Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 33 text:

' .f ' f .■■f-vf w I M C ne morning at quarters LT McCreary announced that COLUMBUS was to produce a big Smoker on the fantall, boxers were needed, and a request was made for partici- pants. It was at this time that the entire Fifth stepped forward. The COLUMBUS boxing squad couldn ' t handle all comers and the Fifth ended up fighting each other. Thus we were dubbed the Fighting Fifth. Fifth Division spaces extend from frame sixty-two to frame ninety-six . . . including the Oh one level (not to be confused with Villa) starboard side, the number one stack and the forward starboard Sunday fueling station. Sam and his boys contribute greatly to the upkeep of the Turnpike passing by the Executive Officer ' s Office, and the Flag Operations Office in the absence of you know who . Air Defense Forward (lookouts ' mess hall) is under the able supervision of that versatile Boatswain ' s Mate, Gibbons. Aft we have mounts 54, 55, and 56 which proudly boast many compliments for their inside appearance and efficiency. The gun gang is second to none and operates enviably under the tutoring of that Overnite Specialist , Eardley. All in all we ' re quite proud of the Fighting Fifth , but no more so than we are of the name the good old Colombo sports throughout the entire Navy. We realize that we are but a strong link in that unbreakable chain that makes our home the envy of all other ships. Some of us came to the Fifth as boots, others came as salts — we ' ve griped and growled, laughed and worked hard, and yet we have learned a lot — both the hard way and the right way. As we look forward to future cruises we cannot help but remember those good days we shared with the entire crew of our good ship COLUMBUS.

Page 35 text:

V i hose spaces run from frame 95 to frame 127 port, the 03 level, anj the mainmast? The Sixth Division, of course! We do our best to keep these spaces looking the best on the ship. Our duties also include the operation of No. 3 Motor Launch and the Captain ' s gig. We had the honor of operating the Admiral ' s Barge for Admiral Lynd D. McCormick, SACLANT, during the Operation Mainbrace exercises. Below decks, the spaces of the First Class, Ships Store, Crew ' s Lounge, and Post Office passageways, also reflect the hard work put in by the Rip-roaring Sixth. Due to the traffic in these spaces, they are some of the hardest to keep clean. We also run the paint locker. Without this the ship would not always be looking as slick as it does. There are a number of outstanding bluejackets in the division. The guy in the lover department is Ace O Keefe; then for the right joke at the right time we have hlotrod hHerrod. Who is it that gets stuck with the potatoes after every replenishment? You guessed it! The division is composed of eighty-one men and is one of the largest of the deck divisions. It is very ably run by Chief Jones with the help of Wolf, W. J., BM2, LPO, and his other PO ' s. It is supervised by the good guidance of LTJG Wallace P. Behnke and LTJG Loren A. Dubois. Now, a little about the other part of the division. We have the honor of running the port three-inch battery, which is our pride and joy. The gun gang consists of twenty-four gunner ' s mates and strikers, who are kept in line by Chief Jake Behar and Eldridge, GM I , along with six other trusty PO ' s. On one occasion while operating here, we had the luck of firing at the only small drone to be shot down. We have also had some very good bursts in firing at sleeves. On the next cruise we hope to do a lot better, when the three-inch will not be so new to us. We have in the gun gang what some people might call, the Three Musketeers. They are Cooper, Harper, and Kmg. The reason? They are sure to be at the gangway when liberty call goes. It has been said that the only times they stayed aboard was while at sea. Well, we hope we can keep up the good work and have many more cruises as enjoyable as this one.