Franklin (CV 13) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 38 text:

The Toughest Sailor, Little Ben. tells the SP (Shore Patrol) where to head in. W illy wanted to go to war on Big Ben . .

Page 37 text:

Tlir hoys of I ' op W n u.firs STuo Division ucrr st ' rious about the war and in dead-earnest about their religion. that would make a micrometer look like a steam shovel was necessary to success — perfect harmony in the movements of ]Hlot, plane, fighter director, and the big ship herself. Even the episode of Willy could not slow down these final preparations. It was on this cruise that Red Harris discovered among his plane-pushers a huge colored boy, sweating as only a colored boy can; doing as much work as any man on the ship and obviously enjoying it more than twice as much. It was an odd sight, but Red ' passed it off with a shrug, thinking that one of the steward mates had come up for fresh air and exercise, curious as the latter ' seemed. Willy became known all over the ship. Below the third deck he labored tremendously with the engineers; on the hangar deck he fell in with working parties and joined willingly into any toil. Vi ' illy was taken for granted as a part — some part — of the crew, for no man arises to ques- tion another man who is working hard and seeming to love it. One day, however: Mistuh Wright, Ah ' d lak to get paid five dollars, suh. ' ' This to Lt. Pop ' Wright, harrassed mess manager, who saw in Willy just another of the 15(3 Negro boys of his S-Two Division. Pop signed the request, as did Lt. Comdr. Paul Speer, aide to the executive officer, merely as a matter of adding to Pop s ' endorsement, and hardly looking up from his desk. Paymaster Jess Albritton, however, had to he a trifle more technical about these matters. He sent to the exec ' s office for illy ' s pay accounts. The execs office did not liave them and a minor squall seemed threatening. Then s.omeonc thouglit to ask Willy al out the situation. Wliere ' d you come from, boy? Fode Islan ' , suh. Brought your records and ])ay accounts, didn ' t you? No use looking for my ]iay accounts, suh — dey was lost a long time ago. Then it all came out, in a string of events which will nut fighters of J ' F-13 at I ' liuneme Airfield. Maui, during Big Bens operations al Pearl Harbor stand dialect. Willy had not been paid in two months; his clothes had gone the way of the Lucky Bag — Navy Lost and Found Department. So had his bedding. He had been denied liberty — so he had just come aboard Big Ben in hif dungarees, to get away from Ford Island and its restrictions, and out into the broader Pacific where he might see what a Jap looked like. He simply wanted five dollars for a few little things such as cigarettes and soap. He was willing to wuk like Hell. But it was no soap for Willy: the Naval Regulations, which he did not understand, decreed that he must go back to Ford Islai (l. He was standing on the dock, sad and dejected, when Big Ben. on June 14tli, stood out to sea, and to battle.

Page 39 text:

CHAP I i: K FIVE ... you wont he hearing from me for a Ions, time now. so dont worry . . . But I iiottd go . . . tJiere ' s a fella named fourrou.x on Number Five Mount wants his eo Jee, and I ' ve had mine ... FIRST ACTION An LNDEKCLKRENT of excitement could be felt as Big Ben slipped out of Pearl Harbor on June 15tli. Somewhere, thousands of miles to the westward, the mighty Fifth and Seventh Fleets were gathered for another historic assault on the Empire ' s defense lines. Hundreds of transports, jammed with hardened, sunburned shock troops of the .Marine Corps and Army slipjied into Pearl Harbor for refueling. Silently they left, over the sea and into the setting sun. circled liy squadrons of lean, grey destroyers. America was on the road back! Would the next strike be against mysterious, impregnable Truk? The Philippines ' ? The mainland of China? Somewhere a still powerful Ini- .S I c Fedeuu and (tM C Osborne cleaning one oj ' ' Bic; Ben ' s five inch guns.