I lthrgugh peoplels buck Yards, proved a novel experience. QPGTUUOH 'Of Th? C122 :boats in sub-freezing and occasionally sub-zero presen e ificult mechanical as w ll 1 b ' men trained in Florida felt that they were belngclseggleicerdnikslscfeelnbiy exposure to the extremes of sub-tropical heat and bone chilling Atlantic cold. N D1-lfiflg this training' lhe'SUDlO1Y Department learned how to effectively feed- 5UQ P90919 One day, lUUO the next, and still serve appetizina dishes. The glylavigation Department picked up considerable experience af piloting in 'rocky,.narrow channels. All hands gained an appreciation of the power of the sea as storm after freezing storm struck the ship. On three ccccfcicqs violent storms broke the anchor for anchorsl loose and narrowly missed smashing ,the Dutchess against the jagged rocks of Narragansett Bay. ' Particularly on New Year's Day, all hands on board CSOZZD celebrated by standing by at Emergency Stations for many hours in cold raw rain and freezing sleet. At one time both anchors were dragging and the Dutchegg WGS inexorably being forced ashore by the howling wind on rocky Taylor point of Conanicut Island. A leadsman was sent aft to the stern to take soundings. He reported back pale and shaken exclaiming, Captain, there's a big rock back there so close l can spit on it . The Captain maneuvered the ship clear just in time. At nightfall, after many hours of difficult maneuvering in narrow waters, the 98 finally anchored in a safe haven. The bone-tired crew was of the opinion that a seaman's life was a series of emergencies interspaced with routine hard work. The 9,000-pound anchors were replaced with 13,000-pound anchors to guarantee the ship a modicum of safety. Even so the Hbig sail boat required constant attention in a blow, for if given enough wind, she would drag anchor. t ' Bit by bit the Dutchess men were meshing into a cooperative team. How-- ever this process was delayed somewhat by the persistent contact with the shore and family life as all hands were permitted a long week-end liberty on 'alternate week.-ends. Liberty facilities in the fashionably quaint but small town of Newport were limited of course, but transportation was adequate enough to permit Dutchessmen to make the round-trip to all the Eastern New York-New England centers of population over the week-end. The majority of the crew were able to reach home on either Christmas or New Year'sg in ad- dition 707, of the officers and 207, of the enlisted men- were granted ten days leave.. , T A serio-comic typical week-end would end as follows: after spending the -better part of two days standing up on holiday trains, the Dutchessman would ieach the dock about l AM. to find that another storm had cancelled all boat runs: after 4 hours huddled on a bench he would be successful in riding out to the ship through the snowstorm amid great splashes of icy spray, then, kit- bag over arm, by the gray light of winter's dawn he would stiffly climb the scramble nets and finally clamber aboard, change clothes, thaw out, man boat and within the hour be breasting the screaming wind and icy spray Tice more. The Dutchessmen now felt they were worthy' of the North Atlantic of approbation- rugged -''bring on those laps! D And the Dutchess' turn cameg on the 10th of February she was relieved her pre-commissioning training duties, and subsequently -was replaced by U.S.S. Grundy CAPA-llll. Sailing south without encountering any enemy She, entered the Norfolk Navy Yard once again. There, from. February they ravages of the winter were repaired as the 98 was readied f last, after six months, from August to February, her time had C13l
”
Page 27 text:
“
.qonditions of newly embarked troop ,life were straightened 'Cuff W were getting their three meals a day which were smoothl served by Seabees and prepared by Seabees and ships CQHX s orking together. Heavily instrumentalin implementing the paper were a dozen of the Seabee CPOs who capably assumed the ties of Lieutenants. A Q12 A Qn arrival, March 5th, at the Panama Canal which was marked by clusters Vin-page balloons nodding sleepily up against the clouds, the Dutchess was lion through the locks and left the waters of the Atlantic and Carribean for duration. Deck spaces were at a premium as all l8OU souls aboard watched fascinating, mechanics of being boosted via locks up to the level of Gatun After a week of sailing through limitless ocean waters, steaming through 1-eestumps and verdant gem like islets seemed like a fanciful dream.'A actical advantage was taken of the lake by running its fresh water through numerous branches of the salt water fire and flushing system, thus killing y existing marine growths dependent on salt water for life. Through the steep and narrow walls of the Gaillard Cut, the 98 twisted and turned under the pilot's experienced direction. Thence, through the Miraflores locks and down to Pacific waters she made her way. When once made fast to the dock at Balboa, Canal Zone, while fuel and the inevitable stores came aboard, half the Dutchess personnel went ashore to see the sights and alleged flesh-pots of Panama City, they found it not quite so glamorous qs reported. f , A curious incident of historical interest, illustrating the temper sometimes in men long at war, was the troop liberty situation. Port regulations forbade ltroop liberty, thereforemany of the troops, disgusted at being sent overseas again, desperately felt they must get ashore at all costs. So with this con- certed urge, mass attempts were made to slip down the gangway, slid do-wn the lines, jump over the side, and steal away from dockside working parties. For a warmish hour the Dutchess Officers and Police Petty Officers had a lively time. The situation was solved by breasting the ship ten feet away from the dock. y .The successful cA.W.O.L.'s, ranging from CPC's to non-rated men, were rounded' up as they returned by the dawn's early light, sadder and more disillusioned men. 'Appropriate disciplinary action was taken. The evening of the Sth of March found the Working Lady, now bereft of her escort, steaming steadily through the deep blue Pacific waters-westward into the setting sun. Each day as she made her way westward under the Warm tropical sun, the troops became more integrated-the troop guard functioned, the ,mess cooks were on deck, the working parties turned-to with in Will. .A 1 Several of the skilled Seabees,-painters, carpenter's mates, shipfltters, iiiiff.. voluntaril turned-to with the Dutchessmen. lce cream was availablex Y . . - other day up to the limit of the capacity of the machines. Movies were in the mess hall nightly. 4 r As he Gung Ho ship made her way ever westward, the crewmen were by the flying fish that would sail 20, 30, even 60 feet across the ies- ly they would land on deck, silver indigo in color, with wing- 1 S- The favorite pastime was sun bathing, all hands attempting to acquireka of . ' ' .' DT .T tan The heat in the troop compartments was Paramount T te adequate ventilation system that had been bedamnepd in the oducing too much air, was now derided for insufficiency. s ma .i topside as the frequent showers would permit. Thed SEGi313L'ignzfg Cfimsiderable amusement. A deep bOX Plflced. OH GC C if 15l
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
