Endicott (DMS 35) - Naval Cruise Book

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' ' -'- ----H N A :nh ...Ln Y 4- -L , 1 -1- C-V f.,......N. , , , A ' r ,..,,..,-.,,,4,..,W, J N V 'Q .4 1. - V Y - ., ..,..., Y J.,-...,.-,,. ,.. , ,.,, CZ Ll J H1161 l'll9 The ENDICOTT S first assignment after arriving in the Far East in late February of 1953 was a short tour as flagship for Rear Admiral William K PHILLIPS USN Chief of Staff to Admiral D W RADFORD USN then Commander in Chief U S Pacific Fleet We departed from Yokosuka Japan for Iwo Jima 28 February l953 where the Admiral and his staff were to arrive by plane for a tour of mspec tion of lwo Jima and Chi Chi Jima As Chi Chi Jima has no landing field facilities our mission was to take Admiral Phillips and his staff there and return them to Iwo Jima the afternoon and the Admiral s two star pennant was hoisted as Vice Admiral William K Phillips USN Capt R C Lynch USN Capt B Katz USN Cdr R R Rambo MC USN and Lt L B Bruzzolora USNR came aboard We got under way immediately and Mount Surlbachi slowly faded away as we sailed over the horizon We arrived at Chi Chi Jima early on the morning of March 3rd and the Admiral and his staff were put ashore for their tour of inspection of the American controlled island Chi Chi Jima lalso called Peel Island? is the second largest and con sidered the most important of several islands which make up the BONIN O O O O l C I Q l I 0 0 5 I I I ' 1 1 ' - ' I. I - .- I 1 U I I I 1 A ll I I . . Q . . . . I We arrived at the historical island o-f lwo Jima 2 March, l953, -late in I l - 1 - . Q . , Q . . . , 1 . . , J ' ' I 1 . . . 1 I I . I . I I. . , I . . . l . I - I

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ISLANDS. The island is a beautiful semi-tropical island two and one half out nine and one half square miles The terrain is rugged, with many hills and valleys. There are i miles wide and i ve miles long and has an area of ab ' - a number of mountainous peaks, and the highest, Asaki Yama, rises to 1,050 feet. The plains are few, but their soil is very fertile. The island is composed generally of trap rock intermingled with amydaloid and green stone. Tutami Bay, on the west coast, provides a lovely natural harbor. Many tropical fruit-bearing trees and dense vegetation are found along river valleys and supply much of the natural food supply of the island. The first American ship visited the Bonin Islands in l836. Many have been seen there ever since, except during World War ll when the island was strongly defended by the Japanese, but, luckily, our troops never attempted. a landing there on the march toward Japan. At the present time, there are many of the original natives still on the island and a small number of Naval personnel, some of whom live there with their families in modern bungalow-type homes. All contact with the outside world comes when, about twice a month, a small ship arrives to bring food, mail and other supplies, and returns to Guam with the natives' catch of fish to be sold there. As the Admiral and his staff returned to the ship, we were once more on our way to lwo Jima to complete our tour as Admiral PHILLIPS' flagship. Next stop-KOREA VIA SASEBO, JAPAN. STEVE COPELAND, HMC