Gary (FF 51) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 7 text:

.-..,....-.- GAI? Y PRA YER ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE, GRANT US YOUR EVER ABID- ING PROTECTION AS WE SAIL FORTH TO ANSWER THE CALL OF DUTY. . GIVE TO US STRENGTH OF MIND AND SPIRIT THAT WE FAIL NOT IN THE DAY THAT WE'RE TESTED. OUR HOPE AND ASSURANCE IS IN YOU, THE ONE WHO MAKES STORMY SEAS AND TROUBLED HEARTS CALM. CAUSE US TO DIVIDE THE WATERS OF THIS WORLD ONLY IN THE NAME OF PEACE. MAY WE HONOR THESE UNITED STATES OF AMER- ICA WITH SELFLESS AND COURAGEOUS DEDICATION TO THE MIS- SION BEFORE US. WE GIVE THANKS TO YOU OUR FATHER. AMEN WILLIAM C. BLAIR CHAPLAIN'S CORPS, U.S. NAVY FREEDOMS THOUGHTS AS THE WIND BLOWS AND SUN SETS ON THE OPEN SEA HE THINKS OF AMERICA A NATION FREE HE THINKS OF HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS SO DEAR AS DOWN HIS CHEEK ROLLS A LONESOME TEAR HE THINKS OF A PLACE SO CLOSE AND TRUE THE ROLLING HILLS THE SKY SO BLUE HE THINKS OF THOSE WHO'VE DIED IN FOREIGN LANDS TO KEEP US FREE FROM HOSTILE HANDS HE THINKS OF WHAT HE MUST DO WELL SO STILL SHALL RING THE LIBERTY BELL SO HE WILL SAIL THIS TROUBLED SEA TO KEEP THIS GREAT NATION, AMERICA, FREE T.A. MOORE, OS3 ..., .-...,-...-....-W. ...-.- -...,,f..mJ. .,.,:,,..f .. . i......4,.f.n.-.....J,.fwN.....-....4...,....,.--....,---w- V

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Doixif-xio ARTHUR GARY y COMMANDER DONALD ARTHUR GARY UNITED STATES NAVY CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION For conspicuous gdlidnTry ond inTrepidiTy of The risk of his own life dbove ond beyond The coll of duTy os The Engineering Officer dTTdched To The USS FRANKLIN when ThdT vessel wos fiercely oTTdcked by enemy dircrdfT during operoTions ogoinsT The Jdponese home isldnds neor Kobe, Jdpon, Morch 49, 4945. SToTioned on The Third deck when The ship wos rocked by o series of violenT explosions seT off in her own reody bombs rock- eTs ond ommunifion by The hosTile oTTock, LieuTeno T n Gory unhesiToTingly risked his life To dssisf severdl hun- dred ' ' s ' ' men Tropped in o messing comporTmenT filled wiTh smoke ond wiTh no oppdrenf egress. As The imperiied men below decks become incredsingly pdnic-sTricken under The rdging fury of incessdnf explosions, he confi- denfly ossured Them he would find d meons of effecTing Their reledse ond groping Through The dork, debris-filled corridors, ulTimoTely discovered on escopewdy Q ounchly, he sTruggled bdck To The messing com- 2 porTmenT Three Times despiTe menocing fiomes, flQOC ing woTer ond The ominous ThreoT of sudden GddITl0ll explosions, on edch occosion cdlmly leodIfWQ hlstme Through The blonkeTing poll of smoke uniil The los Oil hod been soved. Selfless in his concern for his ship Orig his fellows, he consTonTly roilied oThersl dbouf himiimi peoTedIy orgdnized ond led fire-fighTinQ DQfI'eSmS bldzing inferno on The flighT deck ond, when firerociwn ond 2 were found To be inoperoble, enTered Th? on ber 3 fireroom ond direcTed The rdising of sTeorT1 Ig A boiler in The fdce of exTreme difficulTy ond hdzccg gd inspiring ond courogeous ledder, Chellfendefedmor socrificing service under The mosT perilous CCTUI W0 ond, by his heroic iniTidTive, forTiTude ond Vcllfagcop responsible for soving of severdl hundred liveS. himse ducT ThroughouT reflecTs The highesT credlilon ond upon The UniTed SToTes Ndvol Service. Q

Page 8 text:

4 OPERATION PRAYING IVIANTIS COIVIIVIANDINO OFFICER -N-I ' ' f4 . Vx .. 'Golf Brava, This is Gary. I inrena To engage all hasrile Targers wiThin weaporfs range. 7-I The Caprain, April I8Th