General Sturgis (AP 137) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 78 text:

The belligerent MAA force has been kept busy breaking up crap games lately. But all they get for their efforts is Jap occupation money. . . . Heard below decks — Daniel Paul Cafarelli, GM2c, singing Into each gun tub some rain must fall, but too damn much is falling into mine. What a voice! . . By the way, have you noticed the digestible fodder zee cooks have been doling out of late? Pay them a compliment or two, they deserve it. Cooking on a transport is a long and thankless job. . . . Clancy ' s man, Irish James L. McDonald, GM3c, asked us to put an ad in this week for his book, Stately Timber. When asked if he lost it, back came the facetious answer, That ' s putting it mildly. I was rolled! Seems like he was sleeping with his head on the book, when some sneak thief actually rolled his dome to one side and made off ' Wid de evidence. ' . . . Chattery A la Sinatra Hemsath, S2c. took in quite a bit of beach in Manila. We didn ' t hear about any footba ' l games while we were there, but nevertheless Sinatra came back raving about the things gals wave over their heads at football games . . . POM-POMS At the ringside: (Fool ' s Paradise) Two radar girls, Miller, RdM3c and Larson, Sic. were fluttering about the ring last week waving their gloves at each other. If they had kept their eyes open long enough, they might have landed a punch. Maybe they ' re PIP punchy! Still at the ringside: Painter, GMIc, was the promoter and during his pro- moting he asked plumpless Ford, RTIc, if he would like to step into the ring and spar around. Hell, repied the thin man, I haven ' t enough wind to jump three times and still stand up! The rumor has it that BUSH, diminutive GM2c, is corresponding with the lonely heart club in search of a doll his own size. Just about four feet high. What next, little man? . . I can ' t judge distance WILKENS, stores first class, claimed he could tee off on a golf ball from this ship to the one off our starboard beam. Distance: Only 600 yards. WILKENS should be giving golf lessons to Jimmy Thompson, the longest hitter on the fairways. . . . L. «»

Page 77 text:

Now that we have returned to safer waters, Lieut. Willie WESTEN and Sunny SHANNON , RM3c, are seen together on the Flying Bridge trying to lose their per manent life belts. They claim they ' re building up their muscles. . . . Call me handsome MOORE, QM3c, recently purchased (that ' s what he claimed) a rose silk kimono. Most of the members of the N Division compartment when they first saw hirn wearing it, thought we had started hauling women civilian passengers again. SPRING FASHION Note: Young ladies will be wearing the same things in sweaters this season! . . . The E Division has nominated FLOETKE, Flc, for the Sack Artist of the ship! . . . Our Chief MAA recently acquired a beautiful shiner along with a skinned face. His only comment, I was disembarking from a bus. People were shoving and in the process of disembarking my foot caught. A cute young thing entered the doctor ' s office with a worried look on her face. Doc- tor, she said, I need an operation. Major? asked the doctor. No, she said, 1 1 iii Corporal. . . . MATT JACOBS, F2c, returned from Honolulu with some very fine ladies ' silk undies. He is also planning on getting married. Any connection, JACOBS? . . . The after Boatswain ' s Locker is being remodeled into a USO Center with RANK, BM I c, the hostess. Oh you kid. . . . Caught on the Fly: Abdomen Winterbottom, the plethoric fire controlman squinting through the right end of a long glass at microscopic flags striker, Lum Yook. Upon close examination, you can see Lum ' s mustache. All kidding aside, fellows did you know that the well liked future signalman came to the U.S. from Canton, China, in 1940 on the President Coolidge? He attended school in China for nine years, but couldn ' t speak a word of English when he hit the States. Could you or I hope to learn to speak Chinese in ten times five years — let alone receive the language by flashing light?... 07

Page 79 text:

Suave debonairish Vaughn SNOW, pens third class, Chaplain striker, recently adopted two dogies who dogged his heels like Irish Setters, never letting him out of their sight. Everything worked out O.K. until certain members of the N Division were startled to find the G.l. ' s hibernating in their sacks. Arf, Arf ! . . . Casanova CLEGG, Sic, first division lover deluxe may not need lessons in the afore- mentioned art but he should learn to duck when big brothers swing. At the Ringside: With around 1000 mixed spectators cheering, hooting, and otherwise making discordant vibrations, Army and Navy pugilists lightly spiced with Marines squared off in the ring on No. 6 hatch each evening last week. The spectacle would have been complete with loquacious Clem McCarthy at the mike selling Gillette Blue Blades. Hov ever, Clem or no Clem, most fights were even-steven. The shoe leather sol- diers had the right slant on matters when they would wait for the unfortunate swabbie to enter the ring. They would then choose the foxiest fighter at that weight (or above) and the premeditated massacre was underway. All Ship ' s Company men at least got their dukes up. Showing plenty of polish was the dusky flash, Orville PEOPLES, Stm2c. A very fast man with a lightning left jab and a right cross which proved itself, Dead Pan PEOPLES, pound for pound, was by far the best fighter seen. He could have a future in the fight game just for the asking. . . . Two first class men won the honor of pulling in the first fish off the fantail when they hauled in a couple of tuna. The fortunate fishermen were WILKEN, SKlc, and WIL- SON, MMIc. ... Could it be that McWILLIAMS, SC3c, is also a little punchy. He and the barber were standing topside when a ship suddenly opened up at a supposedly floating mine. Said Cookie : Just listen to those guns go BANG, BANG, BANG! ! ! MANOLA ' s only comment: Do you expect them to sound like chimes playing ' My Wild Irish Rose ' ? Late News Flash: Chief Master at Arms loses uppers when piping chow during special sea detail. Do we have to explain? . . . The old saying, Get a horse was aptly put to use by Lt. Roger C. FELL when he was unable to procure a jeep in which to see Manila. For two pesos, (the cheapest price we ' ve yet heard about in the city) Roger says he became proprietor of one of those bright colored carretelas pulled by an indominatable miniature pony, and saw the city in style. »5»