fanned the breeze! -- -15-