General Hodges (AP 144) - Naval Cruise Book

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GENERAL HODGES ' PIN-UP The biggest dumbell I know is the guy who invites girls up to see his etchings — and then shows them pictures.

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WELL DONE Paul J. Lendvay, BM2c For devotion to duty and personal bravery at sea in the North Atlantic, awarded the Com- mendation Ribbon by the Commanding Officer in a ceremony at sea on May 11, 1945. Pvt. W. S. Walker, USMCR Wounded due to enemy action at Soipan, June 1 5, 1 944. Awarded the Purple Heart which was presented on board the Hodges by Captain Hilton on July 15, 1945.

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PACIFIC 1. 6 April— 16 April. San Francisco. Commissioning ceremony, loaded stores, ammunition fuel and supplies. (No sleep!) 2. 17 April— 9 May. San Francisco to San Diego for. 6 day shakedown. (No liberty). Returned to San Francisco. More loading— also troops. 8 May. The European war is over! 3. 10 May. Sailed for South Pacific, (dropped penny under Golden Gate Bridge for luck). 19 May. Crossed equator, (lost hair). 20 May. Crossed international Date-line. 26 May. Langemak Bay, New Guinea. (Japs in hills). 28 May. Humbolt Bay, Hollandia, New Guinea. (Red mud and The Great Blackout). 4 June. Corregidor and Manila, P. I. (Hubba, hubbal) 11 June. Leyte, P. I. (Beer). 16 June. At sea. (Wish we had a set of sails). 17 June. Biak, Dutch East Indies, (n.c.) 19 June. Mios Woendi Island. (More hubba, but no liberty). 19—29 June. (Sea, heat and soldiers). 29 June. Sighted Mauna Loa Peak, Hawaii. 30 June— 3 July. At sea. 4 July. San Francisco. 5 July— 8 July. Liberty. (Someone must have disembarked the passengers). 4. 8 July. Departed San Francisco for East Coast. (Substituted little black book for little brown book). 17 July. Balboa, Canal Zone. (That ' s that for the Pacific!) ATLANTIC 1. 17 July. Cristobal, Canal Zone. (We ' re going to New York!) 20 July. At sea. Rocks and Shoals. (Feet sore). 23 July. New York. (Now I know what Patrick Henry meant.) 2. 24 July— 5 August. Availability. (Ship and crew). 5 August. Departed New York for Europe, and then to Philippines. 8 August. (Need soils again!) 14 August. Straits of Gibralter. 15 August. The Japanese war is over! 17 August. Naples, Italy. (Cigarettes!) 18-21 August. Lib- erty. (Clever, these Pompeiians). 21 August. Departed Naples, not for Manila, but for Boston. 22-31 August. En route Boston. 3. 1—7 Sept. Boston. (Availability, leave, liberty and Scolloy Square.) 8 Sept. Bound for India. 8-21 Sept. At sea (Hot!) 21-22 Sept. Through Suez Canal. 22-25 Sept. Red Sea. (Hotter!) 26 Sept.— 3 Oct. At sea. Hooghly River mouth. 4 Oct. Calcutta. (Rupees, annas, pice— very complicated. Wish I hod a cold). 8 Oct. En route New York. (Oct. 6-7 property of Royal Indian Navy— getting us out of That Place.)