Essex (CVA 9) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 14 text:

Q'- .iANuAQY 25, IQ53, Yoi4osui4A, .JAPAN n January 25, IQ53, the USS ESSEX sailed From Yolqosuka l-larbor, bound For home after seven months in Korean waters Fighting a war which would never bring victory. It was a war in which men shot to kill For two years aicter talks designed to end it, were begung it was a war in which Falling bombs blew great holes in the harsh Korean earth For lack ot better targets while the very arsenals oi: the enemy lay untouched in privileged sanctuaries a Few miles away. It seemed, some- times, the most illogical, trus- trating and liruitless war in history, but it was a war which had to be Fought. lt was a cause which had to be detended. During this cruise, Five men From the ESSEX gave up their lives For that cause. To the world, the Korean War was a limited war. To the pilots ot the ESSEX, who Faced enemy guns every day and to the men who supported them, it was war unlimited. It was a war ot bombing, straining, road and rail interdic- tion and the air support ot ground troops. It was a war ot endless maintainance, spot- ting and respotting, tending boilers and the myriad ot other tasks that lceep a great carrier underway and her planes in the air. i l A -pi- I i i 1 E i L ?'2 lg

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The ESSEX was operating with Air Task Group TWO, and lQear Admiral lQobert E. Blick, Commander Carrier Division Tl-HQEE and Commander -l-ask Eorce 77, was embarked. On Eebruary I3, lQ5Li, vvliile operating in tlwe East China Sea, Captain Erank -l'Ul2NElQ relieved Captain DUBOQG and became tlwe eleventlw com- manding olikicer ol: tl'1e USS ESSEX. Eor I65 years tlwe vessels bearing time name USS ESSEX l'1ave been lieared by tlweir enemies and lwonored by the country tlwey served. The present ESSEX, last and miglwtiest of ber line, is the inberitor of a proud tradition that is almost W4 .4 1'..i: i 1f-:-:2: 2 ,dmnwfwu wikis- :-:---4:r::?!!9Wf as old as tlwe United States itselt. ,fl qmpwwmww 24,55 W wr . mffffffff ' ' J Q'l....,.,

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X 1' Q I It was the deadly, dreary, monotonous war orc Flying circles around the Task Force, the search For submarines and the drills, drills, drills For the attack which never came. Lacking the goal ol: ultimate victory, what impels men to sacriliice For such a strange war as this on the other side ol: the world? For some it is the distance and remoteness itselt, the mystery ol: strange new places and new experiences. For some it is the resigned acceptance ol: a struggle we could not honorably avoid. For some it is an appeal to reason and to abstract ideals. For all it rerclects a Fierce pride in them- selves, in their jobs, in their ship and in their country. Never before have men worked so hard and suffered so much For so Few ot the visible symbols ot accomplish- ment and victory. Yet in their unselliish service they brought to themselves and to their country a blazing, unliorget- able glory-and that is, in itsehc, victory. The men ot the ESSEX could well Feel proud that January evening as the ship weighed anchor in Yokosuka l-larbor and headed For home and their loved ones who waited so anxiously For their return.