Grand Canyon (AD 28) - Naval Cruise Book

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On .May Ttli at Gibraltar, B.C.C., the Grand Canyon said goodbye to Commander Riehard : IcGlatliery. USN who departed for duty at Rodman. Canal Zone. We were happy to welcome aboard our new executive officer. Com- mander Edward H. Gentry, USN. All hands joining in wishing both of them the be.st of luck in their new po.sts. Ili4 ' hard . l4- iilalherv, U. S. N. Edward H. Gonlrv, V. S.

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John D. Sweeney, U. S. IV. This foreword is written with confidence that the Grand Canyon Cruise Log Book will be a complete success. I consider myself especially fortunate to have been in command of such a fine seagoing ship and such a spirited ship ' s crew during this pleasant and lively foreign cruise. My appreciations to all the Officers and Chief Petty Officers who sparked this good spirit without which the best vessel is only a mass of steel and the crew anonymous. This is my fourth sea command and I have been proud of each one, but my time on the Grand Canyon, highlighted by this Mediterranean Cruise has been the most satisfying of all. In years to come, this book will serve to refresh our memories to spin a yarn or two of pleasant experiences from Gibraltar to Istanbul. It is my hope that the Grand Canyon never loses her Can Do ability and reputation, that the makers of this book experi- ence great success and that the Almighty continues to watch over and protect the Grand Canyon and all on board, wherever she goes.

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?«ft»rrMfei, iifc.vV Ibl : jf iif . Naples, Italy, was our first port of call, and our last port of call. We arrived in Naples on 11 February, 1952 and dashed ashore as rapidly as liberty regulations would allow. For most of us it was a new experience. Of course, we tried to act as if we had been through all this sort of thing before. But in spite of all we might do we were as carried away with the nea- politan splendor as the most naive tourist. That first liberty found most of us enjoying the semi- Spring warmth of Naples and wending our way to some pleasant Italian restaurant and usually wishing that the best girl or the Mrs. could be along to enjoy this or that sight. Naples we discovered was one of the most his- toric of all the Mediterranean cities, Naples and Istanbul (of which more later) dispute over the claim of occupying the most beautiful site in Europe. Naples Bay extends thirty-five miles from cape to cape and includes within its bound- aries some of the world ' s most romantic island resorts, including Iscliia and Capri. The liistory of Naples is nearly as ancient as the known history of the world. Her founding dates back to the time of the Greek settlements in Italy. Naples was originally called Palaeop- olis by the Greeks and was held by them until Publilius Philo conquered the region in 328 BC and renamed it Neapolis. Neapolitan beauty and climate attracted tourists even in the earli- est days of the Roman Empire. Nero and Hadrian resided there and Virgil composed his Georgics there. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Naples suffered considerably at the