,San Francisco became a memory-it was time for the L b E to go tO WOrk. Steaming up the Columbia River thet9th of lung were bemused at the majestic cliffs surmounted by lofty trees either side of the sinuous channel. The Old Girl w , Baltimore, Norfolk, and from Okinawa too. As she progciecddcdnlgnlgslqyi mountains grew loftier until the snow capped peak of Mount Hood domi- the landscape--it seemed impossible that a seagoing ship could Soil far into the mountains. ' -Mooring to the Municipal Terminal Portland CWillamette Riverb the ' reported ready for duty. Finding no troops or cargo immediotel le, the Dutchessmen went off through the downpours to try liberty ii! another city, and surprisingly found'Portland to be even more friendly San Francisco. The Army had difficulty locating cargo so that when the loading, conducted by civilian stevedores, was completed only 571 tons 'about 40? capacityl were in the holds. Sailing down the Columbia River .une l3th the Dutchess had embarked an unusual load of troopss-1330 infantry replacements who were all just l9 years old. The 66 officers were comprised of g mixture of freshly trained young infantry Lieutenants and numerous Army Air Corps officers inexperienced in handling troops. There were no noncoms among the l33U enlisted men except where a l9-year-old was temporarily designated as a sergeant or corporal and put in charge of other l9-year-olds. Fortunately, the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of troops were experienced Escort Officers who had been in charge of transporting replace-- ments to the European Theater for several years. The troops were organized 'into companies and speedily began to function on messing, berthing, police cmd' guard details. The uniformity in ages was occasioned by the Congressional stipulation that authorized youths to be drafted at l8, but did not permit them to be sent overseas until they reached their l9th birthday. . There was many a sad eye looking astern at that receding rugged Oregon coastline etched by sharp mountains verdent with fir and spruce. For the Dutchessmenhad made their best liberties since long before commissioning time the preceding November. The big city atmosphere at San Francisco had been very, enjoyable, the warmth of welcome of the Multnomahians CPortland citizensi had been unique. Despite the continual downpours, the Dutchessmen -Voted Portland tops, and there ever after displayed a nostalgic gleam in their eyes when that city was mentioned. A . As the Laboring Lady tossed and pitched resolutely plowing her way southwest in the late lingering june twilight of 48 N latitude the crew thought that it might be a long time before the joys of Uncle Sugar werefleetingly sampled once again. The troops, universally seasick and homesick, knew that it would be a long time out for them. For a day or two, the usual Pande- monium of freshly embarked troops obtainedg men being sick in the wash- rooms, in their bunks, in the living compartments, in the passage ways, CICTOSS thedecksg boys believing themselves so sick that they couldnt get up: rugged six footers who just had to go homey fighting men who claimed that dn't care whether or not they lived or died because of the terrible Pill' emptyness in their stomachs and whirling dervishes in their heads. V, Once the G.l.s became adjusted to the Dutchess' comfortable rocking-, pitching motion, they .began coming up for air. As the LCIClY ST9Cid11Y her way southwest, the seas flattened, and warm sunshine thawed out hearts. The ship was washed down from stem to stern, the COIIIPUIIL' Smucbbed and aired, and the' troops regained their appemes to lf-5 that some went through the chow line twice per meal to make up Ol' 3 for breakdown X 1 ' - , ' C 25 l '
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I fomds of miles, and then have it unload in some God-forsaken area ready to 'off strain C no strainnl lt was a w 1 , , - ecome im ' . :Wherein the officers knew their men and the menplqcgfmgm IQ . eantsufor many months The recurrent problem of lost among hundreds of uniformed t 'men on KPS ICIY down to the mess deck S rangers when .the was passed did not bother on this bring thi haliiqlilor thai same day, the Dutchess bade farewell to the slan s. He art erymen registered more vehement adieus as had been stuck on 'The Rock for two years. While steaming out to rendezvous the 'Cfung Ho gunners lined their sights on aerial 1 . . f Cer again. All hangs were gratified at their increasing proficiency Relrildgzs S with the U. . . Napa CAPA-l57J qorcp, the Lady dropped into heg lac-e11'1 convoy screened by the escorts U.S.S. William C. Miller CDE-2591 and T ',S. Cabana CDE-2605 and set her course south by west for Eniwetokp the .wriesiward cycle was commenced. ' The troops rapidly became acclimated to their cramped ship-board life qthis being the second or third voyage for all of theml and efficiently carried uf their part of the Abandon Ship Drills. Practice firings were conducted on burst aerial targets and Fire Drill followed Collision Drill as daily the Dutchess zigzagged her way westward into the domain of the lap subs once again. r T The first echelon of the Corps had sailed a fortnight earlier distributed between a smaller APA and several lesser ships. This second echelon con- fsisted of an AKA and 9 LSTs in addition to the Dutchess with the landing .ships traveling at a slower speed. The heavier guns were embarked' on the .lofher ships, but the majority of the artillerymen were berthed on the APA. Considerable organizational enterprise was required to pick up such a unit Complete with its heavy guns, trucks, observation aircraft, huge automotive salvage vans, generators, food, ammunition, etc., transport it intact for thous- function. The 9th Corps seemed to be effecting the move with admirable efficiency. T , i Cn anchoring at Eniwetok, Marshall lslands, on the 7th of Iuly all hands Were pleased to find the stay would be brief. On the very next day she fjoined up with the convoy consisting of the U.S.S. Grimes CAPA-1275 COTCJ, U.S.S. Neshoba CAPA-2165, U.S.S. Lanier CAPA-l25l, U.S.S. Meriweather CAPA- 2U3l, U.S.S. President Polk CAP-lU3l,'U.S.S. l-lyde CAPA-l73l, U.S.S. Rockbridge lAPA-228l, U.S.S. Kittson CAPA-l23l, U.S.S Florence Nightingale fAPq7Ul, S.S. CCIpe Meares, and the U.S.S. Navarro CAPA-2152. The formation was protected JOY the constant patrolling of the escorts U.S.S. Strong CDD-758l, U-S-5 Halford ,lDD-4805, and the U.S.S. Huntington KDD-7813. . This leg of the voyage speedily became characterized as another trctlfllllzllg As the CTC COfficer in Tactical Commandl was QGSITOUS Of QWQHQ 1,6 under his command as much operational experience QS -905511919 m on for the big amphibious lan.ding that was now beglnfllng T? 121013 in the not-too-distant future. The 12 closely .grouped T1'CfI1SP01 fSd OG 3 0 atotal, of l8,UUU soldiers, zigzagged, ceased z1gZClQQ11'1Q1 execute denfteg maneuvers, went to General Quarters morn1nQ Und 1'l1Qhlf C0121 113123- Control problems, held signal drills, and kept' the Cdptalnfl?-h t. er- ridge personnel-officers and men--in an ant1c11OOl'fPl'Y V191 , Ogmzm little' rest. The artillerymen, tossed into an unfamiliarfenvgin feet' obit apprehensive at all this ringing of alarms, scu1'1'Y1PQ O funrtmiflt hi wif Of the ventilation, and being COO1O9d UP ln then Solgliaand were gf. the ship as heavy steel watertight doors clange . S U . A y. C27 D T rtii lj'
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