Epping Forest (LSD 4) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 15 text:

The executive officer of any ship or station must be a man of many capabilities. It is up to him to take much of the load off the shoulders of the com- manding officer. Together they must work dili- gently to keep a good ship running smoothly and efficiently. The primary duty of the executive officer cannot be singled out as one particular job; there are too many of them. Since the next step in the chain of com- mand is that of commanding officer the exec must have more than a working knowledge of every detail associated with keeping the ship up to naval standards. Administration, personnel welfare, and the morale of the crew are just a few of his many tasks. He is the man who controls the liberty of the crew, through him must go every piece of correspondence for approval before being submitted to the captain for final signature. The executive officer must be a man of high moral character, as well as an outstanding leader and busi- ness man. He must be able to make the right deci- sion at the right time on a moments notice. If anoyne on the ship must be a jack-of-all-trades , it ' s the executive officer. LCDR ROBERT A. DAVIS USN 19 years service La Mesa, California Executive Officer LT. CLARENCE C. FELDHAUS USN 27 years service San Diego, California Chief Engineer The duties and responsibilities of the chief engineer consist, mainly, of the readiness of all engineering spaces for steaming and supervision of damage con- trol. He keeps all engineering records, logs, and statistics in his custody and, through subordinates, is responsible for the care, maintenance, and per- formance of all the machinery aboard ship. Electric power, fresh water, and the machinery required to provide these things are in his care. The ballasting of the ship for participation in amphibious invasions and the repar of any damaged craft that are brought aboard for repair are other duties of this officer. He is ably assisted by junior officers and crew members of the engineering force. A great deal depends upon whether or not these things are accomplished in the correct manner, thus: a constant vigil must be held by the crew members and officers of the Engineering Force.

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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.

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The duties of the navigation officer are to designate the best course in nautical miles that the ship should go between two places and with his instruments and the assitsance of the men assigned to him, see that this course is followed. He has in his hands the responsibility of the ship, under the Captain, as much or more so than any other officer on board. He is also the postal officer and takes responsibility of the guard mail that is sent between the other naval activities and the ship. LT. (jg) HENRY W. MARBOTT USNR Canfon, Ohio Heidelberg College Navigation Officer LT. (jg) E. B. CARPENTER USNR Boomingfown, Pennsylvania Penn State University Operations Officer The operations officer is the man assigned to the brain- wracking job of planning and executing the operations and maneuvers of the ship. To assist him in doing this job he has the radarmen, radiomen, telemen, and quartermasters who keep the ship on a safe course by tracking and plotting the contacts on the radar equipment, keep the ship well informed by receiving all the despatches and guard mail, and send and receive all the visual signals sent to the ship. These men, in doing their job well, are the basis of a smooth operation, and without them the ship would be greatly hin- dered and of little use to the Navy.