Columbia (CL 56) - Naval Cruise Book

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Qehzzfifwe ITH departure three days off, some of the more foresighted of our number spent ten minutes in buying some of the supplies necessary to life, while the rest slept. Two days from E-day, a few more patronized the ships service, a few went to town, and one man went to Providence, ostensibly to buy his mother a gift. The rest sleep. The day immediately preceding embarkation was spent in furious games of chance, with large sums of chips pass- ing from hand to hand. The more level headed and less nervous of our numbers spent the day in the arms of Morpheus. Then with startling suddeness, we realized that the time was now. We had, at the outside, thirteen hours, and the lights would be out for eight of those. In other words, it was time to get on the ball. Packing was one of the prime requisites of moving several cubic feet of gear from the barracks to the ship. And on hand, to accomplish this minor miracle of logistics, were a few old seabags, val- pacs, and suitcases . . . and Joe Basler had a gunny sack. Throughout the evening and early morning the cramming process went on in as- sembly line style . . . some made it, some didn't. As a result, the Duty Officer was accompanied by a wave of blackness that night . . . the lights went off in front of his illustrious personageg thirteen

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then came on again behind him. By the morn- ing, we were ready, come what may. Fall ing and the blue clad, red eyed ranks stood fast, in a fair imitation of a military form- ation. Piled in front of each platoon was a mountainous mass of gear, the result of the previous nights work. In each hand was a manila envelope-the Navy's stamp for the newly commissioned. Past the trucks we Bled, straining to lift the packs into the waiting arms of the working party, then on to form again, and stand in readiness to march down to the landing. The order was not long in coming-not more than thirty minutes . . . so humming Chickory Chick and marching to a waltz rhythm, the Columbia Detail stumbled onward in their journey. Past the library, where qualms of conscience touched those who had neglected to return books 3 the Rec Hall, scene of those midweek beer parties, past the infamous OHicer's Club wherein many a gay evening had been spent, laden with wine, women and song, and to those who had a more serious turn of mind, to study +Study of the liquid capacities of various con- tainers, all of them human. Foremost of these scientists was V. Miner, Hydraulic Engineer. Then the clear morning air was rent asunder with a violent noise. Those of us who are more of the sensitive type quivered, while all felt qualms of some sort. A large group of men stood off to one side, blowing, twisting, beating, and wringing strange noises from a variety of objects which they held in their hands. Music, a bystander said. Being of agreeable nature, we concurred. Band, said the same character. Again we nodded. After waiting patiently through the better part of an hour, and watching innumerable boats come and go to other ships, watching a draft of Training Station stewards mates em- bark in a covered launch, and a LCM leave several times, loaded variously with cabbage, meat and canned carrots, we finally were herded aboard our waiting boat, and man! we were drawing sea pay. Ou7'f6eTL