Gunston Hall (LSD 5) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 32 text:

UNDERWAY It was the kind of a day they photograph for the Chamber of Commerce folder. A day that sends men to the golf links, women to their gard- ens, kids to the ball lot before breakfast. The kind that makes a man smile, a boy whistle, a cow lazy, and every living thing breathe. Boy! What a day! It was Saturday, February 21, 1953. A day with a special meaning for the men on the GUNSTON HALL.

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CHIEFS Left to Right Shew MMC, Nessman FPC, Nash CSC, Dodson CMC. Petty ENC, Sabo MMC . . . M.A.A Left to Right; Martin. Cole. Toth. Reafs. 27

Page 33 text:

They were a quiet group of men that stood at quarters at 0915 when the ship slipped slow- ly away from the North Island dock and edged out into the stream. No noise, no more kid- ding, no half-hearted jokes. Just quiet. Faces on the dock were fast becoming blurs. Hands no longer waved. The goodbyes were over. Now the Ensign flap- ped steadily in the wind, the propellers churned, and Berth Mike was blending into the rest of the skyline. On the bridge the quartermas- ter bent over his log. Under- way en route San Diego, Cali- fornia, to Yokosuka, Japan. Steering various courses and speeds to conform with the channel. Captain has the conn. Navigator on the bridge. And then he looked up. And the crew did too. We stood si- lently and watched the ship leave the familiar land marks behind us. Steaming smoothly through the water we passed Shelter Island, Ballast Point, Coronado Roads, and finally Point Loma. And at 1030 we set a course of 260 and headed out into open sea for Yokosuka, 7000 miles away.