Epping Forest (LSD 4) - Naval Cruise Book

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CDR FREDERIC C. FALLON, USN 18 years service Point Loma, California Commanding Officer One could never begin to ennumerate oil the duties and responsi- bilities of the Commanding Officer. Every situation, be it of primary importance or of lowly insignificance, is the direct re- sponsibility of the Commanding Officer and each case must be met with the integrity and judgment of on expert. For he is the Captain of his ship; it is up to him to take core of it. To help him in this terrific task, the Captain has an Executive Officer and other junior officers who ore placed in charge of certain departments throughout the ship. When the Captain has the cooperation of these officers, as well as the cooperation of every enlisted man aboard, the job becomes routine and you can look for a good ship and a happy crew. Since his primary duty is the morale and general welfare of every crew member aboard, the Captain must insure that justice reigns over all. Naval discipline is a primary factor in keeping up the morale of a ship. Rewarding the good may be easy, but pun- ishing the bad is an unenviable task. The Commanding Officer must be an expert navigator, engineer, and seaman. Many a sleepless night is spent by him when the ship is underway, while he diligently mans his conning station, guiding the ship through all kinds of weather. He directs his junior officers not to hesitate to call him out of his slumber if a questionable situation arises while the ship is at sea; he finds out that many times these situations do arise. An engine suddenly becomes inoperative; an evaporator motor foils; on anchor will not respond; these are just a few of the many situations that arise in the course of the Captain ' s daily pitfalls. It is up to him to make the right decisions, to correct the defi- ciencies, many times with little or no time to think it over. The Captain, therefore, must be a man of action. He must keep a clear and cool head at all times. He must know how to handle men. For it is in no small measure that the Commanding Officer will moke the difference between on ordinary ship of the fleet or on outstanding ship with a contented crew.

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Commander Fallon came aboard at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to relieve Com- mander Hack as Captain of the Epping Forest. Commander Fallon graduated from Tuft ' s College in Medford, Mass. He then went to the Naval Academy from which he graduated in 1939. He then started his career at various duties and stations, ending up here as Captain of the U.S.S. Epping Forest (LSD-4).

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' How many people in civil life Will take the time to think, That Sailor Men do other things Than bum around and drink? Don ' t judge us by the one or two You see that act the fool. For is it not that exception That proves most every rule? When you see a man in civilian life Go staggering down the pike, You don ' t run down the civilian man And say they ' re all alike. Now most men of the uniform Are really pretty good. They ' ll never steal your chickens Or carry away your wood. And yet in time of peace We are as welcomed as the gout. You wonder what we ' re drilling for And what ' s it all about. But let there be a sound of war You make a lot of noise. And strain your lungs and voices While cheering for the boys. And yet there is just one more thing That should be understood. They send us back to Civil Life If here we don ' t make good.